2016 Basketball Recruiting Thread

[GGLC]

I thought the reason that Elliot Williams transferred to Memphis was to be closer to home because of an illness in the family.

He had playing time and role-related concerns in addition to the family issue.

[Olympic Fan]

Just to make it clear, I did NOT confuse Elliot Williams with Taylor King or anyone else.

Williams did demand certain guarantees. He wanted a bigger role in the offense. A guaranteed bigger role in the offense. While he started the last part of the 2009 season, he was basically a defender and a passer -- in the 12 games he started to end the year, he hit double figures just five times and took more than nine shots just once. After going 3 for 11 in a loss at UNC, he took 4-4-2-9-3-3 shots in his final six games. He averaged 7.3 ppg in his 12 games as a starter ... and just 3.7 ppg in his final six games at Duke.

He demanded a bigger offensive role than that and when K wouldn't guarantee it, Williams bolted for Memphis.

His grandmother back in Memphis was ill, but it was the same illness that she had when he signed with Duke. That was just a cover for the transfer -- and to get the NCAA waiver that let him play right away.

[BD80]

Are you getting Elliot Williams confused with Taylor King, who also transferred following his freshman year?

TK, the master of the sift and roll offense?

[lotusland]

Just to make it clear, I did NOT confuse Elliot Williams with Taylor King or anyone else.

Williams did demand certain guarantees. He wanted a bigger role in the offense. A guaranteed bigger role in the offense. While he started the last part of the 2009 season, he was basically a defender and a passer -- in the 12 games he started to end the year, he hit double figures just five times and took more than nine shots just once. After going 3 for 11 in a loss at UNC, he took 4-4-2-9-3-3 shots in his final six games. He averaged 7.3 ppg in his 12 games as a starter ... and just 3.7 ppg in his final six games at Duke.

He demanded a bigger offensive role than that and when K wouldn't guarantee it, Williams bolted for Memphis.

His grandmother back in Memphis was ill, but it was the same illness that she had when he signed with Duke. That was just a cover for the transfer -- and to get the NCAA waiver that let him play right away.

Well that explains that but how do you explain your OAD % for Thornton? I'm no rocket surgeon but 25/33 odds seems like fuzzy math 😊.

[Olympic Fan]

Well that explains that but how do you explain your OAD % for Thornton? I'm no rocket surgeon but 25/33 odds seems like fuzzy math ��.

Very fuzzy, because it's a very fuzzy situation.

Thornton has better athletic skills than Tyus ... will he be anywhere near as good a playmaker and a clutch performer?

It's a delicate balancing act. We want the kid to be good ... but not so good that he is OAD, right?

It's going to be tough because by all accounts, this is going to be one of the weakest drafts in memory. If Thornton does a good job as a freshman, there will be a lot of pressure on him to turn pro.

I still think the odds are against him turning pro after one year -- but I'm not so confident of that that I'll bet on it. 1 chance in 4 ... 1 chance in 3 (that's what I meant by 25/33) seem to be reasonable -- and intentionally vague -- guesses.

[mattman91]

TK, the master of the sift and roll offense?

To be very blunt, he was fantastic at the split and roll.

[OldPhiKap]

To be very blunt, he was fantastic at the split and roll.

You mean the spliff and roll?

[mattman91]

You mean the spliff and roll?

That works too. I'm sure some dbr posters will get my reference

[BD80]

That works too. I'm sure some dbr potsters will get my reference

Fixed?

[mattman91]

Fixed?

Yep, fixed it

[El_Diablo]

His grandmother back in Memphis was ill, but it was the same illness that she had when he signed with Duke. That was just a cover for the transfer -- and to get the NCAA waiver that let him play right away.

I do not think it is fair to discredit his stated reason for transferring. It was his mother (not his grandmother), and the illness was breast cancer. She was first diagnosed when Elliot was in sixth grade but was in remission when he came to Duke. The remission ended during his freshman year and started spreading. She has since passed away.

Maybe he wanted a larger role as well (although after Henderson left for the NBA, Elliot was one of only three guards on the roster, so he obviously had a larger role coming anyway). I assume you heard this from some inside source, in which case there must be some truth to it, but I do not think it is fair to treat his mother's battle with cancer as a mere cover, as it conflicts with everything he and the program have publicly stated with respect to the transfer.

