Starting tonight, this site bigdukeballs.wordpress.com is no more. I am officially dropping the .wordpress from the domain name.

I’m officially joining the Fantasy Sports Venture. In terms of content and what I’ll be writing, nothing changes. Like I said, the only change will be the domain name. We are dropping .wordpress.com from the name and from this day forward, we’ll just be BigDukeBalls.com.

Come on over!

I’m disappointed. While I certainly didn’t expect an All-American to emerge from Idaho, I was looking forward to seeing his athleticism off the bench this fall. He was a kid who would be in Durham for three years and we’d all get to watch him grow as a basketball player. Not anymore.

Now Felix says he’s leaving for personal reasons and Singler’s return had nothing to do with his decisions. I’d like to believe him (I have no reason not to), however, I have to believe that if Kyle went to the NBA and Felix was the only SF on the roster, he would have somehow convinced himself to stay.

Either way, I’m sure the decision was not an easy one. These kids have one shot to make it to the pros. They’re only young once. Picking the right opportunity for themselves is the most important decision they might make in their entire lives. I couldn’t imagine having to make it myself when I was that young.

The fact is, Carrick had to see an opportunity to start right away when he committed, but as soon as Kyle said no-no to the pros, Felix was on the bench. Yet, I’m going to argue that Singler’s decision was only one of two reasons that caused this reversal. The other…Michael Gbinije.

The second Gbinije picked Duke, any fan could go right ahead and pencil him in as the starter at small forward in 2011. If Felix was going to wrestle that starting spot away from the incoming freshman, he was going to need a year as a starter under his belt. As soon as Kyle came back, Felix was suddenly looking at about 8-10 minutes per game in the ACC…at best.

Anyhow, we wish him the best, where ever he ends up.

So what’s this do for Duke?

The bench certainly will take a hit. Felix was the only option at SF on the pine. Potentially, his athleticism was going to make him a defensive force. The kind of guy you throw on Harrison Barnes and dare him to score. Now Duke has two options when Singler needs a blow.

First…go small. The one thing Duke will have plenty of this season is guards. Irving, Curry, Smith and Dawkins are all capable starters, but there are only two guard spots. When Kyle needs a break, you throw three guards out there and run like the wind (until we meet again).

Second…go big. Ryan Kelly and Josh Hairston are the only option off the bench to back up the Plumlee brothers. Yet, both are not traditional “big men.” Both like to play facing the basket. Kelly likes to shoot the long ball, while Hairston’s natural position (if he ever goes pro) will be at the small forward spot. Either player can come in and give Singler a break. The only issue will be, can they handle some of the quicker small forwards out there.

In reality, I would suspect that Singler simply won’t see a lot of minutes on the pine. Look for him to continue to play 33-35 minutes per game, barring injury or foul trouble.

Every possible rumor is flying. Texas to the Big 10 and the SEC, Maryland to the Big 10, Arkansas to the Big 12, Boise State to the Pac 10…hell, there’s talk about UCF joining the Big 12. Yes, Central Florida, located in Orlando, Florida.

Of course all this talk has the Atlantic Coast Conference, the original conferences poachers, running scared.

So what the hell does all this mean for the ACC?

While I have no personal knowledge of what’s going to happen in the Big 10 (which is really 11 teams), they will be the conference that will get this “expansion” ball rolling down the slippery slope (too many clichés?).

Now you would think that they actually have a good thing going. The Big 10 is one of the few conferences that has powerhouses in both football and basketball, so why mess with a good thing? Easy….cash…and lots of it.

The Big 10 already has their own network. While the average folks like me can’t see it, the best way to get the Big 10 Network on all cable boxes is by adding more teams (thus widening its coverage).

So far the rumor has it they’ll go for either a 14 or 16-team mega-conference. The obvious team to join would be Notre Dame. The problem is, why would the Irish want to share money with 13 or 14 other teams? The fact is, they have their own freaking network.

Outside of South Bend, the other teams rumored to have received offers are, (from the Big 12) Nebraska and Missouri, and (from the Big East) Rutgers and maybe Pittsburgh.

Now as an average fan, these teams don’t make too much sense. I wish college conferences were more like the pros, where regions mattered (unless you’re the Dallas Cowboys who somehow play in the NFC East. ou explain that one to me).

If the Big 10 wants to expand, I’ll accept that, but in reality if they want to add three more teams, then they should take Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Iowa State.

Now I know those aren’t all sexy names (like ‘Dick Longwood’), but my reasoning is, these three teams already sit in Big 10 country. Notre Dame already plays half of the Big 10 teams and I’d pay to see some Cincinnati vs. Ohio State games (in both basketball & football). It just makes sense.

Now that’s 14-teams, which I think works out great for football. So on top of that, for basketball, I would add two schools that don’t play Division I football. I’d add Depaul and Marquette, which would give the Big 10 a 16-team basketball conference. Perfect, right? Which means it will never happen.

Of course, I’m not in charge and this process isn’t about what’s right. This is about dollars. By bringing in more “local” teams that would actually create great rivalries, you won’t be expanding your coverage. That’s why teams like Missouri and Rutgers (located in New Jersey, although living in NYC now, I don’t know a single Rutgers fan) are potential top targets.

Just like that the Big 10 represents just under half the nation. Of course my question is, when am I suppose to start to care about Missouri vs. Rutgers?

Let’s go back to the beginning.

