Anyone else concerned with Dawkins' lack of playing time

[jimrowe0]

Big duke balls said it best

"What am I missing? The last time I checked, he was still hitting 47% of his shots, including over 45% of his three pointers. He is also a 87% shooter from the free throw line? Why is Coach K not playing our only backup guard?"

We are going to need Dawkins to being playing well down the stretch of our schedule to have a chance at going deep in the NCAA tourne.

Just trying to get some other opinions...

[uncwdevil]

My guess is that he hasn't been sharp in practice recently, which is completely understandable.

On top of the normal adjustment to college life for a freshman, he's lost his sister, missed his first final exams of his college career and has probably had to make up those exams over the past week.

I love watching him play so I hope he gets it together soon.

[airowe]

I want you guys who are worried about Dre's PT to look at something real quick:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/...?playerId=46255

3 games out of 14 he's gotten under 17 minutes. He's gonna play. This kid is good and K knows it.

He also couldn't take his exams before the break and more than likely spent a large portion of his holiday break NOT concerned with school. I'm sure Kenny King and the rest of his advisers have given him ample time to recover from the tragedy he just suffered and he is probably in the midst of exams. Quite possibly, he didn't practice much at all before the Clemson game and was not prepared whatsoever for the press he was to face. That game didn't really feel comfortable to me at all until Andre went in.

Tonight's game was a showcase for Jon Scheyer, and it seemed like many, many plays were run for him(iso's), etc. Dawkins will get his time to shine. He'll play. Our perimeter guys HAVE to play because we're so thin at that position. We're going to see a lot of Nolan, Jon, and Kyle all year long so if it bothers you, you're in for a long season. Andre will play not much more or less than many other highly regarded freshman out there. He's averaging 18 mpg. Any more and a lot of people would be saying he's playing too many.

[JasonEvans]

To answer the question leading this thread... NO.

Fretting about how many minutes K is giving to the bench... where have I (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18707) heard that before (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18498)?

--Jason "sigh" Evans

[DUKIECB]

I want you guys who are worried about Dre's PT to look at something real quick:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/...?playerId=46255

3 games out of 14 he's gotten under 17 minutes. He's gonna play. This kid is good and K knows it.

He also couldn't take his exams before the break and more than likely spent a large portion of his holiday break NOT concerned with school. I'm sure Kenny King and the rest of his advisers have given him ample time to recover from the tragedy he just suffered and he is probably in the midst of exams. Quite possibly, he didn't practice much at all before the Clemson game and was not prepared whatsoever for the press he was to face. That game didn't really feel comfortable to me at all until Andre went in.

Tonight's game was a showcase for Jon Scheyer, and it seemed like many, many plays were run for him(iso's), etc. Dawkins will get his time to shine. He'll play. Our perimeter guys HAVE to play because we're so thin at that position. We're going to see a lot of Nolan, Jon, and Kyle all year long so if it bothers you, you're in for a long season. Andre will play not much more or less than many other highly regarded freshman out there. He's averaging 18 mpg. Any more and a lot of people would be saying he's playing too many.

I hope your right in that Dre's minutes will soon return now that he has his exams behind him. I'm not one that think he should still be playing 20 minutes a game during conference play, but 10-12 minutes a game giving guys a rest and maybe getting a couple of buckets would really help.

[CDu]

Well, it's certainly something to keep an eye on, but I don't think it's a cause for alarm yet. Now, if the trend continues well into the ACC season, there might be cause for concern. But I suspect that, within the next few games, we'll see Dawkins get back into the 15-20 minutes per game range.

[Troublemaker]

Agreed. I would be worried if he continues to only get 5 or 6 minutes a game. Let's see what happens.

[airowe]

I hope your right in that Dre's minutes will soon return now that he has his exams behind him. I'm not one that think he should still be playing 20 minutes a game during conference play, but 10-12 minutes a game giving guys a rest and maybe getting a couple of buckets would really help.

There's really no reason to think I'm wrong. All three of the games in which Andre played less than 17 mpg (more than you suggest he should get) have come after the death of his sister and during the period in which he would be making up for lost time.

[jimrowe0]

I agree that I think hopefully this is a short term occurrence, but he and mason (to me) are going to need to become consistent contributors as the season progresses. K has been known to limit freshman's minutes as the ACC schedule starts...

