His list at the Hoops Summit went roughly along the lines of: "Duke, UCLA, Kansas, OSU, Georgetown... [reporter tries to cut in] Georgia... George Mason... George Washington... St. George of London..." [mic cuts off]
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I may be in the minority but I kind of feel bad for Tony Parker. I know he has flip flopped more than a politician running for office, but he is still a kid. I think he is feeling a lot of pressure internally and externally. As a teacher I see kids make snap decisions or statements all the time then to change their mind when they actually think about it. I have a feeling he is under pressure to cut his list down and makes statements that he might not really had a chance to think about and when he does his mind changes. So, if he waits until the very last minute and makes the best decision for him then well good for him. It'd be great for Duke but if he goes elsewhere and is happy then I'd be happy for him.
I don't feel bad for anyone deciding which institution he should go to for free to play a game. How about the high school student that gets great grades, does a ton of community service but has to pay for college because his family is considered middle class hard working Americans? If its free why not choose the best institution with the best teachers (coaches included)?
I feel bad for him because I think he is truly struggling with his decision and it he receives so much scrutiny from people he doesn't even know. I feel bad for anyone that struggles in life whether they are rich or poor. There are rich people that struggle with depression just like poor people, and I feel bad for them all. I don't weigh one versus the other and decide where sympathy should lie based on where a person's station is in life.
i feel bad for Parker too and i think he is setting himself up for disappointment. There are too many people in his ear and i'm afraid he is trying to put so much stock on who gives him the best chance to be a star. It leads me to believe that he won't be happy no matter where he goes because he won't give himself the opportunity to enjoy his years in college, his coach or the teammates he plays with. Is it that hard to imagine that the minute he struggles people will be telling him it is someone else's fault?
...wither Tony Parker?
I hope this doesn't count as rumor mongering, but I'm hearing whispers of a package deal comprised of Tony and one other available wing...
Mychal Parker and Tony got together and are branding themselves "The Parker Brothers".:D
Apparently, a logo is in the works...
I am bored of such juvenile spelling :p
Back OT, it probably does hurt our chances with TP as from everything I have read, he wants pretty immediate playing time, along with strong development. I worry as well that he might have unrealistic expectations of his own career trajectory, and hope that if he picks Duke, he is more patient than I imagine (for his own sake).
Bah. I hope this isn't the case. I don't see why Parker couldn't easily average 15-25 minutes a game even if we still have Plumlee and Kelly if he is as good as everyone says he is, whether he's truly a "one and done" or not.
I get that depth chart is a bigger deal in basketball than it is in football when choosing schools, but if you are badazz PF/C recruit (or at least you think you are), and really want to come to Duke, Mason Plumlee coming back shouldn't damper your fondness for Duke. You should be able to earn the minutes. Hell, I hope if you prove yourself better, you beat Kelly or Plumlee out for minutes. Obviously, there can be a perception (not necessarily correct) of a zero sum game to that. But dammit, I want guys that think they can beat the seniors out, mostly because I want seniors to know they still have to fight for their jobs.
I hope it isn't the case either, but I am guessing that it is. In today's instant gratification, one-and-done climate, most top high school recruits believe that if you aren't in the league after your freshman year, or certainly your sophomore year, you have failed. Getting limited minutes behind a (likely) all-conference senior is going to make that difficult in their mind.
In another thread someone brought up the "good ole days" example of Laettner coming in as a frosh and serving as an "understudy" to Ferry. Used to be that way, but the data has been trending toward "the get to the league as fast as you can" model for a long time. For another relevant Duke example, see Carlos Boozer. He waited until Elton Brand officially decided to go pro in the Spring of 1999 before committing to Duke.
Out of our 3 remaining targets I feel TP is the person least likely to but on the right shade of blue next year, and by listening to interviews and articles of him kinda get the scenes he's not really a "Duke Guy" idk though just my personal opinion. But i do REALLY like the guys size..
If Tony Parker really does see himself as a PF and not a center a la Patrick Patterson, then Mason returning actually gives him some hope that he will not be chained to the post.
He's not going to start over Mason nor Ryan but could compete for third big over Josh at PF and over MP3 at center.