Let me ask you an honest question amid the multitude of unfounded suggestions many of you are throwing out but want to believe are true as some sort of justification for Dukes success in the recruiting realm and UNCs perceived lack of landing OADs. Duke landed their first OAD kid in 2010- Kyrie Irving. Let's just pretend for a min that Duke paid him to go there. Duke was the perceived leader for Harrison Barnes the number one kid in that same class; after Barnes told K in his last in home visit (which was Duke) that he was coming and to save #40 for him. Then unbeknownst to them, Roy shoehorns himself right back over to the Barnes residence and a couple days later he pops for UNC. Maybe I could just say that was a coincidence, a desperate plea that paid off, or he got paid off by Roy. How do you think that would go over?
Since then Duke wins the title in 2010, so your theory of early exits wouldn't hold water, 2011 Kyrie is the best player in the country Duke has a ton of success even after he goes down. We only got one OAD In 2011 (Austin Rivers son of head coach Doc rivers, I'm pretty sure they don't need the money, and he was a Duke lean for two years prior) 2012 we didn't land one, 2013 was Jabari- a morman who if you know anything about that faith they're not taking money. 2014 we land tyus who wasn't considered a one and done but was consider a Duke heavy lean since he was a soph in college and that he and Jah planned on going to school together from 8th grade on. Then there is Justise who also wasn't supposed to be a OAD, was rated behind Justin Jackson mind you, and was thought to be a Duke lean bc of tyus and Jah who were his boys from all of the USA teams. Ingram, you know the story, Giles and Tatum were heaaaavy Duke leans for quite a while and it was no secret.
So for years UNC and UK fans cry about Dukes unfair advantage bc of K in USA basketball, but now you want to claim it was actually paying kids? It doesn't make any sense why Duke would need to do that and I'd actually argue it makes zero sense for Kentucky either. I don't think when you're at the level of Duke UK or UNC you need to go down that road. Could it happen? Absolutely and I could be wrong, I'm not naive. However I'm not going to insinuate or imply that the only reason we have had success is based on completely unfounded assumptions.
First DENIAL ain't a river in Egypt~ LOL
First it is a reach to try to tie Barnes and Irving together in some strange way but OK, I will play. Maybe when K lost Barnes that was his final straw, screw this, if we have to pay em pay em just make sure it can not lead back to me. Makes just as much sense doesn't it, especially considering that word has it that K when nutzs after finding out Barnes was committing to Roy. Maybe Barnes just didn't need or want to risk doing something that could cost him his eligibility and elected to stay on the side of caution? Point being do YOU have any evidence, any whisper, any hint, anything that in any way would indicate Roy paid for Barnes? I have never heard a single fact that indicated Barnes was paid but I do have a fact that is well known that wold indicate that it was not likely that he was. Irving went pro in that season where the NBA had the lockout going on, Barnes didn't, even thou Barnes could have signed at very least a big time endorsement deal that would have VERY likely paid him more than a NBA rookie salary would have, even if he had to sit out due to the NBA lock out. That is strong evidence that Barnes was not on the take, maybe duke offering him $$$ was the reason he backed away from duke last minute?
Next, Austin Rivers, really, you explanation is that he didn't need the money because daddy was a NBA player? Oh, so folks with money do not need or want MORE money? Did Austin Rivers donate his NBA pay check to the starving children in Ethiopia, you know, considering how money was not a factor for him? LOL sorry, not saying Rivers took money but your defense is weak.
Next Jabari Parker, your offered reason he didn't get paid was because he was Morman? Excuse me but is the Morman faith the only one that dictates that doing illegal things is bad? If so what religion was Ochafor, for that matter Carter or Bagley, if not Morman then I suppose you acknowledge that they took money? LOL Further, Parker, was a Morman sure, so was Stillman While, ya know the difference, Stillman put the rest of his life on hold to go on his Morman mission, Parker did not put his life on hold to do the same, may I suggest that maybe his faith was not the single most driving force in his life? Ouch, yeah, that one stung, didn't it? LOL
Next, Ty Jones, "2014 we land tyus who wasn't considered a one and done but was consider a Duke heavy lean since he was a soph in college", funny considering he didn't play a soph season in college and actually was a one & done, yeah, I know, you made a typo but funny how it came out. But, looked at another way, Jones was considered the #1 PG in his class so I guess to you the #1 PG in a class is not a 1&D candidate? I think most would agree that the #1 player at his position in pretty much any class would be considered a 1&D guy but of course they have to play their way to that actually being realistic.
Who next, Jah Jah binky Ochafor, so he and Ty Jones had this unbreakable bond that they were going to play together since the 8th grade, dang K buys em young (LOL, easy shot there). So, these package deals, they always work out, that what ya tellin me and duke was their dream school? Then why wasn't Bam a Tarheel, he grew up a Tar Heel fan, Giles was a Tar Heel fan growing up according to some, point is who you were a fan of growing up and package deals made early on do not always and frankly do not often work out. And often when they do the whispers of them being paid are everywhere. By the way, if duke was the dream school for Parker/IrvingJones/Ochafor/Winslow/Ingram they sure stopped dreaming about them early, looks as if the NBA was much more of their real dream than duke was.
Who next, Winslow, yeah, Winslow was not rated higher than Jackson but truth is Jackson was not as physically ready as Winslow was, I do live and die by ratings or rankings of recruits, I look to see the player no matter where he may be ranked and the fact is Winslow as much more ready to produce day 1 than Justin was, if I can see that do ya not think scouts and street agents, and shoe company folk couldn't? LOL
Next Giles/Tatum, were they in love like Ty and Jah were? I notice, Giles did nothing in his one season at duke and yet after spendign most of his duke career dressed in a suit and watching from the sidelines, rather than come back and really be a major part of his dream schools success, he skipped away to the NBA, hey, kinda like Irving did, huh? LOL And Tatum, rather than work with Giles to come back and prove that they were actually a super team, they allowed their last memory as a duke player to be their elimination from their ONLY NCAAT in what round was that again, by what team was their last memory sculpted?
Kinda amazing isn't it, our UNC guys come back to winn Nattys and your dukies skip off to get paid, now tell me which strike you as more loyal and who seems to be in it for the cash and who doesn't? LOL
Ok, here it comes, watch this
"So for years UNC and UK fans cry about Dukes unfair advantage bc of K in USA basketball, but now you want to claim it was actually paying kids? It doesn't make any sense why Duke would need to do that and I'd actually argue it makes zero sense for Kentucky either."
^ AND for years duke fans have been claiming that K got no extra benefit for coaching team USA while the rest of us told you he did, yall denied it and now you want to embrace it? GOTCHA ! LOL
It is pretty sad that duke had to use paying players in addition to the extra benefit K got from coaching team USA, I will agree with ya there!
" I don't think when you're at the level of Duke UK or UNC you need to go down that road. Could it happen? Absolutely and I could be wrong,"
Again, I agree, it is pretty sad that a power program like duke or Ky has to go down the road of paying players, it is pretty sad when a hall of fame coach like Pitino has to as well, I guess the pressures to continue winning are to great... Even thou rival fans have enjoyed celebrating their success on the recruiting trail over us now those wins are being hung around your neck like an anchor, and maybe it was not really worth it. I mean, IF your dukies did pay folks, if Ky did pay folks then was it worth it, considering what we have just been able to do in back to back seasons, was it really worth it? Not one single hint out there that Roy was or is involved with this FBI sting but then again you knew he wasn't or we would have been getting those big time talents that were steered by stacks of money yall to other programs. Lance Thomas, didn't yall pay him enough to cover his jeweler bill, shame on yall! LOL
