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I am not bomb throwing here, and want some serious replies, but I want someone to explain to me how next year is anything but a few steps back in the progress of this team, if not back at square one! I'll be honest here. I truly believe that next years team could be the best KD team that we have seen so far. Maybe i'm delusional. Maybe I should seek help. I don't know. I am expecting an outstanding team and one that should challenge for the A-10 title. I believe it will depend on how quickly things come together. Plenty of talent here. Time will tell. I'll be honest here. I truly believe that next years team could be the best KD team that we have seen so far. Maybe i'm delusional. Maybe I should seek help. I don't know. I am expecting an outstanding team and one that should challenge for the A-10 title. I believe it will depend on how quickly things come together. Plenty of talent here. Time will tell. I am not throwing in the towel either, but we go from a veteran team that had played together for years to, "Let's throw in a bunch of young guys and some transfers and hope they develop some chemestry." I for one think Dambrot has done a good job in picking up Williams, Ayers, Gunn, and Easley. The former two are proven legit players and the latter two have the resumes. Think all four have a chip on their collective shoulders much like Dambrot. We also picked up two legitimate freshmen point guards. Sure, we've lost Weathers, Hughes, TDM, Baker, Kelly, Roessing, and probably some others, but it wasn't like the latter group was getting us out of the middle of the pack in the A-10 and they even regressed this year. Can't really use COVID as an excuse anymore as every team went through it (Look at St. Bonnie). Norman is a Horizon league player at best (though not a bad mid major conference just a tier down from the A-10). Carry will fit well in the MAC. He no longer wanted to be here per his girlfriend, family, etc...so he was leaving COVID or not. Carry also looked totally disinterested the couple games he played and it kind of set a negative tone I believe. Baker is at a senior's age. A talent, but his antics seemed to fuel the opposition and piss off the refs. He'll need a big transformation to get decent minutes as San Diego State plays a methodical disciplined defensive style and the coach like KD won't put up with it. Maybe instant offense off the bench, but not much else there. Weathers and Hughes played hard as did the frosh. Think they wouldn't have played hard if they didn't buy into this coach. Thanks Tejas for letting me give my insight whether anyone agrees or not. We'll have to wait and see come next fall. Damn if only MH came back. His returning would be huge, but not going to happen I guess. The one player I don't want to leave who may have the biggest upside of all is Okhani. His ceiling is the highest from what i've seen of the remaining three freshmen from last year, but they all have high ceilings in my opinion and hope they all stay along with Maceo. Still think he can be special. I think it is a fair question to ask what we can expect next year, and are we a better team, worst team or about the same. This is how I would approach the analysis. This is not a shot at you in any way Rayrich. It is just something I have been thinking about. In general, I agree with much of what you post & with much of the above post in particular. I think it is a fair question to ask what we can expect next year, and are we a better team, worst team or about the same. This is how I would approach the analysis. Great analysis CLK and agree that one more 6-9 6-10 player with experience puts us in a much more confident position. That being said we don't know Hima's ability right now, but my gut tells me he'll be a pleasant surprise. This is not a shot at you in any way Rayrich. It is just something I have been thinking about. In general, I agree with much of what you post & with much of the above post in particular. Great points Phil particularly the Weathers shots from three right out of the gate. Drove me nuts when he should have been taking it strong to the hoop. Not a slam on Weathers, but a slam on the coaching staff for not getting it to him and Hughes down low off the get go and setting the tone for a physical game while playing to their strengths. This coaching staff has got to prove they not only can recruit, but can actually coach these players up.That goes for the X's and O's as well. We'll see. No more excuses. I'll be honest here. I truly believe that next years team could be the best KD team that we have seen so far. Maybe i'm delusional. Maybe I should seek help. I don't know. I am expecting an outstanding team and one that should challenge for the A-10 title. I believe it will depend on how