Dawkins Redshirting according to Coach K

[geraldsneighbor]

Just tweeted by the Chronicle. Wish Dre nothing but the best.

[OldPhiKap]

Prayers for Andre and his family.

[matts83]

Wish him the best and can't wait to see him next year.

[Indoor66]

Prayers for Andre. My wish is for him to find a peace that, maybe, has eluded him in the face of tragedy.

[UrinalCake]

Coach K confirmed this during his summer press conference that just concluded about 30 minutes ago. Will look for a link. Haid that Andre needs some time to step away from the game, and didn't want to give any more details than that.

[Indoor66]

Coach K confirmed this during his summer press conference that just concluded about 30 minutes ago. Will look for a link. Haid that Andre needs some time to step away from the game, and didn't want to give any more details than that.

Why not give more details? Are K's press conferences now premium content, not to be revealed?

[watzone]

He is on schedule to graduate this season.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Coach K confirmed this during his summer press conference that just concluded about 30 minutes ago. Will look for a link. Haid that Andre needs some time to step away from the game, and didn't want to give any more details than that.

Will he be practicing and traveling with the team or literally stepping away with no interaction with the team whatsoever? Just curious what the redshift literally means for him. Either way, glad he is doing what he needs to do for himself.

[UrinalCake]

Why not give more details? Are K's press conferences now premium content, not to be revealed?

No, when Coach K said that I think he meant that he wanted to respect Andre's privacy and not share information about his personal life that affected his decision.

[CDu]

Why not give more details? Are K's press conferences now premium content, not to be revealed?

I'm sure Coach K has his reasons for not giving more details. Namely respect for Dawkins' privacy in his personal life. Hard for UrinalCake to give more details if Coach K doesn't provide them.

[watzone]

Why not give more details? Are K's press conferences now premium content, not to be revealed?

It's beacsue the details are of a personal nature and somewhat liquid. We all know what Andre went through with is sister and that's all that really needs to be said. Also, there a some things you cannot talk about and the more that is said, the more people guess and do so in an uninformed manner. He's going through some things and has support from Duke during the process.

[Newton_14]

No, when Coach K said that I think he meant that he wanted to respect Andre's privacy and not share information about his personal life that affected his decision.

You are correct. Coach was brief and asked the reporters not to pry out of respect to Andre. As for practicing with the team, he said they were not sure yet.

[BD80]

He is on schedule to graduate this season.

Hmmm.

By redshirting, he can stay with the team and practice and workout at Duke for a year. He gets the time he needs.

Upon graduating, he would be able to enroll at a different university for graduate studies and become immediately eligible

Should we be successful in recruting Hood and/or Parker (Jones already committed - but probably wouldn't take time from Andre) that may be an avenue. Well thought out, it gives him plenty of options.

If we do land Hood, it may be that our two best SGs are only be practice players next year.

[Dukehky]

Hmmm.

By redshirting, he can stay with the team and practice and workout at Duke for a year. He gets the time he needs.

Upon graduating, he would be able to enroll at a different university for graduate studies and become immediately eligible

Should we be successful in recruting Hood and/or Parker (Jones already committed - but probably wouldn't take time from Andre) that may be an avenue. Well thought out, it gives him plenty of options.

If we do land Hood, it may be that our two best SGs are only be practice players next year.

I had not thought about that angle, but that is extraordinarily possible. Nice grab. This would not be a huge surprise to me. Regardless, hope he does what he needs to do to get his mind/life right in time for his last college season so hopefully he can be able to play pro ball somewhere.

[niveklaen]

Best of luck to Dre - he will always be a member of the Duke family and without him we would not have won the title in 2010

[CDu]

Hmmm.

By redshirting, he can stay with the team and practice and workout at Duke for a year. He gets the time he needs.

Upon graduating, he would be able to enroll at a different university for graduate studies and become immediately eligible

Should we be successful in recruting Hood and/or Parker (Jones already committed - but probably wouldn't take time from Andre) that may be an avenue. Well thought out, it gives him plenty of options.