[BlueintheFace]

You guys crowing about Dre's minutes are ridiculous and disturbingly unobservant. Dre has played significant minutes ALL SEASON and K literally can't take away his minutes since we only have 4 TOTAL scholarship guards.

Please Please Please people... think about it.

[oldnavy]

Not at all.

The kid has been through a tremendous amount of turmoil over the past month. K is a master at reading people and understanding when to push and when to not. I suspect more than anything, K understands that the kid has enough pressure on him and is working him back in as he processes what has happened to him. Remember, he is basically a high schooler still!

Think of it this way, if he is getting prime minutes and is not performing at the level he was earlier, it could very well impact him psychologically and do damage. By letting him know that there is no pressure and that the team will do well without him will let him relax and ease back into the rotation. Of course this is just my opinion, I have no inside knowledge, except I do know that K is one of the best at reading his players and putting them in positions to succeed. Unlike our friend down the road, K will not throw Dre under the bus! (Sorry, I had said something nice about Roy in another post, and I had to get that taste out of my mouth)!:)

[91_92_01_10_15]

I agree that I think hopefully this is a short term occurrence, but he and mason (to me) are going to need to become consistent contributors as the season progresses. K has been known to limit freshman's minutes as the ACC schedule starts...

I, for one, trust Coach K to manage his player's minutes. I believe that, if Coach decides not to play Andre for as many minutes as some of you would like, that there is a good reason, and it is likely in the best interest of the team. Just because we are not privy to all the reasons why Coach K makes his decisions, does not mean that those reasons don't exist.

[airowe]

You guys crowing about Dre's minutes are ridiculous and disturbingly unobservant. Dre has played significant minutes ALL SEASON and K literally can't take away his minutes since we only have 4 TOTAL scholarship guards.

Please Please Please people... think about it.

All 3 of the games in which Andre has played under 17 mpg have been since his sister's death and during the Holiday/makeup exam period. He's still averaging right at 18 mpg. Not too shabby for a Freshman playing behind our 3 best players. Show me another Freshman in the country playing behind 3 first or second team All-Conference players who is averaging more minutes than Andre.

[Tim1515]

I've also heard he's been sick the past week

[jhole]

Not at all.

The kid has been through a tremendous amount of turmoil over the past month. K is a master at reading people and understanding when to push and when to not. I suspect more than anything, K understands that the kid has enough pressure on him and is working him back in as he processes what has happened to him. Remember, he is basically a high schooler still!

Think of it this way, if he is getting prime minutes and is not performing at the level he was earlier, it could very well impact him psychologically and do damage. By letting him know that there is no pressure and that the team will do well without him will let him relax and ease back into the rotation. Of course this is just my opinion, I have no inside knowledge, except I do know that K is one of the best at reading his players and putting them in positions to succeed. Unlike our friend down the road, K will not throw Dre under the bus! (Sorry, I had said something nice about Roy in another post, and I had to get that taste out of my mouth)!:)
My sentiments exactly. Dre hasn't seemed as sharp as of late and I believe Coach K is protecting him and allowing him to continue to develop at his own pace and absorb all that has happened. That said, the way Jon and Nolan are playing, the minutes are going to be fewer than earlier in the season, but I'm sure K will work him back in as game situations allow.

[riverside6]

On the topic of freshman, Andre Dawkins was ranked #5 by John Gasaway among his Top 25 Freshmen in the nation (http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=850).

Only 2 other ACC players made it, Derrick Favors (#7) and Miami's Reggie Johnson (#21).

Dawkins will be fine, and Duke will absolutely need him during conference play.

[diveonthefloor]

I would assume that he had to study for and then take finals within the past two weeks (while the team probably had a full practice schedule). I wouldn't be surprised if K excused him from some practices during all this as well, to make sure he successfully completes his finals.
You have to admire what this kid has been through. This entire last 8 months for him has been quite a chore.
He seems to have the strength of character to get it done.
No doubt in a few weeks with the stress of finals gone and a little bit more time to heal from the tragedy, he will be back to where K wants him to be.

[Devilsfan]

He and Scheyer are my favorite players on this years team. I would hope to see him more on the court this year.

[airowe]

He and Scheyer are my favorite players on this years team. I would hope to see him more on the court this year.

He's playing almost 18 mpg even with 3 out of the last 4 under 10.

