Yes but his dad stated in an interview tonight, he was torn and had not made a final decision. His brother tweeted that the reports were premature, Austin was with him and had not made a final decision.
I will take his father and brother at their word over anyone else on the planet for now.
Before the reports, it was kind of the elephant in the room. Everyone thought it was a foregone conclusion, but it just wasn't official.
I am taking the other approach - assuming he's gone and letting myself be pleasantly surprised if he comes back instead of disappointed if I thought he had a chance of staying.
he's turning pro......move on....next play......
Well, to be fair I heard his father's interview during th BOS-PHI game, and it sounds like he is going...
Doc said things like (paraphrased) "the decision hasn't been made yet" "he is leaning a certain way, but I'm not going to say anything" "ultimately myself, coach K,etc will all be there to help him make a decision"
But I definitely got the impression that Austin was leaning toward going. Maybe I was reading my own feelings into it. I will miss him if he does decide to go, because I loved his passion on the court. Despite his weaknesses as a player still he had a penchant for hitting big shots and big threes during games.
Anyone catch Gottleib on ESPN? I pretty much ignore him because I think he is a (self-censored) but he came out very harshly on Rivers saying he is going pro, and he is a difficult kid and caused chemistry problems and Duke would not overly concerned with him leaving...
...maybe he has some inside sources but I didn't really see that at all...at least not on the court.
Edited:
Also please note that the video interview aired during the BOS-PHI game is not the same interview where does is standing in from of the Celtics logo -- trying to find video of it online.
Last edited by theAlaskanBear; 03-24-2012 at 09:59 AM.
I haven't read this entire thread but here is my take on Rivers, and others may have mentioned this. I think he puts his name in but doesn't sign with an agent. Gives him more tome to weigh his options. His dad should have an excellent pulse on what the league is saying about his game. I also think his situation is different from Kyrie Irving's where it was a lock he would be one of the top two.
We already know Davis from UK will be #1 overall. Then you have to look at how many of the other UK players declare. Kidd-Gilcrest has already said he's coming out. You compare the bodies of the UK guys to Rivers and it's apples to oranges. Someone mentioned he needed ten pounds and I don't disagree.
Then you throw in guys like Tu Hollaway who are seniors into the mix. I think its 50/50
Here's the thing: is that necessarily what is best? I honestly don't know the answer. There's been some speculation that Rivers didn't mesh well with the rest of the team. If that really was the case and he sticks around, what if it's a problem next year as well? 20+ points a game from a single player is not worth it IF the team is as dysfunctional as it appeared to be this year. Personally, I'd rather watch a game where the guys on the court play as a true team and look like they're having some fun. If Austin scores 20+ points per game and is actually part of the team, I would absolutely love it. There were stretches where that happened during this season, and it was great fun to watch. Whatever the source of the dischord this season, I'd love to see it fixed in the off-season. I'm sure the players and coaches feel the same way.
The dream scenario would be this: both Austin and Mason stick around and everyone figures out how to be on the same page in order to be a better team and win some games. The players themselves admit they didn't communicate enough on offense. It would be great if both Austin and Mason decided that this would be a point worth addressing before moving on to the next level.
I think there is enough smoke for a fire here. Austin is going to the NBA in all probablility. I don't keep up with the NBA like I use to but I predict Austin will succeed in short order. He's got JJ's work ethic with a lot more physical ability. He may not be a starter as a rookie but I'll wager that he is much better at the end of the year than at the beginning and he'll continue to get better. He'll be cocky and rub some people the wrong way but before it's over he'll play in more than a couple All-Star games.
This may be the last juncture at which meaningfully to have this conversation, hopefully not, but I think it struck many of us with Austin's interview following the 3 Rivers Stadium Game: What an unbelievably well-spoken, composed, mature and humble young man. I heard mentioned, and even conceived myself, the highest of compliments -- a comparison to St. Shane of Battier. He really was that impressive and likeable.
It started when Austin was still in high school, but you'll recall that there was this big innuendo piece about the Blue-White Game, where he and Seth allegedly got into this big punk-off, and Austin's ego was just too big for the team, and this projected narrative continues to this day -- over at IC Austin is the biggest me-firster ever and one of the most loathed Duke players in history. They wouldn't even have him on their team, they say, because that's not UNC! Comedic relief aside, here comes the 5:15 right on schedule, bitter mouthpiece Gottlieb arrives to reinforce the narrative, and, shockingly, said narrative happens to cast Duke and/or its players in an alarmingly unflattering light.
Whom are you going to believe? This narrative or your own lying eyes? Austin happens to be a slasher and a scorer -- the type of player upon whom it is really easy to superimpose a persona of selfishness. I kept thinking during the season when people were complaining about Austin's jacking up long-range threes or attempting awkward drives to the basket -- if this were not within the proper function of this team, don't you think there is someone on the bench who would address that? That was what he was supposed to be doing. Of course, if you want to reinforce the Austin-as-selfish meme, you suggest that these shots were all outside the Coach's plan and only taken out of selfishness.
