Does Duke's Future Really Lie in the Hands of a Teenager?

Well, yes and no.

And if you want to get real specific about it, Duke's future will boil down to many teenagers yet to come, but for now, the focus is on just one.

Kyrie Irving, one of the top rated point guards in the country, is, by many accounts, expected to pick the Blue Devils as his college choice.

This is exciting news for the Duke team who has been desperately seeking the services of an able point guard since Chris Duhon left campus.

But Irving is seen as more than the next great Duke recruit. He is seen in many respects as a savior.

After missing out on several recent big-time recruits over the last couple of years, Irving could symbolize Duke's return to elite status in the world of recruiting.

Duke is already bringing in two talented players in Josh Hariston and Tyler Thornton, but Irving is definitely shaping up to be the cream of the 2010 recruiting class.

That is unless he creates a domino effect that many in the Duke fan base are hoping for—namely enticing the likes of Harrison Barnes and Austin Rivers to come to Durham as well.

Rivers, who made a stop in Durham despite already making a commitment to Florida, seemed very high on Duke and we can only speculate that the Blue Devil's are interested in his services as they can't speak directly about the situation.

Barnes has been on Duke's priority list for quite some time and despite the other university eight miles down the road getting a boost from his recent visit, Duke is high on his list as well.

Plus they are one of his last official visits.

Could the catalyst that sways these impending decisions be none other than Irving himself? We know he has a good relationship with Rivers and Barnes, but is it really enough to sway their decisions?

Duke fans are hoping so and are flocking to fan sites all over the web to discuss what happens if the Blue Devils land all three.

My answer to that is a lot of winning.

Most Duke fans at this point are living the following routine: Wake up, eat breakfast, go to work, log on the computer, go to their favorite Duke fan site refresh every couple minutes and repeat.

And that is just when you thought that March was the least productive month for workers.

Needless to say Irving’s decision which may or may not be expected very soon seems to be carrying a lot of weight in the world of Duke Basketball.

Only time will tell if it creates the desired effect. Either way, if he commits Duke gets a potentially great point guard. And if he is the beginning of the domino effect, the Blue Devils will most likely, within a year or two, find themselves back in the hunt come March.

Although this year's team should be pretty good too.

So is the future of Duke Basketball really on the shoulders of a teenager? Just visit a Duke fan site and you tell me what you think.