Again, I have no idea what the expansion will look like, but let’s assume it will be a combo of Big 12 teams and Big East teams. Next up, the big, bad SEC (at least in football. Never forget, this is always about football first).

While the SEC certainly has a good thing going in football, they’ll have to keep up with the Kardashian Joneses. The boys down south already have 12 and unlike the ACC, their conferences are already broken up correctly (west & east). So what does the SEC do?

They basically have two choices, go east or go west. Actually, if they go looking for four teams, then I guess they could go east and west. The logical choice west is Texas. But the Longhorns aren’t going anywhere without their little sisters, Texas A&M. Besides these two teams, could you really see the SEC grabbing anyone else west of the Mississippi? I certainly can’t.

Now assuming Nebraska and Missouri head to Big 10 country, if the SEC grabs the two biggest Texas schools, then you can kiss the Big 12 good-bye (BTW, would that send Oklahoma out west? Just asking).

Now let’s look east. To me, the obviously choices would be Florida State and Miami. Think about it, if the SEC could lock down the talent from South Florida, plus get their foot print in Texas, the SEC would basically become the minor leagues for the NFL.

Now let me tell you why this won’t happen. I got two words for you…Florida…Gators.

The Florida Gators don’t want the competition. Rumor has it, it was UF who blocked FSU from joining the SEC back prior to the Seminoles eventually picking the ACC. The fact is, these three schools compete for some of the most talented players in south Florida. While the Gators have a ton of selling points, one thing they certainly tell possible recruits is (again, we’re talking football), real men play in the SEC. If either Florida State or Miami joins the conference, you can kiss that recruiting tool goodbye.

Two other teams being talked about are Clemson and/or Georgia Tech. The SEC is already in South Carolina and Georgia and both the Tigers and Yellow Jackets already have a rivalry with the Gamecocks and Bulldogs, so they won’t feel like the red-headed stepchildren if they joined the SEC.

Now just for fun, I’m going to throw a couple of dark horses at you. If the SEC doesn’t want to waste their time in states they already have a market in (Florida, South Carolina), why not look north? What about Louisville? The Cardinals would be a wonderful addition for basketball and just like that the Louisville/Kentucky game would have some UNC/Duke meaning to it.

Also, how about Virginia Tech and/or West Virginia. Tech is solid in football and competitive in basketball, while the Mountaineers are solid in basketball, competitive in football. With these two and Louisville, they could ignore Texas and grab an up-and-coming program South Florida, East Carolina or Southern Mississippi. Just let that soak in for a minute, but not too long, remember…I just pulled those schools out of my ass.

Wow, I’m knocking out a lot of info and I haven’t even sniffed the ACC yet. Let’s do that now.

If both the Big 10 and SEC expand, you can count one the ACC getting pouched. In reality, I’m not against this. I think it would set up a perfect scenario for the ACC to raid the Big East again.

First, let’s talk about down south. While the Seminoles have been around long enough, I’ve never liked the idea of the ACC being down in Florida. Just look at the logo map. Both FSU and Miami seem too far away (and yes I know Boston College is further away). These two, Miami and FSU, just never really felt like ACC schools. Now don’t forget, I’m born and raised in Miami and I’ve been cheering for Hurricanes football for a long time, so I’m not bashing my home state. I’ve just always felt that both Miami and FSU belonged in the SEC (with the word “Southern” being the key word.

If I was running the ACC and I’m witnessing the Big 10 and SEC expanding (mostly for football), then I’m going to move forward and thing about basketball. If they want to create the greatest football conferences, then the ACC is going to be the greatest basketball conference.

If the SEC is able to land two schools, then I’ll need to add six schools to remain competitive. However, I would only do 14 for football and 16 for basketball. I’d also would look north at a broken up Big East.

For football/basketball, my top four targets would be West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Connecticut and Syracuse.

To get to 16 for basketball, I’d throw in St. Johns and Georgetown.

The beauty of this would allow us to reshuffle the division. The current system that has teams like Miami and Florida State in opposite divisions is a stupid joke. With these new teams, we can separate the teams into true “South” & “North” divisions, which would be perfect. Just watch.

For this example, I’m going to pretend the SEC takes Florida State and Miami, but keep in mind, nothing changes if we swapped Clemson or Georgia Tech for either FSU or Miami.

SOUTH: Duke, North Carolina, NC State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest, Maryland & Virginia

NORTH: Syracuse, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Boston College & Louisville

That’s the football set up. For basketball, you don’t need to break them up, but if one was inclined to do so, you’d put St. John’s in the north division and Georgetown in the South.

Now for football, that’s a decent 14-team league. Sure I’d wouldn’t call it equal to a super-duper-mega SEC or Big 10, but there is no reason why it couldn’t be in the future. All these schools are capable of putting many dollars into their athletic departments. There is no reason why a handful of these schools couldn’t becoming national players.

However…and it’s really all that matters…this would be the greatest basketball conference man has ever seen. Could you imagine this? Seriously.You’re taking the best of the Big East and just adding it to the ACC. I’m sweating just thinking about it.

The best part is, if you did break them up into divisions, the “North” division is basically the old Big East (when you put Boston College and Virginia Tech back into the mix) and the “South” conference is basically the old ACC (the one I fell in love with).

This breakdown would allow for all local rivalries to remain rivalries, Syracuse-Connecticut, Duke-North Carolina, and would create new ones like Georgetown-Maryland in basketball.

You know, I use to be against expansion, but after putting this together, I’m all for it. Go Big 12, poach away.

