The 2010 team also had 3 seniors and 2 juniors in the lineup -- Scheyer, Thomas, Zoub, Singler, and Smith. No true PG -- experience and grit.
RJ Barrett
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The 2010 team also had 3 seniors and 2 juniors in the lineup -- Scheyer, Thomas, Zoub, Singler, and Smith. No true PG -- experience and grit.
Good post.
It should go without saying that each and every poster on this board wants Vrank to do well. Am I least right in assuming that?
Where the disconnect is happening is that some people feel simply by him playing more minutes it's magically going to happen. Again, I would love for it to happen. I'm just not comfortable assuming that it does. I'm guessing that's the same approach the staff will take too. Heck, even with Zoubek in the program, Duke continued to recruit bigs, as is evident with the two Plumlee's on the roster at the same time.
K uses the line often that each player and/or team runs their own race. I think that applies here. Recruiting additional big men doesn't mean the program is giving up on Vrank....it means they're doing what they feel is best to make them their best.
I disagree on the physical gifts. Zoubek was a guy who I thought could have a long NBA career as a backup. That, of course, was when he was 18. As often happens with big men with a history of foot problems, his upside "slid" downward pretty fast after a couple of seasons at Duke.
Now, of course, Vrank, because he's just a junior in college and Zoubek is retired from basketball, certainly has a better chance of playing professionally than Brian does. But I'd still venture to guess, on what I've seen from Vrank, that Zoubek is remembered more for his career at Duke than Vrank will ever be. Again....I'd love to be wrong on that.
This is all correct. I'm rooting for Vrank, I want him to get playing time. I just think it's insane to pencil him in for 20+mpg next season when he has given us 2 seasons of nothing. Combine that with the high-level of recruiting we have been on, and I'd say the odds are against Vrank to ever be a real contributor, it still can happen though.
And for the final time, the Zoubek comparison is ridiculous. On top of the ratings, Zoubek didn't deal with the same level of recruiting that Vrank has to battle with. Zoubek had the Plumlee's, who were great but weren't going to battle for a starting job as freshman. Vrank's situation is different, we are probably going to bring in a big capable of starting as a freshman each of these next 2 years.
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Very good point, and I don't want to sell Zoobs short as he was a good player for Duke. I'm just going back to the fact that the HS rating is not a consistent way of saying whether a player can be good in college, especially when surrounded by stud players. I still think Vrank will be as good as Brian ended up being; injuries certainly detailed Zoobs, I can definitely agree there.
Insane for assuming he could develop to that in the next 12 months? Also, ridiculous is using HS ratings as gold.
On Vrank, yes I think he would be fine with solid talent around him. I also think we need at least one more big, but to me it doesn't have to be a stud. I'm going off the assumption that these kids coming in are as good as advertised, with also the returning guys making next season a good team.
While it may be unfair to say Vrank would be good enough, I think it's worse to say he's not good enough. After all, he's had 3 years with the best coach and staff out there and practicing against top talent, and the fact he wouldn't be asked to be a force offensively. Do what Zoubek did.
Vrank can play 10-12 min. Everyone is okay.
Matt Jones needs to only play 10-12 min. Everyone goes out of their mind ha.
Matt Jones needs to only play 10-12 min. Everyone goes out of their mind ha.
Want to laugh at UK fans more? This is how their narratives are formed when they lose a recruit. Barrett wants to go to UK, but dad is forcing him to Duke.
https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/threads/rj-barrett-update-per-mj.243756/
https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/threads/rj-barrett-update-per-mj.243756/
Wanna how spoiled and lucky us Duke fans are? We are about to get the #1 player in the nation to commit, and we are all worried about who our starting big-man will be next year, while it's September and most recruits haven't even committed yet.
Yea that guy is one fool. He only pops up when the topic is relevant to Duke and the only thing he seems to know what to say is “eat a bag of d*cks”. Truly is pathetic. For his sake, I hope he is a teenager and not a grown adult.
Yea I also heard that Cam Reddish parents liked Duke, but he wanted to go to uk. Tre Jones also wanted to go to uk, but brother and mom pushed him to Duke, and Marvin Bagley wanted to go to uk, but having family ties to the Durham forced him to go to Duke. Just think, if it weren’t for the families influences, Duke wouldn’t have any recruits
Thank God for family influences.That is why it is called a brotherhoodYea I also heard that Cam Reddish parents liked Duke, but he wanted to go to uk. Tre Jones also wanted to go to uk, but brother and mom pushed him to Duke, and Marvin Bagley wanted to go to uk, but having family ties to the Durham forced him to go to Duke. Just think, if it weren’t for the families influences, Duke wouldn’t have any recruits
I think this is the essence of what a number of people are saying.
And I don't see any way that Wendell is at Duke next year, and doubt Marques will be here either.
