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  1. #1

    Mason Plumlee Returning to Duke for Senior Season

    I know it hasn't been 24 hours since our season ended but the deadline for early entry into the NBA draft is April 29th. This year once you enter your name into the draft you cannot withdraw... Ie, no more testing the waters. If both Austin and Mason come back, watch out we'll be one of the best teams in the country. I really want to see if Austin can make the sophomore leap. If he continues to improve at the same rate, we will have one of the top scorers in the country next year(especially if he develops the ability to finish with his left). Mason would probably be the top post player in the conference next year and has the potential to make one of the All American teams.
    Last edited by Newton_14; 04-05-2012 at 12:41 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Columbus, OH
    Are you sure there is no withdrawal date? I found this on the nba.com website.

    http://www.nba.com/news/key-dates/index.html

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by 1 24 90 View Post
    Are you sure there is no withdrawal date? I found this on the nba.com website.

    http://www.nba.com/news/key-dates/index.html

    After doing a bit of research I found this.The date in the article you linked is the date that the NBA has decided on. The NCAA has set its own date for withdrawal however... The day before early signing period for the spring... (Mid april)

    Below is an article from last year... Basically players would have to withdraw before NBA teams could get a chance to evaluate them.
    If the new deadline were in place this year, Missouri's Kim English, Michigan's Darius Morris and Pitt's Ashton Gibbs would have been forced to make up their minds by April 12.

    The NBA does not even require players to enter the draft until April 24, and the final draft order won’t be set for nearly a month.

    “Testing the waters” used to be a legitimate exercise for college players with professional aspirations. Now, if they get a splash of that water on their sneakers they’ll be gone from college for good.

    The coaches from the Atlantic Coast Conference pushed for the change of the NBA’s withdrawal deadline for early entrants, which had allowed players to consider their options until 10 days before the draft, to the early May deadline that was in place in 2010 and will be again this year. The ACC again backed this new proposal, supposedly so the colleges could have some degree of certainty regarding future rosters.
    http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2011-04-13/ncaa-would-be-wrong-to-move-up-early-entry-date

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by subzero02 View Post
    I know it hasn't been 24 hours since our season ended but the deadline for early entry into the NBA draft is April 29th. This year once you enter your name into the draft you cannot withdraw... Ie, no more testing the waters. If both Austin and Mason come back, watch out we'll be one of the best teams in the country. I really want to see if Austin can make the sophomore leap. If he continues to improve at the same rate, we will have one of the top scorers in the country next year(especially if he develops the ability to finish with his left). Mason would probably be the top post player in the conference next year and has the potential to make one of the All American teams.
    Although I agree that it will be a huge help to our team to bring back Austin and Mason, I think next years team is going to belong to Tyler Thornton. His leadership has been the standout story of the season, and his clutch shooting won us multiple games this season. I want to see Thornton take on the leadership role next year that Greg Paulus did during his Junior season. Also, I think if Andre can finally get a good off-season of practice in, he will be able to develop his dribble drive moves into a dangerous weapon. Since he is already by far the best shooter on the team, if he develops more as a slasher next year, then he will become even more of a match-up nightmare for our opponents.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Steamboat Springs, CO
    Quote Originally Posted by kville33 View Post
    Although I agree that it will be a huge help to our team to bring back Austin and Mason, I think next years team is going to belong to Tyler Thornton. His leadership has been the standout story of the season, and his clutch shooting won us multiple games this season. I want to see Thornton take on the leadership role next year that Greg Paulus did during his Junior season. Also, I think if Andre can finally get a good off-season of practice in, he will be able to develop his dribble drive moves into a dangerous weapon. Since he is already by far the best shooter on the team, if he develops more as a slasher next year, then he will become even more of a match-up nightmare for our opponents.
    Uh,... I get the several jokes in here if you meant them as jokes (cruelty ones at that): Paulus's poor junior year, Thornton's mostly nonexistent offense, the cataclysmic plunge in Andre's shooting percentage and his poor handle. What's going on?

    sagegrouse

  6. #6
    I was about to say the same thing sage. I was warned by the moderators for stating my feelings on Paulus' basketball abilities so I will utter nothing more than I hope that Thornton plays better than Greg did his junior year and takes about 25% the shots he did.