quickly things come together. Plenty of talent here. Time will tell. I also believe the same. More talent, more ball handling skills, more bulk, length etc...Time will indeed tell. Unlike some Dukes fans; I wasn’t overly optimistic about the prospects of last years team to reach any new heights in the A-10. They returned a veteran group of starters but lost a key reserve at a crucial position, in Steele. I felt the group had reached its maximum potential; and added only a group of untested freshmen players to the mix. Teams knew their weaknesses and I didn’t see the team getting better. The thoughts of returning the core of that group for next year didn’t excite me either. So despite the wholesale roster turnover; I’m not convinced that we are any worse-off than before the new transfer rules were adopted. In fact I think the coaches have handled it pretty well. I like the fact that the team brought in two young and talented guards; and a bevy of experienced players who have been productive at this level. We will have lots of unknowns; but, at least on paper, the prospects are interesting. I dont know what the team will do or how it performs,I just want to look around the renovated building,enjoy Phil, you were right on the money with your assessments. It was usually 2 fouls in the first four minutes Hughes then that infuriating grin, head shaking, etc. He could have been a very special player. True, TDM had to make the transfer to point guard for which his skills were ill-suited. But both he and Weathers with those Curry-esque shots from deep were definitely mo-killing. That is basically KD's style though. Do not make multiple passes, do not milk the shot clock. If you don't have a hand in your face shoot the ball. Let's see if anything changes this year. Thanks for some well thought out responses, without tears, especially CLK and Phil. I think KD will use the sports psychologist who was at DU during Thanks for some well thought out responses, without tears, especially CLK and Phil. Very true. I think KD will use the sports psychologist who was at DU during Wow I forgot about the sports psychologist. Very kooky in my humble opinion. Basic rules for success. Go to class. Hit the weight room. Proper diet. Listen to the Coach. Avoid the Ganja especially on game day. Finally, as the Hulk said “say your prayers, take your vitamins (HGH) & you will never go wrong”. Follow this and Whatcha gonna do, when the new Dukes runs wild on you!” What gives me the most reason for worry for next years team is the pg situation. As good as these 2 look on video doesn't convince me they will look anything like that as a freshman here. Brandon Wade would be a perfect example of this. He was great on video but not ready to go as a freshman. I'd like to get a seasoned pg from the portal to ease these guys in.. Well, looking at everyone we lost doesn’t bother me. What tournaments did we get to with them? What gives me the most reason for worry for next years team is the pg situation. As good as these 2 look on video doesn't convince me they will look anything like that as a freshman here. Brandon Wade would be a perfect example of this. He was great on video but not ready to go as a freshman. I'd like to get a seasoned pg from the portal to ease these guys in.. Rick that is very a good point, and a big concern. Spears and Johnson have to hit the ground college ready. The thing that gives me comfort in these two kids is that unlike Brandon that came straight out of high school, both Spears and Johnson played for high level prep schools and stood out against major competition. Not a sure thing, but an easier transition than coming directly out of high school. Is it possible that one or both of the players who didn't count toward our limit are either gone or are now counting this year. If not we might not be over. If that's been answered I missed it. Clk great job. I watched the Bonnie’s post game press conference . DAMBROT “ I guarantee it won’t happen again” Discipline or the highway. I will not miss the absurd technical fouls by the players if as I suspect he will no longer waiver his demands on the players both on & off the court. Good stuff CLK Think we have an announcement incoming regarding another player on last year’s roster.... This is one of the better threads in recent memory; thanks for all of the thoughtful contributions. This is one of the better threads in recent memory; thanks for all of the thoughtful contributions. 1,000% agree with this, coaching is everything now. You have absolutely no control over who comes and goes anymore. Your point about being able to coach the talent on your roster versus trying to fit players to YOUR system is a really good one. This will separate the best from the rest.
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Next year?
