Rasheed Sulaimon Dismissed From Team

[blazindw]

Umm, I'm at a loss for words. SHOCKING news.

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=209868811&DB_OEM_ID=4200

[jamos14]

Umm, I'm at a loss for words. SHOCKING news.

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=209868811&DB_OEM_ID=4200

I hardly ever post but this is worthy. What the HELL!?!?!

[CameronDuke]

Has this ever happened mid season to a contributing player? I remember Patrick Davidson got kicked off in the mid 2000s but he wasn't an essential player that played a lot. What the heck happened?

[Bob Green]

Wow! I'm shocked at this news. As I posted in an earlier thread, Sulaimon is my favorite player on the team...I guess I should say he was my favorite player.

[Wander]

Well, at least we won't have to deal with "is Coach K playing the bench enough?" angst for the rest of the season. Eek.

[jv001]

Umm, I'm at a loss for words. SHOCKING news.

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=209868811&DB_OEM_ID=4200

It's not April 1st yet. The article is pretty straight forward. No punches pulled. GoDuke!

[cbnaylor]

Not happy about this at all. Just keep pouring salt on the wounds. I wonder why he didn't get into the game last night until 2 min to go in the 1st half. I think he was our best shooter on the team.

[sagegrouse]

My first reaction is, "Oh.! That's what's going on." Rasheed seemed flustered and erratic, especially last night but also in other recent games. I am still shocked at this turn of events.

I wish all the best to Rasheed, and perhaps he can return to K's good graces.

[Wander]

So... how many walk-ons do we have?

[Kedsy]

My goodness. This is a shock. Rasheed hadn't lived up to what we thought he'd be after an outstanding freshman season, but he was an important contributor to the team and this represents a major loss.

And if Justise and Tyus leave after this year, it represents a gigunda hole for next season.

A lot more minutes for Matt now. I wonder how much more Grayson will see the court with us down to 8 scholarship players.

[conmanlhughes]

Wow. I can't believe this. Next man up, hope Grayson and Matt are ready for more PT.

[Philsfan]

One of my favorites! I am speechless.

[Billy Dat]

WHOA - what the heck...who can parse all the official mumbo jumbo and figure out why this happened? This has to be more than showing up late, etc?

This is nuts.

[Ping Lin]

WHOA - what the heck...who can parse all the official mumbo jumbo and figure out why this happened? This has to be more than showing up late, etc?

This is nuts.

That's what completely flummoxes me. Not demoted. Not suspended indefinitely. DISMISSED.

Something really serious had to have happened. I can't imagine K doing this lightly.

[Jeffrey]

Hi,

At first, I used one of Coach's favorite words a few times. Then concluded, things could be worse, we have a McDonald's All-American to give the PT to immediately. Grayson is very good and would start on many teams!

[GGLC]

“Rasheed has been unable to consistently live up to the standards required to be a member of our program,” said Krzyzewski. “It is a privilege to represent Duke University and with that privilege comes the responsibility to conduct oneself in a certain manner. After Rasheed repeatedly struggled to meet the necessary obligations, it became apparent that it was time to dismiss him from the program.”

Wow. Given the typical stuff you expect coaches to say in public statements in situations like this, K sounds really, really pissed off.

...Wow.

This sucks.

[jv001]

WHOA - what the heck...who can parse all the official mumbo jumbo and figure out why this happened? This has to be more than showing up late, etc?

This is nuts.

I agree it has to be something serious. The first thing that comes to my mind is it academics? My prayers and best wishes go out to Rasheed. GoDuke!

[DUKIE V(A)]

Stunning. Saddens me. Rasheed was a favorite of mine. I hope he is okay. Great opportunity for Matt and Grayson. I expect they will step up. I am sorry not to see Sheed in a Duke uniform any longer.

[Blue in the Face]

Wow, this is really surprising news. Obviously it's bad for the team, but I assume it was only done in response to serious transgressions by Rasheed, so he must really be having some serious problems. I feel badly for him, and hope he can figure things out and get back to wherever he needs to be.

[Lauderdevil]

If there's one thing we've always seen, it's that Coach K plays the long game. Obviously, he must hate doing this to Sheed. And our hearts go out to Sheed, who sure seems like a great kid. But if a player consistently violates the rules (which we can only assume he must have), the coach has got to act. Otherwise you end up with a team that doesn't just fail to follow instructions, but tolerates its star players stealing lobster claws, and much worse. (Again, that's the end result of not taking action on the smaller matters; I'm not suggesting anything close to that is involved here.) Much as I hate, hate this, it's reflective of the kind of program we want Duke to have.

[dukebluesincebirth]

Wow. This is shocking. I thought Sheed had worked hard to get in great physical condition in the offseason. Still erratic at times this year, but a good player that contributed. This sucks. For Sheed and the team.

[jamos14]

I agree it has to be something serious. The first thing that comes to my mind is it academics? My prayers and best wishes go out to Rasheed. GoDuke!

The press release specifically stated it was NOT academics. It has to be something off the court too.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

My first reaction is, "Oh.! That's what's going on." Rasheed seemed flustered and erratic, especially last night but also in other recent games. I am still shocked at this turn of events.

I wish all the best to Rasheed, and perhaps he can return to K's good graces.

I think that ship has sailed.

[MChambers]

I agree it has to be something serious. The first thing that comes to my mind is it academics? My prayers and best wishes go out to Rasheed. GoDuke!

The release says he is in good standing academically.

[Kedsy]

I agree it has to be something serious. The first thing that comes to my mind is it academics?

Based on the press release, it's not academics:



Sulaimon remains in good academic standing and is expected to finish the spring semester.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Wow. I am shocked. I have been such a Sulaimon fan over the last 3 years. This is unbelievable. What the hell????

[Mike Corey]

Welp. That was abrupt.

We're going to learn a lot about this team in the next few days.

Gonna need Quinn Cook's leadership now more than ever.

[jv001]

Welp. That was abrupt.

We're going to learn a lot about this team in the next few days.

Gonna need Quinn Cook's leadership now more than ever.

I agree and Amile's as well. Hope they step up because the frosh are probably more shocked than we are. GoDuke!

[Dev11]

Very surprised. He seemed perfectly normal and happy in all the post-1K videos on DBP.

[tux]

Whatever issues Rasheed is having, I hope he can figure things out. I hope he stays in school and doesn't make things worse for himself...

[fuse]

Stunned. Crushed. Bewildered.

All the best to Rasheed.
I can say in K I trust all I want, I hope some day there is transparency on the reasoning to put speculation to bed.

Too many distractions, I hope the team presses on and has a special season.

[cptnflash]

This makes me very sad. I love Rasheed. Still think he has a future as a role player in the NBA... hopefully this serves as a catalyst for him to fix whatever the problem is, transfer somewhere else, and eventually realize his dreams.

Best of luck Rasheed! I'll always be rooting for you!

[Jeffrey]

Wow! I'm shocked at this news. As I posted in an earlier thread, Sulaimon is my favorite player on the team...I guess I should say he was my favorite player.

Hi Bob,

I suspect if we knew all the details, he would not have been your favorite.

[Troublemaker]

WHOA - what the heck...who can parse all the official mumbo jumbo and figure out why this happened? This has to be more than showing up late, etc?

This is nuts.

Well, it's not academic standing, apparently. For a young 20-yr-old man, repeated transgressions over a period of time leads me to think... oh heck, I won't do this. I'm just going to wait for a journalist to tell me.

Geez, wikipedia is fast. Already using the past tense "played at Duke University."

[Kedsy]

Hi Bob,

I suspect if we knew all the details, he would not have been your favorite.

Do you know the details? If not, this is an irresponsible thing to say and unfair to a 20-year-old kid who has never struck me as a bad guy.

[jv001]

Hi Bob,

I suspect if we knew all the details, he would not have been your favorite.

Not Bob, but maybe, maybe not. I'll wait to more news comes out. GoDuke!

[GGLC]

Do you know the details? If not, this is an irresponsible thing to say and unfair to a 20-year-old kid who has never struck me as a bad guy.

It certainly seems to be supported by K's public statement.

[Dev11]

Reminder to please keep this discussion civil and not to spread rumors with no sources.

[Mike Corey]

Good call on Amile. My apologies for leaving him out.

Might I humbly implore that we not speculate at this point?

[Jeffrey]

Geez, wikipedia is fast. Already using the past tense "played at Duke University."

Hi,

That is amazing!

[Bob Green]

Hi Bob,

I suspect if we knew all the details, he would not have been your favorite.

I refuse to play the speculation game. The details will come out, or they wont. I'm pulling for Sulaimon to come out of this very unfortunate situation a better person.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Ugggh!!!!!!!
From a posting on ESPN.

At times last season, Sulaimon seemed to be a bit of a pouter when things didn't go his way and Krzyzewski did not play him against Michigan because of that attitude. Sulaimon seemingly had bought into his role this season coming off the bench and was developing into one of their best on-ball defenders.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12249502/duke-blue-devils-dismiss-junior-rasheed-sulaimon

This will obviously not help our present defensive struggles. So sorry to hear this news.

[Wander]

So, pure basketball stuff: does this make it more likely that the zone sticks around for more minutes per game than it otherwise would have? Losing one of the only guys who was a good 1-on-1 defender, maybe more minutes for the Plumlee-Okafor lineup, etc.

[Philsfan]

And he was the first player to hug K along the bench after the horn sounded on 1,000...unreal.

[CDu]

Well that stinks. It almost has to be attitude related. Like conduct detrimental to the program. Sad.

A lot more pressure now on Matt Jones and maybe Allen. And you have to believe we will be on the transfer market this summer if Tyus Jones goes pro. Maybe even if Jones stays.

What an awkward odd turn of events. Our season outlook looks a bit more questionable now.

But just sad that Sulaimon must have really continually failed to follow the rules to get the boot.

[dukelifer]

Wow- a big shocker. Whatever happened, it must not have been the first time.

[Troublemaker]

Hopefully it ends up like an Andre Dawkins situation where Sheed improves whatever he needs to improve and gets invited back and has a very good senior season where he smiles a lot. Can we hope for that? I'm hoping for that.

[CameronDuke]

Realistically, with 8 scholarship players, what are realistic expectations for the remainder of the season? I think anything greater than a Sweet 16 appearance deserves coach of the year honors for Coach K now!

[DukeGirl4ever]

Hopefully it ends up like an Andre Dawkins situation where Sheed improves whatever he needs to improve and gets invited back and has a very good senior season where he smiles a lot. Can we hope for that? I'm hoping for that.

C.L. Brown @clbrownespn:
one note from Rasheed Sulaimon's dismissal is Duke also confirmed there is no possibility of reinstatement

[bigj4194]

holy crap. I was a huge fan of his and thought he was embracing his role. I'm really sad to hear this

[jv001]

So, pure basketball stuff: does this make it more likely that the zone sticks around for more minutes per game than it otherwise would have? Losing one of the only guys who was a good 1-on-1 defender, maybe more minutes for the Plumlee-Okafor lineup, etc.

I bet Bennett's wondering the same thing. I hope we see more of Grayson as well. Maybe not in the next game, but maybe against GT. What am I saying, they beat Miami by 20. Well, maybe Grayson will step up in practice. We do have 11 more regular season games. GoDuke!

