I thought that G was going to be our starting SF so I'm not sure if this is more of he was still going to struggle to play next year or he just didn't like it at Duke. I forget what analyst it was, but he has a theory that kids who transfer in HS are more likely to transfer in college. I'd hate to see the kid go searching for something that doesn't exist similar to Taylor King but indications are that he has other high majors on his list like King with Nova so either the kid thinks he can still be the man elsewhere, or Duke/Alex Murphy are in better position than we thought.
It's always hard to predict how to feel about these transfers:
When Boateng, Boykin, Olek, and King left - I did a big "meh" shoulder shrug. It was cool to see Boykin's energy, but wasn't sure how much he would play.
When E-Will left, it hurt, but the circumstances were understandable. So, couldn't blame him.
I liked the idea of Silent G becoming a big-time player for us, that was hope more than anything - no certainty that it would happen.
Can he transfer to an ACC school? Hope not, but then again, UVa or VaTech could really use him. Maybe Georgetown will give him a shot and let him play close to home.
I recall a thread which lasted all of 10 minutes earlier in the year that was based on some tweets from Mike, which had something to do with some supposed unhappiness. The OP was taken to task because nobody knew exactly what Mike was unhappy about based on the tweet.
I got flamed for my comments based on my observations of Mike after he was benched during the last WF game.
Seems like things aren't always sunshine and lollipops in Kville and people need to be adult enough to understand this. While I understand the desire and the need not to have rumours spread, it's also important that we keep our eyes and minds open to the fact that these are young kids who have needs and dreams of their own and that these dreams often don't align with those of the staff and those of the fans.
I'm sorry to see Mike go, I'd say more on the matter, but without all the facts that would be pointless. I wish the kid the best where ever he decides to go and I hope it works out for him.
Really liked G's potential and am sad to see him go. Best of luck to him.
Not going to lie...me too. I was really looking forward to seeing what he could do this upcoming season. Seemed like the type of player that given the opportunity would blossom into a great player by Senior year. I wish him the best of luck and am interested in seeing where he ends up. Not saying that this will be the case with Silent G but I feel most of the time when players transfer from Duke it usually doesn't turn out to be a total loss for the team and the player doesn't really end up living up to the lofty incoming expectations elsewhere.
But I'm just speaking with out doing any research honestly.
My working assumption in these matters, expecially when the decision doesn't appear to be hurried or rash or based on family reasons, is that the coaches went over in detail where he stood, what he had to do to improve, and his likely role on the team. I am surprised that he left because usually academic achievement is an indication of overall satisfaction (MG was All-ACC).
Perhaps he just felt he could not achieve his basketball objectives at Duke.
sagegrouse
The worst part of this to me is that it isn't in the least bit surprising. Gbinije is an athletic 3 with no similar competition in front of him. He was a top 30 recruit and he was given only 100 minutes of game time. I would have been shocked if he didn't transfer. The only other top 30 recruit I could find was Ryan who played about twice the minutes, but he wasn't physically ready and he was stuck behind Z, Kyle, LT and MP1.
Do I think Silent G should have been starting? No, he definitely looked a little lost at times, but you'd have a tough time convincing me that he didn't deserve about 10 mpg.
If you changed "given" only a certain amount of minutes to "earned" only a certain amount of minutes, I think that changes the perspective considerably.
I'm sure that Coach K and the rest of the staff would have been glad to play an athletic wing like Mike G. if he had picked up things in practice and game appearances.
He was at an area of need for the team, but still couldn't play his way into more minutes.
I don't speak for Coach K, but I've followed him pretty closely over his 30+ years at Duke, and know that he places great emphasis on practice performance and players earning their minutes.
I the same way as you about the other transfers but Mike seemed like a Duke guy and, based only on his HS reputation and comments from teamates about his freak athleticism, I thought he would be a big-dtime contributor by the time he became an upper-classman. You can't help but wonder what happened even though I know fans don't necessarily have a right know what goes on behind the scenes with players. Generally speaking I like upper-classmen over one and done type players so it's frustrating to see a guy who is thought to be a 3-4 year contributors leave before he's earned his shot.
I think after his transfer Boykin said something to the affect that K had told him frankly that his primary role would likely be a cheer-leader from the bench so he left for a better opportunity with no hard feelings. Maybe this is a similar situation but but Mike's reputation was such that I assumed he would be a stud at Duke before all was said and done. I can see how his PT might not have been much more this year though if you assume he is 3/4 player but primarily a 3 because we only lost one 2/3(AR) and one 4/5(Miles) and we picked up another 2/3(Good Sheed) as well as a 3/4(Murphy) from last year's roster. Well I guess I wish him all the best (JP) unless he tranfers to Carolina or UK.
I have no idea what the reason is for Gbinijie's transfer, but here's what makes it a real bummer in my mind: Prior to his freshman season, it seemed like he really wanted to be a Dukie. Unlike many players who draw out their recruitment for more publicity or a better chance at immediate PT, Silent G came to a Carolina game, liked what he saw, and committed shortly thereafter (without any stunts, might I add).
It's always sad when a kid who is so eager to don a Duke uniform ends up not feeling that way in the end.
According to a source of unknown quality, the following schools have called Gbinije, though even if true, that says nothing about whether the interest is reciprocal: Syracuse, Georgetown, Villanova, Rutgers, and Alabama.
http://www.zagsblog.com/2012/04/16/g...ke/#more-71590
I think it only changes the perspective considerably if "earned" is an absolute. I have been following Coach K for about the same amount of time you have but probably not the extent you have. I have always thought that Coach K underutilizes his bench. 10 mpg is only 5% of gametime. If a top 30 recruit in an area of need can't earn 10 mpg something has fallen through the cracks along the way.
Although I certainly hate to see G leave, I think that you are right about his meeting with the coaches. In fact, in the Herald-Sun article about it by Steve Wiseman he has a quote from Frank (Mike's Dad):
“We were still on the fence and wanted to know more about his role going forward,” Frank Gbinije said in a telephone interview. “He gave us general plans from general perspective. He felt (Michael) would have more opportunities this season with potential change in the system. It was all promising.”
It seems that G wasn't happy with where he stood in regard to playing time - simple as that. On the bright side though, I think this is a strong indicator of how confident our coaches are with Alex, as well as how much G respects Alex as a player. If Mike thinks that he would have trouble getting minutes after practicing for a year with Alex, that is a great indicator of just how good Alex really is.