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allenmurray
02-18-2009, 01:36 PM
University of Texas will retire Kevin Durant's jersey this week. Sure he was good, great even. But he played there one year. One year. It just seems odd. I really like the fact that Duke has never retired a jersey of a player who has not graduated. One year? I guess if he hasd stayed all four they would have renamed it the University of Durant at Austin.

UrinalCake
02-18-2009, 01:55 PM
This is silly. I've seen other schools retire a player's number based on what they accomplished professionally, after they left the school, which I think is part of what Texas is doing. I don't really agree with this, and besides Durant hasn't actually DONE a whole lot yet in the NBA, other than shown amazing potential.

JDev
02-18-2009, 02:02 PM
I don't like what retiring a one-year player's jersey says, but I understand their move. Durant is becoming an NBA superstar and Texas wants desperately to have his name attached to the University as prominently as possible. They think that will help them with recruits and such.
They could go UNC's route and put the jerseys of 2/3's of the people who ever played there in the rafters in some capacity ;)

jimmymax
02-18-2009, 02:11 PM
This is silly. I've seen other schools retire a player's number based on what they accomplished professionally, after they left the school, which I think is part of what Texas is doing. I don't really agree with this, and besides Durant hasn't actually DONE a whole lot yet in the NBA, other than shown amazing potential.

He's done a bunch more than that guy who was drafted ahead of him.

wolfpackdevil
02-18-2009, 02:59 PM
This is silly. I've seen other schools retire a player's number based on what they accomplished professionally, after they left the school, which I think is part of what Texas is doing. I don't really agree with this, and besides Durant hasn't actually DONE a whole lot yet in the NBA, other than shown amazing potential.

I think that Durant is a great player, and he will no doubtingly be an nba superstar for years to come. but he used Texas like high school players use Oak Hill.

He only went to Texas so he could be great and then be a top pick. He did not really care to be a "longhorn"

I doubt he even finished his whole freshman year at Texas. He probably just dropped out after the season was over. Now I am not for sure of that, but that is what Beasley did.

I just dont see the point. Retiring his jersey is like Oak Hill retiring jerseys

throatybeard
02-18-2009, 02:59 PM
This takes me back to the good ole days of DBR when DukeofURL, JackStrawfromWitchita, and Bill Werber were serving the beer. I think we had similar issues with Steve Francis and Maryland.

weezie
02-18-2009, 03:17 PM
Maybe Barnes can use it as a recruiting tool. "Come to TX for a few months and we'll hang your jersey form the rafters" sort of thing.

91devil
02-18-2009, 03:35 PM
Didn't Maryland retire Steve Francis' jersey after he only played there for one year?

UrinalCake
02-18-2009, 04:30 PM
Bobby Knight was talking about this on one of Coach K's podcasts... to maintain eligibility, a player only has to pass like six credit hours his first semester. His second semester he doesn't really care about maintaining eligibility if he's not going to be around for the next year. So basically a player can take two classes and play a year of college ball.

Texas knew he was likely to be a one-year player and recruited him anyways, so it's not like I feel sorry for them for being "used;" many programs are willing to have that kind of player even if it's only for one year. I guess the question comes down to, what does retiring a player's jersey really mean in the first place? If Durant meets all of those criteria then I guess there's nothing wrong with it.

Lord Ash
02-18-2009, 05:25 PM
Ridiculous. For a player to go to a school for a single year, and likely only go to class for a semester, and the University to decide that he is deserving of the highest honor the school can grant... just ridiculous. Getting your jersey retired is about a LOT more than being a good basketball player for a year.

BD80
02-18-2009, 05:26 PM
There isn't much of a tradition of hanging jerseys at Texas, this will be the third time and one of the other two belongs to TJ Ford who was only there for 2 years (if memory serves).

Durant was national player of the year at Texas, and that has been said to be the criteria at UNC.

How many players of that caliber are going to stick around for three or four years and get degrees? At Texas?

Barnes doen't have to worry about using up too many numbers for retired jerseys and it is a great recruiting tool. There are more than a few high school kids who envision themselves as the next Durant.

crimsonandblue
02-18-2009, 05:41 PM
There isn't much of a tradition of hanging jerseys at Texas, this will be the third time and one of the other two belongs to TJ Ford who was only there for 2 years (if memory serves).

Durant was national player of the year at Texas, and that has been said to be the criteria at UNC.

How many players of that caliber are going to stick around for three or four years and get degrees? At Texas?

Barnes doen't have to worry about using up too many numbers for retired jerseys and it is a great recruiting tool. There are more than a few high school kids who envision themselves as the next Durant.

Generally agree. But "at Texas," what?

BD80
02-18-2009, 06:29 PM
Generally agree. But "at Texas," what?

Texas does not have a tradition of having the top-flight basketball player who graduates, as compared to say, Duke, UNC, Kansas, and likely a few others. We have been blessed on tobacco road with Reddick, Hanswhatever, Battier, Jason Williams, Grant Hill, to name a few. Recently, Barnes has lost a lot of players early to the NBA. Durant was 1 and done. Aldridge, Augustine, Ford, and Gibson were 2 year guys. I think Chris Mihm and PJ Tucker were 3 year guys. The only significant 4 year guy I can remember is Royal Ivey. I don't remember if Mihm graduated in three years.

blazindw
02-18-2009, 06:43 PM
Yea, Durant was the 1st ever freshman to win National Player of the Year. Even though he was there one year, he's one of the most accomplished Texas players ever.

Cameron
02-18-2009, 07:53 PM
If I am remembering right, I believe Durant had an above 3.5 GPA during his one season at Texas. I'm almost positive on that, because ESPN did a write up on it, I believe.

Whether or not that's the case, if Texas' only criteria for jersey retirement is being named All-American or winning National Player of the Year, then who cares if his number is hanging? He fit the bill.

Let's face it. Texas isn't an academic powerhouse. The place isn't like Duke, where if a guy doesn't graduate, his jersey isn't going to hang, no matter the accomplishments achieved.


He only went to Texas so he could be great and then be a top pick. He did not really care to be a "longhorn"

Who's to say we haven't had players come or think about coming to Duke based more on trying to get into the NBA than on becoming a "Blue Devil"? I'm sure it's happened. Graduation requirement aside, what if that guy became NPOTY and that was our only requirement to earn jersey retirement? You would judge whether or not it was put in the rafters how? Ranking his want to be a "Blue Devil"?

That said, I'm glad we have made it tough to raise a player's number.

Indoor66
02-18-2009, 07:58 PM
I don't understand the concern for Texas' requirements for the retirement of a jersey. It is their program and their decision. It doesn't affect Duke in any way, good or bad.

Ben63
02-18-2009, 08:10 PM
Durant hasn't actually DONE a whole lot yet in the NBA

He won the H-O-R-S-E competition....