Small note but I think it is telling - KD listed "racial strife in our country" as one of the challenges the team dealt with last season.  I don't think it would have been on the forefront of his mind and listed in the narrative if there wasn't something significant there.  I know all teams dealt with it but the fact that he mentioned it makes me think it was a divisive factor for the team last year.  We'll never know of course and this is just speculation but perhaps the team wasn't united as it pertained to the giant and (in my opinion) necessary social movement, Black Lives Matter, we experienced and continue to experience as a nation.  we all know just within our own families and friend groups how that issue can divide and cause friction - I'm speculating the team dealt with it as well, and to a high degree.  Could explain some of the negativity surrounding the team last season..

Are we not encouraged to avoid political discussions on this board?

Rayrich I think the positivity of Blm as previously mentioned begs political discussion. I think that should be avoided.

1111 Vickroy wrote:

We need to talk about things other than race, like basketball

Start talking hoops then. What do have for us? Do you think the Dukes will be improved? Do you think KD and his staff have been proactive in improving this team through the transfer portal? Lets talk hoops.
 

I think we'll be all right Vickroy. Have a former Southern Conference rookie of the year in Easley, a first team Missouri Valley Conference defensive player in Williams, a 20 point D-2 scorer in the 6-7 245 pound Gunn who like Dambrot said wasn't recruited heavily because he tore his ACL his senior year in HS. They you have the lengthy Ayers who shot 40 plus percent from three for a good Mercer team. Throw in the two incoming studs at guard in Jackson and Spears, along with Ohkani who I think if he stays around will be first team A-10 performer when all said and done. Then you have Maceo, Austin, Tyson, and lets not forget Hima. Barba as well. Think were set pretty good.

Styles1229 wrote:

Rayrich wrote:

1111 Vickroy wrote:

Are we not encouraged to avoid political discussions on this board?

Not sure "racial strife" is considered a political discussion. What is one supposed to do? Hide it under the rug? That would be pretty sad don't you think? Glad KD had the balls to address or at least mention it, and I do not know and not sure I want to know where he stands on issues. That being said I think the cause of players leaving wasn't for that reason. The transfer portal is the wild wild west right now. Way out of hand, but looks to be to the Dukes benefit due to KD and his staffs due diligence. We'll see.

One point of clarity.  I, in no way, meant to insinuate that KD was "for" or "against" BLM and that he was the cause of the strife.  I just meant to say that it is a divisive issue with many nuances (not just "for or "against") and by his mentioning it in the interview it leads me to believe that it was some kind of trouble for the team.  Everyone on the team can support BLM and still be divided over how to support it especially when it comes to what you are prioritizing.  Maybe a player left the team because he was really struggling with emotions BLM brought up and some players supported the decision and others did not.  Maybe some players fully supported BLM but also had police in their families and that caused some in-fighting on the team.  All good people with valid opinions and beliefs just not able to work together as a team.  I don't think KD mentions it if everybody was on the same page throughout the season as it pertained to that.  That is all. I'm happy to move on from this discussion but I thought it was worth speculating about.

The semantics of one of the early posts made it a political discussion. This is very much an ongoing issue. Just 2 days ago, some Black Americans were shown on news video in a heated discussion in which they were supporting the local police against unidentified (race unknown) antifa hecklers who were promoting defunding. Not surprising if these divided opinions were present in every lock room in sports, considering that this division was found throughout our society.