Signed, Sealed, Deng-livered

Getting Luol Deng was not simply a luxury for a Duke team already stacked with several veterans and the most talented freshman class in the nation. Rather, the Blair (N.J.) Academy forward's commitment to Duke Tuesday re-established Duke not only as a basketball power for the foreseeable future, but also Mike Krzyzewski as the most prolific recruiter in the nation.

Next year, the Blue Devils will lose four players: Casey Sanders, Andre Buckner, Andy Borman and Dahntay Jones. Buckner and Borman, who have seen only limited game action throughout their Duke careers, may be missed in practice, but not in game situations. And while Sanders has steadily improved since his freshman season and has been able to provide quality minutes off the bench for the Blue Devils, he will struggle to find playing time this season behind the likes of Shelden Williams, Shavlik Randolph and Nick Horvath. After he graduates, current freshman Michael Thompson will easily fill his role.

And then, there is Dahntay Jones, a 6- foot-6 swingman who brought his tenacious defensive ability and leadership qualities to Duke after transferring from Rutgers. Jones was forced to sit out the 2000-01 season, but was a key figure in practice and in the locker room. Last year, his defensive abilities were showcased in several games, as he was often assigned to guard the opposing team's most talented offensive player one-on-one. Jones' abilities did not go unrecognized, as he was named to the All-Defensive Team by CollegeInsider.com and the ACC All-Defensive Team by the league's coaches.

Next season, Jones will be absent, and the question over who would fill his role lingered. Junior Chris Duhon, also a premier defender, was an option, but could a 6-1 guard really be asked to defend someone half a foot taller than him?

This question, however, became moot late Monday night, when The Chronicle learned that Deng had chosen Duke. Listed at somewhere between 6-7 and 6-8, Deng has abilities that are versatile enough that he can play pretty much anywhere on the floor. Like Jones, a great deal of his talent stems from raw athleticism, but Deng has also been praised for his refined game and a cut basketball sense. Already being called the best high school senior not named LeBron James, Deng will see a great deal of playing time, and may even crack the starting lineup. Over the course of four years, Deng has the tools to develop into one of Duke's all-time greats.

Landing Deng, however, was important not only for the role that he will fill, but also because, quite simply, it was a recruiting battle that had Duke's reputation at stake. One month ago, Mike Krzyzewski and Steve Wojciechowski flew to Houston to make a last-minute pitch to recruit Ndudi Ebi. Less than 24 hours later, Ebi stepped to a microphone and announced that he had chosen to become an Arizona Wildcat.

It was the first time that Duke had lost an intense recruiting war since Jared Jeffries chose Indiana over Duke in 1999. That year, Duhon committed to Duke, followed by Daniel Ewing the next year. Last fall, Duke set its sights on six star recruits--and got them all.

This fall, Duke received a commitment from Kris Humphries, a forward from the Minneapolis area. After missing on Ebi, Deng was the only player left in Krzyzewski's crosshairs. In the end, Deng chose Duke over Indiana, the school that had lured Jeffries away from Duke; Missouri, a team coached by former Duke assistant Quin Snyder; and Virginia, Duke's ACC rival. For the past few years, Duke had been seen as a school that could pretty much pick and choose its players. Ebi and Jeffries notwithstanding, Deng's decision reinforced that notion.

Evan Davis is a Trinity senior and senior associate sports editor. His column appears every Wednesday.