[wsb3]

I could not believe this news when I received a text a few minutes ago. I was hoping it was not true.

Has Coach K ever dismissed a player during the season before that was not for academics? I can't recall another situation like this one.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Hopefully it ends up like an Andre Dawkins situation where Sheed improves whatever he needs to improve and gets invited back and has a very good senior season where he smiles a lot. Can we hope for that? I'm hoping for that.

Unfortunately, I don't think that can happen as per CL Brown from ESPN: https://twitter.com/clbrownespn/status/560917724134899714

[Kedsy]

Realistically, with 8 scholarship players, what are realistic expectations for the remainder of the season? I think anything greater than a Sweet 16 appearance deserves coach of the year honors for Coach K now!

Seriously?

[JasonEvans]

This is finally Michael Gbinije's chance...

...wait.

Grayson Allen just got a much bigger role for this team -- probably a consistent 5-8 minutes per game -- and Matt Jones is going to average 20-25 minutes per game going forward. I also suspect we won't see Winslow at the 4 much at all going forward.

-Jason "we need to get a football player or someone to be a walk-on so we can do 10-on-10 in practices... either that or Scheyer better start suiting up for practices" Evans

[CarmenWallaceWade]

Can't believe this. He played last night, so obviously something must have happened between after the game and today.

Wow. Just crazy. Losing one of our best defenders and an upperclassman that was a solid contributor really, really hurts.

Best of luck from here, Sheed.

[Troublemaker]

C.L. Brown @clbrownespn:
one note from Rasheed Sulaimon's dismissal is Duke also confirmed there is no possibility of reinstatement


Unfortunately, I don't think that can happen as per CL Brown from ESPN: https://twitter.com/clbrownespn/status/560917724134899714

Well, darn :-(

[CDu]

Realistically, with 8 scholarship players, what are realistic expectations for the remainder of the season? I think anything greater than a Sweet 16 appearance deserves coach of the year honors for Coach K now!

I will not go that far at all. We are a top-10 team with or without Sulaimon. We were only playing 7.5 of our 9 (and 10) available scholarship players. We will now just play 7.5 of our 8 scholarship players.

As cruel as this is to say, we aren't all that practically different with Matt Jones and Winslow and Jefferson playing more minutes. Maybe our ceiling is lower as Sulaimon was one of our most talented guards, but it wasn't seeming like he was going to approach that ceiling anyway.

A tough loss but we will cope.

[tbyers11]

Hopefully it ends up like an Andre Dawkins situation where Sheed improves whatever he needs to improve and gets invited back and has a very good senior season where he smiles a lot. Can we hope for that? I'm hoping for that.

We can hope for that. But compare the tenor of K's terse announcement today to how he spoke about Andre's situation when his news came out. I remember Andre's situation being explained in much different terms.

Edit: Others posted official confirmation of the bad news re: reinstatement

[Tom B.]

This is finally Michael Gbinije's chance...

...wait.




I think you mean it's finally Semi Ojeleye's chan.....oh, hell.

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

[freshmanjs]

I will not go that far at all. We are a top-10 team with or without Sulaimon. We were only playing 7.5 of our 9 (and 10) available scholarship players. We will now just play 7.5 of our 8 scholarship players.

As cruel as this is to say, we aren't all that practically different with Matt Jones and Winslow and Jefferson playing more minutes. Maybe our ceiling is lower as Sulaimon was one of our most talented guards, but it wasn't seeming like he was going to approach that ceiling anyway.

A tough loss but we will cope.

Agree. Question to me is more about mindset and resilience. We have enough players at the right positions to be top-5 just as we did before.

[DukeDiva]

Well that stinks. It almost has to be attitude related. Like conduct detrimental to the program. Sad.

A lot more pressure now on Matt Jones and maybe Allen. And you have to believe we will be on the transfer market this summer if Tyus Jones goes pro. Maybe even if Jones stays.

What an awkward odd turn of events. Our season outlook looks a bit more questionable now.

But just sad that Sulaimon must have really continually failed to follow the rules to get the boot.

I agree, I was also wondering if it was attitude related, wasn't he benched earlier in the season for that very reason?It's very unlike K to make a public statement like that. Whatever it was hit a nerve with K, as he is usually more reserved about how he releases statements. I have been a big fan of Sheed, and was hoping he'd embrace his role coming off the bench. Between losing Semi and now Sheed, we are looking pretty thin.

[Leelee902]

People here setting up for the women's game tonight are saying they aren't surprised... No one will say anything else, but they all seem to know more. Dunno maybe someone will break.

[wgl1228]

@ReidForgrave: Rasheed Sulaimon dismissed from Duke comes as shock - even to players. Source says players got text today summoning them to meeting.

[jv001]

Can't believe this. He played last night, so obviously something must have happened between after the game and today.

Wow. Just crazy. Losing one of our best defenders and an upperclassman that was a solid contributor really, really hurts.

Best of luck from here, Sheed.

When I was in slow-mo mode, I noticed Rasheed was really into it at the end of the game. He was up shouting and motioning to someone on offense and seemed to be doing it in a positive manner. GoDuke!

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

I will not go that far at all. We are a top-10 team with or without Sulaimon. We were only playing 7.5 of our 9 (and 10) available scholarship players. We will now just play 7.5 of our 8 scholarship players.

As cruel as this is to say, we aren't all that practically different with Matt Jones and Winslow and Jefferson playing more minutes. Maybe our ceiling is lower as Sulaimon was one of our most talented guards, but it wasn't seeming like he was going to approach that ceiling anyway.

A tough loss but we will cope.

Big question ... will this hurt or improve team chemistry going forward?

[cbarry]

I am really not a Matt Jones fan. I think Grayson would do a much better job, and I hope Grayson earns more PT. Jones' shot mechanics are terrible and his shot is inconsistent at best. Matt does hustle and play with emotion, but he is prone to fouling a lot. I'd at least like to see Grayson get a decent chance. That means a prolonged period of time where he can get into the game flow. Seeing Grayson play from 1-8 min per game in the first half, then never playing him again, is frustrating to me, and I'm sure it must be frustrating to Grayson also. I worry that he would consider transferring if things continue, but with Rasheed gone, maybe, just maybe, Grayson will get to play!
This is finally Michael Gbinije's chance......wait. Grayson Allen just got a much bigger role for this team -- probably a consistent 5-8 minutes per game -- and Matt Jones is going to average 20-25 minutes per game going forward. I also suspect we won't see Winslow at the 4 much at all going forward. -Jason "we need to get a football player or someone to be a walk-on so we can do 10-on-10 in practices... either that or Scheyer better start suiting up for practices" Evans

[superdave]

Hopefully it ends up like an Andre Dawkins situation where Sheed improves whatever he needs to improve and gets invited back and has a very good senior season where he smiles a lot. Can we hope for that? I'm hoping for that.

I hope there is an opportunity for Rasheed to make things right over the course of the spring semester and summer.

It may be a while before we know if that is the case or not.

[jv001]

I will not go that far at all. We are a top-10 team with or without Sulaimon. We were only playing 7.5 of our 9 (and 10) available scholarship players. We will now just play 7.5 of our 8 scholarship players.

As cruel as this is to say, we aren't all that practically different with Matt Jones and Winslow and Jefferson playing more minutes. Maybe our ceiling is lower as Sulaimon was one of our most talented guards, but it wasn't seeming like he was going to approach that ceiling anyway.

A tough loss but we will cope.

Now it's real important that Justise is 100% and he sure didn't look like it last night. He didn't have that burst of speed that we've seen in the past. If he's not up to the task, I guess Grayson will get more minutes. GoDuke!

[uh_no]

C.L. Brown @clbrownespn:
one note from Rasheed Sulaimon's dismissal is Duke also confirmed there is no possibility of reinstatement

well to some degree, it lends credence to the thought that rasheed HAS been in the dog house in the past (despite K's insistence that he has no doghouse). It makes sense for K to have been discreet about it.

sucks for all involved....but i think behavior is probably not just self destructive, but destructive to those around him for such a serious recourse.

hopefully the guy can get his life back on track....whether that means finishing his degree at duke without the sport, or finding a home elsewhere.

[Reisen]

Like everyone else, I'm just stunned. My dad (huge Duke fan) is not a fan of Rasheed's, but I am. It's got to be really tough to be a stud your freshman year then take a backseat after that, but I thought he was putting the team first.

Honestly, this does not seem to me to be a chain of little things. If that was the case, he would just be continually benched (and probably transfer). For K to come out with such strong words, this has to be something big, either off the court or in the locker room.

Very sorry to hear.

[duke79]

Hard to keep anything a secret in today's hyper connected world. I'm sure more "news" will filter out, sooner rather than later, about what happened.

[Channing]

either that or Scheyer better start suiting up for practices" Evans

This was one of my first thoughts (after the initial WTF). At least we have another shooting guard on the bench to bring in for practice time.

[Newton_14]

Wow. Given the typical stuff you expect coaches to say in public statements in situations like this, K sounds really, really pissed off.

...Wow.

This sucks.
Yeah, it does. At work so cant say much. Kedsy just texted me with the news and I was shocked like everyone else. I think I am more sad for the young man than anything else as the gravity of this starts sinking in. I met Rasheed at a Football game in the fall of his Soph season. I can testify he was genuinely as nice and polite of a young man as one could meet. Yes sir, no sir. Engaged me in conversation for a few minutes and was just down to earth and like I said polite.

Then watching him last year and this year, from afar it appeared like he had a terrible time controlling emotions when things went awry.

I guess more will come out, but its probably best for all of us to not speculate or guess. Feel sad for Rasheed the person and player, wish him the best, and hope he figures this out and conquers whatever it is that is pulling him down and led to this.

Major blow to the team. Practice is screwed for one thing. Grayson will either have to grow up in a hurry or we are down to a 6.5 man rotation. They can still achieve their goals but it just got a lot harder and this also makes the loss of Semi a bit more significant as well.

Best heartfelt wishes to Rasheed where ever life takes him from here.

[ABF]

I agree with lauderdevil. It has to have been a major flaunting of the rules or something which was significantly affecting the morale/chemistry of the team. It has to have been quite aggregious. Hopefully the system will work and Rasheed's privacy will be protected. Best of luck to Rasheed and Next Play.

[CathyCA]

I'm going to wait to see how this whole thing plays out, but it MAY end up being a matter of "addition by subtraction." You know, when one person leaves, the rest of the group becomes better? I hope that's the case here. I'm fairly certain that Coach K knew exactly what he was doing in dismissing Rasheed from the team.

After Allen Williams' junior year (1981-82), Coach K allowed Allen to keep his scholarship and finish his senior year, but Allen did not practice or play during his senior year. Of course, that situation is a little different from this one in that Coach K didn't recruit Allen Williams. He inherited him from Coach Foster.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I'm shocked as everyone else is. What gets me is K's statement that it's something that has been repeated over a period of time. Yet Sheed was never (this year) been benched nor suspended for a game. If this were the 60's I'd think it was related to sex, drugs and rock n roll. But it's not the 60's. I hope we hear something credible sooner rather than later.

[jv001]

Many times this season, after a good Rasheed play, almost all the guys came and gave him a congratulatory hug or chest bump. It looked like his team mates were trying to give him extra encouragement. GoDuke!