If we do land Hood, it may be that our two best SGs are only be practice players next year.

I was just thinking about that at lunch (after I turned off the radio). Definitely a good plan of action: take the time to figure out what you want in life, and have all the options available after graduating (play at Duke as a redshirt senior, transfer, or go on to the real world). It's not a bad position to be in (if you can look past all that he's been through, of course).

[Indoor66]

It's beacsue the details are of a personal nature and somewhat liquid. We all know what Andre went through with is sister and that's all that really needs to be said. Also, there a some things you cannot talk about and the more that is said, the more people guess and do so in an uninformed manner. He's going through some things and has support from Duke during the process.

I fully respect the reasons for the simple statement as to Andre. My comment was addressed to the lack of detail about other issues discussed in the press conference. We now have a thread about that and I thank those who have posted there for providing information.

[gwlaw99]

So will he definitely have to transfer for his last year of eligibility?

[OldPhiKap]

So will he definitely have to transfer for his last year of eligibility?

No, he could be a grad student at Duke.

[Kedsy]

Hmmm.

By redshirting, he can stay with the team and practice and workout at Duke for a year. He gets the time he needs.

Upon graduating, he would be able to enroll at a different university for graduate studies and become immediately eligible

Should we be successful in recruting Hood and/or Parker (Jones already committed - but probably wouldn't take time from Andre) that may be an avenue. Well thought out, it gives him plenty of options.

If we do land Hood, it may be that our two best SGs are only be practice players next year.

Hmmm, indeed. I selfishly hope he eventually plays his senior season at Duke. Obviously he should do what's best for him, but he's one of my faves and I would miss not seeing him in a Duke uniform again. Plus, I think we're going to need him in 2013-14.

[CDu]

Hmmm, indeed. I selfishly hope he eventually plays his senior season at Duke. Obviously he should do what's best for him, but he's one of my faves and I would miss not seeing him in a Duke uniform again. Plus, I think we're going to need him in 2013-14.

We may need him in 2013-2014. But with Sulaimon, Jones, Murphy, and possibly one (or more) of Hood, Parker, Ojeleye, Wainright, Freeman, and Hubbs, I'm not sure "need" is the right word. We could obviously use him, but need might be a stretch.

That said, I wish him whatever is best for him. Can't imagine going through that kind of tragedy, not to mention under such a spotlight.

[DukieTiger]

We may need him in 2013-2014. But with Sulaimon, Jones, Murphy, and possibly one (or more) of Hood, Parker, Ojeleye, Wainright, Freeman, and Hubbs, I'm not sure "need" is the right word. We could obviously use him, but need might be a stretch.

That said, I wish him whatever is best for him. Can't imagine going through that kind of tragedy, not to mention under such a spotlight.

I agree that Dre would be useful in the 2013-2014 season, but it's hard to see a huge hole without him. It seems pretty likely that we will get more than one of the players CDu just listed, to go along with Sulaimon, Jones and Murph. Dre would definitely bring a lot- especially if he was able to round out his game in this year off- but if he were the same Dre from 2011-2012 then it's hard to see him having a huge role.

I certainly wish Dre the best though. Hope to see him on the court again in a Duke uni, very soon!

[rsvman]

I'll bet there is some relief in just knowing the decision has been made and finalized.

I hope the time off allows Andre to mend/get whole. Basketball isn't everything, and in this case it pales.

[ACCBBallFan]

Hmmm, indeed. I selfishly hope he eventually plays his senior season at Duke. Obviously he should do what's best for him, but he's one of my faves and I would miss not seeing him in a Duke uniform again. Plus, I think we're going to need him in 2013-14.

Very possible Dre would choose to do that and have his Senior Night with his buds Tyler Thornton and Josh Hairston, the schedule he would have been on had he not reclassified to help Duke on its guard shortage that first year, but he will have a full array of options.

[Kedsy]

We may need him in 2013-2014. But with Sulaimon, Jones, Murphy, and possibly one (or more) of Hood, Parker, Ojeleye, Wainright, Freeman, and Hubbs, I'm not sure "need" is the right word. We could obviously use him, but need might be a stretch.

