A few days ago, unbiased college basketball analysts had varying opinions regarding the projection of Duke’s success in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Today, Duke, who was already given a #1 seed, is being anointed as one of the favorites to win it all.

So, what happened in the past two days?

Some freshman guard who injured himself very early in the season announced that he may return to the team.

Just how badly injured was he?

Is he really 100% healthy now?

Was it his (or someone’s) goal all along to come back for the NCAA tournament?

Why not ride things out and get his (NBA) money?

During the entire regular season, there was this cloud – or general vagueness – when it came to the public knowing what exactly was wrong with Kyrie Irving.  Very little could be drawn from Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski when asked about a timetable for Irving’s return, or even about the progress of the injury.

So, considering how little we know about Irving’s injury, there’s not much that we can project about his affect on the tournament.

It was clear from the start of the season that, with Irving active, Duke was in a class by itself.  The fact that Nolan Smith, who went on to become the ACC Player of the Year, was a normal cog in the offense reveals how dangerous their pairing was to other teams. 

If Irving is healthy, then Duke should sail through the early rounds, right?  Well, maybe.  Irving has yet to play in a competitive college game since December 4th.  It seems like it would have been more ideal to work him back into the flow late in the season, or even during the ACC Tournament.  But again, was he ready at that time? 

Irving's explosiveness is difficult for opponents to contain.

Having Irving make his return on the biggest stage in college basketball could be a bit risky – for Duke, and for Irving.  Duke is trusting that Kyrie’s talent can override the fact that the team has adapted its style of play due to his absence.

As for Irving himself, he’ll be scrutinized like never before.  Krzyzewski will be watching to monitor Irving’s level or mobility and comfort.  Duke fans will be expecting nothing less than the Kyrie Irving that they witnessed dominate games from the start of his college career.  NBA scouts and personnel will be closely examining Irving to see if he’s still worthy of being one of the top three selections in the upcoming draft.

Hopefully, the young point guard is making the decision that’s right for him.  A chance at an NCAA Championship doesn’t come along for many.  But while the jury’s out on whether or not Irving has been ready for some time, coming back early could have catastrophic consequences.  Irving has an NBA future that he needs to make sure that he doesn’t jeopardize. 

But perhaps we’re getting all worked up for nothing.  Maybe Krzyzewski, a coach with obvious ties to the NBA, held Irving out of action longer than necessary to ensure that his career wouldn’t be affected.  Again, this continues to feed into the huge information gap.  And lots of questions abound.

But starting Friday, Kyrie Irving’s play will provide us with the answers that we seek.

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