Duke Basketball: Is Duke’s pursuit of Cole Anthony hurting its 2019 class?

How I predict where Cole Anthony will land

Well, I don’t have any crystal balls. And I don’t have some advanced formula that outputs predictions; that being said, there is a fairly reliable formula that does exist–the PASR–and it forecasts UNC to have the best chance (53.80 percent) to receive a commitment from Anthony.

And I agree with that prediction.

Because what I do have that supports my personal prediction is a specific type of memories–a type I wish I could destroy–of what the faces of talented Tar Heels look like. You see, that type of face has been haunting me in my sleep since I was a little boy and had to watch J.R. Reid smile as he beat my first hero, Danny Ferry, in the 1989 ACC Championship. Then came the face of Eric Montross. And Jerry Stackhouse. And Raymond Felton. And Tyler Hansbrough (the worst of them all). Nowadays, it’s Luke Maye. And next?

Anthony.

Truth is, he already appears in my nightmares; that’s because of the way he looks, talks, and plays. It’s all just so undeniably Heelish that it would be foolish for me to expect him to join the Duke basketball family.

Understand this: My heart has a difficult time trying to stay hopeful that Duke may land a particular recruit when my mind and nightmares keep telling me that recruit will end up playing for the rival from eight miles down the road.

Now, do I think Anthony is intentionally sabotaging the Duke basketball coaches’ recruiting efforts by not publicly eliminating the Blue Devils from contention?

Well, that may be a bit of a stretch. However, based on the fact that Duke stunned his dad (former UNLV great Greg Anthony) by upsetting his squad in the 1991 Final Four and my past experiences with Tar Heels, it’s not only possible, but it may be worth looking into and fixing right away if it’s true.

So go ahead and call me names. Refute my unpopular and bizarre train of thought. Tell me I’m not a true Dukie because I’m down in the dumps as a result of Duke’s empty 2019 class. Just don’t tell me I didn’t warn you about Anthony when he visits Cameron Indoor Stadium in 2020 with the words “North Carolina” disgustingly displayed across the front of his jersey (while Duke has no five-star guard to counter his attack).

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball recruiting updates, analysis, opinions, and predictions.