Most of us knew going in, this was going to be a wash of a year, but we expected progress and were looking forward to a senior-loaded team next year with the likes of Carry, Norman, Weathers and Hughes, and now all of them are gone, along with one of our top freshman, so four years into Keith Dambrot's tenure and here we are with a bunch of freshman, sophomores, and lottery ticket transfers. Oh well, at least we will now be an 8-10 win also ran in the A-10 never getting into the Big Dance, instead of our historical average 3-7 win team never getting there. I am one disgusted fan.
Vicimus Atlanticum decem
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Re: Next year?
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Re: Next year?
El Presidente wrote:
Vicimus Atlanticum decem •
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Re: Next year?
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Re: Next year?
We have 7 players who transferred, and one who decided to go pro:
Carry
Norman
Baker
Weathers
Hughes
Kelly
Roesing
TDM
We also have 7 new players coming into the program:
Johnson
Spears
Ayers
Gunn
Williams
Easley
Barba
Now let’s look at it by position:
PG: I think most of us would agree that Carry’s best year was arguably his freshman year. He started to become erratic his sophomore year (anyone remember the Marshall game). This year clearly he started out bad and then decided to transfer mid season. Enter Jackie Johnson next year. I can’t wait to see this kid in a Dukes uniform. From what I see from watching video and his shooting statistics I think he will be an instant impact player. My prediction is that he will be way better than Carry was his freshman year.
I would classify TDM as a point guard for the purpose of this discussion. I loved the little guy. His energy and three point shooting (when he was in the groove) was exciting. He was, however, he was not very good at creating his own shots, a liability on defense. Playing against bigger guards he struggled trying to penetrate and running the point. Enter Primo Spears. Again, in my opinion , he is much bigger and much better at taking it to the hoop and creating his own shots and can play and guard the 1 and 2 spots. With Jackie, Primo and the development of Tyson we are much better at the point.
SG: We lost Baker, Norman and Roesing. I don’t think I need to discuss Roesing. Norman was never going to be much better than he was. Not effective in driving the ball, not very good on defense, and struggled with his shooting. Baker was a terrific do it all player, except he was a little “loco en la cabeza.” When I saw him arguing with Dambrot after he committed his third technical foul in three games I figure he not the kind of uncontrollable kid I would want on my team. I wish him the best but I think he will prove to be addition by subtraction. Enter Ayers who I see as the shooting guard. Roughly the same size, same build and has all the same skills with what seems to be a better attitude. In addition , Spears and Gunn can play the two spot along with Acuff and Maceo. I think we have more overall depth and and better shooters than we did last year and much better at the shooting guard position.
SF: Didn’t lose any Small forwards. Okani and Gunn should battle it out for the starting role with tremendous dept and options. I think we will be much better at this position.
PF: There is no doubt that losing Weathers is a big blow. We will have Harris and Easley as a his replacement, with Gunn shifting to that position at times. Both Gunn and Easley can stroke the ball better from the three than Weathers, and Gunn is very good at creating his own deadly midrange jumper. Both are bigger than Weathers, it remains to be seen if they can rebound and handle put backs better than Weathers. At this point I am going to call it even at this position.
C: This is my biggest position of concern. We lose Hughes and Kelly and gain Williams. I believe Dambot when he says that Williams will be every bit as good if not better than Hughes. My problem is the lack of depth at this position. What happens if Williams gets into foul trouble early. I am not sure if Rotroff and Hima can handle major minutes. I hope I am wrong but for this to be a good outcome is if Rotroff has a complete transformation from what we saw last year. I still think Dambrot needs to bring in one more player….a Bailey Steele type would fit the bill perfectly. I will call this position to be determined.
Conclusion, I believe we will be a much better team next year. I think one more Bailey Steele player puts us in a much better position to compete with the top teams in the League
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My single greatest criticism of this coaching staff is that they HAVE consistently put up with undisciplined behavior & play.