They had officially reclaimed their spot on top of college basketball thanks to a second title in five years. Afterwards, the Tar Heels swooped in and stole Coach K’s prom date when Harrison Barnes picked UNC over Duke.

I remember that moment well. Coach Roy Williams and the entire Carolina basketball team on Skype, celebrating Barnes’ decision. Everything was coming up Roy. He knew it. You could see it on his smug face on Skype that day.

Now a year later, oh how things have changed. First, we watched the Tar Heels go from National Champion to N.I.T. runner up. When it was over, their best remaining player (Ed Davis) bolted for the NBA.

Today though, we all learned that the Wear Twins are both transferring out of Chapel Hill. Hell, they didn’t just transfer, they got the hell out of Dodge without saying a word. Even teammate, Jon Henson, was shocked, as was Ed Davis, who also was surprised.

Word is, the twins took their last Spring semester final and bolted, leaving it up to their father to tell Coach Williams the bad news. So far, we have no reasons. In fact, I’m struggling to find one. While the twins were not going to be starters this year, they certainly would have gotten plenty of minutes since they were the only big men off the bench.

So how does this effect North Carolina and more importantly how does this effect Duke (let’s be honest, that’s all we really care about)?

I sure hope Harrison Barnes likes to play poward forward. With Davis gone and Thompson graduating, this leaves only seven-footer, Tyler Zeller and 6’10 John Henson. The next tallest player is incoming freshman 6’7 Harrison Barnes and 6’6 small forward, Will Graves.

Can you say four-guard rotation? Best case scenario is, both Zeller and Henson play like they did towards the end of the season, which makes them a decent 1-2 punch in the paint (particularly on the defensive end). Yet even if they can somehow manage to play 30 minutes a game, that leaves plenty of game time when one will be on the bench, which makes Carolina small.

The question will be, what happens if one or both players get into foul trouble? Worse yet, what happens if either one goes down with an injury. Let’s face it, Henson still looks bulimic and Zeller hasn’t proven to be Iron Man. He’s missed significant time in each of his first two seasons.

The obvious question is, can they quickly go get someone? While Jon Henson seems to think the coaching staff can race out and get some thoroughbreds, the truth is, probably not. There’s Kadeem Jack, a 4-star PF out of New York and Luke Cothron in nearby Red Springs, North Carolina. There are also a couple of other guys, but none have even been looked at by the Tar Heels coaching staff. Besides, none of the uncommitted power forwards are the type of players who can step into the ACC and contribute immediately.

As for how this effects Duke and the ACC as a whole, it matters. Now don’t get me wrong, even without the Wear twins coming off the bench, I still think North Carolina is a top-25 team. At this point, I’d still consider the Tar Heels the second best team in the ACC. I just think Harrison Barnes is just that good.

However, I do suspect this will open up some space between Duke and Carolina. Although Duke has their own issues when it comes to frontcourt depth, they at least have bodies to bring in if the brother Plumlees need to sit. They also have a current small forward (Singler) who played power forward for two years.

Carolina…not so much.

UPDATE: Word is, it was the Wear twins’ dad who made the call, not them. If true, very pathetic, pop.

So far, the Blue Devils have gotten verbal with two kids, Michael Gbinije and Tyler Adams. Who are they and what can you, the loyal Duke fan, expect?

MICHAEL GBINIJE (SG/SF)

Mr. Gbinije, pronounced Ga-bin-gee, I think (I was way off, it’s pronounced ben-uhh-jay) is a 6’6 wing man, rated the 4th best SF (according to Rivals). The only word that should come to mind when you’re talking about Gbinije is STUD. The kid can shoot from the outside or take it to the hole like a point guard. He’s just that talented. In fact, despite standing 6’6, he often plays the primary ball handler in high school.

While I wouldn’t call him a “freak” of an athlete (like I would Gerald Henderson), Gbinije is plenty athletic and can create his own shot without the need for a screen. Most importantly, he’s already working on his mid-range game (a crucial shot most incoming freshmen lack). Also, the kid is not afraid to get dirty inside and has a knack for grabbing defensive rebounds where he can push the fast break without breaking a sweat.

Conclusion? Be excited. Be really excited. The kid can ball, but what role will he play in 2011?

With his height, you’d love to see him at the two-guard, where he could abuse smaller shooting guards, but with Singler out after 2010, I suspect Gbinije has the goods to slide into Kyle’s spot at small forward (with Felix remaining the No 1 option off the bench).

Here’s what I’m thinking…the Brother Plumlees will continue to hold up the middle. If Irving is as good as advertised, he will probably be a one-and-done (although I’m certainly hoping he sticks around). This will allow Curry to take over the point, while Dawkins takes over SG, unless…Doc Rivers’ kid decides to head to Cameron, then I have no clue.

TYLER ADAMS (CENTER)

Mr. Adams is a bit of a mystery for a lot of Duke fans since the coaching staff hasn’t really been chasing after him that long. In fact, he was never on Duke’s radar until assistant coach Nate James put him on it. So what do we know about Adams?

He’s big. Standing 6’9, weighing about 255 pounds. If those dimensions sound familiar, they should…that’s Elton Brand’s exact built now. While the thought of the next Elton Brand just got your nuts tingling, hold on just for a moment…Adams isn’t Brand.

First the good news. What the duo has in common is an ability to get mean inside. To put it mildly, no one will be pushing Adams out from under the basket. He could turn into a rebound machine and if you were paying attention at all this past season, you know and I know it’s nice to have a guy who owns the glass inside.

