Caleb Foster Out for the Season

[crimsondevil]

Yeah, I didn't want to come out and say it but I figured some sharp eyed folks would get what I was implying. Hat tip to you, sir.

As Scottdude eloquently stated, we cannot assume anyone is a lock to be back in the present context of portal free agency in college basketball. To some extent freshmen, with their signed letters of intent, are perhaps the most reliable form of assured roster building. How crazy is that?

All that said, I continue to maintain that Duke's strong NIL game will mean that we will get several very valuable pieces back next season. I think Caleb is quite likely to be one of those, particularly if several of the current guards on the roster choose to move on. But, if Proctor or Roach and McCain choose to return to Duke, it would not be crazy to think Caleb might look elsewhere.

This was my thought on hearing about the rumors. I will choose to take it as positive news that at least two of Roach, Proctor, and McCain are thinking about returning.

[BrummieDevil]

I enjoy tourneys so much more once Carolina and to a lesser extent, Kentucky and UConn, lose

In 2020, Duke fans were deprived of an NCAA Tournament in which the Blue Devils would've had very legit Final Four hopes and which would have been played without UNC (and likely UConn, my clear No. 2 most hated program) in the bracket.

There is no god.

Anyway, I'd be incredibly bummed if Caleb left, but I see no reason to believe that'll happen. I wish people could help themselves from posting vague hints/rumors on social media and instead just let things play out, but that's simply asking too much of internet-age humans, I suppose.

[BigZ]

I really liked what Caleb brought to the team. I look forward to him being even better next season.

[bshrader]

Yeah, I didn't want to come out and say it but I figured some sharp eyed folks would get what I was implying. Hat tip to you, sir.

As Scottdude eloquently stated, we cannot assume anyone is a lock to be back in the present context of portal free agency in college basketball. To some extent freshmen, with their signed letters of intent, are perhaps the most reliable form of assured roster building. How crazy is that?

All that said, I continue to maintain that Duke's strong NIL game will mean that we will get several very valuable pieces back next season. I think Caleb is quite likely to be one of those, particularly if several of the current guards on the roster choose to move on. But, if Proctor or Roach and McCain choose to return to Duke, it would not be crazy to think Caleb might look elsewhere.

As I was reading the comments on the Foster "rumors" on the other site I alluded to, your cryptic comments in the Transfer Portal Thread immediately came to mind, as if a light bulb went off. The comment you made about some players we never thought of may be looking to leave came to light.

But as you have somewhat alluded to, all of this is fluid and can change on a dime (somewhat figuratively and literally), based on the decisions of others on the team, NIL packages, etc.

While the intent behind NIL is in good faith, what an absolutely crazy atmosphere it's created for coaches/staff/administrations. To have to not only recruit new players, but re-recruit your current players on a yearly basis.

[Phredd3]

X is not something you need to “have” in order to read it. It’s like saying “I don’t have google” or “I don’t have ESPN.com”

You can't search directly on twixxer if you aren't a subscriber. You can read individual, linked posts you find through other sources, but that's it. You can't even open twixxer to a particular person's account and scroll their twixes. If you don't have twixxer, it's a lot harder to find anything on it. So yeah, you do kinda have to "have" it in order to really use it.

[lotusland]

I never understood why D Thornton transferred after a good freshman season at Duke. His future at Duke and beyond seemed bright. Foster transferring would feel the same. But I also remember that Nolan and Matthew Hurt also considered transferring after their freshman seasons, but didn’t. Both of those guys stayed and improved dramatically. I’m sure there are numerous others who considered transferring but stayed. Freshman frustration is natural for athletes who have been the best player on their team for most of their lives. So I won’t worry about decisions that haven’t yet been made but I’ll cheer even harder for him if stays, works hard and gets better.

[BrummieDevil]

I kinda like that this team seems to have no pressure on them anymore. Very few are picking them to win more than a game or two. I don't think most folx would be surprised if they didn't make it past the weekend.

I'd like to see a team come out playing strong together and having fun. Would go a long way in making a mark this March.