The most egregious examples, of course, are Hughes & Baker. Hughes was regularly allowed to act like a jackass for 3 years making the Dukes a target for A-10 refs. Likewise, according to the head coach, he presented himself out of shape for all 3 of his DU seasons. Amazingly, Baker managed to usurp MH's role as team leader for poor & detrimental behavior as a freshman.
There is no doubt in my mind that their teammates got the message loud & clear that as long as you are talented & give the team the best short-term shot at wins, you can do what you like because there will be no real consequences.
If KD & crew sat those gents down, said, "the next time you do that, you will stay glued on the bench for 3 consecutive games", & then followed through on that expectation; that problem would be fixed one way or the other. It would only take one player having his promising DU career blown up by disciplinary action that the whole world sees for the others to understand what standards they have to live up to.
TDM is another player that if made to play in a disciplined style would set the right tone for everybody else. Around 70% of the time over the games he played I watched disgusted as his horrendous/selfish shot selection left teammates shaking their heads while positive momentum was destroyed. This hurt the team in more than half of the games he played in his last 2 years. To be clear, I don't just mean the too long, off-balance, contested 3's. The majority of his drives were hopeless endeavors than solid attempts.
To a much lesser extent, I also grew weary of Weathers being allowed to take early-clock, deep, contested 3's. He was giving the defense exactly what they wanted. He was certainly given a fair opportunity to add this dimension to his game. It just isn't there. That lack of discipline cost the Dukes dearly in the last half of this season & should have been nipped in the bud.
The standard answer to this has been, the players will just leave in droves at the end of each season. Guess what, they were already going to do that as they have done nearly every season for the last decade.
If the coaching staff doesn't have the stones to "teach" fifth-year seniors which shots are good/bad for the team or nail a very promising, big-mouth, freshman to the bench for getting T-d up on a regular or aggressively prevent a very talented core player from becoming the league's number one referee target; the program will never develop the necessary institutional discipline to be great.
In my view, very little of this issue speaks to a lack of character in the players. Like nearly all of the young men I have ever known, including me, have a strong predilection to boneheadedness. Excepting the most volatile cases, it falls on the coaches to get this sort of thing straightened out. I have less of an issue with a case such as Baker's because, by all reports, his failure to toe the line his first year resulted in his banishment. (If you want to be very cynical, there is certainly a chance that Chad was definitely going to transfer up so KD cleverly managed the narrative to make it look like he is a tough guy.)
What I take particular umbrage with is that the 3 players that spent 4-5 years under this staff's tutelage never won the school a single game on the strength of their discipline & maturity. That makes me nervous.
Tejas:
I certainly don't know for sure because these things can never be properly judged until the games have been played but, I too believe that this roster is shaping up to have the most top-to-bottom talent of the KD era. While I can't give a prediction of being a top-2 team in the A-10. I do feel confident that this team will have as many or more quality pieces as the 2019-20 team. If the obviously hardworking coaching staff manages to add a high-quality PF/C to the mix, finishing 3-4 & making noise at the conference tournament is quite possible. That would progress.
Easley, Williams, Avery, Harris, Okani, Acuff, & Austin comprise the deepest offseason batch of legit, A-10-quality players with significant Div-I experience since... Barba, Spears, Johnson, & Hima all had offers from stronger programs than Duquesne & are a year older than most freshmen. This team will need to mesh quickly, get a strong performance from a young PG, & find a way to flourish with a high-quality, undersized, starting, center. What else is new? KD is good at making these things work. I am excited about this season.
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Re: Next year?
CLK wrote:
We have 7 players who transferred, and one who decided to go pro:
Carry
Norman
Baker
Weathers
Hughes
Kelly
Roesing
TDM
We also have 7 new players coming into the program:
Johnson
Spears
Ayers
Gunn
Williams
Easley
Barba
Now let’s look at it by position:
PG: I think most of us would agree that Carry’s best year was arguably his freshman year. He started to become erratic his sophomore year (anyone remember the Marshall game). This year clearly he started out bad and then decided to transfer mid season. Enter Jackie Johnson next year. I can’t wait to see this kid in a Dukes uniform. From what I see from watching video and his shooting statistics I think he will be an instant impact player. My prediction is that he will be way better than Carry was his freshman year.
