So, I've never been that into college bball. As with all of my sport watching, I've always restricted myself to local teams only, since 1) those are the teams that I would hear the most about, thus, easier to get behind, and 2) I never understood cheering for teams from East Bumblefuck U that someone has no association with whatsoever. I just couldn't get into most teams for the sake of the sport, I need a reason to pay attention and root for a team, and it's hard to pay attention to those teams if they aren't doing shit with their programs.
My attention to NCAA has gradually increased since the hometown Div 1 school made the big dance 3 years ago. Now, I'm a full blown NCAA addict ever since my alma mater made the NIT last year and now is 11-1 and ranked 39th in the country.
So, I wanna hear some college bball opinions, comments, and general discussion now that conference play has begun.
Recruit Thomas' choice could change Rutgers forever
Lance Thomas, a New Jersey native and one of the top two available recruits in the Class of 2006, faces an interesting choice:
He can go to Duke and play for a national championship.
Or he can stay home with Rutgers ... and play for a national championship.
Hear me out. Rutgers, as it currently stands, isn't ready to play for a national championship. Not close. I got that.
But if Lance Thomas chooses Rutgers, well, Rutgers will get interesting.
Building programs need a Pied Piper, a big-name recruit who signs and stars and attracts great players to join him. Duke already had its Pied Piper. His name was Johnny Dawkins, and when he signed in 1982, the Blue Devils were in the middle of a 10-17 season. After Dawkins picked Duke, so did Mark Alarie, Jay Bilas and David Henderson. That quartet, one of the great recruiting classes of the 1980s, went 11-17 as freshmen ... and 37-3 as seniors. The Blue Devils have won three national titles since 1991, a roll that started with Dawkins' signature in 1982.
Similarly, Georgetown's John Thompson took off after signing Sleepy Floyd in 1978. Ditto for Connecticut's Jim Calhoun after landing Chris Smith in 1988. And Arizona's Lute Olson with Sean Elliott in 1985. And Arkansas' Eddie Sutton with Marvin Delph in 1975.
Smith, Elliott and Delph were in-state players who turned down more established programs to play for the state's flagship university.
Sound familiar, Lance Thomas?
This is the decision he faces. This is the gamble. Duke is a sure thing. Under Mike Krzyzewski, the Blue Devils will be a Final Four contender throughout Thomas' collegiate career -- whether Thomas plays for Duke or not.
Rutgers is not a sure thing. The Scarlet Knights haven't been to the NCAA Tournament since 1991. All time, they've received six NCAA Tournament bids. Duke has been to six Final Fours ... since 1991.
The course of history, at both schools, has been set. But every now and then, a player comes along who can change that history. For Rutgers and coach Gary Waters, Lance Thomas could be that player.
Thomas is a consensus Top-20 recruit, a likely 2006 McDonald's All-American. He's a 6-foot-8 forward with athletic ability and range, and if he chooses Rutgers, he'd be the program's best in-state recruit since Roy Hinson in 1980.
Most important, Thomas wouldn't be coming to Rutgers by himself.
If Thomas chooses Rutgers, New Jersey recruitniks say four of the state's top available prospects could follow: senior point guard Eugene Harvey, junior wing Corey Stokes, sophomore center Samardo Samuels and sophomore guard Ashton Gibbs. All but Harvey are potential McDonald's All-Americans, and Thomas has played with all four of them -- Harvey, Stokes and Samuels this season at St. Benedict's, and Gibbs two years ago at Scotch Plains High.
Furthermore, Rutgers already has a commitment from another in-state 2007 standout, 6-1 point guard Corey Chandler.
It would take time, and it will take some imagination, but do it. Imagine Rutgers in three years with Thomas, Stokes, Chandler, Samuels, Gibbs and Harvey joining its current freshman class led by J.R. Inman, Anthony Farmer and Jaron Griffin.
That's a great nucleus. A Final Four nucleus? That's the question facing Lance Thomas.
on a side note, Buffalo defeated Rutgers earlier this year.
![[Image: duke-bb.jpg]](http://valuecarpetonline.com/duke-bb.jpg)