Big reason why Roy decided to retire. I don’t blame him one bit.
This era of college basketball - and generation, overall - really sucks.
DJ Steward
- Thread starter Duke1783
- Start date
This era of college basketball - and generation, overall - really sucks.
That's probably why Roy Williams decided he had had enough!!!
OFC
I wouldn’t blame K for retiring one bit. College basketball is a broken clown show. And unless you are a complete recruiting bust, 4 year guys aren’t happening
Boooo. This is really starting to affect my passion for the team. It is hard to get into it when the players arent. It seems like it used to mean a lot more than an audition for the league. You dont get to watch the kids develop into men which is the best damn part. It is just a brand new iteration of the same underwhelming product every year. Whatever
Pfft...good luck to him but a ridiculous decision. He had one or two good shooting games, but the poor outweighed the good. He weighs 160lbs maybe? It will be a couple of years before he has the frame to play in the NBA...and in those years he better be hitting shots because others will be hunting that spot. This highlights all that is wrong in BB at the moment - college and pro...whoever told him he is ready are lying and now he leaves a prestigious university education for a pipe dream. Used to love this sport, with each day I like it less and less.
Just saw this posted and it made me chuckle
"Playing in the NBA has always been a lifelong goal of mine, but instead of giving myself the best chance to reach that goal through hard work and development, I'm declaring after one really average year. I look forward to playing in the Bulgarian league after going undrafted."
Just saw this posted and it made me chuckle
"Playing in the NBA has always been a lifelong goal of mine, but instead of giving myself the best chance to reach that goal through hard work and development, I'm declaring after one really average year. I look forward to playing in the Bulgarian league after going undrafted."
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I almost never criticize a players decision to go pro - because its theirs to make, and of course, this one is no different (in terms of his choice)....
But I am going to criticize it. Who is in these kids ears???? I guess you're gambling on yourself with you're not listed on many mock drafts but the ones you are have you late second round?
Why? If his family is in dire need of finances and overseas will even be that income his family needs to move forward, ok. Otherwise? It makes about as much sense as me declaring pro.
Ok maybe not that bad but you get my point lol.
But I am going to criticize it. Who is in these kids ears???? I guess you're gambling on yourself with you're not listed on many mock drafts but the ones you are have you late second round?
Why? If his family is in dire need of finances and overseas will even be that income his family needs to move forward, ok. Otherwise? It makes about as much sense as me declaring pro.
Ok maybe not that bad but you get my point lol.
Good luck to DJ - but I agree with everyone else’s thoughts... there have been some questionable declaring but this one has me scratching my head almost as much as when Shavlik Randolph declared.
Love you k Ville but I wouldn’t put steward in a he same category as Quinn cook. I hope he develops and gets there but I’m not seeing it. This may be the biggest mistake in recruiting the duke coaching staff has ever made
One thing is for sure. The phrase "there is no way (insert name) is going pro" should never again be used on a Duke forum. 
One thing is for sure. The phrase "there is no way (insert name) is going pro" should never again be used on a Duke forum.
Amen to that Chris! Something has got to give man.
The underlying problem is that there is so much money in and around college and pro basketball that the old model is broken. There are million dollar coaches, handlers who try to secure a big pay day for themselves, shoe companies with impending endorsements etc and the kids can't even profit off their own likeness. We can attempt to monetize time spent on a college team but it just does not even come close. Really hard to blame kids who decide that they no longer want to work without actual monetary compensation.
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I'm hoping this is the last one, but you never know. If Williams leaves I will have zero enthusiasm for next year, as we'll likely be a first weekend team with mostly one year guys. If no one else but Hurt leaves and Keels comes (we could afford Coleman or Baker leaving but no one else) then we will be okay.
Maybe the problem is the head coaches and too many associated with the sport making multiple million per year. Our own coach is at the top of the pyramid, and many idolize him, yet the same ones that idolize him turn right around and say it’s the nba’s or the big wigs of the ncaa’s fault.
It costs an arm and a leg to go to a ballgame. To get a decent seat, you’re gonna spend roughly $100 per person.
I don’t blame the players, but everyone needs to stop with this garbage that the players are being cheated. It’s called life.
If we think the college game is bad now, let many start to make money off their likeness. If that happens, IMO you may as well write the obituary. College basketball is on life support as we speak.
Yes, I agree. I kinda wish Hurt would just declare already. Rip the bandaid off and let's be done with this. I really, REALLY hope the coaching staff has a plan, or we could be suiting up team managers to play next year.