[Trey21]

Wow... This one hurts. I've been following Sheed since his junior year of recruitment thought he'd be a great 3-4 year Blue devil. He hasn't lived up to his freshman year but I still had high hopes for him this year and next year. I hope he finds his way. I think he is a solid on ball defender and a streaky shooter who could improve upon his erratic playmaking ability.

I understand that on the court Sheed had the tendency to display his emotions and that he had his lulls last year, but I thought he had a lot of heart and he was steadily finding his way to a unique career at Duke. One that still had a lot of promise. A shame to lose him, I'm was a big fan, but I respect and cherish the team for having a set of standards.

[mr. synellinden]

Laura Keeley ‏@laurakeeley · 3m minutes ago
What I know: it was a recurring conduct issue with Rasheed Sulaimon, and the final straw came on the Notre Dame road trip

[CBecker]

He seems like such a well spoken, intelligent young man and because of this and his play as a freshman he quickly became one of my favorite players. Really upsetting news. :(

[Furniture]

This is really sad!
I wonder what he will do now. It will be really tough for him to finish out the year. Then what, can he transfer? Will he be able to play anywhere else again in college BB?
Can someone enlighten on his possibilities.

[superdave]

If Rasheed is indeed not returning, then I wish him the best. He is about 2.50 seasons into a 4.00 season college career. I wonder if he might be best served finishing the semester and going to the D-league.

Either way I hope he finishes his degree in the long run and hope he grows up from this rather than being angry.

[jv001]

Wow... This one hurts. I've been following Sheed since his junior year of recruitment thought he'd be a great 3-4 year Blue devil. He hasn't lived up to his freshman year but I still had high hopes for him this year and next year. I hope he finds his way. I think he is a solid on ball defender and a streaky shooter who could improve upon his erratic playmaking ability.

I understand that on the court Sheed had the tendency to display his emotions and that he had his lulls last year, but I thought he had a lot of heart and he was steadily finding his way to a unique career at Duke. One that still had a lot of promise. A shame to lose him, I'm was a big fan, but I respect and cherish the team for having a set of standards.

There's no more emotional player on the team than Quinn Cook. Both good and bad emotions and he's a captain. So, I don't think it had anything to do with on the court performance. GoDuke!

[Cell-R]

I trust Coach K.

[-bdbd]

WOW!

That is a shocker. From that Press Release, it sure sounds like this wasn't the first incident. It sounds more like a PATTERN of behavior.

Sad for Rasheed. I was expecting him to be a major player NEXT year. I think this year we are ok, with Winslow and Matt Jones, etc filling some similar space. If there was a position with some excess depth, where we actually could stomach a loss, then SG was probably it. Really sorry to see Rasheed go though.... Good luck to him.

[DukieInKansas]

Like someone on the first page of this thread, the first thing I did was check the date to be sure it wasn't April 1st.

I trust Coach K's judgement. I hope Rasheed can straighten out and get his life on track so he has a successful future.

[Lauderdevil]

Well, I suspect Coach K has the full attention of the team right now. I would anticipate they arrive in Virginia with a very sharp focus, and pay attention to every detail. While we can be confident Coach K had a good, sound reasons to take a step like this, we all also know he's a master at turning bad situations into good ones by breaking one paradigm and creating a new one. (See, e.g., the zone at Louisville.) This is a turning point of this season. Time will tell in what direction.

[weezie]

...I trust Coach K on this.

Seconded. We have no other options, true, but the team trusts K and so must we.

Good luck Sheed.

[Devilwin]

I hate it for him. Have no clue what he did, or was doing rather, but it's certainly a shock. Wishing him all the best as he goes forward. One thing I will remember about him is how he comes in off the bench and immediately buries a three. Hope he matures and gets back on track.

[terminalwriter]

I've been thinking about it and I can't remember Coach K ever dismissing a player prior to this, which seems to say something.

[Billy Dat]

Because I got in trouble last time I "rumormongered" by posting information from on-campus (on the basketball team, no less) sources, I won't share what I've heard.

But, if what I have heard is true, then Sulaimon needs to be far, far away from my friends, university, and basketball team. I trust Coach K on this.

Yeah...I mean, based on the tone and abrupt nature of this announcement, it seems pretty bad. There are a lot of transgressions, even illegal ones, that I don't think would result in him being banished from the kingdom. Whatever he did, he seriously ran afoul of K's worldview. The piece about him still being in good academic standing, can we assume that means he's not being kicked out of the university, or just that whatever he did, failing a class isn't part of the scheme.

But, as someone said upstream, if K stands for anything, it's setting standards and enforcing/upholding them.

Unless he did something really reprehensible, I feel terrible for the kid. Even if he did something petulant and immature, he really messed up. His career is closer to the end than the beginning where transfer/redshirt is a long take-off with a short runway, and his on court rep has cooled consistently over the last 1.5 years.

This stinks from every possible perspective.

[Jeffrey]

Do you know the details? If not, this is an irresponsible thing to say and unfair to a 20-year-old kid who has never struck me as a bad guy.

Hi,

No, I do not know the details and was not passing judgement without the facts. Coach K had the facts, made the decision, and I have absolutely no doubt Coach made the fair & appropriate decision, about this non-academic issue. How many times has Coach K done this? I feel confident Coach K spent significant time on his decision and it was fair & just. I believe in Coach K!

[Mike Corey]

I believe this is Coach K's first ever dismissal.

Will await word from Jim Sumner on that.

[CarmenWallaceWade]

Laura Keeley (N&O) tweeted this is the first time K has ever dismissed anyone from the program. We've had guys screw up and go in the dog house. Some eventually took the opportunity to transfer. But this? Loss for words.

[wsb3]

I'm going to wait to see how this whole thing plays out, but it MAY end up being a matter of "addition by subtraction." You know, when one person leaves, the rest of the group becomes better? I hope that's the case here. I'm fairly certain that Coach K knew exactly what he was doing in dismissing Rasheed from the team.

After Allen Williams' junior year (1981-82), Coach K allowed Allen to keep his scholarship and finish his senior year, but Allen did not practice or play during his senior year. Of course, that situation is a little different from this one in that Coach K didn't recruit Allen Williams. He inherited him from Coach Foster.

Good post and I also thought about Allen Williams being dismissed but I can't recall Coach K ever dismissing a player during the season that was not academic related.

[Duke31122]

I wonder if this will have the same effect as removing Percy Harvin from the Seahawks? I do not know what happened, but I will always have respect for Rasheed. Being proud are not the right words for Coach K having the ethics to pull this move. At least we have a Coach who stands for what is right, and will not brush issues under the rug.

I wish the best to Rasheed, and hopefully this will force the rest of the team to bond. As always Let's Go Duke!

[Jeffrey]

Realistically, with 8 scholarship players, what are realistic expectations for the remainder of the season? I think anything greater than a Sweet 16 appearance deserves coach of the year honors for Coach K now!

Hi,

All 8 are McDonald's All-Americans and very good players. Coach appeared to be going with an 8 man rotation before his Sulaimon decision. If we stay injury free, I think we still have a realistic Final Four chance. We still have the best player and coach in the nation!

[KandG]

Very, very sad at this news. As others have said, dismissal is not something that is done lightly (or ever), so I trust the program and Coach K had more than valid reasons to do this.

Sheed was a frustrating player for me to watch since his freshman year, but in some ways it only made me root for him harder. Loved his emotion and livewire energy on the court, just disliked how long it seemed to be taking for him to show the discipline and maturity on the court to lead the way Quinn and Amile have been leading this season. I guess we'll never know now.

For old timers, Sheed in some ways reminded me of Phil Henderson, who was very good as a freshman then became academically ineligible, then seemed to go in and out of K's doghouse and even considered transferring. I hoped Sheed could eventually get to where Phil did (dunk over Mourning, senior captain, multiple Final Fours), but alas.

[gwlaw99]

What are the odds we will find out the real story behind this?

[Duke3517]

Of course, I know nothing from a personal stand point. From a basketball stand point he was a liability at times on defense and like many posters have said previously did have problems last season. Very good talent that will get another opportunity with another program.

I do wish him the best for his future.

[azzefkram]

There's no more emotional player on the team than Quinn Cook. Both good and bad emotions and he's a captain. So, I don't think it had anything to do with on the court performance. GoDuke!

Couldn't disagree more

[Duke31122]

What are the odds we will find out the real story behind this?

Probably slim to none. I would hope out of respect for Rasheed and the team, the story would stay in the Duke basketball program.

No doubt all of on this board have made mistakes, some mistakes are bigger than others. I just hope Rasheed overcomes this as well as our team.

[Duke3517]

Couldn't disagree more

No clue what happened, but this has everything to do with either attitude or off the court issues.

[azzefkram]

I am so sad for Rasheed. I hope whatever issues there may have been can be overcome. I know I will root for him where ever his path may take him.

[Mike Corey]

Probably slim to none. I would hope out of respect for Rasheed and the team, the story would stay in the Duke basketball program.

No doubt all of on this board have made mistakes, some mistakes are bigger than others. I just hope Rasheed overcomes this as well as our team.

I think this is very well said.

[ABF]

I agree with lauderdevil. It has to have been a major flaunting of the rules or something which was significantly affecting the morale/chemistry of the team. It has to have been quite aggregious. Hopefully the system will work and Rasheed's privacy will be protected. Best of luck to Rasheed and Next Play.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

I have to wonder if there have been altercations between Sheed and other team members. Academics are fine, no arrest record, and if he had gotten in trouble with the law, obviously Duke would allow him his due process before being removed. If there team chemistry issues then this is not necessarily a bad thing. I have always loved Sheed but you just can't tell what people are like when the camera is off. Sorry to speculate I just thought this may make the most sense

Judging from the Duke Blue Planet videos it would seem like he is incredibly well liked on the team. He manned the mic for the post SJU game video and seemed very engaged http://youtu.be/TRS9AvJz5pU

Looking in from the outside, this group seems very tight.

Also the post Pitt game video http://youtu.be/5-Tz9ZhiQhQ

[phaedrus]

I think you mean it's finally Semi Ojeleye's chan.....oh, hell.

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

I've been waiting years to see Marty get significant action. Now's his big chance.

[InSpades]

This is a case of "I really want to know what happened" but at the same time I hope that it never gets out. Rasheed was one of my favorite players his freshman year and I had such high hopes for him the past 2. Obviously he hasn't lived up to those hopes. It was clear he was struggling but he always seemed like a good kid.

Something must have gone seriously wrong. I hope it was just a repeated rules violations... I could see him being frustrated w/ how things are going. I'm frustrated w/ the team and he has a 1000 more reasons to be frustrated. At the same time... for K to just dismiss a player... I can only imagine it was bad. We are blessed to have great kids come through the program but everyone has heard things about players that might have gotten them in trouble and no one else has been kicked off the team.

I hope Rasheed turns things around and wish him nothing but the best. Hopefully he lands somewhere good for him and gets his shot at the NBA. Northwestern? Marquette? Maybe that would be weird but it would be nice to see him finish things out "in the extended family".

