Nerlens Noel: Why Duke Would Be Best Option for Next One-and-Done Star

If Nerlens Noel wants to be cutting down the net during next year's Final Four in his one-year stint in college basketball, he must commit to Duke and become a Blue Devil tonight.

Noel is expected to dominate college basketball next season and go straight to the NBA after one year, thus becoming the next big-time one-and-done, along with Shabazz Muhammad.

He's a large specimen, coming in at almost seven feet tall, and is an explosive offensive presence in the paint.

If he wants to grow as a player, though, Duke is the place to go for a few reasons.

For one, he'll be coached by legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K is arguably the greatest college coach of our generation, and his leadership and mentorship will be valuable in Noel's growth.

Also, give Krzyzewski some talent, and he'll take you to the Final Four. There's no doubt that Noel would love to win a national title in his lone year in the NCAA, and playing under Coach K would be a great way to do so because of his experience and ability to work with all types of players.

Secondly, Mason Plumlee recently announced that he's going to return for his senior season with Duke. Plumlee is a talented forward who averaged 11 points and nine rebounds last season, and he probably would have been taken in the first round had he entered the draft. 

In fact, the only guy who has entered the draft from Duke's team is Austin Rivers. The team has a bunch of returning players. This means that they already have team chemistry, and there's no doubt that the team is hungry to avenge their sudden defeat to No. 15 Lehigh in this year's tournament.

By choosing Duke, Noel will be playing for a high-IQ team with a plethora of experience. The team will also be well-coached with plenty of balance.

Duke definitely seems like a better choice than Kentucky, who is pretty much losing everyone to the draft this season. Besides, how often do repeats occur in college basketball? It's only happened once in the one-and-done era when Florida repeated in 2006 and 2007, but it's difficult to see it happening in Kentucky because it's just losing too many guys.

Another option for Noel is Syracuse, but it has to play in the Big East. The competition is just brutal in that conference. There were nine teams from the powerhouse conference in the March Madness tournament this year, and they are often seeded in the top eight during the March Madness tournament.

The decision is easy. 

If he truly wants to win and grow as a basketball player, Noel will make Duke his choice and help bring back Duke's glory after a dismal and early exit this season. 

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