    We need some pretty unexpected things to happen to be competitive for a NC next year like Mason and Austin returning. It's not completely out of the question, but its necessary. Adding Shabazz would certainly help as well. If last night didn't add to his mindset that Duke really needs someone of his skillset/size.

    Nothing I've read has said that Mason or Austin staying in school will hurt their draft stock, heaven forbid an injury. I have no idea what would be going through Mason's head right now, maybe he wants to go ahead and make his money, maybe he wants to have the four year experience that helped his older brother out so much. It's really hard to read right now. And if Austin leaves now, his short lived legacy, despite hitting the UNC shot, will be one of disappointment after last night's game and I have a hard time seeing the Duke community as a whole being tremendously supportive of him in the future, unlike they are with Kyrie. Maybe that matters to him, maybe it doesn't. Staying in school would help his game, but you know, so would playing in the NBA. Nobody goes to the league and doesn't get better at basketball, they may not get good enough to play, but they're better than they were in college. I think that Austin's dad is going to be key in Austin's decision and who better to do so. He can give him the NBA vibe about him, but also tell him some personal things that I believe would be more for Austin staying at Duke. Unlike several other top prospects, Austin doesn't need the money, so I believe that he and his family will tell him to do what is best for him, and his game.


    Go Wolfpack (for the next 3 weeks, except in the Amile Jefferson arena)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    New York
    Quote Originally Posted by Dukehky View Post
    I was about to say the same thing sage. I was warned by the moderators for stating my feelings on Paulus' basketball abilities so I will utter nothing more than I hope that Thornton plays better than Greg did his junior year and takes about 25% the shots he did.
    This point is a minor one, but Paulus was actually an excellent long-range shooter his junior year. His percentages were poor his first two seasons, but that year he shot over 40% from deep. His defense and handle remained an issue, but he helped the team space the floor and hit some big shots for Duke.

    What you are probably remembering was the oddity of his senior year. The plan was to make Nolan the primary pg and let Paulus focus mainly on shooting from the two. But both parts of that plan fell apart, as Paulus struggled with his demotion, shot poorly, and failed to improve the other aspects of his game, while Nolan had trouble running the offense. Two-thirds of the way through the year, K made Paulus point guard again. It didn't work, and the team continued to scuffle. That was when Scheyer took over lead guard responsibilities, with terrific success. Paulus barely played the last several games of the season. It's perhaps the lone Duke senior season in recent memory to leave a strange taste in the mouth.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Dukehky View Post
    And if Austin leaves now, his short lived legacy, despite hitting the UNC shot, will be one of disappointment after last night's game and I have a hard time seeing the Duke community as a whole being tremendously supportive of him in the future, unlike they are with Kyrie.
    Are you kidding? Austin put his entire soul into every minute he was on the court. Why wouldn't the Duke community be supportive of him?

    Quote Originally Posted by Des Esseintes View Post
    It's perhaps the lone Duke senior season in recent memory to leave a strange taste in the mouth.
    Does Ricky Price not count as recent?

  9. #9

    Senior year

    Quote Originally Posted by Kedsy View Post
    Does Ricky Price not count as recent?
    Good point, but in that case it may be unusual junior and senior years since his sophomore season was his most productive.

    GP3 looked much slower his senior year, which made it seem that injuries or wear and tear caused his decline.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    New York
    Quote Originally Posted by Kedsy View Post
    Does Ricky Price not count as recent?
    Thanks. Forgot about Price. In any event, Duke senior seasons are usually pretty positive affairs from the standpoint of personal development. It really sticks out when something else happens.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Clifton, VA
    Quote Originally Posted by Dukehky View Post
    I was about to say the same thing sage. I was warned by the moderators for stating my feelings on Paulus' basketball abilities so I will utter nothing more than I hope that Thornton plays better than Greg did his junior year and takes about 25% the shots he did.