Adams also has soft hands like Brand, meaning the kid can catch a ball. Do not underestimate how important this is. You could be the most athletic and talented big man in the nation, but if you got bricks for hands, you’re not going very far.

Having said that, Adams at this point is not the scorer Brand was. Elton came into college with a polished offensive game, able to score either facing the basket or with his back to the basket. Adams can muscle his way to 16ppg in high school, but inside the ACC, he’s going to need to develop some moves.

Luckily he’s only a junior in high school and there is still plenty of time to get his offensive game worked out. Also, rumor has it the kid hasn’t even sniffed a weight room. Just imagine how good he could be if he could turn his 255-pound frame into muscle? In fact, he would remind me of a slightly taller DeJaun Blair (formally of Pittsburgh, current San Antonio Spurs).

So the question is, what role will Adams play in 2011?

Knowing what I know now, I’d say he has a limited role in 2011. Like I mentioned earlier, the Blue Devils will probably roll with three guards, which means that Mason and Miles have a hold on the paint. Josh Hairston will still be getting the bulk of the minutes off the bench, while Ryan Kelly continues to get 10-15 per.

Why do I keep using words like “still” and “continues?” That’s because this will be the exact same front court rotation in 2010, so this foursome will have plenty of experience under their belts.

Also we shouldn’t forget, the coaching staff is still chasing some big name big men. If the staff can land a star…I’m looking at you Quincy Miller, then that shakes up everything.

So basically, I wouldn’t expect too much from Adams in year one. While he’ll get some minutes early in the season, Adams is a long-term project. By his sophomore year, he should be competing for solid minutes off the bench and (depending on future recruits) by his junior year, he can then compete for a starting spot.

WHO ELSE IN 2011

Austin Rivers, SG - He’s the big name that all Duke fans are craving. Nail him and Duke again will be national contender in 2011.

Quincy Miller, PF – The No 2 rated power forward still has a ton of schools on his list.In reality, he’s probably one-and-done.

Marshall Plumlee, PF - Rumor has it, Duke is losing interest. Don’t buy it. if Miller heads elsewhere, a Plumlee trio would be one hell of a front court.

Quinn Cook, PG - He’s the sixth rated PG and he has Duke, North Carolina and Maryland all chasing him. Of course if Irving comes back for a second year, don’t look for Duke to bring in another point guard.

Since the National Championship game, I said Kyle Singler would turn pro. I repeated it over and over again. Not only did I predict he would go, I said he should go. Yet here we are again, me…wrong.

You’d think I’d get tired of being wrong so often, but I’m not. Especially when being wrong means that my favorite college basketball team will be the favorites to repeat as champions.

As you’ve already figure out (or heard), Kyle Singler is returning for his senior season.

I have no idea if the decision was a right one or a wrong one. We won’t know that until next year’s draft. I can appreciate the kid for taking his time though, watching the basketball landscape, doing his research and making his decision.

With so many players heading to the pros, my guess is Singler was slipping down the draft boards. He would have more than likely stayed in the first-round, but it would have been late.

SO WHAT DOES THIS DO FOR DUKE?

Obviously I’m going to let the news settle in and I’ll do a more detail review of next year’s Blue Devils later, but clearly Duke is the No 1 team heading into the 2010-2011 season, which is only odd because the team is losing three very important starters.

How many teams can win the championship, lose three senior starters and walk back into the next season as favorites? That’s the modern day landscape of college basketball in a nutshell.

Think about this though, there is a good reason why only two teams in the past 30 years have repeated and the trick to those teams was the fact that they both basically had their entire starting lineup back the following year.

Of course, let’s not pretend Duke is walking away with the title next year. It’s not like they were the most dominating team this past year. Also, along with adding three new starters, the coaches will need to fit three new players (coming off the bench) into the rotation. The challenge for this team will be to find chemistry. Not everyone can be a superstar? Who’s going to step up and do the dirty work?

Having said all that, while next year’s Duke team will lose experience and leadership, they’ll be gaining the one thing Duke fans have been craving for…athleticism. The fact is, Kyle Singler will probably be the least “athletic” player in the regular rotation. That’s saying something.

The Starting five should be:
PG – K. Irving (Freshman)
SG – N. Smith (Senior)
SF – K. Singler (Senior)
PF – Ma. Plumlee (Sophomore)
C – Miles Plumee (Junior)

That’s a first-rate starting five. Irving is a stud and will return Duke to its dribble-drive roots. Players like Singler and Mason will only get better playing in a NBA-style system (yes, Irving is that good).

The key to any success though comes down to the Plumlee’s. The two brothers certainly improved late last year, but there was a reason why “less talented” players like Zoubek and Thomas were starting. For these two to be effective, they’ll need to own the paint on the defensive end and on the offensive end, they need to finish plays.

BENCH PLAYERS
G – S. Curry (Sophomore)
G – A. Dawkins (Sophomore)
F – T. Thornton (Freshman)
F – C. Felix (Sophomore)
F – J. Hairston (Freshman)
F – Ryan Kelly (Sophomore)

All these guys are capable of earning minutes next year. That’s 11 players that can fit into the rotation, although you know and I know Coach K isn’t going to have a 11-man rotation deep into the ACC season.