Reports are starting to surface he's been under the weather the last week or so as well. This ties in with his lack of PT over that time and makes perfect sense. No doubt he's been going through a whole lot mentally lately, which always has an effect on my physical health.

[jimrowe0]

I, for one, trust Coach K to manage his player's minutes. I believe that, if Coach decides not to play Andre for as many minutes as some of you would like, that there is a good reason, and it is likely in the best interest of the team. Just because we are not privy to all the reasons why Coach K makes his decisions, does not mean that those reasons don't exist.

Very good point

[MChambers]

You guys crowing about Dre's minutes are ridiculous and disturbingly unobservant. Dre has played significant minutes ALL SEASON and K literally can't take away his minutes since we only have 4 TOTAL scholarship guards.

Please Please Please people... think about it.

Who's the fourth guard? We've got a fourth guard? Do you mean Singler? He's not a guard in my book. Great, versatile player, but not a guard.

[CDu]

Who's the fourth guard? We've got a fourth guard? Do you mean Singler? He's not a guard in my book. Great, versatile player, but not a guard.

The fourth scholarship guard is walk-on Jordan Davidson, who got a scholarship this year. At least that's the way I read it. Four total scholarship guards, with three who actually play. If the implication was that Singler is a guard, then I agree with you.

[NSDukeFan]

No doubt he's been going through a whole lot mentally lately, which always has an effect on my physical health.

Now that's empathy. ;)

[Greg_Newton]

You guys crowing about Dre's minutes are ridiculous and disturbingly unobservant. Dre has played significant minutes ALL SEASON and K literally can't take away his minutes since we only have 4 TOTAL scholarship guards.

Please Please Please people... think about it.

Take it easy, man. You don't know any better than anyone else. And in fairness, it would actually be entirely possible for K to play Jon and Nolan 37-38 mins per game and cut Andre down to 5. Furthermore, Elliot Williams' minutes log from last season follows almost the exact same pattern (14mpg coming into ACC play, 4.2mpg in the next 5 games).

For the record, I have complete confidence that this is related to a combination of personal factors for Andre (exams, physical and mental health, etc.) and not a big deal at all. I just have a problem with putdowns like that when you really don't know either way.

[CDu]

You guys crowing about Dre's minutes are ridiculous and disturbingly unobservant. Dre has played significant minutes ALL SEASON and K literally can't take away his minutes since we only have 4 TOTAL scholarship guards.

Please Please Please people... think about it.

While I agree that it's way too early to be concerned about Dawkins's minutes, I think you're going too far here. You fail to discuss the actual reason for the thread - that Dawkins has played less than 10 minutes in three of the last four games, with the only other game in that span being a 50-point blowout. So your second sentence is actually false: Dawkins has played significant minutes in all but three games, with those three games coming very recently.

Further, the second part of your second sentence (the statement that Coach K can't take away Dawkins's minutes) is also incorrect. He very much could decide to just keep playing Scheyer, Smith, and Singler for 38 minutes per game and leave Dawkins at 5-6 minutes per game. I highly doubt Coach K will actually do that, but aside from fouls or injury (let's hope not) there's no reason he couldn't do that.

Now, I think you are correct that perhaps people are overlooking an important reason as to why he's seen the drop in minutes. Given the fact that he's probably dealing with exams, and given that it's the beginning of ACC play, there are a number of reasons why the drop in minutes may be only temporary. But it's not "disturbingly unobservant" to not pick up on that.

[airowe]

Now that's empathy. ;)

He's the Tomax to my Xamot.

http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/gijoe2.jpg

[Wander]

Well, it's certainly something to keep an eye on, but I don't think it's a cause for alarm yet. Now, if the trend continues well into the ACC season, there might be cause for concern. But I suspect that, within the next few games, we'll see Dawkins get back into the 15-20 minutes per game range.

I think this is exactly right. Andre is a really good player and in my opinion, it would be unbelievably stupid for him to average only ~5 minutes against ACC teams. But I assume that won't be the case and am not concerned right now.

[Lord Ash]

He's the Tomax to my Xamot.

http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/gijoe2.jpg


Wow... holy cow, I am SO impressed. Seriously. What a reference.

Realistically, the lack of time against Clemson isn't so crazy... Andre is not the best ball handler yet, and against their full court pressure, that could have been a bit much.

