Elliot Williams

[quickgtp]

Anyone know how this came about? Scary to even hear it mentioned as a POSSIBLE rumor!

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6271764/15297431

[Carlos]

I can see how it would be appealing to go to Memphis right now... what would that probation thing and all sitting out there.

[quickgtp]

I just googled it and saw that there are rumblings that he has a terminally ill family member and IF he were to attempt a transfer it would be with a hardship waiver. Probably just BS, but I wanted to see if anyone else read/heard it.

[FireOgilvie]

It sounds like someone in his family is ill or something of that nature. That's usually the case when there is talk of being able to play without penalty after a transfer. I hope everyone is okay and it's just a rumor.

[rotogod00]

It sounds like someone in his family is ill or something of that nature. That's usually the case when there is talk of being able to play without penalty after a transfer. I hope everyone is okay and it's just a rumor.

Lets hope and pray that this does indeed turn out to be nothing more than a rumor, but what if it isn't and we lose Williams. We'd be down to 2 guards then, right....Smith and Scheyer? Are there any unsigned backcourt players left? And I mean any....they don't need to be 4 or 5 star prospects?

[Kedsy]

Lets hope and pray that this does indeed turn out to be nothing more than a rumor, but what if it isn't and we lose Williams. We'd be down to 2 guards then, right....Smith and Scheyer? Are there any unsigned backcourt players left? And I mean any....they don't need to be 4 or 5 star prospects?

Just stop it, will you please?

[ricks68]

This might sound a little strange to a lot of you, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him considered as a more athletic wing type until we get some help in that position. He has some great hops and really quick athletic moves. Some of his moves driving to the basket were really superb last year, and he did knock down some threes. Note that while his weight is listed as only 180, his height is exactly the same as G.

I also wouldn't be surprised to see Jon frequently at the point again, as while it appeared very unconventional, it certainly screwed up the opposing defensive assignments. It also opened up his game, as it allowed him to shoot over his smaller opposing defenders. Could be a very surprising year for us.




ricks

[rotogod00]

Just stop it, will you please?

What's your problem. Did I say anything that wasn't true?

[miramar]

Let's hope there's not a family situation for Elliot's sake because that's obviously a lot more important than our backcourt.

The NCAA has some exceptions to the general rule that a transfer must sit out a year, but these extenuating circumstances seem to be a very confusing area:

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/SharpTusk/139222

[geraldsneighbor]

Hopefully all works out with EW's family. I would be crushed to see him leave.

[arnie]

Lets hope and pray that this does indeed turn out to be nothing more than a rumor, but what if it isn't and we lose Williams. We'd be down to 2 guards then, right....Smith and Scheyer? Are there any unsigned backcourt players left? And I mean any....they don't need to be 4 or 5 star prospects?

We'd be down to 2 guards if he left assuming both guards remain healthy. A major injury to either Smith or Scheyer will cripple our chances anyway. We badly need another guard, even if it's just a walkon.

[speedevil2001]

We'd be down to 2 guards if he left assuming both guards remain healthy. A major injury to either Smith or Scheyer will cripple our chances anyway. We badly need another guard, even if it's just a walkon.

picture this depth chart:

pg: smith/ scheyer
sg: singler/ kelly
sf: thomas/ cycz
pf: mason/ miles
c: zoubek

guys like smith, scheyer, and singler are going to be playing major minutes.
coach k goes to a 7 man rotation often late in the season anyways.

dukes main problem with this lineup is going to be guarding the perminitter. clog up the lane with the big guys.
i can see kelly playing the sf or sg spot on offensive, but he is gonna get killed on the defense side....

[roywhite]

Let's consider Mr. Williams' statement

"As of right now, to my knowledge, Elliot will be attending Duke University as a sophomore and playing basketball. You can quote that."

and consider closing this thread.

[Bsim412]

If this happens Duke needs to go after Lance Stephenson

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Let's consider Mr. Williams' statement

"As of right now, to my knowledge, Elliot will be attending Duke University as a sophomore and playing basketball. You can quote that."

and consider closing this thread.