The problem the coaching staff needs to figure out is, our two best bench players will both be guards, Curry and Dawkins. Barring some kind of breakout campaign from either Hairston or Kelly, I suspect Singler will start at the 3-spot, but will see plenty of minutes at the 4-spot. This will allow the Devils to run three speedy, scoring guards.

SO WHO ELSE CAN COMPETE AND CHALLENGE DUKE?

- Michigan State? The Spartans will be a dangerous team. This group has been to two-straight Final Fours and the only player they are losing is Raymar Morgan. Izzo’s biggest problem will be, where to put his top-10 recruitment class.

- Butler? Not if Hayward doesn’t come back.

- Georgetown? If Monroe was back, then the Hoyas are a favorite. Still Freeman, Wright, Clark and Vaughn are a solid foursome, although who can come off the bench and steal some minutes?

- Purdue? They were early favorites, but then both Johnson and Moore declared. If they both leave, are the Boilermakers even a top-25 team anymore?

- Kentucky? Out goes one group of freshman, in comes another. Don’t be fooled. This group is not as talented. Plus, call me when Calipari actually wins a championship.

- Ohio State? They got a ton of freshman coming in and Jared Sullinger is my favorite freshman, not wearing a Duke uniform of course. Yet, experience will be an issue.

- North Carolina? The Tar Heels will be back competing this year, thanks to Harrison Barnes and about 30 guards on the roster. Problem is, I don’t trust that front court.

- Villanova? The Wildcats could surprise some people. Reynolds is gone, but maybe this is one of those “addition by subtraction” cases.

- Memphis? Talented….yes. Too young…probably.

- Kansas State? I love their guards. They could be ready to take over the Big 12.

Anyhow, I’ll have to do a lot more research before I can “predict” anything from teams outside the ACC.

Having said that, I’m certainly going to try to be Kyle Singler…for at least one post.

Would I go pro or would I come back for one more year of college?

For me, the answer is…I’d go, although I wouldn’t say it is an easy answer.

First, I’ve accomplished what I’ve wanted to accomplish in college. I won a national championship. I did it playing my best ball, winning MVP of the Final Four. I went head-to-head against other pro prospects (West Virginia’s Butler and Butler’s Hayward) and I was the better player on the court each time.

Sure I could get better as a player with another year of college. Just look how I did this past year. I struggled early at a new position, but by the end of the season, I was one of the most productive players in the nation. I earned All-ACC First team.

However, even if I improve my ball-handling skills some and get my three-pt shooting above 40%, the one big strike against me, my athleticism, will still be a concern next year. As great as Coach Kryzewski is, he’s never going to make me run faster or jump higher. What’s the old saying, “you can’t teach speed?” It’s true.

If I turned pro this year (which seems to be the popular thing to do), I’m projected to go anywhere between 17-30. Of course there is a big difference it terms of cash betwen #17 and #30. At #17, I’m going to average about 1.2-million over three years. If I’m #30, I’m looking at just under 900k per season.

In reality though, I would be shocked if I fell into the 20′s, which would land me about 1.1-million per for three years. More importantly, that’s just one more year less before I can become a free agent.

Now I know what some will say. If I come back, get better, I’ll be drafted higher, thus make more money. But how true is that? Let’s assume there is no lockout and the rookie salary structure is the same. Where would I end up?

Next year’s draft will again have some one-and-done’s and lots of early entries. Even with improvement, I don’t think I’m going to crack the top-10. Think about it, in 2011, teams will possible get to choose between Harrison Barnes, Enes Kanter, Kyrie Irving, Brandon Knight, Perry Jones, Jared Sullinger and Alex Burks, just to name a few.

But just for fun, let’s pretend that I can improve my game and be the 10th pick in the draft next year.  My average salary will be 1.9-million. That’s a good amount change in my pocket, but that again assumes I can get into the top-10 and that assumes there will be no lockout.

The fact is, for it to be financially beneficial for me, I need to probably be be drafted no worse than #14, since I would make the same amount of money (in the same time frame).

Of course, this isn’t just about money. My family out in Oregon has done fine for themselves, so I don’t have to worry about hardships. 

The thing is, going pro now can only get me better. First, the benefit of getting drafted later, instead of the lottery is that I won’t be asked to save some sinking ship of a franchise. I’ll end up on a playoff team. Sure I won’t start and I won’t get a ton of playing time, but I will get to practice day in and day out with some of the world’s best basetball players.

Like I said, that’s what I would do if I was Kyle Singler and those are my reasons why…but again, I’m not him.

For all we know, he might like college life. Plus, if he comes back, the Blue Devils would be the preseason No 1 team and he would have a chance to not only repeat as a champion, but earn All-American honors and maybe even get his name lifted up into the Cameron Indoor rafters. Those are three very important things.

Time will tell how important.

Those are the ACC’s early entries to the NBA. Compared to the rest of college basketball, the ACC doesn’t have too much to complain about. Hell, Kentucky is losing five players all by themselves. Yet, when you mix in the announced early entries with those who still might go, plus thrown in the departing seniors, man this conference is losing some talent.

Other possible early entries are Kyle Singler, Chris Singleton and Solomon Alabi.

As for the big name seniors who have played their final ACC game, you’re looking at Jon Scheyer, Greivis Vasquez, Trevor Booker, Deon Thompson, Ishmael Smith, Landon Milbourne, Dwayne Collins, Chas McFarland, Eric Hayes, Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas.

That’s a lot of stats leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference (assuming Singler, Alabi, Singleton and Delaney all go).

