Draft Decisions Will Shape Blue Devils, Tar Heels

Ryan Fagan - SportingNews.com

Here's what we learned in Wednesday's episode of the Tobacco Road Rivalry: Kyrie's gone, Tyler and John are staying and nobody's quite sure what Harrison is thinking.

Caught up?

The news that Kyrie Irving is jumping to the NBA isn't a surprise. From the moment he returned to Duke's lineup for the NCAA Tournament and showed his injured right big toe had sufficiently healed -- satisfying the initial concerns of potential NBA employers -- it was pretty certain that this is the path he would choose. Draftexpress.com lists him as the No. 1 overall pick in the mock draft that was updated after the news.

If he hadn't returned at all this season, his status as a top-five draft pick was in serious doubt. Irving needed to prove he was healthy on the big stage. Individual workouts or practice sessions with teammates wouldn't cut it, not when that much money and expectations are on the line.

Now, let's be clear about something -- Duke needed Kyrie Irving, too. The Blue Devils' chances of winning another national championships were significantly improved by adding a future NBA All-Star to the mix. Yes, there were legitimate concerns about what his return might have meant to the team's chemistry issues, but the benefit -- Irving's talent -- definitely outweighed the risk.

And though either of North Carolina's big men, Tyler Zeller or John Henson, could have declared and been first-round picks, it's not a surprise they're back in school, either. Henson, especially, needs another year of seasoning and another year to pack more muscle onto his wire-thin frame. Zeller was a more physical presence in the paint this season, and with another year of improvement, he'll be a potential lottery pick.

Tar Heels freshman Harrison Barnes, if he decides to go pro, would be in the discussion for the No. 1 pick with Irving. He's still mulling over his decision.

What Wednesday meant for Duke.

The Blue Devils will miss Irving, obviously, but they'll still be pretty darn good. Not preseason top five, like they could have been if Kyrie was still around, but good enough to at least contend with the Tar Heels at the top of the ACC.

Will-be freshman point guard Quinn Cook is capable of stepping into the lineup, and Austin Rivers -- Rivals.com rates him the No. 1 recruit in the country -- will help account for some of Irving's lost scoring at the 2-guard. He will make an instant impact.

Plus, they have Seth Curry ready to step into more of a leadership role. The key for the Blue Devils will be deciding how to divide up the shot attempts. If Irving was in town, he would have been the unquestioned big dog, but with Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler graduating, too, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has to figure out who has what roles.

What Wednesday meant for North Carolina

The Tar Heels are this close to nabbing the No. 1 overall spot in just about every preseason publication. If Barnes decides to remain in Chapel Hill, only Kentucky can even make an argument about getting the top nod.

With Zeller and Henson back, though, the Heels are top three, no doubt. Let's go back to the final game of the regular season and listen to what Krzyzewski said about the combo of the 7-foot Zeller and 6-10 Henson: "Those two kids (Zeller and Henson) are, I think, the best tandem in the country, so it's very difficult to score on them inside, and they can score inside. The result of that is it loosens things up for other people."

Imagine how dominant that front line will be with another year of experience, another year of hitting the weight room, another year of playing on the same court, another year of tasting victory on a game-by-game basis, another year of building chemistry with Kendall Marshall -- who, with Irving heading to the pros, becomes the best point guard in the ACC.

The Tar Heels only played one senior regular minutes, so graduation won't take a toll. And they have a pair of five-star forwards coming to town next year -- power forward James McAdoo and small forward P.J. Hairston.

The Heels might not be clearing mantle space just yet, but they're making sure everything is dusted.

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