    And if Austin leaves now, his short lived legacy, despite hitting the UNC shot, will be one of disappointment after last night's game and I have a hard time seeing the Duke community as a whole being tremendously supportive of him in the future, unlike they are with Kyrie.
    Thornton played some very good basketball for Duke this season and was an important leader. He'll work hard on his shot, and I suspect will make signficant improvement in that area.

    I disagree about Austin. The Duke Community will be tremendously supportive of him no matter his decision.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Toledo
    Quote Originally Posted by sagegrouse View Post
    Uh,... I get the several jokes in here if you meant them as jokes (cruelty ones at that): Paulus's poor junior year
    If poor is some sort of ghetto-slang synonym for really good, like ill is for tight or sweet then, yes, you are correct in your observation.

    Paulus averaged 11.4 points, nearly 4 assists and hit a career-high 83 three-pointers during his junior season for Duke. While a Chris Duhon-level defender he was not, Paulus played with unrivaled heart, momentous effort and was often times the most vitally-important offensive player on the team due to his unlimited range and ability to take a game over from the outside. Paulus was absolutely deadly from 25 feet and in that year, nailing four or more threes on eight different occasions. He was our best shooter and, many times, most reliable scorer in big-game moments.

    Without Paulus, we don't win in Chapel Hill in 2008 and suffer a spell of four years without a victory against the Heels. In that early February contest in the Dean Smith Center, he netted 18 points and dropped six threes in one of the more memorable shooting performances from any Blue Devil in the rivalry in recent years. It was a very coolheaded and J.J.-like display. Also, in the second round that March against West Virginia, it was the superior shooting of Paulus early that spurted Duke out to a double-digit lead in the first half. Things didn't end as we all would have liked, but Paulus was very much a positive factor in 2008 and, when I look back on his career in Durham, that junior season is a pretty fond memory.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Deeetroit City
    Amusing, the state of the basketball, Austin and Mason considering the NBA, when neither was the best player on the floor in their last game - the announcers and their coach agreed it was a player from Lehigh!

    I wish them both well, whatever their choice. Lower first round means a better team - less PT.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Nashville
    Honest question: if you're an NBA GM, what position are drafting Austin to play right now? What type of plays do you expect him to make for your team, and which position to you expect him to defend?

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Greg_Newton View Post
    Honest question: if you're an NBA GM, what position are drafting Austin to play right now? What type of plays do you expect him to make for your team, and which position to you expect him to defend?
    How odd, my husband and I are having this exact conversation right now, and he posed the SAME question Greg!

    He said there's no way he's gonna play SG - he's not a pure shooter.

    It will be interesting to see what happens with AR and Mase. I hope like heck they come back, but I'm a Duke girl at heart and therefore only think with my heart.

    As a fan, I'd love for them to hurry up and make the decision now to give me some sense of relief in this off-season.
    But, they need to do what's best for them and if that means taking the time to feel things out, I'll be ok with that. Duke basketball isn't going anywhere and neither am I.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
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    Durham
    Quote Originally Posted by Greg_Newton View Post
    Honest question: if you're an NBA GM, what position are drafting Austin to play right now? What type of plays do you expect him to make for your team, and which position to you expect him to defend?
    I tell him he needs 1 more year :P

    But in all honesty, he's a SG with a whole lot of potential...he can drive, he can shoot...and really, who cares about defense in teh NBA anyway? He can drive, and he can shoot, i'm not sure what plays you expect him NOT to make...except for maybe distributing...he's a shooting guard through and through, so maybe i'm missing the point of the question.

    He came along so much in the second half of the year...it was incredible. But if I'm a GM, i'm not sure I draft him lottery. I would predict mid first round...just because i think he needs another year or two to come near his potential (obviously i'd love for that to be at duke). I think he's a NPOY candidate if he stays and solidifies himself as a strong candidate for the number one pick. With K and Doc, I'm sure he has all the feedback he could ever want, and he doesn't have to worry about money...so I can certainly imagine him wanting to come back for a better year (you could see how emotionally invested he became in games), and he certainly has much more to do as an individual in the college game.
    1200. DDMF.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by uh_no View Post
    I tell him he needs 1 more year :P

    But in all honesty, he's a SG with a whole lot of potential...he can drive, he can shoot...and really, who cares about defense in teh NBA anyway? He can drive, and he can shoot, i'm not sure what plays you expect him NOT to make...except for maybe distributing...he's a shooting guard through and through, so maybe i'm missing the point of the question.