The issue is experience. In 2013-14, we will have very few upperclassmen with "upperclass" game experience. The following table shows how many players we had going into the season with 1500+ minutes played at Duke and 1000+ minutes played at Duke, during the K era (starting in 1984, the first year where it was possible for a K recruit to have played that many minutes):



Year 1500+ 1000+ NCAA finish
---- ----- ----- -----------
2013 3 4 ??
2012 0 3 R64
2011 2 2 R16
2010 3 4 NC
2009 3 5 R16
2008 2 3 R32
2007 0 2 R64
2006 3 3 R16
2005 3 4 R16
2004 2 3 R4
2003 1 2 R16
2002 3 4 R16
2001 2 3 NC
2000 2 2 R16
1999 1 2 R2
1998 2 2 R8
1997 2 4 R32
1996 2 2 R64
1995 1 3 xx
1994 2 3 R2
1993 3 4 R32
1992 3 4 NC
1991 1 3 NC
1990 2 2 R2
1989 2 4 R4
1988 2 4 R4
1987 1 2 R16
1986 5 5 R2
1985 4 6 R32
1984 0 1 R32 (1st game)


Note that the years where we had zero returning 1500+ minute players were 2012, 2007, and 1984, three years in which we won a combined zero (0) NCAAT games. The years were we had one returning 1500+ minute player were 2003, 1999, 1995, 1991, and 1987, which appear to be a mixed bag. It may be worth noting that in 1991, we had three 1200+ minute players, and in 1999 we had two 1200+ minute players.

In 2012-13, even without Andre we'll have three players with 1500+ prior minutes at Duke. But in 2013-14, the only such player we'll have is Tyler (who currently has 1054 minutes), unless Andre (2015 minutes) comes back. Obviously talent matters most (witness 1991, 1999, and the 2012 Kentucky team). I'll be surprised, however, if the 2013-14 Duke team is as talented as the 1991 or 1999 teams. In that light, and with the dearth of experience we currently project, I don't think saying we'll "need" Andre is so much of a stretch. Just my opinion, of course.

[Son of Jarhead]

Best wishes to Andre. Hope to see that smile a lot more, and to see him on the court in his Duke uniform for what will undoubtedly be a great senior season. I can't wait to give him a standing ovation on his senior night.

[jmb]

I'm very happy for Dre that he's doing what he needs to do, but I have to ask--do you think Mason feels hung out to dry? He decided to come back no doubt to work on his game and improve his personal stock, but also presumably because he believed in the team and its prospects for the season. Suddenly that part of the equation seems very different.

[DukieTiger]

I'm very happy for Dre that he's doing what he needs to do, but I have to ask--do you think Mason feels hung out to dry? He decided to come back no doubt to work on his game and improve his personal stock, but also presumably because he believed in the team and its prospects for the season. Suddenly that part of the equation seems very different.

Honestly, going off of what we saw out of Dre at the end of the year this past year I question what kind of impact Dre would have had this year. He clearly needs to get better, work through some things, and improve. If he were able to do that this offseason, then yeah- he would have been a huge contributor next year but it seems pretty clear that he needs more time to get to that point. The Dre from last March would almost certainly not play a ton ahead of Seth, Sully, Murph.

[ChillinDuke]

Hmmm.

By redshirting, he can stay with the team and practice and workout at Duke for a year. He gets the time he needs.

Upon graduating, he would be able to enroll at a different university for graduate studies and become immediately eligible

Should we be successful in recruting Hood and/or Parker (Jones already committed - but probably wouldn't take time from Andre) that may be an avenue. Well thought out, it gives him plenty of options.

If we do land Hood, it may be that our two best SGs are only be practice players next year.

A little confused by the "well thought out" sentiments. Not trying to nitpick, but the phrase generally means a strategic move.

The decision by Andre (and his family) does not in any way sound like a strategic move to me.

I feel for the kid and absolutely love Andre. I wish nothing but the best for him.

