MBB Recruiting: 2015 5* F Luke Kennard to Duke

Submitted by ypsituckyboy on
Huge bummer. Michigan was recruiting him since the 8th grade and he was the #1 priority for the 2015 class.

Leaders And Best

March 24th, 2014 at 8:03 PM ^

so not as disappointed. Also at least the coaches know this early so they will be focus on other targets during summer eval period.

Trust in Beilein. And also have faith that Coach K will find a way to squander another Mickey D's AA.

jmblue

March 24th, 2014 at 9:01 PM ^

We were a 4 seed (not 3)  - and we overachieved like crazy to get even that.  Our starting five was freshman Burke, sophomore Hardaway (who was in a terrible slump all year from 3), Novak, Douglass and Morgan.  Horford was injured, so our backup center (and only bench scorer whatsoever) was Evan Smotrycz.

 

Leaders And Best

March 24th, 2014 at 9:39 PM ^

Why does this poster keep referring to us as a 3 seed? There have been only EIGHTEEN #14 over #3 upsets in NCAA history. There have been only SEVEN #15 over #2 upsets in NCAA history. And Duke just had 2 of them in the last 3 years.

For comparison, there have been 25 #13 over #4 upsets which is as many as both of those combined. A lot easier to lose as a #4 than as a #3 or a #2. And at least OHIO proved to be a decent team by making the Sweet 16 and taking UNC to overtime in the regional semis. No #13 seed has ever made the regional finals and OHIO was an OT away from it. The teams Duke lost to both got blown out in their following game.

Also in 2007, Duke was upset as a #6 seed by #11 VCU.

gte896u

March 25th, 2014 at 1:41 PM ^

I misread the post and yes duke has suffered 2 1st round losses as a top 12 overall seed. but my point remains. youre hammering Duke for 2 upsets that you have rationalized to be worse that Michigan's upset. this rationalization appears to based on the fact that Ohio beat a 12 seeded USF in the second round. You are also ignoring Duke's NC 4 years ago. its the tournament. upsets happen, and if you're using Duke's upsets as some sort of referendum on the program without taking into account its recent national championship, thats a biased assessment based on moving goalposts.

gte896u

March 25th, 2014 at 8:17 AM ^

yes I made a mistake with the 2012 seedings, but 3 sentences later you just did the same thing with Duke. They had were party to one 2-15 upset, not two.

anyways, all that other rationalization is meaningless. ohio stayed hot for a few more games, and lehigh didnt. so what?

Leaders And Best

March 25th, 2014 at 1:23 PM ^

One by a #15 seed and one by #14 seed. Add them up and you get two.

The point is that OHIO was a better team than Lehigh and Mercer, and that is pretty much not debatable and somewhat of an important point. You can't just gloss over that.

1. OHIO was #13 seed. Lehigh was a #15 seed. Mercer was a #14 seed. Before the tournament, OHIO was the more highly regarded and accomplished team.

2. OHIO then went out and played better than almost any #13 seed has ever had. OHIO had also upset Georgetown as a #14 seed 2 years earlier with many of the same players. It was an experienced team that had done it before.

I think both of those points are kind of important.

gte896u

March 25th, 2014 at 1:48 PM ^

so when you say played better than any 13 seed ever had you are basing that on a win over the 12 seed in the next round. im not impressed by that and the only reason I suspect you are is that it puts a positive gloss on their win over UM.

Also, funny that you bring up Georgetown. They lost to a 15 seed last year and missed altogether this year. so where is the great accomplishment? They have none of Duke's recent successes and all (and more) of their failures. so what does that validate?

gte896u

March 25th, 2014 at 8:38 AM ^

so your assertion is that the 11-12 team wasnt actually that good? they overachieved to win the B1G but then water found its level in the tournament when they were bounced by a team that went 11-5 in the MAC? Novak and Douglass by that point were playing in their 3rd Tournament, Hardaway was in his 2nd (all as starters), and Burke got AA recognition from at least 2 media outlets including the AP. why not just be honest about it? and I dont mean the seeding mistake I made, but rather in how you are characterizing these teams. one was a B1G champion, the other was 3rs in the ACC. yet the B1G champion was a bunch of feisty overachievers that was out-overachieved by Ohio U, while the 3rd place ACC team laughably choked? not being able to assess stuff like this objectively is terrible for the board overall.

Leaders And Best

March 24th, 2014 at 8:58 PM ^

You can't count Hardaway and Burke as 1st rounders that year. They played another season and finshed as the National Runner Up before they went to the NBA. If they had gone pro in 2012, Hardaway is undrafted and Burke maybe falls into the 2nd round. They were both different players in 2013.

CLord

March 24th, 2014 at 10:47 PM ^

1. Inflecting emotion online is an exercise in futility.

2. Even Christian Laettner is trolling Coach K and Duke these days, saying things are no longer how they used to be.  

My shot in the dark as to why Coach K is no longer the elite coach he once was, and now wins most of his games due very little to his actual coaching and moreso due to (a) riding the endless sea of 5 start talent that just keeps rolling in year after year, and (b) the most lopsided home cooked refereeing in all of sport at Cameron?

Because he surrounds himself with a bunch of yes men ex-Duke players as assistant coaches, who bring very little in terms of added coaching dimension to the table.

Michael Jackson didn't turn into a white woman who shot up horse tranquilizers to fall into a nightly coma only because he was insane.  It was also because he was surrounded by a gaggle of yes men, none of whom would ever bother to bitch slap his silly white ass to set him straight.

This is what I see with Coach K - surrounded by a load of brain-washed ex-player yes men who worship at his feet and bring nothing but "yes sir!" to the table.  I expect Coach K to get a nose job and new chin any day now, none the wiser.

Paps

March 24th, 2014 at 8:02 PM ^

Hate to say it but he's going to fit very well into Coach K's system. Best of luck to the young man?

Who does Michigan now target? The Texas kid?

getsome

March 24th, 2014 at 8:35 PM ^

more athletic than this kid kennard?  if hes more athletic and has even remotely similar skill set to kennard, sign him up.  no recruiting expert but i saw some highlights and kennard looks legit.  6'5" with deadly shooting stroke, range and confidence, and can easily play 1 or 2 by looks of his ball handling.  wouldve been perfect guard/wing for beilein...hope his teammate really is that good.  looks like this kid will do well anywhere, wish him the best.  but shame its duke though, coach k too hypocritical and wojo is too awful 

CLord

March 24th, 2014 at 8:29 PM ^

duke nowadays is like the tom cruise of cbb.  hot talent falls in both their laps and neither has the slightest clue what the hell to do with it.

814 East U

March 24th, 2014 at 8:06 PM ^

I hate Duke as much as the next Michigan fan. However, I definitely see the appeal of playing for coach K in North Carolina and going to a great school.