I would classify TDM as a point guard for the purpose of this discussion. I loved the little guy. His energy and three point shooting (when he was in the groove) was exciting. He was, however, he was not very good at creating his own shots, a liability on defense. Playing against bigger guards he struggled trying to penetrate and running the point. Enter Primo Spears. Again, in my opinion , he is much bigger and much better at taking it to the hoop and creating his own shots and can play and guard the 1 and 2 spots. With Jackie, Primo and the development of Tyson we are much better at the point.
SG: We lost Baker, Norman and Roesing. I don’t think I need to discuss Roesing. Norman was never going to be much better than he was. Not effective in driving the ball, not very good on defense, and struggled with his shooting. Baker was a terrific do it all player, except he was a little “loco en la cabeza.” When I saw him arguing with Dambrot after he committed his third technical foul in three games I figure he not the kind of uncontrollable kid I would want on my team. I wish him the best but I think he will prove to be addition by subtraction. Enter Ayers who I see as the shooting guard. Roughly the same size, same build and has all the same skills with what seems to be a better attitude. In addition , Spears and Gunn can play the two spot along with Acuff and Maceo. I think we have more overall depth and and better shooters than we did last year and much better at the shooting guard position.
SF: Didn’t lose any Small forwards. Okani and Gunn should battle it out for the starting role with tremendous dept and options. I think we will be much better at this position.
PF: There is no doubt that losing Weathers is a big blow. We will have Harris and Easley as a his replacement, with Gunn shifting to that position at times. Both Gunn and Easley can stroke the ball better from the three than Weathers, and Gunn is very good at creating his own deadly midrange jumper. Both are bigger than Weathers, it remains to be seen if they can rebound and handle put backs better than Weathers. At this point I am going to call it even at this position.
C: This is my biggest position of concern. We lose Hughes and Kelly and gain Williams. I believe Dambot when he says that Williams will be every bit as good if not better than Hughes. My problem is the lack of depth at this position. What happens if Williams gets into foul trouble early. I am not sure if Rotroff and Hima can handle major minutes. I hope I am wrong but for this to be a good outcome is if Rotroff has a complete transformation from what we saw last year. I still think Dambrot needs to bring in one more player….a Bailey Steele type would fit the bill perfectly. I will call this position to be determined.
Conclusion, I believe we will be a much better team next year. I think one more Bailey Steele player puts us in a much better position to compete with the top teams in the League
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Re: Next year?
phil95 wrote:
My single greatest criticism of this coaching staff is that they HAVE consistently put up with undisciplined behavior & play.
The most egregious examples, of course, are Hughes & Baker. Hughes was regularly allowed to act like a jackass for 3 years making the Dukes a target for A-10 refs. Likewise, according to the head coach, he presented himself out of shape for all 3 of his DU seasons. Amazingly, Baker managed to usurp MH's role as team leader for poor & detrimental behavior as a freshman.
There is no doubt in my mind that their teammates got the message loud & clear that as long as you are talented & give the team the best short-term shot at wins, you can do what you like because there will be no real consequences.
If KD & crew sat those gents down, said, "the next time you do that, you will stay glued on the bench for 3 consecutive games", & then followed through on that expectation; that problem would be fixed one way or the other. It would only take one player having his promising DU career blown up by disciplinary action that the whole world sees for the others to understand what standards they have to live up to.
TDM is another player that if made to play in a disciplined style would set the right tone for everybody else. Around 70% of the time over the games he played I watched disgusted as his horrendous/selfish shot selection left teammates shaking their heads while positive momentum was destroyed. This hurt the team in more than half of the games he played in his last 2 years. To be clear, I don't just mean the too long, off-balance, contested 3's. The majority of his drives were hopeless endeavors than solid attempts.