None of that makes any sense.
This is absurd if Gottlieb said it. I watched every single Duke game this year and from what I saw, Austin played harder than anyone else on the team all year. He forced some shots earlier in the season, but he grew out of that. He drastically improved as a defender. He became our go to guy. Our upper classmen had some trouble leading, that was our chemistry issue. It's funny because I bet 100 posters on DBR have forgotten more about 2012 Duke than Gottlieb ever knew.
Thanks for reinforcing what I saw...I am not as in tune with the Duke program as most here, so I always hesitate to post my own opinions. Honestly I thought his attitude was a boon for Duke. He played with attitude(in a good way) I haven't seen since Jay Williams...the whole I'm going to take it at you and hit the big shots. He did improve as a passer. My only complaint is that I never remember seeing him pass to a trailer on a fast break...he always went for the foul or score. Love teh aggressiveness esp on a team with Dawkins/Curry who seem much more "flow" players -- they dont seek shots when playing poorly and sometimes get lost on offense as a result.
I think it's human nature to be a Monday-morning QB and judge after the fact whether the drives or shots are selfish based on whether they tend to go in at a better than average pace. If AR finished or hit 3pt shots at a higher rate, he'd not be so tagged. After all, Grant Hill is a slasher/scorer and I don't recall him ever being accused of selfishness. But he stayed 4 years and finished at a high rate. It's when you don't finish, hit, or make them pay at the FT line at a high rate - that's when it looks selfish in retrospect. I'm not saying it IS selfish, but that's how humans tend to judge things. It takes a dedicated person to look back at each play and figure out if his decision to shoot or drive was the best one in the moment, e.g., did he ignore a wide-open teammate? Think about his GW shot vs. UNC in CH. He had Zeller on him, who could have blocked his shot. If AR's shot didn't go in, and/or got blocked, would he be called selfish? Since it went in, is he then not selfish? On that one, it seems like he made a really good play. He faked the drive just enough to get Zeller to back up, giving him clearance for the shot. To me, that's great playmaking, but I don't know if there was another player open, either.
jkidd31 wrote about him not signing with an agent. I seem to recall someone pointing out that the rules for the draft, particularly returning to college if you aren't picked or picked high, do not hinge on hiring an agent or not. You have to declare one way or another, agent or not. I could be mistaken, though.
He sure did play hard, and he sure cared a great deal. Wasn't it before the new year that Coach K more or less publicly stated he was looking for his upperclassmen (at least one of them) to become leaders, to become vocal and so forth? IIRC he did this while recognizing that a number of them had quiet personalities, etc., but stating that he really hoped someone would step up.
I'm not sure that ever happened - and even though AR became our go-to guy due to his uncompromising effort and intensity, I'm not sure he became a vocal leader either. Having a backcourt by committee made leadership at the guard spot a little tough, but you know, we had a couple experienced Plumlees down low, and there was almost always at least one of them in the game. Maybe they did try to lead but others didn't follow. Who knows. But I do seem to recall our coaches expressing that desire - that someone step up and lead.
Don't know if this is true or not, but I heard it mentioned on the David Glenn show yesterday, It seems that the NCAA has one withdrawal date and the pros have another. The point was, what was to stop a player from pulling his name out early to comply with the NCAA rules, but he continues to investigate his options and prior to the NBA date goes back in?
Funny how duke supporters can disagree about Rivers,,,,I too watched every game and saw it pretty much opposite of what you and other rivers supporters saw. In my opinion he rarely played the top of the key pick and roll properly...he simply drove to the basket never looking for the big man or the wing man who were open many times...he just drove the lane making 50 % of his layups with his right hand regardless of the side of the basket he was on...the other 50% of the time he was fouled where he hit about 65% of his foul shots or was blocked or turned the ball over. Fundamentally he has a lot to learn, IMO if he wants a steady starting job in the nba.
He is not in the same space as Kyrie who could do all of the above significantly better and was ready for the nba. He would have been better off staying at Duke under the guidance of coach K learning the "fist" concept and all that it entails, IMO.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/austin-...023031799.html
Probably already been listed, but if this is true, there is no more concern one way or another. I have to say that I would be shocked if this discussion were going on in the Rivers household. I wish Austin luck in learning to fit within an offense in the pros and getting his body ready for the pros. That will define whether he can make it at the next level.
NCAA coaches had the withdrawal date moved up to "force men's basketball players to remove their names from the draft list before the first day of the spring signing period.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...drawl-date/rss
It's a recruiting thing so coaches can get a last minute recruit if they lose a guy. It's also why guys dont sign and LOI and wait to see where they can get PT. Patrick Patterson and Jimmy Wall did, and I'm guessing Amile and Shabazz and TP are all doing this.