[Kedsy]

I do not think it is fair to discredit his stated reason for transferring.

Fairness and accuracy may not entirely coincide in this case. In the end, it doesn't really matter, does it? Perhaps we should all just agree that Eliot's situation was fairly unusual and shouldn't be considered good precedent for other players' situations.

[lotusland]

EWill missed out on a natty so I wonder if he regrets the decision in much the same way Sheed regrets missing out on something special last year. I think coach K would have been tempted to play 3 guards with Singler at the 4-spot more if G had stayed or if EWill had not transferred. I think the 4 Big rotation with Singler at 3 and Jon and Nolan at guard was perfect. It was lucky that there were no significant injuries to the guards including Dre but it sort of forced a lineup that brought the best possible outcome much like the 8 man lineup was perfect last year. Depth is often over rated.

[Skitzle]

EWill missed out on a natty so I wonder if he regrets the decision in much the same way Sheed regrets missing out on something special last year. I think coach K would have been tempted to play 3 guards with Singler at the 4-spot more if G had stayed or if EWill had not transferred. I think the 4 Big rotation with Singler at 3 and Jon and Nolan at guard was perfect. It was lucky that there were no significant injuries to the guards including Dre but it sort of forced a lineup that brought the best possible outcome much like the 8 man lineup was perfect last year. Depth is often over rated.

But Vrankovic is still going to get his minutes next year right? He needs to develop.

[NSDukeFan]

But Vrankovic is still going to get his minutes next year right? He needs to develop.

You make an excellent point, as playing time that we the posters can see is the only way for a player to develop.

[duke blue brewcrew]

But Vrankovic is still going to get his minutes next year right? He needs to develop.

Speaking of develop. Is it possible that Vrankovic red-shirts this year given the depth Duke has in the post? Plumlee, Obi, Jefferson, Jeter, Ingram and Robinson. Given Coach K's notoriously short bench tendencies during the season, wouldn't a red-shirt be a smart way to approach Vrank the Tank's 1st year? He could step in next year and be MP4 (sort of, not literally obviously).

[devildeac]

Speaking of develop. Is it possible that Vrankovic red-shirts this year given the depth Duke has in the post? Plumlee, Obi, Jefferson, Jeter, Ingram and Robinson. Given Coach K's notoriously short bench tendencies during the season, wouldn't a red-shirt be a smart way to approach Vrank the Tank's 1st year? He could step in next year and be MP4 (sort of, not literally obviously).

Unless we see an epidemic of metatarsal madness in the 2015-16 MBB season, I'd (about) guarantee we don't see Robinson there this year (or any year unless an Admiral-like growth spurt occurs) or Ingram for that matter. Although I could probably imagine scenarios where K plays 4 "guards" with Ingram for a few minutes, depending of course on how you label Ingram for the "position" he doesn't play in K's system.

[budwom]

Vrank redshirts, Robinson doesn't play (also probably redshirts), leaving us with the nine guys (eight-plus, really) K likes to use.

Ingram, Jones,Kennard, Thornton, Allen, Plumlee, Jefferson and Jeter all play, Obi is probably our fractional guy, all this barring injury of course.

[gumbomoop]

Speaking of develop. Is it possible that Vrankovic red-shirts this year... Given Coach K's notoriously short bench tendencies during the season, wouldn't a red-shirt be a smart way to approach Vrank the Tank's 1st year?

It's definitely possible; and actually it's fair to say there's been an emerging consensus opinion over the summer on EK that Vrankovic will very likely, yes, redshirt in 2015-16. Check out, for example, fairly recent posts # 2755, 2774, 2815 on the 2015 recruiting thread. There are other such posts. As I say, a consensus opinion of what, because logical on several grounds, will probably happen.

[itshoopsbabee]

Unless we see an epidemic of metatarsal madness in the 2015-16 MBB season, I'd (about) guarantee we don't see Robinson there this year (or any year unless an Admiral-like growth spurt occurs) or Ingram for that matter. Although I could probably imagine scenarios where K plays 4 "guards" with Ingram for a few minutes, depending of course on how you label Ingram for the "position" he doesn't play in K's system.

"Winner"