SCORING: Seven of the top nine scorers would be gone, 13 of the top 20.
REBOUNDING: Six of the top seven rebounders will be gone, 12 of the top 20.
ASSISTS: Four of the top six assists leaders.
THREE-PT SHOOTING: Six of the top nine three-point shooters are out of here.
BLOCKS: Six of the top eight shot blockers.

Thank God they put names on the jersey, because you might need them to know who’s playing for who.

So who will be the stars of the ACC in 2010-2011?

If I had to do a “way-too-soon” All-ACC First, Second and Third team…here’s how I would lay it out (again, this assumes Kyle, Alabi, Singleton and Delaney are gone). 

FIRST TEAM, ALL-ACC (2010-2011)
G – Kyrie Irving (Duke): He and Smith will potentially make up the best guard duo in the nation. Yes, I said nation.
G – Nolan Smith (Duke): Nolan is a preseason favorite for ACC Player of the year.
F – Harrison Barnes (UNC): Believe the hype. He’s one-and-done and will put Carolina back in the top-20.
F – Jordan Williams (Mary): Jordan will average a double-double next season, becoming the Terps best player.
F – Tracy Smith (NC St): He probably should have been on my first-team this past year.

SECOND TEAM, ALL-ACC (2010-2011)
G – Dorenzo Hudson (Va Tech): He has to get his 3-pt shooting above 30%.
G – Demontez Stitt (Clemson): He will become the No 1 option for the Tigers.
G – Reggie Jackson (BC): He’ll earn it over teammate, Trapani.
F – Jeff Allen (Va Tech): He can become a double-double guy if he concentrates on the boards.
F – John Henson (UNC): He’ll spend the summer bulking up and will become a defensive force.

THIRD TEAM, ALL-ACC (2010-2011)
G – Larry Drew II (UNC): Yep, I’m saying it. He averaged six assists in a bad year, his numbers can only get better, right?
G – Michael Snaer: (FSU): Scorers tend to breakout in year two.
F – C.J. Leslie (NC St): Of course, this assumes he heads to Raleigh.
F – Mason Plumlee (Duke): The one guy who will benefit from having Irving run the point.
F – Travis McKie (Wake): Wake’s rookies are going to get plenty of playing time.

These are my top-15, but that doesn’t mean I think they’re the only good players next year. In fact, here’s a list of guys who can easily put themselves on this list (in no particular order): Seth Curry (Duke), Miles Plumlee (Duke), Reggie Bullock (UNC), Tyler Zeller (UNC), Joe Trapina (BC), Devin Booker (Clemson), Derwin Kitchen (FSU), Iman Shumpert (GA Tech), Glenn Rice Jr. (GA Tech), Durand Scott (Mia), Mychal Parker (Mary), Scott Wood (NC St) Ryan Harrow (NC St), Mike Scott (Virginia) and K.T. Harrell (Virginia).

You know what, that’s not a bad group of players. In fact, I’m a little impressed. The ACC is going to have a nice mixture of pure talent (Duke, Carolina) and experienced teams (Virginia Tech, Boston College, Clemson). Maybe those jersey names won’t be needed after all.

So dare I throw together a “way too early” preseason ACC Ranking? You bet your ass I should (again, no Kyle, Singleton, Alabi or Delaney).

1. DUKE – Adding a Jason Williams-clone to the mix will make up for the loss of Scheyer, Zoubek, Thomas and Singler (assuming he goes). Of course if Singler stays, the Devils are the country’s preseason #1.
2. NORTH CAROLINA – If Roy can get this group to play defense (I know, that’s asking a lot), Carolina can return to the top of the ACC.
3. NC STATE – If C.J. Leslie goes elsewhere, you can drop the Wolfpack down about five spots.
4. MARYLAND – I’m putting a lot of faith in Gary Williams and his ability to make the Terps forget all about Vasquez.
5. GEORGIA TECH – Derrick Favors wasn’t the only top talent Hewitt landed last year. Look for the sophomores (Udofia, Rice, Olivier) to lead the way.
6. CLEMSON – Seven of the top nine scorers are back and the top four (Stitt, Young, Smith and Grant) are all upperclassmen.
7. VIRGINA TECH – If Delaney comes back, move the Hokies up a few spots. Without him, they’re still not bad with Hudson and Allen creating one of the better inside-outside duos.
8. FLORIDA STATE – With Alabi and Singleton, you can slide FSU into the top four. Without them, the Noles are a bit too young.
9. BOSTON COLLEGE – Experience. Experience. Experience. Eight of their top nine players are back, including five seniors.
10. WAKE FOREST – Wake has lost their top two players now two years in a row. Four of their top six players are gone and only one potential starter (Tony Woods) is an upperclassman.
11. MIAMI – There are bits of talent here, but they appear to be all guards. Coach Haith’s seat is going to start to feel warm.
12. VIRGINIA – The future is bright, but the Cavaliers are still 2-3 years away from really competing.

Of course, there is already talk about the ACC being down again this year, including talk on this blog…by me…in this post.

The fact is, look at any “experts” top-25 for next year, it’s a who’s who of who’s not in the ACC. Right now you have Duke in the top five and North Carolina in the top 15.

The Big 10 has Michigan State, Purdue (if Johnson returns) and Ohio State in the top 10 along and Wisconsin in the top 20.

The Big East, they got so many teams in that conference, how can you not have a handful of top teams? Looking ahead, you have to have Georgetown, Villanova, Pittsburgh and Syracuse in the top-25.