I agree with you, roywhite. Elliot's dad made a pretty clear statement. Bad karma to keep focusing on a possibility which seems to have no basis in fact.

[Azdukefan]

I read this thread and thought I was going to cry. If Elliot were to leave, this might be one of the biggest blows to the program in years. We are so thin in the backcourt as it is. With the roster we have, I believe in a FF run (potentially). Without Elliot, consider us a team in the middle of the pack in our own conference. I hope all things work out with him staying at Duke and Elliott not getting sucked into the Memphis NCAA issues.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I truly believe IF he were to leave it would not be due to any dissastifaction on his part. He ended the year as a freshmen starter, which itself is a great accomplishment at Duke. With the guard situation as it is, he most likely will be starting next year as well. To transfer to a seriously troubled program with little prospect for an extended run into the post-season (regardless of NCAA sanctions) would only make sense if it were because of a family crisis. Hopefully his family's situation and health has a positive outcome. I'm sure his Duke family is being as supportive as they can be.

[Kewlswim]

Nobody is beholden to Duke with a ball and chain. If a kid needs to transfer because there is an illness in the family then lets show a little sympathy and style and wish the young man good luck.

Then again, I don't think it would be a horrible idea to have a sick family member go to Duke hospital for treatment. :D

The student-athlete could then feel at ease knowing the relative was nearby and in good hands.

GO DUKE!

[DDB4208]

If this happens Duke needs to go after Lance Stephenson

You're joking right?

[geraldsneighbor]

I have a better shot at playing Guard in 2009-2010 than Lance Stephensen.

[geraldsneighbor]

By the way, I think EW's dad was pretty definitive when he said "You can quote that."

[Jumbo]

After discussing the situation, we've decided to re-open this thread.

Rumor-mongering is a fine line. As a general rule, we do't allow it on the boards. That said, this is a story that was reported in the mainstream media and includes a quote from Elliot Williams' father. Forbidding you all from discussing it would be a mistake.

We ask, though, that you try to control yourselves. (For most of you, that's not a problem at all.) This is still, in essence, a rumor. There's no reason to jump to conclusions, to start building lineups without him, to start suggesting bringing in a recruit based on panic, etc. And if the situation involves the health of a member of Elliot's, then I think people should be even more respectful than usual in not speculating about things none of us now. Everyone cool with that?

[Indoor66]

After discussing the situation, we've decided to re-open this thread.

Rumor-mongering is a fine line. As a general rule, we do't allow it on the boards. That said, this is a story that was reported in the mainstream media and includes a quote from Elliot Williams' father. Forbidding you all from discussing it would be a mistake.

We ask, though, that you try to control yourselves. (For most of you, that's not a problem at all.) This is still, in essence, a rumor. There's no reason to jump to conclusions, to start building lineups without him, to start suggesting bringing in a recruit based on panic, etc. And if the situation involves the health of a member of Elliot's, then I think people should be even more respectful than usual in not speculating about things none of us now. Everyone cool with that?

I, for one, felt the closure was appropriate. Eliot's father responded to the rumor. Enough said until there is some additional information. Anything else on this subject, before more facutal information, is pure rumor or speculation on rumors.

[blueprofessor]

"As of right now, to my knowledge, Elliot will be attending Duke University as a sophomore and playing basketball. You can quote that."
Translation:"Tomorrow is another day. I may know more tomorrow or later to say that Elliot won't be attending Duke."

Unambiguous expression :" Elliot will certainly be attending Duke as a sophomore and he is looking forward to playing for the Blue Devils."

I am assuming that Coach K will not let business commitments prevent him from maintaining close and frequent contact with Elliot and his family.

Best-- Blue Prof:)

[Oriole Way]

I, for one, felt the closure was appropriate. Eliot's father responded to the rumor. Enough said until there is some additional information. Anything else on this subject, before more facutal information, is pure rumor or speculation on rumors.

Why would a baseless rumor be addressed in the media?

This is an important member of Duke's basketball team. For someone in the media to take the rumour seriously enough to address it and write about it, then there's something substantive for Duke fans to discuss.

