NapaDuke wrote:

The game looked even until TJ step on the court and in 21 minutes scored 15 points, two steals, 10 assist, and four rebounds, and more than helped the Pacers out scored the Knicks by 27 points in that span of time. The game was pretty much over by that point.  It's his second double double of the series. Love him or hate him, but Duquesne is getting some air time on National TV right now, every time they talk about his background. Very nice article from Fox Sports.                                 https://www.foxnews.com/sports/t-j-mcconnell-proves-his-nba-worth-in-pacers-series-evening-game-4-win-over-knicks

Next game is on Tues. at NY. If TJ comes in again and engineers that same run, he will be all they talk about going forward. I hope he does it. I like the Pacers. I don't like the Knicks. TJ at 32 is at the top of his game and getting the attention that he never got his entire career. He's a team player and the Pacers just might win it all on what TJ does to win each game going forward. When I was watching that last game, I thought that TJ was so fast and so aware that he made every other player on the court look like they were standing still.

Painful memories

MikeR wrote:

Well, credit where credit is due.....
WPIAL Product T.J. McConnell Leads Indiana Pacers to Eastern Conference Finals - Pittsburgh Sports Now

Like him or hate him, but I think he is currently the only player in the NBA that played for Duquesne. And he is getting a lot of attention . The Pacers are winning against the big guys partly by TJ's impact when he gets in the game. The Pacers are playing some really great ball lately.  

Last edited by NapaDuke (5/20/2024 12:15 pm)

For Me he is "MEGAN'S BROTHER"   SHE Stayed for 5 years HE left after 2--  This is a DUQUESNE Site.

 

No need for sour grapes in my opinion. Maybe I’m biased because we were in the same freshman class (TJ was a nice kid), but I have no hard feeling towards him.

He gave us two excellent seasons that were fun to watch and then did what was best for him. I truly believe he would not be where he is today in terms of being a 9 year NBA vet with about $45mm in career earnings through this year if he stayed and didn’t go to Arizona. That is where he was able to prove he could play and run a team at the power 5 level, which undoubtedly got him a shot at the NBA combine and summer league.

I enjoyed watching him play the two years of power 5 ball with NBA guys around him and the runs they made in the tourney, as well as his NBA career to this point which has been ridiculously successful for an undrafted and undersized point guard for that league. He was even an alternate invite to the combine.

The story of his career has been a guy who was never thought to be good enough for the “next level” and time and again he has proved he can work hard enough and be heady enough to keep proving people wrong. This playoff run has been another elevation of his game from NBA rotation guy to 6th man big time contributor in an NBA playoff run. I love the way he plays the game, seemingly making the correct decision almost every time.

He is still a Pittsburgh guy, and he is still a former Duquesne player. Do we not like any of the guys who were good and transferred before graduating? If so I guess we don’t like almost any of our former players??

If anything TJ was slightly ahead of his time. While not the first or only player to “transfer up” back then, it was a more rare occurrence. Fast forward to today and that is literally the year to year landscape of college basketball (that we are also benefitting from as a program). By the same logic, every guy we brought in this off season was a “transfer up” situation. Does that mean we can’t consider them players for their old programs or count anything they did for Marshall, Canisius, Furman, Chicago State, etc???

I was sad when he left too, but I also understand and support why he did. I went to Duquesne on a soccer scholarship, and I love Duquesne, but if UNC Chapel Hill had come calling when I was playing, I would have been gone in a second for what it could have represented as a personal opportunity for myself and future. These kids, like many of us who grew up playing sports, dream of playing at the highest possible level. The truth is at the time Duquesne program was not in a position to help him realize that dream, while other programs showed interest that were in a position to help get him there. He bet on himself and struck gold.

It’s not like the family ever bad mouthed the school or program either, and in fact it must have been a pretty damn good experience, because they sent their daughter there for 5 years as you pointed out.

I am happy for him and his success and still view him as an ambassador for the Duquesne program as he had some national accolades and personal successes in conference while here. Don’t forget he also just put out a video of himself in a Duquesne McConnell jersey to show support for his sister.

I've been a big fan of TJ's from the first moment I saw him play.  