The Big 12 can throw in Kansas State, Kansas, Baylor and Missouri, although only one (K-State) is top-10.

While the SEC may have more top-25 teams (Kentucky, Florida and Vanderbilt), I would argue the ACC is stronger from top to bottom. As for the PAC 10, they’ll be better, but they’re still the weakest conference.

Yet, it’s not all about preseason top 25 rankings. Why else is there all the ‘down’ talk? The ACC has won five of the last 10 NCAA championships, what more can a league do to impress you?

It’s a fair point. Five titles is pretty amazing. No other conference has more than two. The thing is though, I think looking back a full decade to determine if a conference is good now, is too far back…and before you curse me out, I’m aware the ACC has won the last two titles (and three out of six).

The argument I’ve made is that the ACC has a tendency to be top heavy. Teams like Duke and North Carolina keep bringing home the gold, while the rest tend to live in these two team’s shadows. Saying the ACC is a great conference right now solely based on Duke and Carolina’s titles is like saying the Baldwin family is a great acting family.

Alex Baldwin is the Duke/North Carolina of the ACC. While those two teams will have a bad year from time to time (just like Alex will pick a bad role from time to time), overall, these two teams bring home all the awards. And sure, another Baldwin will every once in a while come through with a great performance (Stephen Baldwin in ‘The Usual Suspects’ = Maryland’s title in 2002 and William Baldwin in ‘Flatliners’ = Georgia Tech’s 2004 finals run), but overall you’ll never consider Stephen, William and Daniel Baldwin to be great.

In the end, teams will be judged based on where they are seeded in the tournament and how they perform in the NCAA Tournament.

Now Duke and North Carolina understand this. Since the 2002-2003 season, Duke/Carolina are a combined 38-10 in the NCAA Tournament. They have combined for nine trips to the Sweet 16.

The other 10 schools? They are a combined 27-27 and have reached the second weekend of the tournament only four times TOTAL. Again, that’s 10 schools with only four trips to the Sweet 16. Since Stephen Baldwin Maryland last won their title in 2002, only Georgia Tech has found a way to advance past the sweet 16.

Below is how each team has done in the tourney since 2002-2003 (and how many trips to the Sweet 16 they’ve had).
NC 21-4 (4)
Duke 17-6 (5)
Ga Tech 7-4 (1)
NC State 4-3 (1)
BC 5-5 (1)
Wake 4-4 (1)
Maryland 4-4 (0)
Miami 1-1 (0)
Virginia 1-1 (0)
Va Tech 1-1 (0)
Clemson 0-2 (0)
FSU 0-2 (0)

If you look at just the last four years, it gets even uglier. Duke and North Carolina have combined to go 22-5 in the last four seasons (crashing the Sweet-16 five times).

The other 10 teams? They’ve gone 9-17 in the tournament, producing zero Sweet 16 trips. Zero. That’s bad.

For the ACC to rise back to the top (as a whole) to THE elite conference, it needs to be more than just two teams doing all the dirty work. Two or three other teams need to advance to the Sweet 16. I’m not saying we need three ACC teams in the Final Four, but it would be nice to have three ACC teams in the Sweet 16 again.

1. AL SKINNER DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ON THE…
I’ll be honest, I was a little shocked to see Skinner go, but according to Bob Ryan of the Globe, maybe I shouldn’t have been. It appears Al was a lazy son-of-a-bitch, who let his assistants do just about everything. Still, the man was the winningest coach in B.C. history, taking the Eagles to the NCAA Tournament seven times in nine years.

Although there were rumors that former Duke player Tommy Amaker was being considered for the job, Boston College went elsewhere in the Ivy League and pulled out Cornell’s Steve Donahue. I’m sure most Ivy League Coaches are happy to see him go, since Cornell has owned the league the last three years (winning the conference title in each of the last three years).

However, let’s not forget, Donahue has been at Cornell since the 2000-2001 season. It took him seven years to turn the Big Red into a winning program and eight seasons to win the conference title (earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament).

He’s going to have to do things a little quicker at Boston College if he plans on sticking around. I don’t think B.C. is going to allow an eight-year plan. Luckily for him, he will be taking over the most experienced team in the ACC next year.

The Eagles lose only one player. Of the eleven remaining players, six will be seniors, five will be juniors. Of their top-six returning scorers, five will be seniors next year. I’m not going to predict that BC will compete for the ACC Crown, but I would not be shocked to see them back in the NCAA Tournament.

2. CLEMSON, A STEPPING STONE TO DEPAUL?
It’s almost sad, isn’t it. The Clemson Tigers were once one of the premier programs in the ACC. Now…they are just a stepping stone to other places. First, after four uneventful years at Clemson, Rick Barnes ran off to Texas. Now leaving Clemson to go to Texas is one thing. They’re an elite school. They’re the No 1 attraction in the biggest state in the Union. No one can really blame Barnes for heading west.

But I was shocked when I saw that Oliver Purnell left Clemson to go coach Depaul. Yes, Depaul. Now we all know the Blue Demons were once a good school throughout the decades. They’ve been to the Final Four twice (1943 and 1979) and in the 1980′s, they made it to the tournament nine times (until they were hit by probation).

However, since joining the Big East in 2005, things have not worked out as planned. The Blue Demons have been stuck in the Big East basement throughout, failing to sniff the NCAA Tourney since. It’s gotten so bad for Depaul, they lost to a team called Florida Gulf Coast University last year (yep, I never heard of them either, although they do have more students than Duke).

