Even Hunter S. Thompson wouldn't bet against Lee Melchionni. By birth Lee entered into a family with innumerable advantages. His father Gary, now the president of the Duke Alumni Association, had played basketball for the Blue Devils in the early 1970s and has since earned a great deal of professional success. His mother Karen, seemingly possessed of only the most authentic brand of maternal compassion, gave her son as many opportunities to thrive as she possibly could.
By choice, Lee will play basketball at Duke, entering yet another family that is sure to nurture him toward the success he seems destined for.
"I can't wait to go to school there next year," Melchionni said. "I love Duke basketball and I love Duke as a university. I just want to take advantage of my opportunities on the court and in class too."
Though he will officially enroll at Duke next fall, Melchionni's progression into the student body could not have been more natural.
From the time he interrupted the old-timers' game as a six-year-old by darting across Cameron's hardwood toward the unsuspecting Blue Devil mascot, to his skipping out on a family dinner to watch the end of Duke's Final Four contest against UNLV in 1991, to the time he verbally committed to attend the University, Lee has always been a Blue Devil.
"Ever since he has decided to go to Duke, he has sprouted wings," Karen said. "It is a dream come true for him. He can't wait to become full with all of the wonderful stuff Coach K can give him."
He will, however, only possess the opportunity in practice to apply all of Krzyzewski's wisdom next year since Duke basketball has decided to redshirt Lee.
As a basketball player whose talent has made him grow accustomed to being the focal point of a team, Lee will need to adjust into his new role of wearing a suit to the arena.
Nevertheless, the reasons for his sitting out a year are numerous.
From a strict basketball perspective, most pundits agree that his year on the sidelines will allow Melchionni the time to mature physically so that his less-developed 6-7 frame can grow into itself.
Even Jim Fenerty, his basketball coach at Germantown (PA) Academy welcomes the situation.
"For Lee's development, the redshirt is probably a good thing since he's such a young senior this year," he said. "The choice will leave him in good stead overall within the program."
Also, with Duke's obtaining six high-quality recruits for the Class of 2006, no space remained on the roster for Melchionni.
Gary Melchionni obviously has a different perspective on his son's sitting out a year.
"I don't think there are any negatives to his redshirting, except for the one my wallet is going to take," he said half-jokingly, because fathers can only half-joke when it comes to finances.
"Academically, it will work out great. He could be taking grad courses by his third or fourth season if that's what he chooses."
And when Lee does suit up for the first time in the fall of 2003, he will share the court with people he actively recruited.
Upon accepting his offer from Duke, Lee started selling the program to other potential recruits like Shavlik Randolph and Shelden Williams, and now the Blue Devils have what is being deemed as one of the best classes in NCAA history.
"I sent out e-mails, I instant messaged them, I called them," Melchionni said without pretense. "I just wanted to talk up Duke. I think it helped a little, but I don't want to take credit for developing this recruiting class or anything."
Due recognition or not for his marketing skills, Lee has secured his spot on a team comprised both of men with whom he has already developed strong bonds of friendship and who possess unconscionable physical talent.
Playing alongside his new classmates, Melchionni will move from one family to another, but the transition appears to be so seamless that one gets the impression that both of them really meant the same thing to him all along.
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