Kyrie Irving has NEXT

Cameron Indoor Arena - Dec 1st

pic from truthaboutduke.com

Ever since Coach K arrived in 1980, Duke has been a model of consistency, success and possibly a source of arousal for Dick Vitale.  Come to think of it, Vitale is at every Duke game and is partially blind... perhaps Gramma was on to something... hmmm.  Let's take a quick TO Baby....

But I digress.  The focal point of much of the Blue Devils success has usually been the point, as in point guard.  From Tommy Amakaer and Johnny Dawkins, to Bobby Hurley, Jeff Capel, Wojo, Jay Williams, Duhon, Reddick (I know, more of a "2"), and even late-blossoming All American John Scheyer, Duke has been consistently excellent in the backcourt.

Impressive as that list is, it might be wise to start clearing some room at the top of that list for Kyrie Irving.  The freshman point guard simply dazzled last night, completely controlling the game against Michigan State and handily outplaying Sparty's Big Ten POY favorite, Kalin Lucas.

If you like stats, Kyrie can give you those in abundance; scoring, assists, steals and even snagging boards.  But if you want to get the full handle on the jaw-dropping potential you have to watch his ability to accelerate with the ball, his uncanny knack to absorb contact and get the ball up to the rim, his precocious sense of time and situation, managing the game like an NBA vet.

Kyrie has carved up some of the nation's best in Pullen & Lucas.

Because of his quickness and youth, John Wall comparisons are inevitable, but unfair.  Wall and Irving are completely different players.  Watching the Wildcats last year it was hard to shake the feeling that Wall was fighting against his innate tendency to play scoring guard, as if it required conscious effort to balance the tempo and create for teammates in the half court.  In transition and out on the break, Wall was effortless.  Grind the Cats to a slower pace and you exposed their vulnerability.

Those criticisms can't be levied on Kyrie Irving.  His game is much more reminiscent of Chris Paul at Wake Forest, only Irving seems a little more ruggedly built to absorb to battering his fearless drives to the bucket induce.

Much criticism was levied when an ACC frosh was named a preseason All-American.  The problem wasn't selecting a freshman.  The problem was selecting the wrong one.  While Irving has shone, Harrison Barnes and North Carolina have struggled mightily.

I'm not going to heap on the Barnes bonfire, his struggles are well chronicled.  I imagine it will only take several more lackluster performances before Roy has to escalate the post game comments from mere media scolding to outright tears.  The thing I find fascinating about Barnes is that after four Carolina games I have watched in entirety, late in the second half against Illinois it dawned on me I didn't even know what number Barnes wore.  I had no idea who he was.  He wasn't "bad", he was invisible.

Even a blind man could see Kyrie Irving's brilliance last night.  Under the brightest spotlights this season, Kansas State and Michigan State, not only did Irving play well but he was clearly the best player on the floor.  It is that level of brilliance that has Devils fans comfortably mentioning Kyrie in the same breath as Dawkins, Bobby, Jay-Will and JJ.  The frosh might be incredibly precocious, but the comparisons are not.