I like the idea of it, it's just tough for any Duke team to play like there's no pressure on them because of the simply fact everyone who's not a Duke fan is against them. As soon as their opponent makes a little run, or if the crowd has any chance to be excited about how things are going after halftime, it's tough to not feel that. But at least as a starting point, yeah, that'd be great.

[SkyBrickey]

I really would be shocked if neither Proctor or Foster returned. That's a starting PG position on the most exciting team in the country. And I'm still hopeful both come back along with one of Roach or McCain.

I don't know how many of these kids have agents - maybe all of them - but any good agent is going to tell a kid, let's keep our options open and see what Duke is offering for next year. That's not the kid or the agent being a jerk. That's just the nature of the chaos that's been created.

Here's a hypothetical. If you could only have Roach/Mitchell/Proctor or Foster/Stewart/Power back next year, which way would you go? The first group probably gives us a better team next year. The second group MAY give us more continuity and a path to older teams. I suspect Jon plus Rachel Baker plus the collective will be facing this question on some player by player decisions. Like JE and others have pointed out, it's just not realistic to bring back all 6 of these 5* players with the class we have coming in. (And this assumes McCain leaves for the draft which is not a given)

[SouthernDukie]

Here's a hypothetical. If you could only have Roach/Mitchell/Proctor or Foster/Stewart/Power back next year, which way would you go?

Super easy call for me, personally. I'd go with Roach/Mitchell/Proctor. Experienced guard play is always, always critical. And having Mitchell back and probably playing more 3 than 4 would help as well. Unfortunately I also think it's pie-in-the-sky. The second option you proposed seems much more likely than the first.

[gumbomoop]

To have to not only recruit new players, but re-recruit your current players on a yearly basis.

Does seem a crazy new world in recruiting. Here in a thread understandably bemoaning the loss of Foster for the remainder of this season, we find ourselves pondering the unsettling possibility that Duke may have lost Foster, period. Whaaat?

When it comes to the portal, you should assume nothing... If Proctor or Roach and McCain choose to return to Duke, it would not be crazy to think Caleb might look elsewhere.

I’m wondering about the exact circumstances under which Scheyer would have to re-recruit Foster. Assuming nothing, one might read JE’s statement to say 3 different things:

If either (a) Proctor returns, or (b) Proctor and McCain return, or (c) Roach and McCain return, maybe Foster would leave.

I see Foster as a PG, and think he sees himself that way. My recollection is that when Foster was on the floor, he brought the ball into the frontcourt. So in the 3 separate scenarios that one might extract from JE’s “if hypotheticals,” I can see why Proctor’s return might cause Foster to consider leaving, but it’s not so clear why Roach and (/or) McCain returning would threaten Foster’s PG minutes.

Perhaps other factors are in play. But unless Proctor returns, I’m puzzled that Foster might pass up the near-certainty of being the 30+ mpg PG next season.

I really would be shocked if neither Proctor or Foster returned. That's a starting PG position on the most exciting team in the country.

[Steven43]

While the intent behind NIL is in good faith, what an absolutely crazy atmosphere it's created for coaches/staff/administrations. To have to not only recruit new players, but re-recruit your current players on a yearly basis.

Yeah, Mike definitely retired at the right time. He didn’t want any part of this madness (NIL, no-consequences transfers, conference realignment, etc.).

[sagegrouse]

I never understood why D Thornton transferred after a good freshman season at Duke. His future at Duke and beyond seemed bright. Foster transferring would feel the same. But I also remember that Nolan and Matthew Hurt also considered transferring after their freshman seasons, but didn’t. Both of those guys stayed and improved dramatically. I’m sure there are numerous others who considered transferring but stayed. Freshman frustration is natural for athletes who have been the best player on their team for most of their lives. So I won’t worry about decisions that haven’t yet been made but I’ll cheer even harder for him if stays, works hard and gets better.

Thornton had an uncle who insisted loudly that Duke wasn't using Derryck correctly -- K should be running the offense thru him -- a freshman -- on a defending nat'l champion. Family appeared to force the xfer. He told fellow students he didn't want to leave. Went to SC (in LA), then to BC. Didn't make a splash anywhere.