[BD80]

Jeff Goodman posting explanation which requires ESPN Insider access

http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12249630/how-duke-moves-rasheed-sulaimon-dismissal-college-basketball?ex_cid=InsiderTwitter_GoodmanSulaimonDi smissal

Teaser: Coach K had finally had enough of Rasheed Sulaimon

[Duke95]

This is a case of "I really want to know what happened" but at the same time I hope that it never gets out. Rasheed was one of my favorite players his freshman year and I had such high hopes for him the past 2. Obviously he hasn't lived up to those hopes. It was clear he was struggling but he always seemed like a good kid.

Something must have gone seriously wrong. I hope it was just a repeated rules violations... I could see him being frustrated w/ how things are going. I'm frustrated w/ the team and he has a 1000 more reasons to be frustrated. At the same time... for K to just dismiss a player... I can only imagine it was bad. We are blessed to have great kids come through the program but everyone has heard things about players that might have gotten them in trouble and no one else has been kicked off the team.

I hope Rasheed turns things around and wish him nothing but the best. Hopefully he lands somewhere good for him and gets his shot at the NBA. Northwestern? Marquette? Maybe that would be weird but it would be nice to see him finish things out "in the extended family".

No way that happens. No way. If he's dismissed from Duke, I seriously doubt a former Duke assistant will pick him up.

That said, I echo your sentiments regarding Rasheed. He was one of my favorites as well, and I'm sad to see him go.

[wgl1228]

If you're dismissed do you still have to sit out a year to transfer?

[CameronBornAndBred]

I've been waiting years to see Marty get significant action. Now's his big chance.
It's Olek's time to shine!

[Bostondevil]

This story gives me chills. It has to be something very bad. I just hope he hasn't done something illegal. (But I suspect that's it.)

[nmduke2001]

Probably slim to none. I would hope out of respect for Rasheed and the team, the story would stay in the Duke basketball program.

No doubt all of on this board have made mistakes, some mistakes are bigger than others. I just hope Rasheed overcomes this as well as our team.

With social media and college kids involved, I bet there is something close to the truth tonight.

[Duvall]

Jeff Goodman posting explanation which requires ESPN Insider access

http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12249630/how-duke-moves-rasheed-sulaimon-dismissal-college-basketball?ex_cid=InsiderTwitter_GoodmanSulaimonDi smissal

Teaser: Coach K had finally had enough of Rasheed Sulaimon

There's nothing there. Typical Goodman gasbaggery. Doesn't seem like he knows anything about this.

[cspan37421]

What are the odds we will find out the real story behind this?

My guess: It depends on who else was in the locker room with the team after the game. Anyone who doesn't answer to Coach K? Then we'll probably find out.

[NashvilleDevil]

Couldn't disagree more

Care to elaborate on this?

[CrazyNotCrazie]

The good news for Rasheed is that if he sticks around to finish out the semester, he will likely have enough credits to have a Duke degree, whether he finishes up at Duke or elsewhere. The bad news is that since this happened right after the start of the semester, he only has one year to play elsewhere if he chooses to transfer, vs. 1.5 years if he had enrolled elsewhere before the start of the semester.

[NancyCarol]

Hopefully it ends up like an Andre Dawkins situation where Sheed improves whatever he needs to improve and gets invited back and has a very good senior season where he smiles a lot. Can we hope for that? I'm hoping for that.
exactly my thoughts. I am sure K didn't do this without lengthy reflection.

[BobbyFan]

I would hope out of respect for Rasheed and the team, the story would stay in the Duke basketball program.

Likewise.

An unfortunate situation for the kid, who I hope makes the best out of it going forward.

[cspan37421]

Couldn't disagree more

I agree with you. Quinn has matured a lot during his years. In his early years, I really didn't like his frequent woofing. I felt like that attitude was for other, less disciplined teams. Now that we rarely see that anymore (can't even remember last time), it's quite a relief, and I hope he will lead as he wraps up his career. We really need good communication out there, esp. on defense.

[Sir Stealth]

It seems counterintuitive, but for Rasheed's sake, as well as for the larger Duke family, I hope that it actually WAS something truly, exceptionally bad and not just a final straw in a long line of transgressions. If Rasheed really screwed up in a big way, he can still be ok down the road - if he hasn't run into any trouble with the law, he should be able to pick himself up and recover from his mistakes. At least he and his teammates could understand this drastic step, perhaps even agree that it was justified, and learn from it.

But to take what by all accounts is a completely unprecedented step in the program for a "final straw" event would seem cruel to me, and would be contrary to the impression that I have of the Duke program and the Duke family. As has been noted, other problem players (e.g. Greg Newton) were given a heavy doghouse treatment, banished from practice and to the end of the bench, whatever - but ultimately their punishment was handled in house, without a very public, very terse "get out, and may God have mercy on your soul" type of statement. Some of Duke's all time greats (e.g. JJ) have also admitted that there were times when they did not meet the "standards of commitment to the program" but ultimately shaped up under the (sometimes harsh) direction of coaches. Rasheed obviously had trouble with his attitude, but he came into the program as a kid who seemed humble and ready to be a good teammate. It's really sad for this to happen just days away from Rasheed hugging K and his wife after win 1K and then leading the DBP piece in the locker room among team members that considered him family.

So while I trust in Coach K, I would hate to think that this ends up looking like a "are you in or out, with us or against us" method of circling the wagons to pull together the team's basketball performance as it bumps and falters somewhat in the middle of the season. I hope that we do learn the details, and that we all nod our heads and say "Oh, I get it now." Otherwise, to kick a team member to the curb would be very disappointing, even if that player was letting the team down and needed to be dragged along.

[drcharl]

Reminded me of Charlie Strong at the early part of the last football season at the University of Texas. A number of players were dismissed for not adhering to Charlie's core values but no specifics given. Some players had had previous problems but some not. Some very talented players were gone.

[biz]

Attitude did him in!!!

[NashvilleDevil]

It seems counterintuitive, but for Rasheed's sake, as well as for the larger Duke family, I hope that it actually WAS something truly, exceptionally bad and not just a final straw in a long line of transgressions. If Rasheed really screwed up in a big way, he can still be ok down the road - if he hasn't run into any trouble with the law, he should be able to pick himself up and recover from his mistakes. At least he and his teammates could understand this drastic step, perhaps even agree that it was justified, and learn from it.

But to take what by all accounts is a completely unprecedented step in the program for a "final straw" event would seem cruel to me, and would be contrary to the impression that I have of the Duke program and the Duke family. As has been noted, other problem players (e.g. Greg Newton) were given a heavy doghouse treatment, banished from practice and to the end of the bench, whatever - but ultimately their punishment was handled in house, without a very public, very terse "get out, and may God have mercy on your soul" type of statement. Some of Duke's all time greats (e.g. JJ) have also admitted that there were times when they did not meet the "standards of commitment to the program" but ultimately shaped up under the (sometimes harsh) direction of coaches. Rasheed obviously had trouble with his attitude, but he came into the program as a kid who seemed humble and ready to be a good teammate. It's really sad for this to happen just days away from Rasheed hugging K and his wife after win 1K and then leading the DBP piece in the locker room among team members that considered him family.

So while I trust in Coach K, I would hate to think that this ends up looking like a "are you in or out, with us or against us" method of circling the wagons to pull together the team's basketball performance as it bumps and falters somewhat in the middle of the season. I hope that we do learn the details, and that we all nod our heads and say "Oh, I get it now." Otherwise, to kick a team member to the curb would be very disappointing, even if that player was letting the team down and needed to be dragged along.

Considering this is the first time K has done this I am going to guess that it is more extreme than the examples you cited.

[GGLC]

It seems counterintuitive, but for Rasheed's sake, as well as for the larger Duke family, I hope that it actually WAS something truly, exceptionally bad and not just a final straw in a long line of transgressions. If Rasheed really screwed up in a big way, he can still be ok down the road - if he hasn't run into any trouble with the law, he should be able to pick himself up and recover from his mistakes. At least he and his teammates could understand this drastic step, perhaps even agree that it was justified, and learn from it.

But to take what by all accounts is a completely unprecedented step in the program for a "final straw" event would seem cruel to me, and would be contrary to the impression that I have of the Duke program and the Duke family. As has been noted, other problem players (e.g. Greg Newton) were given a heavy doghouse treatment, banished from practice and to the end of the bench, whatever - but ultimately their punishment was handled in house, without a very public, very terse "get out, and may God have mercy on your soul" type of statement. Some of Duke's all time greats (e.g. JJ) have also admitted that there were times when they did not meet the "standards of commitment to the program" but ultimately shaped up under the (sometimes harsh) direction of coaches. Rasheed obviously had trouble with his attitude, but he came into the program as a kid who seemed humble and ready to be a good teammate. It's really sad for this to happen just days away from Rasheed hugging K and his wife after win 1K and then leading the DBP piece in the locker room among team members that considered him family.

So while I trust in Coach K, I would hate to think that this ends up looking like a "are you in or out, with us or against us" method of circling the wagons to pull together the team's basketball performance as it bumps and falters somewhat in the middle of the season. I hope that we do learn the details, and that we all nod our heads and say "Oh, I get it now." Otherwise, to kick a team member to the curb would be very disappointing, even if that player was letting the team down and needed to be dragged along.

Can't spork you, so wanted to say that this is a fantastic post.

[dukelifer]

Judging from the Duke Blue Planet videos it would seem like he is incredibly well liked on the team. He manned the mic for the post SJU game video and seemed very engaged http://youtu.be/TRS9AvJz5pU

Looking in from the outside, this group seems very tight.

Also the post Pitt game video http://youtu.be/5-Tz9ZhiQhQ

My concern is that is not an action supported by his teammates. If it is not, then it could take a while to get everyone back on the same page. We shall see. I suspect that he was well liked - but may have had some maturity issues- and it is possible that is going to be a set back for a team that looked liked they had a lot of chemistry to start the year.

[DaleDuke7]

@jhairston15: Praying for my brother man. It's funny how everybody thinks they know the true story, and they really have no idea

Whatever the case, I hate it for him and Duke. Really thought he was starting to mature. Will this make us better? Closer? Or hurt us with depth and chemistry?

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

Hopefully this will be a Josh Smith type situation and Coach K can pull a Stan Van and go on a run after dismissing a player. Saturday just got that much more interesting.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

Attitude did him in!!!

That's what I'm betting on. Back talk and disrespect or grumbling bad enough and having been repeated often enough to be substantially detrimental to the team.
Just my two cents. But, bless his heart I hope he comes through it better for the experience.
Love, Ima

[Mike Corey]

My understanding is that the Chronicle may be publishing a story with some information about the situation.

[DukePA]

I refuse to play the speculation game. The details will come out, or they wont. I'm pulling for Sulaimon to come out of this very unfortunate situation a better person.

I am with you, Bob. We don't know what happened and ultimately, it might be none of our business. I wish Sulu all the best.

[terminalwriter]

@jhairston15: Praying for my brother man. It's funny how everybody thinks they know the true story, and they really have no idea

Whatever the case, I hate it for him and Duke. Really thought he was starting to mature. Will this make us better? Closer? Or hurt us with depth and chemistry?

There's another tweet after that though.

@jhairston15: Your brother ain't always right, but he's always your brother.

[drcharl]

That's what I'm betting on. Back talk and disrespect or grumbling bad enough and having been repeated often enough to be substantially detrimental to the team.
Just my two cents. But, bless his heart I hope he comes through it better for the experience.
Love, Ima

I think to result in a dismissal it must have been something more than an attitude problem. You don't get fired on the spot for a bad attitude without progressive discipline.

