Izak Sheinfield-Kandel

FEB. 15 -- The six-foot-six, 272 pound Zion Williamson, the 2nd ranked basketball player in the 2018 recruiting class, best known for his internet-bursting, electrifying dunks, has just announced he will be “joining the brotherhood of Duke University.” The world of college basketball erupts. Williamson’s commitment gives Duke the top three recruits in the same class, a recruiting first. Many in the world of recruiting are quick to praise coach Mike Kryzwekwsi on yet another stellar recruiting class. Lost in the hoopla is that the best recruiter of all time, coach John Calipari of the University of Kentucky, has lost yet another stellar recruit to Coach K. The appraisal of Kryzwekwsi contrasts the harsh cynicism dished toward Calipari when a five star commits to Kentucky. Coach K and Calipari’s public perceptions are much different, even though they do many of the same things.

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“[Calipari] is a dirty coach who had to vacate two Final Four appearances…and he’s more of a snake-oil salesman than a true leader.”[1]

“[Kryzwkeski] guides players on the basketball court and coaches them off of it, too.”[2] [N1] 

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            Two coaches with wildly different backgrounds, public perceptions, and hairstyles united by their ability to recruit eighteen-year olds destined to make millions in the NBA. Calipari’s reputation as a cheat isn’t undeserving-he’s left two separate programs after brazenly cheating at both-but it’s baffling how differently his recruiting success is viewed compared to Coach K’s. Sure, in the summer of 2013 while Kryzwekwsi was helping coach Team USA, Calipari was coaching the lowly Dominican national team in order to recruit a seventeen-year-old Karl Anthony-Towns. But to think that Coach K isn’t helping himself out with Team USA is ludicrous. Recruits admit that Kryzwekwsi talks about coaching stars like LeBron and Kobe during visits! Let’s take a step back and examine why the public perception difference stems deeper than past infractions.

            From the beginning of his reign at Kentucky, Calipari has been unbashful about his use of the one and done rule. Calipari often advises his players to turn pro after one year and brags more about their career earnings than his one national championship. He admits that it’s a bigger goal to get players drafted than win a national championship. Kryzwekwsi on the other hand, preaches the brotherhood of Duke University as his main selling point. Essentially, if a player comes to Duke [N2] they are part of the Duke basketball family for life.

            Let’s take a step back to examine the absurdity of Duke’s recruiting pitch. To think that what sets Duke apart from other programs is their “fraternity of basketball players” is dead wrong. Every school has that, and to think this is what is really bringing kids to Duke is foolish. The same thing that drives elite players to Kentucky drives those same players to Duke: the school gives them the best chance to prepare for the pros. Kryzwekwsi’s bogus reasoning helps alter the perceptions of the two programs. One is a business, getting kids ready for the league while the other is a brotherhood, set on forging tight bonds. [N3] In reality, kids go to both Kentucky and Duke because those places prepare them best for the pros. Coach K shouldn’t be looked at as a father figure while Calipari is looked at as a slimy salesman.

 

[1] http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-terrible-truth-about-kentucky/

[2] http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/12161880/duke-blue-devils-coach-mike-krzyzewski-think-is