You were still holding out over knee concerns while I was holding the Cook flag high and strong coming into the season. Still, I can't hold it against you-- knees with quick point guards are scary. We can get symphonic on this one.

Yeah, Kyrie notwithstanding, he's our best PG since Jay Williams. I've been happily rubbing this fact in all my UNC friends' faces since this summer. Back then, they laughed. Now, they mostly nod and look sad.

I'd love to see a Duke/Michigan matchup, so that everyone can immediately yell that Cook will obviously be outplayed by Burke, just like they yelled in vain that he'd be outplayed by Craft and by Siva... cuz those didn't work out so well for the yellers.

I say this time and time again, and no one jumps on board with it-- you can honestly tell what kind of pro a point guard will be by how they look against the best PGs in the game, moreso than nearly any other position. ESPECIALLY if those point guards have more experience at the college level than the player you're trying to cyse.

Folks got mad when I talked about it with Kyrie outplaying Jacob Pullen, Kalin Lucas, and Shelvin Mack, saying "oh, well, the best PGs in the NCAA aren't pro-level PGs." Doesn't matter. If you're outplaying the best upperclassmen of your position as an underclassmen, that's a statement that your talent and your natural understanding of the position is simply a level higher than the rest. And I believe Cook has already shown that early this season. And he'll keep showing it in ACC play.

Lorenzo Brown's size *might* give Quinn some trouble relatively speaking on Saturday on the defensive end, but if he clearly outplays Lorenzo, then I fail to see how anyone can even find a desperation plea to cop. The only one they have right now is "but... but... Craft and Siva are both short like Cook! let's see him play against someone taller!" If Quinn goes into Raleigh and outplays Lorenzo, anti-Quinn agendas are a full-blown atomic fail.

Side agenda #1: If Mason Plumlee outplays CJ Leslie, as I fully expect him to, I'm gonna be an even bigger pro-Mason asshole than I've been all season long. I still want to know where the "he's not a lottery pick" people went.

Side agenda #2: I'm watching Ryan "The Kraken" Kelly play this year like he realizes he has to be a beast to be a second-round pick. He's playing with that fear and working his way onto Dat Board.