[DaleDuke7]

There's another tweet after that though.

@jhairston15: Your brother ain't always right, but he's always your brother.

I have my own vague opinion, but I won't post out of respect for those who asked for no speculating. It's a tough situation. Even worse that he can't work his way back on the team. Obviously he ran out of chances.

[wilson]

I think to result in a dismissal it must have been something more than an attitude problem. You don't get fired on the spot for a bad attitude without progressive discipline.I agree with this. Hell, even Bobby Hurley had some attitude issues, but no player with simple problems of comportment has ever been ejected from the program like this. I think it must be something more.

[Troublemaker]

So while I trust in Coach K, I would hate to think that this ends up looking like a "are you in or out, with us or against us" method of circling the wagons to pull together the team's basketball performance as it bumps and falters somewhat in the middle of the season. I hope that we do learn the details, and that we all nod our heads and say "Oh, I get it now." Otherwise, to kick a team member to the curb would be very disappointing, even if that player was letting the team down and needed to be dragged along.

Coach K has a thousand wins AND 309 losses. The program has been through countless 6-game stretches over the past 35 years where we've struggled as much or sometimes much worse than what this team has endured recently, and none of the previous stretches have resulted in a dismissal. There is no connection between Sheed getting dismissed now and the recent losses. And actually, by all accounts, the coaches and the players were satisfied with how we played against Notre Dame, just disappointed in some blown opportunities and the final outcome. There was no need to even "circle the wagons," much less in a ham-fisted, callous, absurd way like randomly kicking a player off the team. There is no connection.

[Wander]

I think to result in a dismissal it must have been something more than an attitude problem. You don't get fired on the spot for a bad attitude without progressive discipline.

OK, but note that Sulaimon has in fact been suspended for a game before last year vs Michigan (yes, I know there was no official announcement of a suspension or anything, but he wasn't injured and clearly deserved to play from a pure basketball standpoint based on his minutes in other games, so it's in spirit the same thing), and if you believe Seth Davis has been kicked out of practices this season. So there has been progressive discipline.

[Troublemaker]

My concern is that is not an action supported by his teammates. If it is not, then it could take a while to get everyone back on the same page. We shall see. I suspect that he was well liked - but may have had some maturity issues- and it is possible that is going to be a set back for a team that looked liked they had a lot of chemistry to start the year.



Whatever the case, I hate it for him and Duke. Really thought he was starting to mature. Will this make us better? Closer? Or hurt us with depth and chemistry?

It is the coaching staff's job to make this work, basketball-wise and chemistry-wise, and I am confident they will do just that.

[bob blue devil]

this sort of stuff just turns me off to sports as entertainment in general. i've been a rasheed fan because... i don't know why. i know next to nothing about him; i guess i do know he played for my team, seemed quite talented, made some valuable contributions over the years, and never gave me a reason to dislike him. everything else was a canvas for my imagination, which of course i filled with good things. now i feel like a fool and disenchanted (and is still have no idea what happened, but it couldn't have been good and certainly nothing my imaginary rasheed would have done). but can i really just move on and look at my imaginary jahlil, tyus, marshall, matt, quinn, justise, amile, and grayson the same way as i had? nope; time must pass and i must forget my skepticism like i always have to do when one of these kids turns out to be human.

[OldSchool]

I agree with this. Hell, even Bobby Hurley had some attitude issues, but no player with simple problems of comportment has ever been ejected from the program like this. I think it must be something more.

Agree. If you look at the language of the press release -- "live up to the standards required" and "to represent Duke University" and "to conduct oneself in a certain manner" -- it sounds much more serious than attitude issues.

Such a drastic move applied to Rasheed seems like something in the nature of an intervention to try to shock him into recognizing the seriousness of his conduct and to get himself on a positive track. It must be something more important than basketball, and sounds like he could use our prayers and hopes that he will get things turned around.

[DukeDevil]

this sort of stuff just turns me off to sports as entertainment in general. i've been a rasheed fan because... i don't know why. i know next to nothing about him; i guess i do know he played for my team, seemed quite talented, made some valuable contributions over the years, and never gave me a reason to dislike him. everything else was a canvas for my imagination, which of course i filled with good things. now i feel like a fool and disenchanted (and is still have no idea what happened, but it couldn't have been good and certainly nothing my imaginary rasheed would have done). but can i really just move on and look at my imaginary jahlil, tyus, marshall, matt, quinn, justise, amile, and grayson the same way as i had? nope; time must pass and i must forget my skepticism like i always have to do when one of these kids turns out to be human.

Wow...this really sums up my feelings so well. Probably how a lot of us feel.

[wgl1228]

@stevewisemanNC: Story coming soon on Sulaimon. Situation goes back to last year. Not a singular event. No police issue. Wore out welcome.

[Kjeffrey]

It seems counterintuitive, but for Rasheed's sake, as well as for the larger Duke family, I hope that it actually WAS something truly, exceptionally bad and not just a final straw in a long line of transgressions. If Rasheed really screwed up in a big way, he can still be ok down the road - if he hasn't run into any trouble with the law, he should be able to pick himself up and recover from his mistakes. At least he and his teammates could understand this drastic step, perhaps even agree that it was justified, and learn from it.

But to take what by all accounts is a completely unprecedented step in the program for a "final straw" event would seem cruel to me, and would be contrary to the impression that I have of the Duke program and the Duke family. As has been noted, other problem players (e.g. Greg Newton) were given a heavy doghouse treatment, banished from practice and to the end of the bench, whatever - but ultimately their punishment was handled in house, without a very public, very terse "get out, and may God have mercy on your soul" type of statement. Some of Duke's all time greats (e.g. JJ) have also admitted that there were times when they did not meet the "standards of commitment to the program" but ultimately shaped up under the (sometimes harsh) direction of coaches. Rasheed obviously had trouble with his attitude, but he came into the program as a kid who seemed humble and ready to be a good teammate. It's really sad for this to happen just days away from Rasheed hugging K and his wife after win 1K and then leading the DBP piece in the locker room among team members that considered him family.

So while I trust in Coach K, I would hate to think that this ends up looking like a "are you in or out, with us or against us" method of circling the wagons to pull together the team's basketball performance as it bumps and falters somewhat in the middle of the season. I hope that we do learn the details, and that we all nod our heads and say "Oh, I get it now." Otherwise, to kick a team member to the curb would be very disappointing, even if that player was letting the team down and needed to be dragged along.

This is very well said. Many on this board are completely in support of Coach K's decision. I find myself being a little more skeptical. If I have learned anything in life it is that there are always two sides to a story and what really happened is somewhere in the middle. I am sad to see Rasheed go and wish him nothing but the best.

[Henderson]

@stevewisemanNC: Story coming soon on Sulaimon. Situation goes back to last year. Not a singular event. No police issue. Wore out welcome.

Laura Keeley tweeted that her article will be up as soon as it's written. Luke DeCock already has a story up on the N&O site, and he gets in a jab at K for the whole "Rasheed/Doghouse" flap.

[roywhite]

I trust Coach K on this; not only is he a great coach, he has become an expert on leadership and the psychology of successful organizations. This sounds like something that went on for a while, and Coach K made a difficult decision to remove Rasheed from the program.

Wish the best for Rasheed, and it's my hunch the team will respond well.

[Reilly]

... The program has been through countless 6-game stretches over the past 35 years where we've struggled as much or sometimes much worse than what this team has endured recently, and none of the previous stretches have resulted in a dismissal. There is no connection between Sheed getting dismissed now and the recent losses ...

With respect to the part I bolded, we may never know ... there could be a bit of connection.

Were the losses the reason to take the action? No, i do not think that.

Would the rough patch increase pressure and tension, on both players and coaches, and cause the player to act out in an unproductive way, and cause the coaches to be less than forgiving? Makes sense to me.

A lot of times, when things go bad, there can be all sorts of reasons that contribute to things going badly. I could see the recent rough patch being the equivalent of a couple of Jenga tiles being removed from the tower, and then other things made the whole thing crumble.

[Troublemaker]

Laura Keeley tweeted that her article will be up as soon as it's written. Luke DeCock already has a story up on the N&O site, and he gets in a jab at K for the whole "Rasheed/Doghouse" flap.

Here is the DeCock story: http://www.newsobserver.com/2015/01/29/4515591/decock-sulaimon-dismissal-leaves.html

Excerpt:


Junior guard Rasheed Sulaimon’s sudden and shocking dismissal from the program – a first in Mike Krzyzewski’s 35 seasons at Duke – did nearly as much damage to Duke’s prospects for the rest of the season as an Okafor injury of any severity might have.


Sorry but that is ridiculous. I love Sheed but Duke is as deep at SG as we've ever been, really. It hurts to lose a player, but it hurts us in the right place: shooting guard.

[hudlow]

Quite often I have step back and remind myself that in most cases in collegiate sports that the players are still in or barely out of their teens. They come from all countries and all walks of life.

I really liked Sheed. He's brought me to my feet many times while watching him play basketball.

Stuff happens.

Good luck, Rasheed.

GO DUKE!

[Lennies]

I hope the NCAA lets Rasheed transfer without the year penalty. Obviously he did something to prompt his dismissal, but penalizing him a year after transfer seems unfair.

[jipops]

Well this isn't to the level of talent loss as say a Will Graves... </sarcasm> but it does diminish the team quite a bit. I don't feel I know any more than that to form an opinion on this.

Best of luck to you Sheed, I hope you find your way.

[CDu]

Here is the DeCock story: http://www.newsobserver.com/2015/01/29/4515591/decock-sulaimon-dismissal-leaves.html

Excerpt:

j

[COLOR=#333333][FONT=Arial]Sorry but that is ridiculous. I love Sheed but Duke is as deep at SG as we've ever been, really. It hurts to lose a player, but it hurts us in the right place.



Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2015/01/29/4515591/decock-sulaimon-dismissal-leaves.html#storylink=cpy

Yeah, I agree that this is ridiculous. SG is the only position in which we could survive an injury. If Tyus Jones, Winslow, Jefferson, or Okafor goes down, that's far worse. Losing Cook would be worse. Frankly, aside from losing Allen or (maybe) Plumlee, I can't think of a clearly less impactful loss.

That's not to say that losing Sulaimon doesn't hurt. It does. But if there is one position we are able to replace a loss, it is at backup SG.

Now we'll see a few more minutes per game for Winslow, more minutes for Jefferson (because Winslow can't play as much at PF anymore), a few more minutes for Allen, and a good bit of added playing time for Matt Jones.

[wilson]

I love Sheed but Duke is as deep at SG as we've ever been, really. It hurts to lose a player, but it hurts us in the right place.Mostly agreed. Not only are we relatively deep at that position, but in my opinion, that's been an area of weakness this season anyway. On-ball defending and shooting are both below what we're accustomed to.

[devil84]

It seems counterintuitive, but for Rasheed's sake, as well as for the larger Duke family, I hope that it actually WAS something truly, exceptionally bad and not just a final straw in a long line of transgressions. If Rasheed really screwed up in a big way, he can still be ok down the road - if he hasn't run into any trouble with the law, he should be able to pick himself up and recover from his mistakes. At least he and his teammates could understand this drastic step, perhaps even agree that it was justified, and learn from it.