    He came along so much in the second half of the year...it was incredible. But if I'm a GM, i'm not sure I draft him lottery. I would predict mid first round...just because i think he needs another year or two to come near his potential (obviously i'd love for that to be at duke). I think he's a NPOY candidate if he stays and solidifies himself as a strong candidate for the number one pick. With K and Doc, I'm sure he has all the feedback he could ever want, and he doesn't have to worry about money...so I can certainly imagine him wanting to come back for a better year (you could see how emotionally invested he became in games), and he certainly has much more to do as an individual in the college game.
    But can he drive at an NBA level? He has had trouble finishing at the rim against college players, and leaves points at the line in the event that he is fouled and misses the shot. Oh, and even though the whole "no defense in the NBA" idea is trendy it really just isn't that true anymore.

    I think Austin was a very good player for us this year and think he has the potential to be a good player in the NBA but I think he has a lot of development left before he can even be in the rotation on most NBA teams.

  18. #18
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    Oct 2009
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    Durham
    Quote Originally Posted by Acymetric View Post
    But can he drive at an NBA level? He has had trouble finishing at the rim against college players, and leaves points at the line in the event that he is fouled and misses the shot. Oh, and even though the whole "no defense in the NBA" idea is trendy it really just isn't that true anymore.

    I think Austin was a very good player for us this year and think he has the potential to be a good player in the NBA but I think he has a lot of development left before he can even be in the rotation on most NBA teams.
    Yeah, I think we ultimately agree. He could go to the nba, and he could come along in a few years...As for the no defense in the NBA, did you watch the knicks in teh d'antonio era? :P

    Or he could stay and master the college game before accepting a new challenge.
    1200. DDMF.

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Acymetric View Post
    He ... leaves points at the line in the event that he is fouled and misses the shot.
    This is an important point. His foul shooting is unacceptably low for the type of game he would be bringing to the NBA.

  20. #20
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    Feb 2009
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    Nashville
    Quote Originally Posted by Acymetric View Post
    But can he drive at an NBA level? He has had trouble finishing at the rim against college players, and leaves points at the line in the event that he is fouled and misses the shot. Oh, and even though the whole "no defense in the NBA" idea is trendy it really just isn't that true anymore.

    I think Austin was a very good player for us this year and think he has the potential to be a good player in the NBA but I think he has a lot of development left before he can even be in the rotation on most NBA teams.
    Your first paragraph is pretty much my take.

    Austin has a terrific first step, but had trouble finishing at the rim at times in high school. He's got much better in college, but he still struggles to finisher against big, physical front lines, especially going left. If he struggles against Xavier Gibson and Bernard James, I can't imagine he'll be a Dwayne Wade or Gerald Henderson type of finisher in the lane against the Tyson Chandlers and Serge Ibakas of the NBA.

    Matt, I completely disagree about Austin's NBA prospects. I think his ceiling is immensely higher as a PG than as a SG. I think his 6'4 200 listing is fairly generous - I kind of doubt he's the same size as Andre Dawkins, and I don't think he'll be able to pack much additional muscle on his wiry frame. He's a streaky, but not great shooter, struggles at the FT line, isn't an explosive dunker, isn't great at absorbing contact, and would be undersized vs. your average NBA SG (even skinny guys like Kevin Martin and Matt Barnes are 6'7). I think he'd be a good NBA SG, but not someone you'd build a franchise around.

    Why not leverage his greatest strengths - an otherworldly handle and first step - and try to make the conversion to PG? It's worked out pretty well for guys like Russell Westbrook, Rodney Stuckey, Jrue Holiday, etc. A slight adjustment in mentality, and he becomes that much more dangerous, IMO. If he could show decent PG skills in a successful sophomore year, I'd think he'd be a lottery lock.

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