I suppose the alternative could be whatever Duke's Coach K does. Sure, Duke has one-and-dones, but they also have several non-frosh contributors/starters every year. So, how is Coach K able to do this?

 

He recruits guys to fit his system. I am willing to bet he would have traded Anthony Davis, MKG, and Teague for Murphy, Cook, and Marshall Plumlee in a heartbeat though.

I doubt very strongly we will ever know the answer to the question. No team is going to have all freshmen with no others contributing. As to the success of recruiting one and dones, Cal proved you can win a title doing it. In every sport, there is one thing you must have to win - talent. To win an NCAA title, you must have first round NBA players on your team. You can't win an NCAA title without first round talent. Recruiting one and dones is about getting the talent.

I suppose the alternative could be whatever Duke's Coach K does. Sure, Duke has one-and-dones, but they also have several non-frosh contributors/starters every year. So, how is Coach K able to do this?

 

Duke has had a one & done player each of the last two seasons: Austin Rivers & Kyrie Irving.

I doubt very strongly we will ever know the answer to the question. No team is going to have all freshmen and with no others contributing. As to the success of recruiting one and dones, Cal proved you can win a title doing it. In every sport, there is one thing you must have to win - talent. To win an NCAA title, you must have first round NBA players on your team. You can't win an NCAA title without first round talent. Recruiting one and dones is about getting the talent.

There is a reason the only team to win a title with no McDonald's All Americans is the '02 Maryland team. Talent ultimately wins though there have been some close ones of late to achieve it. I cannot recall a time a first round draft pick was not on a title team. Not sure it has ever happened.

You don't think Harrow will be a strong contributor next year? With the twins I could very easily see Cal yanking either one of them if they don't play right or miss plays.

 

I don't think the twins will give Cal an opportunity to yank them.

There is a reason the only team to win a title with no McDonald's All Americans is the '02 Maryland team. Talent ultimately wins though there have been some close ones of late to achieve it. I cannot recall a time a first round draft pick was not on a title team. Not sure it has ever happened.

 

Did Duke's most recent title team have a 1st rounder? I can't remember if Singler ended up a first round pick. The last team to win a title before that with no 1st rounder was Indiana in 1988(?)...the Keith Smart team.

Did Duke's most recent title team have a 1st rounder? I can't remember if Singler ended up a first round pick. The last team to win a title before that with no 1st rounder was Indiana in 1988(?)...the Keith Smart team.

 

1987.

Did Duke's most recent title team have a 1st rounder? I can't remember if Singler ended up a first round pick. The last team to win a title before that with no 1st rounder was Indiana in 1988(?)...the Keith Smart team.

 

Singler went Round 2 in 2011.

 

Nolan Smith went Round 1 in 2011.

Singler went Round 2 in 2011.

 

Nolan Smith went Round 1 in 2011.

 

That makes that Duke team one of the least talented to win a title since 1987. In fact, they may be the only team to not have one player drafted in the year they won the title.

 

As a UK fan, one thing I always find funny is how UK fans talk about all the talent Pitino left Tubby, but Tubby's title team was also one of the least talented NCAA champions. The only player off Tubby's 1998 title team that was drafted in 1998 was Nazr Mohammed, who was the last pick in the first round.

All Cal is doing is recruiting the best players. Honestly, I think its more prevalent because Cal HAD to start a bunch of freshmen from year one because BCG left so little. If there had been some better guys on the roster when Cal showed up, do you think Bledsoe and Orton end up leaving after one year? Nobody thought they would at the beginning of the season. With those two gone, that's more minutes for other guys the next year, and so on.

 

Of course winning it all tends to send guys out who wouldn't have left otherwise.

That makes that Duke team one of the least talented to win a title since 1987. In fact, they may be the only team to not have one player drafted in the year they won the title.

 

As a UK fan, one thing I always find funny is how UK fans talk about all the talent Pitino left Tubby, but Tubby's title team was also one of the least talented NCAA champions. The only player off Tubby's 1998 title team that was drafted in 1998 was Nazr Mohammed, who was the last pick in the first round.

 

 

That was one of the least talented Duke teams during Coach K's tenure. By far.

That was one of the least talented Duke teams during Coach K's tenure. By far.

 

Sure do miss Schyer... And Zoubek that 6 months he finally decided to man up...

Sure do miss Schyer... And Zoubek that 6 months he finally decided to man up...

I just took a look on Wiki to see where Scheyer is today, which is in Europe playing ball. The craziest thing on there though was in a high school game once, Scheyer scored 21 points in 75 seconds in trying to lead his team to a comeback.

Bottom line, since Cal took over, there hasn't been a program with more success or put in better position to win a title year in and year out than UK.