But to take what by all accounts is a completely unprecedented step in the program for a "final straw" event would seem cruel to me, and would be contrary to the impression that I have of the Duke program and the Duke family. As has been noted, other problem players (e.g. Greg Newton) were given a heavy doghouse treatment, banished from practice and to the end of the bench, whatever - but ultimately their punishment was handled in house, without a very public, very terse "get out, and may God have mercy on your soul" type of statement. Some of Duke's all time greats (e.g. JJ) have also admitted that there were times when they did not meet the "standards of commitment to the program" but ultimately shaped up under the (sometimes harsh) direction of coaches. Rasheed obviously had trouble with his attitude, but he came into the program as a kid who seemed humble and ready to be a good teammate. It's really sad for this to happen just days away from Rasheed hugging K and his wife after win 1K and then leading the DBP piece in the locker room among team members that considered him family.

So while I trust in Coach K, I would hate to think that this ends up looking like a "are you in or out, with us or against us" method of circling the wagons to pull together the team's basketball performance as it bumps and falters somewhat in the middle of the season. I hope that we do learn the details, and that we all nod our heads and say "Oh, I get it now." Otherwise, to kick a team member to the curb would be very disappointing, even if that player was letting the team down and needed to be dragged along.

While I understand and appreciate your line of thinking, there is a lot of speculation here. At this time, we don't know what Rasheed did, and all we have is a single quote from Coach K that doesn't tell us much.

For those of us who have been affiliated with the team, "standards of commitment to the program" has a fairly broad meaning. I know Coach K enjoys building the character of his players as well as building their basketball acumen, which is one reason why running afoul of that rule, even repeatedly, isn't necessarily cause for dismissal. To be the first one kicked off the team in 35 years, well, something had to be amiss. I'll refrain from offering possible scenarios that would counter yours, because mine, too, would be speculation, which is prohibited on this board.

One thing you said really jumped out at me: to assign K's motives at this time, even speculatively, to "are you in or out, with us or against us" and that he's booting someone out that should be helped is not fair to K, Rasheed, or the team. That is baseless speculation that is close to rumor mongering. Because a number of people have quoted your post and agreed with you, I feel strongly that instead of deleting your post and any responses, it needs to be addressed.

Please, everyone, let's refrain from speculation on this board. Want to speculate? Do it offline/privately with your friends, where your words won't stand on the Internet forever.

[gep]

@stevewisemanNC: Story coming soon on Sulaimon. Situation goes back to last year. Not a singular event. No police issue. Wore out welcome.

Someone else mentioned Coach K's recent comment that something wasn't "right" since the Christmas break. But the comment above says the situation goes back to last year.:confused:

[jipops]

Yeah, I agree that this is ridiculous. SG is the only position in which we could survive an injury. If Tyus Jones, Winslow, Jefferson, or Okafor goes down, that's far worse. Losing Cook would be worse. Frankly, aside from losing Allen or (maybe) Plumlee, I can't think of a clearly less impactful loss.

That's not to say that losing Sulaimon doesn't hurt. It does. But if there is one position we are able to replace a loss, it is at backup SG.

Now we'll see a few more minutes per game for Winslow, more minutes for Jefferson (because Winslow can't play as much at PF anymore), a few more minutes for Allen, and a good bit of added playing time for Matt Jones.

I still don't think we'll see much of Allen, probably not anymore than we've seen him so far. In the minutes he's played he has looked out of place at this level. I just don't think he's ready to contribute. So my bet is we're looking at a 7-man rotation the rest of the way, which is not remotely unheard of with K.

[wilson]

Someone else mentioned Coach K's recent comment that something wasn't "right" since the Christmas break. But the comment above says the situation goes back to last year.:confused:I'm not discounting your reasoning, and I share the widespread desire to know what really happened, but K's comment and Rasheed's dismissal need not necessarily have anything to do with each other; in fact, I think it fairly likely that they don't. Call it a gut feeling or whatever, but the abrupt nature of the dismissal and its unprecedented nature lead me to believe that it wouldn't be the culmination of several weeks' simmer. I believe that Rasheed had landed himself on thin ice with behavioral and/or attitude issues, and then I think something relatively dramatic happened that triggered the nuclear option, if you will.

[dukelifer]

It is the coaching staff's job to make this work, basketball-wise and chemistry-wise, and I am confident they will do just that.

It is indeed- but these kids are not robots. They can only do so much. I am sure today was very emotional and they will not have much time to process. Other guys will have to step up. This team just got even younger and thinner. This will be a hard job going forward for this coaching staff. Dismissing a player is not easy on anyone. I would suspect the K will not be sleeping well tonight.

[UrinalCake]

The fact that he was dismissed, with no possibility of reinstatement, is what makes this so bizarre. Most of the possible scenarios that I can dream up in my head would lead to him being benched, or possibly suspended for a period of time, but not completely severing all ties with him.

I've always felt that Coach K was harder on Rasheed than some of his teammates. He didn't name him a captain, didn't name him a starter during the preseason last year, and he's more stingy with his playing time. I just chalked it up to K recognizing that tough love was the best way to motivate Sheed. But now, I can see that something else was going on and has been for some time.

Selfishly, I have moved on and care mostly about how this will affect the team and the program. I really hope he hasn't done anything that would reflect negatively on the program. And I hope he leaves in good academic standing, because that will affect our APR. Looking forward to seeing more of Grayson and also seeing how the team responds in our next game, a brutal trip to UVA.

[FerryFor50]

Yeah, I agree that this is ridiculous. SG is the only position in which we could survive an injury. If Tyus Jones, Winslow, Jefferson, or Okafor goes down, that's far worse. Losing Cook would be worse. Frankly, aside from losing Allen or (maybe) Plumlee, I can't think of a clearly less impactful loss.

That's not to say that losing Sulaimon doesn't hurt. It does. But if there is one position we are able to replace a loss, it is at backup SG.

Now we'll see a few more minutes per game for Winslow, more minutes for Jefferson (because Winslow can't play as much at PF anymore), a few more minutes for Allen, and a good bit of added playing time for Matt Jones.

I'm curious if it hurts or helps morale.

It was no secret that his on-court attitude was poor at times. I think that had an effect on his teammates.

However, he was seemingly well liked by all his teammates.

It's hard to imagine the on-court stuff being enough to cause the dismissal, so there had to be other stuff, too. Hopefully Sheed can come out of this a better player and person. He can go the D-league route still, I think, as Robert Upshaw of Washington (who was dismissed for drugs) is likely going to do. So he doesn't need to sit out a year and transfer.

Just a really unfortunate situation all around and I wish the timing had been better. Doing it right after a tough loss makes it look scape-goat-y, even if it's not. I know K doesn't care about what other people think and I'm sure he made the best decision for the program, but I'd have rather seen a suspension and then dismissal later.

[cspan37421]

With Quinn and Tyus handling the ball, I think we'll go a bit bigger and use Alex Murphy more.

Not ahead of Bill Jackman!

[Pghdukie]

Remember the old adage-"When the going gets tough - the tough gets going" . I think K will motivate everyone.

[Henderson]

This will be a hard job going forward for this coaching staff.... I would suspect the K will not be sleeping well tonight.

Hard job? Poor sleep? Imagine being in the Sports Information Office.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I would suspect the K will not be sleeping well tonight.


Hard job? Poor sleep? Imagine being in the Sports Information Office.
Imagine being Rasheed...

[Kfanarmy]

Here is the DeCock story: http://www.newsobserver.com/2015/01/29/4515591/decock-sulaimon-dismissal-leaves.html

Excerpt:



Sorry but that is ridiculous. I love Sheed but Duke is as deep at SG as we've ever been, really. It hurts to lose a player, but it hurts us in the right place: shooting guard.

rediculous article. Adds no value to the BB landscape, just selling advertising off the big Duke headline.

[tux]

I'm not discounting your reasoning, and I share the widespread desire to know what really happened, but K's comment and Rasheed's dismissal need not necessarily have anything to do with each other; in fact, I think it fairly likely that they don't. Call it a gut feeling or whatever, but the abrupt nature of the dismissal and its unprecedented nature lead me to believe that it wouldn't be the culmination of several weeks' simmer. I believe that Rasheed had landed himself on thin ice with behavioral and/or attitude issues, and then I think something relatively dramatic happened that triggered the nuclear option, if you will.

I think this sounds like a reasonable guess. I can't imagine this step being taken unless there was something relatively big that happened...albeit on the heels of probably a series of smaller incidents. I'm now very anxious to see how the team responds on Saturday.

[mgtr]

I have no idea what happened in the Sheed saga. It is human nature to be curious, but I don't think it is really any of my business. I think a story (or maybe several) will come out, but our coach is not going to confirm or deny it. I will defer to Coach K in basketball and in leadership skills, so I wouldn't second guess him (except when I clearly know better about basketball:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:).

[Troublemaker]

I still don't think we'll see much of Allen, probably not anymore than we've seen him so far. In the minutes he's played he has looked out of place at this level. I just don't think he's ready to contribute. So my bet is we're looking at a 7-man rotation the rest of the way, which is not remotely unheard of with K.

If Grayson has looked bad, it is partly because he has had no set role in the rotation. He could play 0 minutes, he could play 5 minutes, he could come in for a 30 second stint to give someone a breather or to give a foul and then not re-appear again. It's tough being the 6th perimeter player.

If you give Grayson a solid, consistent 10 minutes a game as the 5th perimeter player, I think he will play well.

[dukelifer]

Imagine being Rasheed...

I would be surprised if Rasheed stays the semester. It wont be easy being on campus during the season. I suspect he will go back home.

[FerryFor50]

If Grayson has looked bad, it is partly because he has had no set role in the rotation. He could play 0 minutes, he could play 5 minutes, he could come in for a 30 second stint to give someone a breather or to give a foul and then not re-appear again. It's tough being the 6th perimeter player.

If you give Grayson a solid, consistent 10 minutes a game as the 5th perimeter player, I think he will play well.

Agreed. Right now, when he gets in, he's overthinking and not relying on his natural talent and athleticism. We saw a glimpse of what he can do on the strip/steal against St. John's.

Regular minutes will help him acclimate more.

[wilson]

If Grayson has looked bad, it is partly because he has had no set role in the rotation. He could play 0 minutes, he could play 5 minutes, he could come in for a 30 second stint to give someone a breather or to give a foul and then not re-appear again. It's tough being the 6th perimeter player.

If you give Grayson a solid, consistent 10 minutes a game as the 5th perimeter player, I think he will play well.I think this is an optimistic take on the situation, but I'd have said the same re: Casey Sanders at this point in 2001, or Brian Zoubek at this point in 2010.

[tux]

I would be surprised if Rasheed stays the semester. It wont be easy being on campus during the season. I suspect he will go back home.

I hate that for Rasheed, but you're probably right. Regardless of the reason or reasons, it's a sad day for Duke basketball.

[DUKIE V(A)]

I hope the NCAA lets Rasheed transfer without the year penalty. Obviously he did something to prompt his dismissal, but penalizing him a year after transfer seems unfair.

