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Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 09-21-2021, 04:54 PM:

Two terrible seasons, one monumental coaching transition, another program reboot and a changing college basketball landscape apparently can't alter one constant of the past decade.

When it comes to recruiting, it's still Kentucky, Duke and everybody else.

On Monday night, five-star center Dereck Lively II announced his commitment to the Blue Devils, picking Duke over Kentucky in the biggest head-to-head battle between the two blue-bloods in this 2022 recruiting cycle.

It's been quite a year for the two college basketball powers.

Both teams missed the NCAA Tournament last season, one that greatly affected all of the sport due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which likely had an even greater impact on two programs that annually rely on new faces to fuel their on-court success.

In June, legendary Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski announced his retirement, effective at the end of the upcoming 2021-22 season, with longtime assistant Jon Scheyer set to take his place.

Before that announcement, fellow Hall of Fame coach John Calipari acknowledged a need for changes within his program, ultimately shaking up his recruiting approach, bringing aboard two nationally renowned assistant coaches — Orlando Antigua and Chin Coleman — and, more recently, teasing a new style of play for the future.

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