Austin Nichols, the No. 13 recruit in the class of 2013 according to ESPN, announced this week he will attend Memphis next season. Tennesee and Duke were also in the hunt for the 6-foot-9 power forward. With Nichols off the board, Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski's lone target is heralded Jabari Parker. Shooting guard Matt Jones and small forward Semi Ojeleye are already committed to the Blue Devils in the class of 2013. The Chronicle's sports editor Andrew Beaton and basketball beat writer/recruiting analyst Brady Buck sat down to discuss the impact of missing out on Nichols.
Andrew Beaton: So, now that the Blue Devils missed out on Nichols, how high should the panic meter be for the staff 1-10?
Brady Buck: For now, I'll say six. Most fans, however, might say eight-nine.
Ultimately, the answer to this question hinges on whether or not Krzyzewski can reel in his final and most important 2013 recruit—Jabari Parker. Parker has been the No. 1 target since the very beginning and recent rumblings suggest that the Blue Devils are well positioned in the final lap of his recruitment, which will likely come down to Duke and Michigan State. Bringing a player as talented as Parker—a versatile 6-foot-8 small forward—to Durham immediately remedies any big men worries for Duke, in my opinion.
Panic will ensue if Parker spurns Duke. Wouldn't you agree?
AB: I think panic will no doubt ensue if the Blue Devils miss out on Parker—at least among fans, it will be a 10. But for the coaching staff, I can't see it being quite that high. From their perspective, they already have Matt Jones joining the fold, and Rodney Hood will finally be eligible to play. Hood, with a year of college basketball under his belt and a year of Duke practice to boot, might be as good as or better—at least next year—than any incoming freshman.
The key question, though, now that they missed Nichols, is can this team compete in the frontcourt? Regardless of whether or not they get Parker, the lineups next year should be pretty exciting to watch as they look to compensate for a lack of size with their speed and athleticism.
BB: For sure. Regardless if Duke gets Parker, the frontcourt will be a bit thin. Marshall Plumlee will be the only true center on the roster and nobody has any sort of idea at this point how effective he will be because he has yet to play a minute of meaningful action. With his lanky wingspan and energy, Amile Jefferson can guard power forwards, but it will be crucial for him to bulk up over the course of the next year to avoid getting outmuscled on the block. As the third big man, Josh Hairston should be a steady backup.
As you alluded to, the size that the Blue Devils may lack in the post will be made up for on the wing, where they'll have a significant size and talent advantage almost every night. Krzyzewski will have a variety of long, athletic lineups that he can utilize next year with 6-foot-4 Sulaimon, 6-foot-5 Jones, 6-foot-7 Semi Ojeleye, 6-foot-8 Hood and 6-foot-8 Murphy. All five are respectable athletes with well-rounded games and the ability to be defensive stoppers. It's been a while since Krzyzewski has had that sort of offensive versatility, as well as flexibility on defense.
But as you know, the high-turnover nature of college basketball will likely give Krzyzewski and his staff a few opportunities to pounce on 2013 recruits that reopen their recruitments after head coaches get fired in the spring. Exploring the Junior College ranks for big men is another option that will likely be considered.
AB: And the important thing for Duke fans to remember, is so much can change in so little time in the recruiting game. This time last season a guy like Hood was nowhere close to being on the radar. Between guys reclassifying, junior college players, potential hardship transfers that may arise and allow players to move without having to sit a season... there will be options for this staff if they choose to seek them out.
But I also don't think there will be THAT much pressure for them to do so—with the depth they have on the wing, are they really in as much of a bind as people think? Keep in mind, the team also may gets back 6-foot-4 guard Andre Dawkins back next season. That is an incredible amount of talent and size on the perimeter.
Coach K showed he can win with a team largely built of combo players in the Olympics. Who knows how well it would work this team, but there's no doubt in my mind it'd be incredibly fun to watch.
BB: Agreed. Specifically, one name that Duke fans should keep their eyes on in the coming weeks is Dakari Johnson—a 6-foot-10 center from New York, NY that attends Montverde Academy in Florida. He recently reclassified from the class of 2014 to 2013 and is the No. 12 overall player in the class with a prospective college list headlined by Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State and Syracuse, among others.
It's probably a long shot, but I would think that the Blue Devil coaching staff will at least try to get involved. And who knows, Johnson might be interested in the sales pitch considering the surplus of playing time available in the post.
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