Yeah, throwing Tatum in there seems a tad askew. I guess I'd need hear a way to rationalize that one. Johnson....I obviously get that one. There were questions before he even arrived and I think we got the answers.
As for DJ, I don't think it's the right move for him, but some guys are set on their plan. If the plan coming in is one year, guys today don't seem to deviate. I truly hope it works out for him, though. He's not a professional in the NBA right now, but I can see him making a lot of money playing basketball the next 15 years....just might not be how he envisions.
If Hurt goes we're still losing 3 guys to the NBA draft(counting Johnson), and 3 guys to transfer. That's half the team. That was young and went 13 and 11.
Obviously you’re not aware of the details surrounding Shavlik, K was an ass to that dude. I know things about that situation most people don’t, he couldn’t wait to get out, & knew he made the wrong choice by the middle of his freshman year. If he had the choice like this year he’d have been in the portal. Like ged, I’m a UNC fan but can give you a perspective from our side without being an ass. Not looking to argue or get banned. As far as DJ, the landscape of CBB sucks right now, who knows what was going through that dude’s mind. He’s definitely not ready, but I can see him playing in the association one day, he has the skills, & I see him as a better shooter than y’all do. I’m glad to see him gone, would’ve been a real weapon for y’all & a pain in our ass. While I’m at it, Roach is going to be solid, quit dogging him, the jump he’s going to make from freshman to soph will surprise you. I’m hoping you don’t get Keels, for all I know he announced while I was typing. Anyway, Not trying to create waves, but the uninformed Randolph comment prompted me to post.
That’s what I heard too. He showed flashes that UConn final four game. Oh what could have been
I would have to know more before I was willing to say that the coaches are a big part of the problem. the money from endorsements is just crazy and NBA salaries even for second tier players are pretty good. I am not trying to lay blame or even say the players are cheated, although I actually feel that they are. The real point I was trying to make is that the game is what it is now as a result of a whole host of factors and they are not going away no matter how many bandaids you put on the product.
Plus a college education isn’t worth as much today as it was years ago. There are obviously majors that are worth it but big money college athletes don’t have the time to major in engineering or computer science given their athletic demands.
I actually know a lot about the Shavlik situation too. You're right....K was probably an ass to him. Part of that was Shavlik's work ethic, or lack thereof. His whole high school career he was rarely challenged and lacked general toughness. K tried pushing him and Shav didn't respond. He was babied....there's even the story about how his mom would cut his steak for him as a teenager.
I'm not placing all of the blame on Shav, but he said in an article years after leaving Duke that he never understood how hard you needed to work to get where you wanted to go. He was partly a victim of being so advanced and dominant as a high schooler, that by the time his peers caught up to him physically they also had passed him by skill-wise.
If Shav had had the same drive he used to get him into the NBA after it looked like he wasn't going to make it, he may have had an even bigger impact in the NBA.
A couple thoughts..
-The college players petitioning the NCAA to allow the NIL to begin in 2022 is a big deal. If players can make real money off of their image and likeness (and Duke guys will be paid the highest I would think) than that could be a game-changer. This should have happened 10 years ago, but ya know...NCAA gonna NCAA. If DJ could make 250K at Duke being a starting guard on the marquee college basketball team next year than he probably comes back.
-DJ will make much more than 50 or 70k next year trust me. He will either get drafted in the 2nd round or he will go undrafted and will definitely sign some sort of a 2 way contract. Marques Bolden did the same thing, I think he's making around 400K. I'll be honest, I don't know the in's and out's of the G-League contract but I can promise you DJ isn't leaving Duke for 70K.
-"DJ is taking a pay cut to leave Duke to make 70K"- opposing fanbases.
-Elite basketball players no longer dream of playing college basketball, it is what it is.
-Eliminating the OAD isn't gonna solve any problems. College basketball's biggest problem is the DJ Steward's and Frank Jackson's of the world leaving early to go pro. LET THEM MAKE 250K IN COLLEGE AND THE COLLEGE PRODUCT WILL LOOK LIKE IT USED TO.
-The college players petitioning the NCAA to allow the NIL to begin in 2022 is a big deal. If players can make real money off of their image and likeness (and Duke guys will be paid the highest I would think) than that could be a game-changer. This should have happened 10 years ago, but ya know...NCAA gonna NCAA. If DJ could make 250K at Duke being a starting guard on the marquee college basketball team next year than he probably comes back.
-DJ will make much more than 50 or 70k next year trust me. He will either get drafted in the 2nd round or he will go undrafted and will definitely sign some sort of a 2 way contract. Marques Bolden did the same thing, I think he's making around 400K. I'll be honest, I don't know the in's and out's of the G-League contract but I can promise you DJ isn't leaving Duke for 70K.