Really? What do you see, physically, that Brian didn't have? I think Zoubs was an inch taller... not sure about wingspan... pretty sure that Vrank has GOT to have better leaping...? Zoubek was a MOUNTAIN of a guy... by the time he hit senior year, he was one of the biggest, most physically imposing players to EVER play at Duke. Guys, both our players and opposing players, talked about how running into Zoubek was like running headfirst into a mountain.
Don't look for logic or reason at Rupp Rafters.
I wanted to go to Kentucky, but my family started talking about worthless things like education and teeth.
(just kidding, why the hell would I have wanted to go to Kentucky)
(just kidding, why the hell would I have wanted to go to Kentucky)
Hey that's not fair.....I live here and they do have teeth....they put them in a glass on the bathroom sink every night!!!
That Matt was a 5* and didn't pan out like a "5" would and many would of loved for him to see 10-12 max but when it was talked about we were attacking our own.. we have vrank who @TheDude1 wants to know what I see as better than zoubek and I think it's clear. Zoos athletic ability was that of my grandma where vrank has hops.. he's a lot more plumlee esque. Now we think that vrank can play meaningful minutes next year(he was recruited right?) but others say nope 10-12. Well wouldn't that be attacking our own? Claiming he isn't worth more time
These great threads happen when you get your ass kicked at the thing you feel makes you most relevant. For them there always has to be a reason they lose on or off the court, they just can't take an ass kicking. Just take the ass kicking, at least be men about it, you may actually garner some respect.
Matt didn't become what most of us had hoped. He was still really good for the Duke teams he played on, though. And you know what? With a true PG on last season's roster he probably doesn't play much more than 20 minutes/game.
I'm sorry, but when I watch Vrank I don't see athletic potential oozing. He compares more to Zoubek athletically than he does to any of the Plumlee's. It's not even close, IMO.
Lastly, and again, no one is saying Vrank can't play 20+ minutes a night for the 2018-19 team. We're just not assuming he will....the same way many of us felt Zoubek couldn't contribute the same workload heading into 2009-10. Now, it's certainly possible Vrank has had an incredible offseason and shored up some of his perceived deficiencies....and becomes a key ingredient to our success this season. I still don't think people are attacking him....questioning him? Yeah, there's some of that.
I don't know, that's the point, haha. I want to read about RJ, but only seem to be able to read about Vrank.
Ha! Still! Gotta love Vrank though.I don't know, that's the point, haha. I want to read about RJ, but only seem to be able to read about Vrank.
This is all true. I really don't wanna stir another debate, but I just can't hold back....you don't know a thing about basketball if you really believe Matt only deserved 10-12 mpg. There I said it.
Right! If they don't win a title (and Duke does) it's because the NCAA did it or the refs did it or the parents did it or Capel is dirty or whatever. Their excuses are a mile long.
Then I guess you're the select few that understands basketball. "There I said it" I'm surprised you aren't too busy leading the celtics to another banner you're so bright oh wise one.
Finally someone acknowledges my level of basketball expertise. Thank you.
Being subtle has never been your thing anyway, so why start now?
The point about Matt playing too much is understandable. Anytime someone brought up that he played too much, out came the defenders of him. Sorry but he was a role player only, valuable in that role though, but not nowhere near a 30+ minute guy. He didn't become the true player that Duke needed, doesn't mean he wasn't good for Duke.
Your opinion of Vrank is he's merely a 10-12 minute guy next season. Maybe so, I disagree though, I see him as a combination of Zoubek and MP3, and if given the opportunity, would do fine.
Go study on this one: talent is great, but nothing without chemistry.
Who cares anyway. Were gonna have 3-5 OAD players a year until K is gone, you're gonna complain about us not having "veteran leadership," I'm gonna state that talent trumps all and then we will figure it out later. Rinse, repeat. This conversation will be the same after we land Barrett and set our sights on our next OAD, who will probably be a big man.
Well he sure wasnt a 30 minute guy....Thats why I have a problem w/the see star system. Wasnt Matt a 5 star, and Mickey D 3pt shot winner. He peaked in '15, because on that squad he wasnt counted on for as much as jr/sr yrs....
I think Vrank is a Very Viable 5 spot guy w/the talent surrounding him next yr (aka Matt in '15)....I heard he only got better playing for Croatia this summer.
OFC
He was a 4-star. Ranked anywhere from 30-50 depending on the site. Though yes was a Mickey D AA. Just looked back at his class, and most of the top guys were big-men, so makes sense that a 4-star guard was able to snag one of the last Mickey D AA spots.
How about you take your comments of nonsense back to RR where you guys are pro's at dreaming up crap. I'm sure you have plenty of Duke post over there to join in. Stop all the crying on our board. As soon as a recruit seems to be going anywhere other than kitty kat land, either their parents didn't like your car salesman, you really didn't want him anyway etc... That truly has played out. Now get on back in your fence and play with the other sad kitties!
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