Before I saw TJ play I asked an old friend, a former Duquesne scholarship player who had seen many of TJ's high school games, what his opinion was.  He said that TJ was not an A-10 level player, that he belonged in the NEC or a similar league.  I was really disappointed in my friend's assessment.

Then I saw TJ play for the first time.  stew, I saw almost all of Norm Nixon's games and my initial impression of TJ was that only Norm had quicker hands on defense than TJ.  I thought from day 1 that TJ had a chance to make the NBA.

I wish TJ had stayed for 4 years but I hold no grudge against him for transferring in an effort to enhance his chances of making the league.  Every one of us attended Duquesne because we thought doing so would benefit us financially down the road.  If transferring at some point would have been beneficial to any of us we would have done so.  TJ clearly made a good decision for himself.  I wish him the best.  

 

VBC wrote:

I've been a big fan of TJ's from the first moment I saw him play.  

Before I saw TJ play I asked an old friend, a former Duquesne scholarship player who had seen many of TJ's high school games, what his opinion was.  He said that TJ was not an A-10 level player, that he belonged in the NEC or a similar league.  I was really disappointed in my friend's assessment.

Then I saw TJ play for the first time.  stew, I saw almost all of Norm Nixon's games and my initial impression of TJ was that only Norm had quicker hands on defense than TJ.  I thought from day 1 that TJ had a chance to make the NBA.

I wish TJ had stayed for 4 years but I hold no grudge against him for transferring in an effort to enhance his chances of making the league.  Every one of us attended Duquesne because we thought doing so would benefit us financially down the road.  If transferring at some point would have been beneficial to any of us we would have done so.  TJ clearly made a good decision for himself.  I wish him the best.  

 

I was pissed at the time, but probably because he was tampered with and was going to play for that cheating little prick, Sean Miller.  TJ is a unicorn and has my utmost respect in what he has accomplished.  

High praises indeed and well deserved !!! As I posted before, the kid was a phenom out of high school and we were lucky to get him to come to Duqusene and play for the Dukes. Having said all that....TJ transferring at such crucial part of  Everhart's tenure, was a total disaster for our program. Bottomline, TJ leaving, put the program back (at least 2-years)...This is simply undeniable !!!! And all this, conjecture that TJ somehow benefited by going to Power 5 (Arizona) school, because it would get him to the NBA faster, than playing for Dukes, is  complete nonsense and a falsehood... Show me one, tangible example, how or where, Arizona as apposed to Duquesne helped TJ being (more) recognized by the NBA???  It's well documented that TJ  .... (Barely-Barely) ...got invited to NBA Combine ...coming from this...(so called great and heralded),...Arizona "Power 5" school..... Also, explain to me, the benefit of sitting a year, as transfer for Arizona, when he, still had 2 -years remaining at Duquesne, to become the main reason and the leader, that the Dukes team needed  to succeed in the A-10 .. There is no doubt in my mind, if the team had succeeded...TJ also would have succeeded, in getting ALL the eventual recognition and attention... he sought to get to the NBA...

The ultimate betrayal however was being stabbed in the back by the likes of a total (A-Hole) like former Pitt player and eventual,  Arizona head coach "Sean Miller" ...Who is Hands-Down.... MY most hated former Pitt player,... of all time !!! .He was a  HUGE (p*ssy) back... when he played for Pitt.... and is he still... a HUGE (p*ssy) ...TODAY  !!!  So sorry guys... I  will (NEVER-EVER) celebrate TJ's transferring to Arizona... because I have too much respect for myself and refuse to be a masochist for anyone, even for the likes, of the Great... TJ McConnell...I have forgiven... but I will never forget...

Also, maybe I'm wrong, but can anyone recall or point out (where or when) TJ McConnell ( EVER)..,. tweeted or put-out a single social media post... that (specifically) complimented... or a made a shout-out to the Men's Dukes Basketball Team ???... Has TJ posted, anything ...AT ALL... about the Men's team during our historic run thru the A-10 tournament or during the over 2-weeks that we were in the NCAA tourney??? Nope.. not a peep out of TJ ?! Nothing but ..."Crickets" ....This really is, low hanging fruit...here, folks ?! ... TJ's silence, shows to me that he has an (obvious) problem with our success....

By the way... Eat Sh*t Pitt !!!

Go Dukes !!!





 

Last edited by CalDuke (5/22/2024 1:05 pm)