-"DJ is taking a pay cut to leave Duke to make 70K"- opposing fanbases.
-Elite basketball players no longer dream of playing college basketball, it is what it is.
-Eliminating the OAD isn't gonna solve any problems. College basketball's biggest problem is the DJ Steward's and Frank Jackson's of the world leaving early to go pro. LET THEM MAKE 250K IN COLLEGE AND THE COLLEGE PRODUCT WILL LOOK LIKE IT USED TO.
The amount of uninformed people on this board is pretty sad. A few years back the NCAA changed it to where a player can enter the draft with an agent and if they go undrafted they can return back to school if they want. The players just choose not to go back to school. Maybe it’s a thing to where they drop classes and may not be eligible for that first semester or something but I don’t know.
Listening to some of you I don’t understand why you’re even upset he’s leaving. Y’all make it sound like he’s garbage and not even good enough for Duke. If thats the case, why do you want him to stay at Duke? Make it make sense to me.
Lastly people keep complaining about the one and done and how it’s ruining Duke. That’s bull. The one and done has been good to us. We’ve gotten a chance to see some all world talent come through Duke. 2018 and 2019 teams should’ve won titles but we had bad coaching both year. Hell in 2017 even Coach K admitted he should’ve done more with that team. One and done hasn’t been the problem. The underachieving coaching staff has been a problem. They’re not adjusting to the skill set of the players THEY recruited. In game coaching has lacked as well. There’s no reason Zion and RJ shouldn’t have been champions. That’s inexcusable
Listening to some of you I don’t understand why you’re even upset he’s leaving. Y’all make it sound like he’s garbage and not even good enough for Duke. If thats the case, why do you want him to stay at Duke? Make it make sense to me.
Lastly people keep complaining about the one and done and how it’s ruining Duke. That’s bull. The one and done has been good to us. We’ve gotten a chance to see some all world talent come through Duke. 2018 and 2019 teams should’ve won titles but we had bad coaching both year. Hell in 2017 even Coach K admitted he should’ve done more with that team. One and done hasn’t been the problem. The underachieving coaching staff has been a problem. They’re not adjusting to the skill set of the players THEY recruited. In game coaching has lacked as well. There’s no reason Zion and RJ shouldn’t have been champions. That’s inexcusable
Ummmmm Tatum wasn’t a problem at Duke. He scored at a high level and became one of our better defenders that year
No one is implying that DJ is garbage. The decision does not appear to make sense. Unless he is afraid of staying and getting injured. He is small. Bolden was a junior so that made some sense. Even Jackson and Duval were on mock drafts. DJ is barely on any mock drafts. And hes a good student so it's not that. We all wish him well but this combined with Goldwire is puzzling. That's a ton of experience out the door. We have one true guard on the roster. Hopefully 2 tomorrow. So we're back to lamenting our lack of experience. While watching 4 experienced teams in the final four.
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One thing that seems weird to me is that Steward was the first to announce he was making himself available for the draft. given that Duke coordinates these announcements, it seems like Hurt would have earned the right to announce before DJ. I would love for that to mean that Hurt is coming back, even though I know it is unlikely.
Spot on post: ‘17, ‘18 & ‘19 ended in disaster.
Other post regarding ticket prices was correct as well. $125 to see Elon is joke. Coaching salaries are out of control.
I get it if you are a first round pick. Go get paid. My issue is with all these kids either thinking they are better than they are or just listening to the wrong people.
Again I don’t fault kids chasing their dreams but if this is what college basketball is going to be, then I’m going to be out.
My issue isn’t with the Zions, RJs, Bagleys of the world. It makes complete sense for those guys. It’s decisions like this that baffle me and leave a bad taste in my mouth. DJ is projected from second round to undrafted depending on where you look. He could come back to Duke, ball out and be a first round pick. Just tired of every top 50 recruit thinking they are one and done and no one having patience anymore.
Again I don’t fault kids chasing their dreams but if this is what college basketball is going to be, then I’m going to be out.
So true...think it will be a tad more, but it seems as if he wants his opportunity now...can't be mad at that at all...and you can't blame a kid wanting to go and make himself a living #gogetityoungman
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I disagree. He had some big games, won't deny that. But he was lazy on defense and could be a black hole on offense and to me only seemed concerned with his own.
No he wasn’t lazy on defense. Especially towards the back in of the season. Also he was out in isolation spots on the floor
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