To a much lesser extent, I also grew weary of Weathers being allowed to take early-clock, deep, contested 3's. He was giving the defense exactly what they wanted. He was certainly given a fair opportunity to add this dimension to his game. It just isn't there. That lack of discipline cost the Dukes dearly in the last half of this season & should have been nipped in the bud.
The standard answer to this has been, the players will just leave in droves at the end of each season. Guess what, they were already going to do that as they have done nearly every season for the last decade.
If the coaching staff doesn't have the stones to "teach" fifth-year seniors which shots are good/bad for the team or nail a very promising, big-mouth, freshman to the bench for getting T-d up on a regular or aggressively prevent a very talented core player from becoming the league's number one referee target; the program will never develop the necessary institutional discipline to be great.
In my view, very little of this issue speaks to a lack of character in the players. Like nearly all of the young men I have ever known, including me, have a strong predilection to boneheadedness. Excepting the most volatile cases, it falls on the coaches to get this sort of thing straightened out. I have less of an issue with a case such as Baker's because, by all reports, his failure to toe the line his first year resulted in his banishment. (If you want to be very cynical, there is certainly a chance that Chad was definitely going to transfer up so KD cleverly managed the narrative to make it look like he is a tough guy.)
What I take particular umbrage with is that the 3 players that spent 4-5 years under this staff's tutelage never won the school a single game on the strength of their discipline & maturity. That makes me nervous.
Tejas:
I certainly don't know for sure because these things can never be properly judged until the games have been played but, I too believe that this roster is shaping up to have the most top-to-bottom talent of the KD era. While I can't give a prediction of being a top-2 team in the A-10. I do feel confident that this team will have as many or more quality pieces as the 2019-20 team. If the obviously hardworking coaching staff manages to add a high-quality PF/C to the mix, finishing 3-4 & making noise at the conference tournament is quite possible. That would progress.
Easley, Williams, Avery, Harris, Okani, Acuff, & Austin comprise the deepest offseason batch of legit, A-10-quality players with significant Div-I experience since... Barba, Spears, Johnson, & Hima all had offers from stronger programs than Duquesne & are a year older than most freshmen. This team will need to mesh quickly, get a strong performance from a young PG, & find a way to flourish with a high-quality, undersized, starting, center. What else is new? KD is good at making these things work. I am excited about this season.
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Re: Next year?
El Presidente wrote:
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the improved fan experience and raise hell with 3500 of my friends every game who come in to the building
and are as passionate about the Dukes as I am.Shoo-shoo rah-rah ,lets go Duquesne!
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WE ARE CREEPING UP TO THE SECOND FLOOR....
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My big thing is still chemistry. Every year putting guys together who haven't played together and don't know each other's moves, is still a big limiting factor in my view, even if the talent coming in is "better" on paper than in years prior.
Vicimus Atlanticum decem •
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Re: Next year?
KD's first year.
The players recruited appeared to be hungry and willing to do and
sacrifice whatever is needed to win.
We will know more in the future.
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Re: Next year?
Tejas_Duke wrote:
My big thing is still chemistry. Every year putting guys together who haven't played together and don't know each other's moves, is still a big limiting factor in my view, even if the talent coming in is "better" on paper than in years prior.
KD & staff are too accomplished & have done too good of a job with recruiting the last 2 years for them to field a bad A-10 team. I am appreciative of being able to write that I am now very confident that the team will be above average in conference, every season.
However, in order to reach his own, lofty goals & make us posters happy, Dambrot will need to develop a roster driven by a much stronger culture, chemistry, & continuity than has recently been on display. I can accept that due to the current state of college basketball, this will look quite different than it would have a decade ago. Having only 2 or 3 kids transfer out each offseason will now be considered a victory. However, upgrading the players/the number of good players & facilities without becoming way above average in these other areas will have this regime moving on after year 7 or 8 with a lot of boxes left unchecked.