So how could Purnell abandon a ACC school for the worst Big East team? It’s not like the cupboard was completely empty. Sure Trevor Booker and David Potter are gone, but that’s it. The roster, much like Boston College’s, will be stacked with upperclassmen. However, one major problem any new coach will have to deal with will be recruiting. There is a chance the Tigers could have no incoming 2010 recruits. The only guy Purnell landed was Marcus Thornton (Mr. Basketball in Georgia) and reports are, he wants out of his commitment.

3. GOODBYE GINO
Of all the coaching changes, Wake Forest’s firing of Dino Gaudio was the most surprising. The man was only given three years? That’s cold.

While Dino had struggled to find success in the post-season, the man took over a program dealing with the death of Skip Prosser. Somehow, Gaudio was able to keep everything together (including top recruits James Johnson and Jeff Teague) and have three very productive seasons at Wake.

Most importantly, he was successful on the recruitment trail. In fact, he had the 8th ranked recruitment class coming in next season. Yet, Wake Forest thought they could do better.

It appears that man will be Jeff Bzdelik, current head coach at Colorado. I have to ask, this guy is going to do better than Dino?

Bzdelik has been a college head coach for seven years. Prior to college he was the head coach for the Denver Nuggets, where he actually had some success in 2+ seasons. He turned a 17-65 Nugget team (in 2002-2003) into a 43-39 team in 2003-2004.

In college, he began at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, followed that up with two seasons at Air Force, before heading to Colorado for the last three seasons.

In seven years of college basketball, he’s only produced two winning seasons, both at Air Force, and has been to the NCAA Tournament only once (for Air Force, losing in the first round). At Colorado, he had three losing seasons, although his 2009-2010 squad improved to 15-16 (a six-game jump from the season before).

Time will tell if Bzdelik can make Wake fans forget all about Dino, but his first job is to save that top-10 recruiting class. Dino snagged five players, including four 4-star guys. However, only one has actually signed a letter of intent.

VIRGINIA MINUS TWO GUARDS
There is little doubt that under Tony Bennett, the Cavaliers took a nice step forward. They went from 10-18 to 15-16 in only his first year. However, don’t be shocked to see Virginia take a step backwards, at least for one season. The Cavs will be losing three of their top five scores, which is never good when you’re already a team that struggles to score. Gone are leading scorer Sylven Landesberg (going pro), guard Jeff Jones (transfer) and center Jerome Meyinsse (graduation).

This leaves Virginia with only five scholarship players, which means you’re going to see a lot of playing from Virginia’s incoming recruitment class. Luckily Tony Bennett is proving to be a savvy recruiter, as he has produced the 14th best recruitment class for next season.

GOING PRO, ACC STYLE
Here is a quick list of the players leaving early for the NBA; Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake), Malcolm Delaney (Va Tech), Derrick Favors (Ga Tech), Gani Lawal (Ga Tech) and Sylvan Landesberg (Virginia).

Obviously, Aminu and Favors were going to leave. Both have lottery pick written all over them (both will go top-10). Lawal might surprise some, but it shouldn’t. He’ll land somewhere in the back of the first-round. Seeing Delaney’s name on the list should surprise you, but I wouldn’t sweat it Hokie fans. I believe he’s just testing the waters and he’ll be back. Landesberg won’t be back, although he should be. He won’t be because of school trouble. Right now, he’s mid-second round at best.

You might find it surprising to not see a couple names show up on the ‘early entry’ list. Ed Davis and Kyle Singler are the two biggest. If I had to throw a guess out there, I’d give Singler a 60% chance he’ll go (without signing an agent) and as for Davis, I’d say there is a 60-70% chance he comes back right now (which would make many Carolina fans very happy).

HUH?
Who comes up with this stuff? After Duke won the championship over Butler, MSNBC.COM actually put a poll up asking, “Did Duke deserve to win Monday’s game?” I repeat my question, huh? Your two options are, “Yes, the Devils proved themselves,” or “No. Butler got robbed.”

How the hell did Butler get robbed? Shockingly 42% say Butler got robbed. Do yourself a favor…if you don’t want to start punching yourself in the head, don’t read the comments section.

VIRGINIA TECH RECRUIT WATCH, 2011
Don’t look now, but Seth Greenberg is putting together a solid recruiting class for 2011. So far, the Hokies have landed three players in 2011. The two to look out for are C.J. Barksdale and Marquis Rankin.

Barksdale is ranked 6th among all power forwards, while Rankin is the 4th best point guard. Not bad. There aren’t too many teams that have locked up two top-10 players in 2011 already.

MIAMI LOSES ONE
The Hurricanes lost freshman guard, Antoine Allen, who is transferring after only one season in Miami. Not too shocking. Allen’s natural position is point guard and it appears Durand Scott has locked up that position for the next few years.

BULLOCK VS THE RAT
Incoming Carolina shooting guard, Reggie Bullock is certainly proven to be a talker. He’s already declared that Andre Dawkins can’t guard him (I guess he forgot that it would be Nolan Smith guarding him next season) and now he’s gone after Coach K…

“We’re going to have signs about him, too — that he looks like a rat…”

Keep talking kid, Coach K is going to need something for the bulletin board next season. I just don’t know how motivating it will be to say, “watch out for Carolina, they were the N.I.T. runner up!”