I think speculation is an inherent part of all sports message boards. I believe discouraging speculation, even on largely unknown matters, is unreasonable and against the spirit of this board.

Furthermore, when it comes to recruiting, transfers, and early entry to the NBA, quotes or statements from family members are very rarely accurate, and/or they are subject to change quickly. Even so, I don't think there's anything wrong with continuing to discuss the rumors. Quite frankly, I'm a little worried that a rumor like this has popped up again, and that Elliot's dad was even asked the question by a writer. I certainly would prefer the option of discussing it, or reading the discussion of my fellow Duke fans regarding this issue.

[CameronBornAndBred]

After discussing the situation, we've decided to re-open this thread.

That is incredibly classy. Good move.
As far as the the story itself, we can only see how it plays out. As I stated earlier, I can't imagine any transfer on Elliot's part would be because of dissatisfaction. My guess is there is something to this story that we are not aware of, and being of a personal nature that is fine with me. Best wishes to his family. Once again to the mods, good move.

[Jumbo]

I believe discouraging speculation, even on largely unknown matters, is unreasonable and against the spirit of this board.

Whether you -- or I, for that matter -- believe that discouraging speculation is a bad thing is irrelevant. The owners of this site believe that rumor-mongering is a bad thing. Therefore, discouraging speculation is not "against the spirit of this board" it is precisely in the spirit of this board. Please try to remember that, especially when said speculation is baseless. In this case, speculation comes from an article from a legit source. But even now, we don't have to run off drawing major conclusions. We can just take the news for what it is.

[Oriole Way]

Whether you -- or I, for that matter -- believe that discouraging speculation is a bad thing is irrelevant. The owners of this site believe that rumor-mongering is a bad thing. Therefore, discouraging speculation is not "against the spirit of this board" it is precisely in the spirit of this board. Please try to remember that, especially when said speculation is baseless. In this case, speculation comes from an article from a legit source. But even now, we don't have to run off drawing major conclusions. We can just take the news for what it is.

I understand the board's position on rumor-mongering. I was referring to speculation based on rumors which are addressed in the media. It's verifiable, so it is fair game for speculation. If you read my entire post, hopefully you will see that is what I was referring to.

This is somewhat similar to debating whether Brett Favre would be coming back to the NFL any one of the past several years. You can speculate based on media reports which were ambiguous and imprecise. But I agree that speculation based on a rumor that - say a poster comes on here and says "Hey, a friend of my uncle's is Player X's doctor, and he says Player X is transferring" - then I agree that speculation on unverifiable rumors is to be discouraged.

Long story short, you either took my sentence out of context, or I should have done a better job of explaining my position.

[6th Man]

If Elliot does have a terminally ill relative, my best wishes and prayers go to him and his family. It is easy for me to forget sometimes that these players we watch are simply kids. From all accounts, Elliot seems to be a great kid. A terminally ill family member is a tough thing no matter how old you are. Best wishes to Elliot and his family!

[Tappan Zee Devil]

Why would a baseless rumor be addressed in the media?


Because they need an article to submit. It may or may not be related to reality.

[Oriole Way]

Because they need an article to submit. It may or may not be related to reality.

You're suggesting that they're practicing dishonest journalism. I don't think that's the case, so I think we should be able to talk about it.

[Kewlswim]

Hi,

As of today he is a Duke student. Tomorrow EWill could be too distraught about his sick relative that he needs to leave school. Even if EWill's Dad said that his son was coming back "for sure," there could be extenuating circumstances. Are any of us locked into what we are doing no matter what? His Dad is saying that as far as he knows as things stand now, EWill will be at Duke. I know that some people would like him to write that in blood, but even then both he and EWill have the right to change their minds if something comes up. I said it in another post, nobody has or should have a ball and chain. Leaving is always an option. There are consequences for doing so, but this is not Communist Russia. Thank goodness for that.

I hope it all works out for EWill and his family.

GO DUKE!

[Lulu]

In response to the above post, what I wish EWill's dad could, or would, have said is something to the effect: "What nonsense! There are no sick family members and there's been no such consideration of a transfer whatsoever. Someone's just been having fun with you."

