With a gentle tug on a blue baseball cap, Kyrie Irving gave the grandest gesture of the past few seasons that Duke can still finish what it starts in the recruiting world..Irving, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Elizabeth, N.J., gave a verbal commitment to the Blue Devils at a press conference televised live on ESPNU Thursday. The fifth-ranked player in the 2010 class according to Scout.com, Irving solves two problems for the Blue Devils, giving Mike Krzyzyewski its first playmaking point guard in six season and proving that, after whiffing on select targets like Patrick Patterson (Kentucky), Greg Monroe (Georgetown) and another electric point guard, Kenny Boyton (Florida), Duke still knows its way around the recruiting trail.
Irving credited his relationship with the Duke staff for his decision.
"When I went on my official visit, it felt like home," Irving said. "And it's the place for me."
Irving is the latest in a line of New Jersey point guards to choose Duke. Jersey City's Bobby Hurley led Duke to three Final Fours and two national championships in the early '90s, while Plainfield's Jason Williams led the Blue Devils to the 2001 title.
Irving should also kickstart a point guard legacy that's fallen on hard times since Chris Duhon graduated following Duke's 2004 Final Four run, not coincidentally its last trip to college basketball's biggest stage. Neither Sean Dockery nor Greg Paulus developed into a serious threat at the point, while Shaun Livingston, Duke's top recruit in 2004, opted for the NBA instead of a trip to Tobacco Road.
When Duke failed to land either John Wall or Boynton last year, the Blue Devils were left with a roster without an effective option at point. Combo guard Nolan Smith couldn't hold down the position last season and though the team seemed to respond to shooting guard Jon Scheyer taking over the role, a 23-point loss to Villanova in the Sweet 16 made it amply clear the Blue Devils hadn't solved their issues at the point.
"This is a guy you expect to have a [Chris] Duhon or [Jason] Williams-like impact on the backcourt. He's that level of player," Scout.com recruiting analyst Dave Telep told the Durham Herald-Sun. "I think he's capable of having an enormous impact on their program.
Irving joins Josh Hairston, Scout.com's 10th ranked power forward and Tyler Thornton, the 20th-ranked point guard in the Blue Devils' 2010 class. Shooting guard Andre Dawkins, originally a 2010 commitment, enrolled early at the school and will play this fall.
With Irving on board, Duke will focus its attention to the prize of its 2010 class, Harrison Barnes, a 6-foot-6 power forward from Ames, Iowa. The top-ranked player in the nation has been a Duke target so long you might think Krzyzewski signed his birth certificate.
Barnes says he will make a decision before his high school team starts practice Nov. 16. The commitment of Irving, a playmaking point guard and a player Barnes has long been friendly with, should help Duke's cause. Just don't expect Irving to take on the role of recruiting coordinator.
"I'll let the Duke coaching staff handle that," Irving said on television.
Then again, with a tug of the baseball cap, Irving had already more than done his part.