Against Iowa State I would have liked to see him play a bit more... let's see what happens in upcoming games!

[BlueintheFace]

Who's the fourth guard? We've got a fourth guard? Do you mean Singler? He's not a guard in my book. Great, versatile player, but not a guard.

Did you really not understand what I was saying or is this a post count comment?

[BlueintheFace]

Look, I'm with anybody who wants to talk about Elliot's minutes last year... I am. And, I'm not one of those who thinks Coach K is infallible and must be defended on all things.

However, saying you are concerned that Dawkins' minutes are going to disappear is equivalent to saying you are concerned K is an absolute idiot.

Duke has 4 scholarship players capable of contributing on the perimeter for essentially three positions. Only an absolute idiot would play 3 of those 4 players for 40 minutes all season if possible (anybody disagree?). So, only an idiot would leave Dawkins on the bench as much as possible. Coach K has his weaknesses, but he is not an absolute idiot.

Andre played significant minutes against Arizona St., Uconn, Wisconsin, and Gonzaga. He averages 18 mpg on the season. Andre Dawkins WILL play significant minutes throughout the season. K has shown that he will play him in big games, and furthermore, K is not an absolute idiot.

Sidenote: Who wants to name for me the number of seasons in which K played, pretty much exclusively, three players for the three guard positions? Anybody?

I'm sorry if I am coming off as unusually irritated, but this is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. K WILL NOT play only Jon, Nolan, and Kyle on the perimeter all season long. If somebody wants to make a sig bet that Dawkins averages less than 15 mpg on the season, I will take it right now.

[MChambers]

Did you really not understand what I was saying or is this a post count comment?

I guess I did come off as harsh. Sorry about that.

What I meant was that I think Duke has only three recruited guards, Scheyer, Smith, and Dawkins. I wasn't thinking of Davidson as a scholarship guard. (I am now corrected on this point.)

So I was hoping to reinforce your point that Dawkins will play plenty the rest of the year, once he gets past this current rough patch.

[Matches]

I'm sorry if I am coming off as unusually irritated, but this is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. K WILL NOT play only Jon, Nolan, and Kyle on the perimeter all season long. If somebody wants to make a sig bet that Dawkins averages less than 15 mpg on the season, I will take it right now.

I would take that bet, with the caveat that things obviously will change if one of the three S's gets hurt and misses time with an injury. Otherwise, I expect Dawkins to be a fair bit below 15 mpg by the end of the year. Given that he's around 18 now, I'd ballpark it at closer to 13 mpg by season's end.

[jv001]

I've got to agree with the poster that said Coach K is not an idiot. He knows what kind of weapon he has ready to come off the bench. Those comparing this to E-Will last year are incorrect. E-Will is not the shooter Andre is. We don't know what's happening in this young mans life. So there is no reason to panic. We're 13-1 with a win over a good conference foe. Go Duke!

[CDu]

Look, I'm with anybody who wants to talk about Elliot's minutes last year... I am. And, I'm not one of those who thinks Coach K is infallible and must be defended on all things.

However, saying you are concerned that Dawkins' minutes are going to disappear is equivalent to saying you are concerned K is an absolute idiot.

Duke has 4 scholarship players capable of contributing on the perimeter for essentially three positions. Only an absolute idiot would play 3 of those 4 players for 40 minutes all season if possible (anybody disagree?). So, only an idiot would leave Dawkins on the bench as much as possible. Coach K has his weaknesses, but he is not an absolute idiot.

Andre played significant minutes against Arizona St., Uconn, Wisconsin, and Gonzaga. He averages 18 mpg on the season. Andre Dawkins WILL play significant minutes throughout the season. K has shown that he will play him in big games, and furthermore, K is not an absolute idiot.

Sidenote: Who wants to name for me the number of seasons in which K played, pretty much exclusively, three players for the three guard positions? Anybody?

I'm sorry if I am coming off as unusually irritated, but this is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. K WILL NOT play only Jon, Nolan, and Kyle on the perimeter all season long. If somebody wants to make a sig bet that Dawkins averages less than 15 mpg on the season, I will take it right now.