But where did this rumor of a family member with cancer (terminal or not) come from? Has this been established as fact regardless or whether he's considering transferring? The original article only mentioned that there might be circumstances that would allow him to leave without penalty, and while it's hard for me to even think of another reason, I've no doubt they exist.

Is it possible to confirm that there is definitely a specific situation surrounding Elliot or his family that is the basis of the article and could lead to him transferring? Or is it still possible that everything about this story has just been fabricated? I wouldn't even want to know if the family was attempting to remain private about the matter, but if it's accepted knowledge that's been made public I'm just looking for a confirmation from others here who are in the know.

As much as I hope all is well for EWill it's very possible that there's something to this rumor. Best wishes to Elliot if that's the case.

[Scorp4me]

Every summer it's the same thing, this year it's Elliot Williams I see the opposing fans are trying to run out of town. Someone suggested he's afraid of the competition from Curry. 3 returning guards and a freshman starter if afraid of competition from someone who won't even be eligible to play next year. Someone in the family is ill someone says, not that we've heard of that. If it is it'll be very sad, but basing it on a "reply comment" doesn't give me a that warm fuzzy feeling inside that says it's correct.

And I love the last reply in that article from tarheelboy about Paulus. Spend 4 years talking about what a terrible player he is and then the rest of eternity talking about how badly he was treated for not starting. Typical.

[UrinalCake]

I agree that it seems like every year there are rumors circulating about a player transfering, which prove to be unfounded. Nate James, Taymon Domzalski, and Marty Pocius come to mind. But at the same time, Mike Chapell and Taylor King started out as just being rumors too, and those ended up being true. So anything is possible but right now we really need to just wait and see, rather than continuing to stir the pot.

[Devilsfan]

Let's hope everything turns out ok for Elliott's family. I hope he returns. He handled waiting to get playing time with class and then made the most of it when finally given a chance. He seems like a great representative of Duke University.

[cameroncrazy3104]

I am from Memphis and I go to the high school that Elliot graduated from.

This is what I know, I don't know if it is true so dont quote me on anything.

We all know Elliot's has a sick relative (I can't be more specific) and there has been rumors that he is concidering transfering to Memphis to be close to his family. However, I have been told that our high school coach has talked to Elliot about the situation, and Email said "Why would I do that?" in response to a possible transfer.

Once again don't quote me on this because I am not positive about this. However, my source is pretty trustworthy.

[mgtr]

EWill -- You are the new HENDO, we need you desperately, don't go away.

[stickdog]

If your relative is sick, Duke has great medical care resources.

If you want a future career in the NBA, Duke also has excellent resources, especially if you are a talented guard in search of as much PT as you can handle.

"Why would I do that?" indeed.

[jv001]

There are just some things more important in life than sports. Even Duke sports. Someone in Elliiot's family has a serious heath problem and they need our prayers. Much more than they need our concern whether Elliot will be at Duke University next year. While it's a concern for most of us, it's not the number one priorty right now. I for one will be praying for that family member and for the rest of the Williams family as well.

[MB in MD]

If Elliot does have a terminally ill relative, my best wishes and prayers go to him and his family. It is easy for me to forget sometimes that these players we watch are simply kids. From all accounts, Elliot seems to be a great kid. A terminally ill family member is a tough thing no matter how old you are. Best wishes to Elliot and his family!

This is by far the best post in this entire thread

[Lulu]

I hate to post about this again, but I'm quite confused. Do we know that Elliot has a sick relative, or is it possible that is just a rumor, too? Everyone here is acting like it's a fact that someone is sick, but I never saw anything definitive in that regard and thus my confusion as to why it seems to be an assumed fact. ???

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I hate to post about this again, but I'm quite confused. Do we know that Elliot has a sick relative, or is it possible that is just a rumor, too? Everyone here is acting like it's a fact that someone is sick, but I never saw anything definitive in that regard and thus my confusion as to why it seems to be an assumed fact. ???
You have raised perhaps the most important question of all as relates to the premise for this thread. The link provided in the original post doesn't mention a family member's illness except in readers' comments.