Did Duke just get its Final Four savior?

Posted: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 12:49 AM
Filed Under: ACC, Recruiting

Been a lot of talk about Duke’s “demise” the last few years.

The Devils haven’t been to the Final Four since 2004. No titles since 2001. Last year’s thrashing by Villanova seemed to signal a turning point that Duke wasn’t … well, Duke anymore.

That talk is about to stop, all because of one player. (Also, that talk is nonsense, but that’s another blog.)

Kyrie Irving, one of the elite prospects from the class of 2010, will reportedly committed to Duke Thursday, perhaps as early as Wednesday.

It could take a bit to shake out – he was just in Kentucky for Big Blue Madness and is slated to visit Georgia Tech and Seton Hall this month – but all signs apparently point toward the Devils.

His dad says Duke’s the favorite. Assistants are spreading the word. Irving admitted to “Dime” magazine that Durham was where he wanted to be, he just wasn’t ready to commit yet.

“I guess you could say that I’m leaning toward Duke,” he said. “I’m just not ready to commit. It was my first visit and of course I’m really high on them and like I said I have that feeling, but I think it’s only smart to compare it to something.”

Irving denied the report on his Twitter page, but Adam Zagoria has three different sources saying it’s a “done deal.” It wouldn’t be a surprise. The Devils were considered Irving’s top choice for some time. When he arrived for his official visit last month, fans went overboard in greeting him.

Why? It’s simple. He’d be Duke’s most talented point guard since Jay Williams. Scout.com rates him as the No. 2 point guard, while Rivals.com ranks him as No. 9 overall.

He’s the kind of player who can help raise Final Four banners and NCAA tournament trophies – and end any “demise” talk.

UPDATE: Recruiting guru Dave Telep of Scout.com says an annoucement is coming Thursday. That's good news for Duke fans (closer to the commit report, the better) and everyone else in the hoops world because it'll likely help other highly touted recruits settle on their schools. Guys like Brandon Knight, Doran Lamb and Josh Selby will make a lot of other program happy.

UPDATE 2: Irving did indeed announce his intention to attend Duke. Coach K and fans rejoice.

(H/T: Rush the Court)