I agree with you that Dawkins's minutes will increase again. But Coach K has essentially gone with only three perimeter players for three of the past four games. Are you calling him an idiot for doing so? (that's a rhetorical question of course)

If the playing time reductions are temporary for the reasons we both suspect, then obviously it is/was justifiable. But I don't see the need to bash folks for noticing a recent lack of playing time for Dawkins. Their reaction is premature and will likely wind up moot (assuming Dawkins gets his minutes back), but it's not stupid and it's not disturbingly unobservant.

Further, your reference to the fact that Coach K has never played only three perimeter players is moot. We've never had a situation in which we had only three capable perimeter players. We know that Coach K will only play guys whom he feels are ready to contribute. Well, if he were to decide that Dawkins isn't currently ready to contribute against ACC comp, he wouldn't play him.

Now, again, I don't think this recent drastic drop in playing time is evidence that Coach K thinks Dawkins won't be ready for ACC play. But if it were the case, then there is a clear scenario in which Coach K could go with our "big three" for 38+ minutes per game and not be a complete idiot.

I hate being in this position, because I agree with you that Dawkins will almost certainly see his minutes go back up soon. But I think you're being overly dismissive and insulting to those that disagree. They may be wrong, but it's not as absurd a discussion as you're implying.

[BlueintheFace]

I guess I did come off as harsh. Sorry about that.

What I meant was that I think Duke has only three recruited guards, Scheyer, Smith, and Dawkins. I wasn't thinking of Davidson as a scholarship guard. (I am now corrected on this point.)

So I was hoping to reinforce your point that Dawkins will play plenty the rest of the year, once he gets past this current rough patch.

No problem. We are on the same page

[BlueintheFace]

I would take that bet, with the caveat that things obviously will change if one of the three S's gets hurt and misses time with an injury. Otherwise, I expect Dawkins to be a fair bit below 15 mpg by the end of the year. Given that he's around 18 now, I'd ballpark it at closer to 13 mpg by season's end.

Okay, lets make it a signature for one month starting at the conclusion of the last game. I accept your caveat. Agreed?

[Matches]

Okay, lets make it a signature for one month starting at the conclusion of the last game. I accept your caveat. Agreed?

Done. {shakes hands}

[Greg_Newton]

Duke has 4 scholarship players capable of contributing on the perimeter for essentially three positions. Only an absolute idiot would play 3 of those 4 players for 40 minutes all season if possible (anybody disagree?). So, only an idiot would leave Dawkins on the bench as much as possible. Coach K has his weaknesses, but he is not an absolute idiot.

Problem is, it's not that simple. Lance and Kelly can both spell Singler at the 3 briefly, as they did last night. Plus, it's clear that K doesn't mind playing Nolan and Jon 37-38 mins/game, so 5 mpg for Andre is actually very possible, logistic-wise. I think the italicized portion above is an extreme oversimplication... I'm not even sure what "only an idiot would leave Dawkins on the bench as much as possible" really means.

I'm with CDu... I actually agree with your opinion of the situation, but have issue with you presenting it as an obvious fact.

[xblade]

Andre is 5-19 with 1 assist and zero steals over the last 5 games. If he keeps playing like that, I have no doubt his minutes will stay cut. All he brings to the table at this point is 3 point shooting, and at 3-15 over that span, he can't even do that.

[Dukeface88]

Andre is 5-19 with 1 assist and zero steals over the last 5 games. If he keeps playing like that, I have no doubt his minutes will stay cut. All he brings to the table at this point is 3 point shooting, and at 3-15 over that span, he can't even do that.

Of course, you intentionally exclude the Gardner game, where he played quite well, the fact that his low FG production was partly the result of being fouled, resulting in a repectable 11-13 on FTs, and that his per 40 stats weren't bad (16 points, 4 boards and only 1.5 TOs).

[Wildcat]

I just hope he develops beyond being a three-point shooter. I hope he doesn't get recruited over and lost in the shuffle. He did forfeit his senior year to play for this years team. The kid is also probably going through alot of emotional turmoil and stress at this time as well. If you are a spiritual person; I would encourage you to pray for him during these times right now in his young life. He needs as much support as he can get; I'm sure those were the sentiments of Oliver Purnell the other night after the game.

[JasonEvans]

I, for one, trust Coach K to manage his player's minutes. I believe that, if Coach decides not to play Andre for as many minutes as some of you would like, that there is a good reason, and it is likely in the best interest of the team. Just because we are not privy to all the reasons why Coach K makes his decisions, does not mean that those reasons don't exist.