I have no idea how many credits shy of his degree Sheed is, but it is quite possible he could be in position to earn his Duke degree after this semester. Should that be the case, I image he would be eligible to transfer and play immediately as a graduate student. I wish Sheed the best, and also trust that Coach K did what was best for the team. I hate it for Rasheed now, but hopefully it will ultimately prove to be a valuable life lesson.

[tux]

I think this is an optimistic take on the situation, but I'd have said the same re: Casey Sanders at this point in 2001, or Brian Zoubek at this point in 2010.

While I agree that Grayson could play better with more opportunity, it's not like K hasn't won with a 7 man rotation before.

With so much depth on the wing (before today), several players (esp. Matt) have played very aggressive defense, often picking up some silly fouls. That's going to have to be reigned in now, whether Grayson gets a lot more minutes or not.

[roywhite]

I still don't think we'll see much of Allen, probably not anymore than we've seen him so far. In the minutes he's played he has looked out of place at this level. I just don't think he's ready to contribute. So my bet is we're looking at a 7-man rotation the rest of the way, which is not remotely unheard of with K.


If Grayson has looked bad, it is partly because he has had no set role in the rotation. He could play 0 minutes, he could play 5 minutes, he could come in for a 30 second stint to give someone a breather or to give a foul and then not re-appear again. It's tough being the 6th perimeter player.

If you give Grayson a solid, consistent 10 minutes a game as the 5th perimeter player, I think he will play well.

One positive precedent would be Elliot Williams, who struggled and barely played until February of his freshman year, and then actually started and played well. I doubt we see that dramatic of an emergence for Grayson, but I think he could well become a solid contributor. IMO, he'll get the chance to do so.

[Troublemaker]

With respect to the part I bolded, we may never know ... there could be a bit of connection.

Were the losses the reason to take the action? No, i do not think that.

Would the rough patch increase pressure and tension, on both players and coaches, and cause the player to act out in an unproductive way, and cause the coaches to be less than forgiving? Makes sense to me.

A lot of times, when things go bad, there can be all sorts of reasons that contribute to things going badly. I could see the recent rough patch being the equivalent of a couple of Jenga tiles being removed from the tower, and then other things made the whole thing crumble.

Okay, Reilly, you're right. That would be one possible connection.

But it looks like we both agree that the dismissal would've occurred whether Duke is 17-3, 20-0, 10-10, or 0-20 -- assuming Rasheed's misconduct was the same across all records (which it may not be, as you've pointed out.)

[ncexnyc]

A real leader of men would have made the kid run wind sprints :)

Quite a contrast to how the ship is run 8 miles down the road.

[Dukehky]

I don't think that this is going to paint anyone in a good light as news comes out.

[OldSchool]

WRAL (http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke-guard-sulaimon-dismissed-from-program/14404529/#g71IuzcsyOVB5k2q.99)


Sources told WRAL's Jeff Gravley that this was not drug related and Sulaimon was not involved in a fight after the loss at Notre Dame or on the flight home. There was a pattern of conduct and attitude issues that began his freshman year and finally the bucket of tolerance overflowed. Sulaimon and Coach Mike Krzyzewski met Thursday and the decision was made to dismiss the junior guard. He is the first player Krzyzewski has ever dismissed from his program.

[wilson]

While I agree that Grayson could play better with more opportunity, it's not like K hasn't won with a 7 man rotation before.

With so much depth on the wing (before today), several players (esp. Matt) have played very aggressive defense, often picking up some silly fouls. That's going to have to be reigned in now, whether Grayson gets a lot more minutes or not.Right. The more I think about it, the more 2010 has parallels. Pack-it-in, pace-oriented play with size inside? We could certainly run that kind of system this year.

[Potato Head]

From a purely basketball perspective this isn't that big a deal, since we've got a five star recruit rotting away on the bench at the moment who should be able to make those minutes his own by tourney season.

Hopefully everyone can pull through this and come out stronger, Rasheed included.

[MCFinARL]

Probably slim to none. I would hope out of respect for Rasheed and the team, the story would stay in the Duke basketball program.

No doubt all of on this board have made mistakes, some mistakes are bigger than others. I just hope Rasheed overcomes this as well as our team.

In principle, I agree with you. But in fact, it might depend on what the reason is--some of the speculation that will inevitably arise around this may actually be worse than the truth, and if it gains currency that's not good for anybody.


Judging from the Duke Blue Planet videos it would seem like he is incredibly well liked on the team. He manned the mic for the post SJU game video and seemed very engaged http://youtu.be/TRS9AvJz5pU

Looking in from the outside, this group seems very tight.

Also the post Pitt game video http://youtu.be/5-Tz9ZhiQhQ

Yes--I agree that, at least from the outside, it looks like Sulaimon was a well-liked member of a group that appears very tight. Given the gravity of the situation it seems almost inappropriate to speculate about the impact on team chemistry--the impact on Sulaimon is more important--but it's hard not to think about it. Could be a damaging disruption that upsets and distracts the rest of the team, or it could be the crucible in which a stronger, more focused unit is formed--or something in between.


this sort of stuff just turns me off to sports as entertainment in general. i've been a rasheed fan because... i don't know why. i know next to nothing about him; i guess i do know he played for my team, seemed quite talented, made some valuable contributions over the years, and never gave me a reason to dislike him. everything else was a canvas for my imagination, which of course i filled with good things. now i feel like a fool and disenchanted (and is still have no idea what happened, but it couldn't have been good and certainly nothing my imaginary rasheed would have done). but can i really just move on and look at my imaginary jahlil, tyus, marshall, matt, quinn, justise, amile, and grayson the same way as i had? nope; time must pass and i must forget my skepticism like i always have to do when one of these kids turns out to be human.

This post really describes as well as anything the weird "relationship" fans have with college athletes--especially basketball players, whom we see close up and feel that we are getting to know, even though of course we don't really know them at all. Beyond what happens on the court, a lot of the emotional content of being a fan--the players, coaches, and teams we like and don't like--is, essentially imagined--our own projections. I feel very disappointed--really, very sad--about this, but it's hard to come up with a rational explanation why, just as it was hard for me to come up with a rational explanation why I have been feeling bummed all day about Duke losing to Notre Dame last night. It's a game. But it feels like more.

[CrazieDUMB]

He probably got caught deflating basketballs before offensive possessions, in which case good riddance.

joking, people

[YmoBeThere]

WRAL (http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke-guard-sulaimon-dismissed-from-program/14404529/#g71IuzcsyOVB5k2q.99)

Hmmm, does this open the door to this being the outcome that Rasheed wanted?

[fuse]

Laura Keeley's article is posted on newsobserver.com.

Nothing really there.

[jasoninchina]

As someone who has followed Duke MBB as an outsider since the 1988-1989 season, I was at first shocked at this turn of events. Coach K does not strike me as a man who would make a rash decision regarding a player the caliber of Rasheed Sulaimon. As my title indicates, several misdeeds must have been involved to result in such a drastic action this late in the season. I respect Coach K for making what must have been a gut-wrenching decision, and I wish Rasheed the best wherever he goes and whatever he decides to do in the future. Go Duke!

[Tripping William]

So, Rasheed doesn't get to pick the team meal anymore?

Sounds like K had a Norman Dale moment (or several of them): "What I say, with regard to this basketball team, is the law ..... unequivocally and without question!"

[tux]

Hmmm, does this open the door to this being the outcome that Rasheed wanted?

Not sure what you mean. I have a hard time believing that Rasheed was looking for this outcome.

[wavedukefan70s]

I hope whatever it is.that Rasheed works it out.hopefully continuing his career where ever he lands.good luck Rasheed .i enjoyed watching you play at duke.

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

Not sure what you mean. I have a hard time believing that Rasheed was looking for this outcome.

I'm a bit surprised that K didn't allow Sulaimon to quit the team "for personal reasons," rather than being "dismissed." Like in the corporate world, where terminated executives are usually allowed to "resign."

[DukeCrow]

The good news for Rasheed is that if he sticks around to finish out the semester, he will likely have enough credits to have a Duke degree, whether he finishes up at Duke or elsewhere. The bad news is that since this happened right after the start of the semester, he only has one year to play elsewhere if he chooses to transfer, vs. 1.5 years if he had enrolled elsewhere before the start of the semester.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe the NCAA counts eligibility by semesters but by seasons. Rasheed has played this season, so no matter if he transferred before the semester or after he'll still only have one season of eligibility left. The only "benefit" of transferring before the semester would be if Rasheed wanted to play the last half of next season -- BUT that would count as his fourth season playing so he wouldn't be able to play half of the following year. If I was Rasheed, I would rather play one more full season where ever I went than just the last half of one season. So it doesn't really matter when he was dismissed -- now, a month ago, or three months from now.

[Henderson]

I'm a bit surprised that K didn't allow Sulaimon to quit the team "for personal reasons," rather than being "dismissed." Like in the corporate world, where terminated executives are usually allowed to "resign."

We don't know that didn't happen.

In fact, we know next to nothing about this.

[1999ballboy]

Jeff Goodman posting explanation which requires ESPN Insider access

http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12249630/how-duke-moves-rasheed-sulaimon-dismissal-college-basketball?ex_cid=InsiderTwitter_GoodmanSulaimonDi smissal

Teaser: Coach K had finally had enough of Rasheed Sulaimon

If there's an explanation, I didn't find it. Atrocious article. Contains no new information and lots of "facts" about Duke basketball that are plain incorrect.

This is a shock, and yet at the same time, it sort of isn't. It's a shock that we got a full-blown dismissal with no suspensions or warnings prior. But Sheed hasn't seemed to be one of K's favorites. I thought he should be playing more and really getting most of Matt's minutes this year, on a purely talent-related basis. And whenever K praises our bench's performance, he always singles out Matt and Marshall, but rarely Sheed, even when he plays well. But of course, I did not know the whole story. I still don't, but as K has never dismissed anyone before for any reason other than academics and on one occasion drugs, this is obviously not something that he took lightly.

I was a fan of Rasheed's on the court and never thought of him as a bad guy off of it. I'm gonna miss him and feel bad for him for a while.

[NashvilleDevil]

Hmmm, does this open the door to this being the outcome that Rasheed wanted?

What on earth does this mean?

[SupaDave]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe the NCAA counts eligibility by semesters but by seasons. Rasheed has played this season, so no matter if he transferred before the semester or after he'll still only have one season of eligibility left. The only "benefit" of transferring before the semester would be if Rasheed wanted to play the last half of next season -- BUT that would count as his fourth season playing so he wouldn't be able to play half of the following year. If I was Rasheed, I would rather play one more full season where ever I went than just the last half of one season. So it doesn't really matter when he was dismissed -- now, a month ago, or three months from now.

The NCAA counts eligibility by semester. It's why Alex Murphy is now playing for Florida and why Semi will be playing next year at this time.

[MCFinARL]

I'm a bit surprised that K didn't allow Sulaimon to quit the team "for personal reasons," rather than being "dismissed." Like in the corporate world, where terminated executives are usually allowed to "resign."

Yes, although perhaps because Duke has had players, like Elliott Williams, who really did transfer for personal reasons, it didn't seem right to use that explanation here. It does suggest that, for better or worse, Coach K had had it and wanted to make it clear that this was a final decision.

[jv001]

Anyone that's been in a management position for a long time, has probably had an employee that can get under your skin. They disrupt the flow of everyday activities and cause friction among the staff. Production slows and all of sudden the family atmosphere is suddenly gone. I'm not saying that's the issue with Rasheed and Coach K, but it is a possibility. GoDuke!