I firmly believe that KD will leave the program in much, much better condition than he found it but, waiting a total of 10 years post-Ferry to be the class of the A-10 is just too damn slow for me.
The good news is that, as far as I can tell, with the exception of SBU & Richmond, every other team in the conference will have had to work through plenty of their own roster uncertainty due to COVID and this year's transferapalooza.
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Re: Next year?
Econ69 wrote:
KD's first year.
The players recruited appeared to be hungry and willing to do and
sacrifice whatever is needed to win.
We will know more in the future.
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Captain Obvious: We don’t know what we don’t know! With the guys coming in we hope that Dambrot recruited effective players. We will see. But I can’t get extremely upset over who is now gone from this years team. Baker was probably the best, but his emotional outbursts aren’t something a team needs. Go Dukes!
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Re: Next year?
WashPaRick wrote:
In regard to the comments by Phil on the lack of discipline during KD last four years. I think KD made it clear in the end of the year video (below) that he made some mistakes in handling certain players and put up with a lot of crap in trying to build this program. He implied that he was going to clean house and he did it.
The portal in so many ways is very liberating. There is no longer a stigma in getting rid of players who cause problems. Moreover the old model of building your team and taking chances on players who you think can develop and make into good players in two years is gone for most schools. You now build your team with key transfers and what you believe are immediate impact players The cost outweighs the benefits in this old model for schools like DU who don't get five star players. You can getter better players at lower risk via transfers who no longer have to sit out a year, and are less likely to transfer again.
One last comment. I am beginning to believe that barring some unforeseen circumstances DU there will not be any additional players added to the roster. One more player will leave, and will go with the current roster roster. There are a lot of unknowns about this team I still have a lot of confidence in KD and am optimistic about this team.
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In this new transfer landscape, we are going to find out who really can coach. It reminded me of a quote attributed to Bum Phillips about Bear Bryant: "Bryant can take his'n and beat your'n, and then he can turn around and take your'n and beat his'n." Coaches now have to be flexible and not get locked into recruiting and developing players who can only fit into their rigid system; they have to modify their system to get the most out of the talent they have been able to acquire. I think that Dambrot is up to this challenge.
BTW, I think that Ron Everhart would do well in this environment; he certainly knew how to scramble and craft a competitive team under the most extraordinary situations (after the shootings, crafting the 10-40, etc.).
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Re: Next year?
PhoenixRising2 wrote:
In this new transfer landscape, we are going to find out who really can coach. It reminded me of a quote attributed to Bum Phillips about Bear Bryant: "Bryant can take his'n and beat your'n, and then he can turn around and take your'n and beat his'n." Coaches now have to be flexible and not get locked into recruiting and developing players who can only fit into their rigid system; they have to modify their system to get the most out of the talent they have been able to acquire. I think that Dambrot is up to this challenge.
BTW, I think that Ron Everhart would do well in this environment; he certainly knew how to scramble and craft a competitive team under the most extraordinary situations (after the shootings, crafting the 10-40, etc.).
I think you can make a solid argument that this will shake up the system as it relates to the status quo of who is at the top year in and year out. In any given year, you could see a number of teams outside the power 5 assemble enough talent to challenge anyone at the top.
If guys can be paid there will be all new dynamics to which destinations will be “attractive”, and that could mean many more different things now.
What if a tiny school in a conference like the SOCON has an ultra wealthy alumnist who is college basketball crazy and is willing to put major major money into a program including player compensation? You could argue teams can go from nothing to a nationally prominent program in 1-3 years.
Would be pretty hilarious to see a school like Furman getting a Kentucky level recruiting class in that scenario because they were essentially the highest bidder.
Still think the blue bloods will be exactly that, but I see this as making those #15-50 national ranking spots wide open year to year if this continues.
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