Are you implying that K knows how to coach this team better than we do!??!

How dare you!!!

-Jason "fretting about minutes is one of this board's favorite meaningless pasttimes" Evans

[COYS]

I hope he doesn't get recruited over and lost in the shuffle.

I don't think this is a concern, at all. Andre had the potential to emerge as a top 10 recruit for 2010. In fact, ESPN had him checked in at number 10 before he became part of the class of 2009. He is an ELITE shooter with few peers. He's got explosive hops, too, and as his ball handling skills improve, he will be able to attack the basket more effectively and become an even better scorer. Yes, Curry is also an excellent shooter, but there's plenty of room in the backcourt for both of them. Next year we'll see Nolan, Andre, Kyrie, and Curry at the guard spots with Thornton there, as well. The year after (assuming no early entrants), We'll lose Nolan from the guard rotation and replace him with a freshman (Austin Rivers?), which, again, will leave plenty of room for Andre. Plus, he'll be getting better and better this whole time. I just don't see any scenario in which Andre is recruited "over."

[gep]

I think we should cut Andre and the coaching staff some slack for now... Andre went through a tremendous emotional period that most of us cannot really fathom. Accelerated HS graduation, last minute addition to a college BB team, loss of a sister, major injury to his mom, Christmas holidays with obviously one less family member, late/deferred freshman *first* semester finals... if I recall, we didn't even know if Andre would be back for this season. I truly believe Coach K and the staff are intimately involved with Andre and his situation, and are bring him along as best as circumstances allow. Just because he came back a week or so after the tragedy doesn't mean that everything is OK. I trust that he'll be fine.:)

[Lord Ash]

Are you implying that K knows how to coach this team better than we do!??!

How dare you!!!

-Jason "fretting about minutes is one of this board's favorite meaningless pasttimes" Evans

Now now... I would hardly say meaningless. Players want to play, and many players who are not playing have been known to transfer (not specifically at Duke, but overall) and we've had players transfer in the past who have mentioned wanting to play as at least part of the reason... then, when you put on top of that the idea that Duke fans have been dealing with recently (perpetuated by the national media and other fan bases) about huge minutes for starters contributing to failing legs in March...

I am not saying this will in any way, shape, or form be the case for Dre, but playing time for a bench player is certainly an issue about which it is understandable that the Duke fan base is thinking about.

[DeBlueDevil]

Hello Everyone,

First time poster, Long time reader, and HUGE Duke fan here. I've been reading a lot of your posts on this situation and figured I'd give my input. I agree with some of the others who say just let this situation play out. I think the big year for Dre will be next year. As much as we need him this year, (and I do think he can still contribute a great bit) I believe that he still has a lot of developing to do. He came early because he thought he could help but before he found out Elliot was transferring he was headed for an extra year of HS ball for more development. So he's a work in progress. Not to mention his family matters that just took place. Which is why I think K is handling this situation as such.

I think this team is playing great right now, so lets focus on what things we are doing great right now continue to do them, continue to win and if Dre can turn what has been a productive season from him so far into a GREAT season then that's a bonus. But give Dre and K a little time

[BlueDevilCorvette!]

You know losing a love one can have lingering effects for an uncertain duration. Anyone who has lost a loved one knows that long after the homegoing services things can just hit you, your mind can wander or you may shut down alltogether. Dealing with emotional issues, particularly ones in which a love one is lost, can/will affect your performance on the job, socially and/ or athletically. Dawkins is a very young man and he is dealing with a combination of things. I think the key for Dawkins is for him to know that he has the support of his teammates, coaches and fans. Certain things can hit you fast particularly when you are trying to be strong in the "public eye". The time a person needs the most support is after the fact, long after everybody is gone, and you are alone perhaps a month or so after the event...that's when support is needed the most.

[Wildcat]

I'm just glad we recognize the humanity of these 17,18,19 and 20 year old young men. Good to know the board has a heart!

[jv001]

If you are a spiritual person; I would encourage you to pray for him during these times right now in his young life. He needs as much support as he can get; I'm sure those were the sentiments of Oliver Purnell the other night after the game.

Wildcat, I thought the same thing when Coach Purnell spoke to him. And yes we should pray for him. All of us need prayer. Go Duke!