- Chillin

[Dukehky]

I'm very happy for Dre that he's doing what he needs to do, but I have to ask--do you think Mason feels hung out to dry? He decided to come back no doubt to work on his game and improve his personal stock, but also presumably because he believed in the team and its prospects for the season. Suddenly that part of the equation seems very different.

No. There is no way Mason would take a decision like this personally.

[oldnavy]

To be very clear, Andre has and will be one of my favorite players. His smile makes me smile. Having said that you can go back and dig it out of the old archives, but I have been on record staying that Andre had "issues" that he needed to work through, and I for one am glad he is taking the time. Having "mentored" literally hundreds of sailors both enlisted and officer, you develop a "sense" for these things. These kids are away from home, and while not under the intense public spot light, you may be amazed at what we ask them to do and be responsible for. So I do see some similarity.

I saw Andre pout in public and rebuke coaches on the sideline.... not typical behavior or really anything I remember seeing except on a very few isolated "heat of the moment" situations from various other players. But never on the same level as with Dre.

Now for the record I never once spoke with AD, but I watched his body language as closely as any Dukie in my 40 plus years of watching. And the kid was struggling.... with what? Your guess is as good as mine, but he seemed to be an emotional roller coaster. I think it is pretty safe to say that his sister's death played a major role. And truthfully, he wouldn't be a human if it did not.

So, I for one am happy he is stepping out of the spot light (microscope) to take some time to be a kid and deal with some heavy stuff. Keep in mind he is still a year ahead of his HS class....

God Bless him, and I hope he will be in a Duke uniform again. If not, then still God Bless him!

My concern is that he gets better and learns to handle the things that are troubling him. Duke basketball will go on.

**This is NOT directed at any one person or post, but as a general note.
If you feel the need to know all the reasons he is stepping aside with what we already know, then I would suggest that you take a step back.... maybe Duke Basketball has become a bit of an unhealthy obsession in your life. Contrary to popular belief in society these days, we do not have a right to know the "whys" behind every single decision made by these kids or the staff. K says he is redshirting and that is that, he knows what is best or at least is much closer to the situation to make an educated call than anyone on this board is. If he and Dre and family have sat down and discussed this, then I support it without further question. The issue here is Dre, not Duke.

[SoCalDukeFan]

As one who fortunately has not lost a sibling I have no idea as to what Andre has gone through.

My best to him. I think that Andre, the coaches, and his family have their priorities in order.

SoCal

[BlueDevil16]

I'm very happy for Dre that he's doing what he needs to do, but I have to ask--do you think Mason feels hung out to dry? He decided to come back no doubt to work on his game and improve his personal stock, but also presumably because he believed in the team and its prospects for the season. Suddenly that part of the equation seems very different.

I don't think Dre would have played that much anyway with Murphy and Sheed coming in along with Curry who will probably be at the 2.

[rhcpflea99]

I don't think Dre would have played that much anyway with Murphy and Sheed coming in along with Curry who will probably be at the 2.

So you think Sheed with no Duke experience and another Murphy with 1 redshirt year experience at Duke is better than Dawkins 3 year experience is better? Tough one to swallow.

[roywhite]

So you think Sheed with no Duke experience and another Murphy with 1 redshirt year experience at Duke is better than Dawkins 3 year experience is better? Tough one to swallow.

We all want to be supportive of Andre, but his performance was wildly inconsistent last year; he was absolutely key in some wins, and then was ineffective in several other games.
Even the best part of his game, 3-point shooting, was not working in late season.

Just from a pure basketball sense, I don't think his redshirt is a huge loss to the team's prospects in 2012-13, and his return may turn out to be a real positive for 2013-14.

[azzefkram]

Best of luck Dre. Do what you have to do to get better. Duke will be here when you're ready.

[BlueDevil16]

So you think Sheed with no Duke experience and another Murphy with 1 redshirt year experience at Duke is better than Dawkins 3 year experience is better? Tough one to swallow.