Still playing in Europe (Croatia).

[SkyBrickey]

We may need to get JWill and Duhon on a Zoom with Proctor and Foster to explain to them, yes it can work very well!

[Matches]

We may need to get JWill and Duhon on a Zoom with Proctor and Foster to explain to them, yes it can work very well!

Ha! I wouldn’t let JWill anywhere near him - Foster will end up transferring to UNC.

[azzefkram]

We may need to get JWill and Duhon on a Zoom with Proctor and Foster to explain to them, yes it can work very well!

I would be extremely happy if Foster and Proctor were Duke's starting backcourt next season. It might be my top realistic choice.

[SkyBrickey]

I would be extremely happy if Foster and Proctor were Duke's starting backcourt next season. It might be my top realistic choice.

I think it's ideal on a few levels. They could share ballhandling duties 50/50 which keeps them both fresh. Both are good shooters and slashers. And I think with their size and athleticism, the perimeter D could be absolutely elite. And finally, one or both could come back the following year and be backed up by Frosh Cayden Boozer, so it would be very good from a roster building standpoint.

If we could only get 2 of the 4 back, these would be the 2 I'd want given the other players on the roster...

[kshepinthehouse]

Super easy call for me, personally. I'd go with Roach/Mitchell/Proctor. Experienced guard play is always, always critical. And having Mitchell back and probably playing more 3 than 4 would help as well. Unfortunately I also think it's pie-in-the-sky. The second option you proposed seems much more likely than the first.

Why would Mitchell playing the 3 help us?

[scottdude8]

I never understood why D Thornton transferred after a good freshman season at Duke. His future at Duke and beyond seemed bright. Foster transferring would feel the same. But I also remember that Nolan and Matthew Hurt also considered transferring after their freshman seasons, but didn’t. Both of those guys stayed and improved dramatically. I’m sure there are numerous others who considered transferring but stayed. Freshman frustration is natural for athletes who have been the best player on their team for most of their lives. So I won’t worry about decisions that haven’t yet been made but I’ll cheer even harder for him if stays, works hard and gets better.

Yeah, if Caleb were to transfer in a scenario where he was the presumptive starting point guard (i.e., two of Jeremy/Tyrese/Jared go pro), it would arguably be the most surprising transfer decision since Thornton. We just don't know what's going on behind the scenes with these players... Thornton was certainly an outlier case which led to an outlier decision.

I, like others, think the most like scenario in which Caleb seriously considers a transfer is one where two of Jeremy/Tyrese/Jared are returning. If that's the case, it'll certainly numb the pain of Caleb choosing to leave. It would still hurt, considering Caleb would certainly be our sixth man (and an important one), and have plenty of opportunities to fight for a starting role... but in the modern college game you'd understand why he might want to go start somewhere else. That said, I think a lot of what this will come down to is whether Caleb and those on his "team" think he'll be ready for the NBA after his sophomore year (in which case getting starter's minutes will be important) or whether he/they think he's going to be a 3-4 year college player (in which case one would hope that Duke's strong NIL bid would be enough to keep him in the uniform he grew up dreaming of playing in).

Too many unknowns to worry about now... now is for worrying about Vermont!

[arnie]

Thornton had an uncle who insisted loudly that Duke wasn't using Derryck correctly -- K should be running the offense thru him -- a freshman -- on a defending nat'l champion. Family appeared to force the xfer. He told fellow students he didn't want to leave. Went to SC (in LA), then to BC. Didn't make a splash anywhere.

Still playing in Europe (Croatia).

Mr. Burgess, Mr. Gminski and countless others were pains in the butt. The price to pay when dealing with stars, perceived and real.

However, I bet Calvin Hill understood the process and didn’t interfere.

[sagegrouse]

Mr. Burgess, Mr. Gminski and countless others were pains in the butt. The price to pay when dealing with stars, perceived and real.

However, I bet Calvin Hill understood the process and didn’t interfere.

No, but Mom Janet was called "the General" at home, and she handled a lot of stuff. Died too soon -- was a Duke Trustee.