Dre definitely helped when he was on (Baylor, 903,etc) but when the 3 wasn't dropping he was a liability due to his defense. Him and Curry are really alike too, where at least Sheed/Murphy are different players. I'd rather have an on Dre any day, but the peoblem is he isn't on everyday or every week

[Kedsy]

Honestly, going off of what we saw out of Dre at the end of the year this past year I question what kind of impact Dre would have had this year.

Why would you "go off of" one month out of a three year career? Andre has always been inconsistent, yes, but by my count there have been only 40 players who, through the end of their junior year, have played 2000+ minutes at Duke under K, and Andre is one of them. I would think the presumption should be that he would contribute.


The Dre from last March would almost certainly not play a ton ahead of Seth, Sully, Murph.

We all hope for big things from Rasheed and Alex, but since they've combined to play a total of zero (non-exhibition) games for Duke, I don't think there's sufficient evidence for this statement.


He clearly needs to get better, work through some things, and improve. If he were able to do that this offseason, then yeah- he would have been a huge contributor next year but it seems pretty clear that he needs more time to get to that point.

I apologize in advance if I'm misinterpreting your statement, but this reads as if you think the redshirt is a basketball decision when it clearly isn't. Give the kid a break.

[Kedsy]

...and his return may turn out to be a real positive for 2013-14.

I agree his return would be a positive. As I said in an earlier post, due to the lack of experience in the projected 2013-14 roster, Andre's return would be a huge positive. I just hope it happens, that's all.

But even if it doesn't, I join those who wish Andre nothing but the best. Getting his personal life in order is waaaaay more important than Duke's 2013-14 win/loss record.

[Zeb]

From a strictly basketball standpoint (not speculating on personal aspects of the decision to redshirt), Andre has potentially NBA talent. Redshirting provides an opportunity to hit the reset button on expectations, and provides another year to polish his game before the draft. It also offers flexibility to decide the best place to display his talent. Duke's 2013 team will probably have Jones, Sulaimon, Jefferson, and Murphy and may have Hood and/or Parker as well. If playing time appears too scarce, Andre can make a very informed decision on the best school for his final NBA audition, after draft and recruiting impacts to rosters. Since he came to Duke early to help us win a championship, I don't begrudge him some senior year flexibility at all. It would be hard to imagine he hasn't considered the career implications at some level.

[azzefkram]

So you think Sheed with no Duke experience and another Murphy with 1 redshirt year experience at Duke is better than Dawkins 3 year experience is better? Tough one to swallow.

Not really. Andre does one thing well. Will Sheed and/or Murphy shoot the 3 as well as Andre? Probably not, but Andre has set the bar pretty low for the other aspects of the game.

[rsvman]

Not really. Andre does one thing well. Will Sheed and/or Murphy shoot the 3 as well as Andre? Probably not, but Andre has set the bar pretty low for the other aspects of the game.

Totally disagree with you here, and I think your statement is not only unfair, but unnecessarily harsh.

I think Andre's game has been largely unfairly criticized. I watched his defense very closely for many games; yes, he had some lapses in which his man made a spectacular play. Those instances are remembered very clearly, while all the plays in which he played, for example, good ball denial defense are completely forgotten. He is also a pretty good rebounder.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure that Andre does EVERYTHING on the basketball court better than you do.

[AsiaMinor]

Best wishes Andre. It won't be the same without you and I hope to see you back on the court soon.
Most of all heal and be well. We respect your decision. Thanks too to Coach K who ALWAYS has the
best life interests of his players at heart.

[Matches]

I don't think Dre would have played that much anyway with Murphy and Sheed coming in along with Curry who will probably be at the 2.

Yea, the guy I saw at year's end was dropping out of the rotation pretty steadily. Without taking the time off he apparently needs, there's little reason to believe that would have changed next season.

This is a no-lose proposition for everyone involved. Dre gets a year to clear his head, go to class, probably get a Duke degree, then decide if he wants to continue playing ball. If he does, great - we'd welcome him back in 2013-2014. If not, he leaves with a Duke degree and a national championship ring.

[azzefkram]

[
Oh, and I'm pretty sure that Andre does EVERYTHING on the basketball court better than you do.

Really?

Sorry you feel that way. Andre is one of my favorite players. I want all the players who come through the program to succeed, but given what he's gone through and what he's given to the program I want Andre to succeed even more. Now is neither the time nor the place to dissect Andre's game. Let's just both wish Andre all the best.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

Totally disagree with you here, and I think your statement is not only unfair, but unnecessarily harsh.

I think Andre's game has been largely unfairly criticized. I watched his defense very closely for many games; yes, he had some lapses in which his man made a spectacular play. Those instances are remembered very clearly, while all the plays in which he played, for example, good ball denial defense are completely forgotten. He is also a pretty good rebounder.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure that Andre does EVERYTHING on the basketball court better than you do.


I don't think it is unnecessarily harsh or that far off base. Andre struggled quite a bit with other aspects of his game which is why his playing time was so sporadic the last few years. He is a pretty decent rebounder but there is no reason why Murph or Sulaimon won't be either. I'm definitely going to miss Andre this year for his spark off the bench, but I think it was clear with his full body of work that he needed more time to get himself ready mentally.

[jimsumner]

Oh, and I'm pretty sure that Andre does EVERYTHING on the basketball court better than you do.

I suspect that applying this standard will reduce this board to a ghost town pretty quick.

Sure keep me quite. :)

[azzefkram]

I suspect that applying this standard will reduce this board to a ghost town pretty quick.

Sure keep me quite. :)

Speak for yourself, Jim.

When I jump you can slide 3, sometimes 4, sheets of paper. Heavy bond.

[Indoor66]

Speak for yourself, Jim.

When I jump you can slide 3, sometimes 4, sheets of paper. Heavy bond.

The dreaded Heavy Bond measuring standard is revealed.

[camion]

The dreaded Heavy Bond measuring standard is revealed.

When I was in high school I regularly dunked from a standing start and I'm only 5'7". :)

I don't think the fact that I was standing on a pommel horse lessens my accomplishment. It's not where you start it's where you finish and I finished at the rim.

[Newton_14]

Good info in this article from the DBR front page: Dawkins redshirt (http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/19068955/article-Duke’s-Dawkins-will-sit-out-2012-13-season)

Andre is getting to go home and spend time with his family much more often than he did when he was fulfilling his basketball duties. Make no mistakes too, Andre loves Duke. See quotes from his mom below.



“He loves Duke and that’s where he wants to be,” Pamela Dawkins said. “He’s never even uttered being anywhere else. He’s adamant that he wants to stay there.”


Pamela Dawkins said the family is happy with how the situation is being handled.

“The team, Coach K and the staff, they’ve been very supportive,” Pamela Dawkins said. “They’ve been forthright in communicating with my husband and me. Coach K, he really cares about Andre. I don’t have any complaints.”

[OldPhiKap]

Speak for yourself, Jim.

When I jump you can slide 3, sometimes 4, sheets of paper. Heavy bond.

Feh. Call me when you can jump a ream of construction paper.

[Ichabod Drain]

"Yes I am red shirting this year. I am dealing with some things off the court that need to be dealt with and the staff and I have agreed that the best way to handle it is to take some time away from the team in order to better myself down the road. Thanks to all the fans who supported me and my decision."

[Jderf]

If not, he leaves with a Duke degree and a national championship ring.

Hard to complain about that. Quick question: If I left Duke with only one of those two things, can I trade it in for the other?

[roywhite]

"Yes I am red shirting this year. I am dealing with some things off the court that need to be dealt with and the staff and I have agreed that the best way to handle it is to take some time away from the team in order to better myself down the road. Thanks to all the fans who supported me and my decision."

I take that to mean he won't be practicing with the team for now.

Good luck to you, Andre.

[MCFinARL]

Hard to complain about that. Quick question: If I left Duke with only one of those two things, can I trade it in for the other?

Please, please tell me you have a national championship ring and want to trade it for a Duke degree.
Signed,
Old Fashioned Dreamer ;-)