[Furniture]

this sort of stuff just turns me off to sports as entertainment in general. i've been a rasheed fan because... i don't know why. i know next to nothing about him; i guess i do know he played for my team, seemed quite talented, made some valuable contributions over the years, and never gave me a reason to dislike him. everything else was a canvas for my imagination, which of course i filled with good things. now i feel like a fool and disenchanted (and is still have no idea what happened, but it couldn't have kbeen good and certainly nothing my imaginary rasheed would have done). but can i really just move on and look at my imaginary jahlil, tyus, marshall, matt, quinn, justise, amile, and grayson the same way as i had? nope; time must pass and i must forget my skepticism like i always have to do when one of these kids turns out to be human.

This really sums up how I feel. Time will heal I hope.

[roywhite]

If there's an explanation, I didn't find it. Atrocious article. Contains no new information and lots of "facts" about Duke basketball that are plain incorrect.

This is a shock, and yet at the same time, it sort of isn't. It's a shock that we got a full-blown dismissal with no suspensions or warnings prior. But Sheed hasn't seemed to be one of K's favorites. I thought he should be playing more and really getting most of Matt's minutes this year, on a purely talent-related basis. And whenever K praises our bench's performance, he always singles out Matt and Marshall, but rarely Sheed, even when he plays well. But of course, I did not know the whole story. I still don't, but as K has never dismissed anyone before for any reason other than academics and on one occasion drugs, this is obviously not something that he took lightly.

I was a fan of Rasheed's on the court and never thought of him as a bad guy off of it. I'm gonna miss him and feel bad for him for a while.

Well, the dismissal was surprising, but it's not correct to say there were no suspensions or warnings. Rasheed's DNP -- Coaches Decision vs Michigan last season was well publicized and discussed. There were clearly issues for a while, and apparently they continued, to a point where Coach K took this action.

[CDu]

Well, the dismissal was surprising, but it's not correct to say there were no suspensions or warnings. Rasheed's DNP -- Coaches Decision vs Michigan last season was well publicized and discussed. There were clearly issues for a while, and apparently they continued, to a point where Coach K took this action.

Yeah, it is not completely and totally out of left field. It is weird that no public punishment beyond the one-game benching was given before the dismissal. I am sure some internal punishments happened, but the lack of a subsequent (longer?) benching didn't come first is a little weird. But as you said, it is not like he had no blemishes prior to this.

In any case, sad that it came to this. I am hopeful the decision proves beneficial for all parties.

[_Gary]

We don't know that didn't happen.

In fact, we know next to nothing about this.

Actually, I think we do know that much simply because that's how the release stated it. He was "dismissed". But regardless, it's a sad situation for everyone involved.

[Henderson]

Actually, I think we do know that much simply because that's how the release stated it. He was "dismissed". But regardless, it's a sad situation for everyone involved.

I should have been clearer: We don't know if Rasheed was given the opportunity to request a transfer in lieu of dismissal. That would have been the equivalent of offering a corporate exec the opportunity to resign. We just don't know and shouldn't speculate.

So much we don't know, and so much speculation.

[_Gary]

I should have been clearer: We don't know if Rasheed was given the opportunity to request a transfer in lieu of dismissal. That would have been the equivalent of offering a corporate exec the opportunity to resign. We just don't know and shouldn't speculate.

So much we don't know, and so much speculation.

Gotcha. I was referring to the fact that Coach K made it crystal clear that this was a dismissal (the first ever while here at Duke). I'm sure had they both agreed to it earlier today, the wording of the press release could have been tweaked, allowing for Rasheed to have asked for his release due to personal reasons. But it's clear that, for whatever reason, Coach K wasn't going to allow that to be the exit strategy used here. He made a statement by doing it the way he did.

Sad for sure.

[duke79]

With Quinn and Tyus handling the ball, I think we'll go a bit bigger and use Alex Murphy more.

LOL........yea.......K needs to get on the phone right away to Billy Donovan to tell him we need Alex Murphy back...PRONTO!!

On a more serious note, I realize this is both shocking and upsetting to many people on this board, BUT Duke basketball will survive and Rasheed will survive. Coach K is getting paid $8 million a year ($160,000 per WEEK!!) to run the program in the best way possible. We have to trust that he knows what he is doing. Furthermore, we're not talking about fighting World War III here. It's just a game.

[allenmurray]

Imagine being Rasheed...

One of the very few comments that I have read that is not concerend with either Coach K's reputation, Duke's reputation, generally being nosy, or our potential to keep winning. Thanks Chris for reminding us that this is the life of a young man who is only 20, and for whom this is a huge blow.

[YmoBeThere]

What on earth does this mean?

There was a discussion between Coach and player. I don't think it entirely unreasonable that a range of outcomes was discussed and Rasheed had a hand in influencing this.

[DukePA]

One of the very few comments that I have read that is not concerend with either Coach K's reputation, Duke's reputation, generally being nosy, or our potential to keep winning. Thanks Chris for reminding us that this is the life of a young man who is only 20, and for whom this is a huge blow.

Amen. My heart breaks for Rasheed.

[CDu]

Amen. My heart breaks for Rasheed.

I feel bad for everyone involved (not just Sulaimon). Sulaimon apparently earned this dismissal, so while it is certainly saddening for him, it is also awful for his teammates and friends on the team, for the coaching staff, and everyone involved. There is nothing positive about needing to dismiss a player from the team. The only thing we can hope is that all parties make a lemonade out of this lemon of a situation.

[ncexnyc]

Amen. My heart breaks for Rasheed.

An interesting sentiment.:confused:

[Kjeffrey]

I'm curious if it hurts or helps morale.

It was no secret that his on-court attitude was poor at times. I think that had an effect on his teammates.

However, he was seemingly well liked by all his teammates.

It's hard to imagine the on-court stuff being enough to cause the dismissal, so there had to be other stuff, too. Hopefully Sheed can come out of this a better player and person. He can go the D-league route still, I think, as Robert Upshaw of Washington (who was dismissed for drugs) is likely going to do. So he doesn't need to sit out a year and transfer.

Just a really unfortunate situation all around and I wish the timing had been better. Doing it right after a tough loss makes it look scape-goat-y, even if it's not. I know K doesn't care about what other people think and I'm sure he made the best decision for the program, but I'd have rather seen a suspension and then dismissal later.


One of the very few comments that I have read that is not concerend with either Coach K's reputation, Duke's reputation, generally being nosy, or our potential to keep winning. Thanks Chris for reminding us that this is the life of a young man who is only 20, and for whom this is a huge blow.

As a parent, my heart breaks for Sulaimon. Maybe I am being too soft but I think that Coach K's statement was pretty harsh even if it was true. While I realize it didn't need to be sugar coated I feel like it could have been said differently. Now there is all this speculation about Sulaimon's behavior and what he did to deserve this dismissal. It just stinks!

[NYBri]

Here's what we know.

A young man, a Duke student, is no longer playing basketball for his school and his time on campus may be over. For that alone, I feel really really bad. All the rest really doesn't matter.

The reason I feel so bad for Rasheed is that I was once a Duke student, and, although I didn't play basketball, it was an experience I cherish and would have been crushed if it was taken away before my senior year.

I wish him well.

[Atldukie79]

I agree with the various posts that acknowledge our limited insight into who the players really are in real life. Our image of them surely results from our observations of them on the court...but they also are formed from the many video clips generated from Duke showing the harmony and good natured interplay of the team. By all accounts, Rasheed was a gregarious part of the team and well liked. Those images makes it even harder to fathom a pattern of behavior over time detrimental to the team.

I suppose that we should remember that these delightful video images should be viewed as entertaining, however they are more promotional than insightful in nature.

[CDu]

As a parent, my heart breaks for Sulaimon. Maybe I am being too soft but I think that Coach K's statement was pretty harsh even if it was true. While I realize it didn't need to be sugar coated I feel like it could have been said differently. Now there is all this speculation about Sulaimon's behavior and what he did to deserve this dismissal. It just stinks!

I'm quite sure Coach K (as a parent and grandparent) realizes that this statement was harsh. I suspect that there was a reason for the harshness. From our perspective it may seem harsh, but we don't know any of the details. It could be that this was absolutely warranted. I tend to trust Coach K's ability to "read the room." This was a measured, thought-out statement, not an emotional outburst on his part. That suggests that Sulaimon's transgressions must have REALLY irked the staff.

[_Gary]

I'm quite sure Coach K (as a parent and grandparent) realizes that this statement was harsh. I suspect that there was a reason for the harshness. From our perspective it may seem harsh, but we don't know any of the details. It could be that this was absolutely warranted. I tend to trust Coach K's ability to "read the room." This was a measured, thought-out statement, not an emotional outburst on his part. That suggests that Sulaimon's transgressions must have REALLY irked the staff.

Agreed. Coach K has been around too long, and gotten all things Duke right way too often, for me to start questioning him now (with no hard facts). He knows what he said and I'm 100% positive he did what he had to do for the team and Rasheed. Sometimes balancing the wants/needs of the individual with the wants/needs of the whole community make for tough decisions. To be honest, for this to be the first time in 35 years he's had to out and out dismiss a player is amazing and speaks to how good of a man we have leading this program.

Of course I'm heartbroken for Rasheed and wish him all the best. But I'll not question Coach K's decision here in the least. And neither should anyone else unless they are privy to a lot of facts that the rest of us don't have. But that's just my two cents. Feel free to disagree if you want.

Go Duke!

[moonpie23]

Imagine being Rasheed...


imagine being K......with all we know about this man's character, imagine having to do this..... :(

[pfrduke]

This news just makes me sad.

[Mabdul Doobakus]

Agreed. Coach K has been around too long, and gotten all things Duke right way too often, for me to start questioning him now (with no hard facts). He knows what he said and I'm 100% positive he did what he had to do for the team and Rasheed. Sometimes balancing the wants/needs of the individual with the wants/needs of the whole community make for tough decisions. To be honest, for this to be the first time in 35 years he's had to out and out dismiss a player is amazing and speaks to how good of a man we have leading this program.

Of course I'm heartbroken for Rasheed and wish him all the best. But I'll not question Coach K's decision here in the least. And neither should anyone else unless they are privy to a lot of facts that the rest of us don't have. But that's just my two cents. Feel free to disagree if you want.

Go Duke!

Yeah, this is more or less where I stand. Coach K doesn't do this unless he's really been pushed to do this. I trust in Coach K. I've always enjoyed having Rasheed on the basketball team, and I'm sad that it has come to this, but I'm sure that he earned this. And I have a feeling that if the facts ever do come out about this, people won't be quite as sympathetic towards Sheed. I'm not saying anything negative about the outpouring of support for Sheed...I'm just saying this is probably one of those "ignorance is bliss" type of situations here.

[Duke95]

Ultimately, we're all people before we're Duke fans, and I think Rasheed's situation needs to be evaluated with that in mind.
We don't know what happened, but I can imagine this is a very difficult time in a young man's life, and that should be the focus.

[DukePA]

An interesting sentiment.:confused:

??? and you confuse me.

[ncexnyc]

??? and you confuse me.
Probably best for me not to respond with my thoughts on this matter until all the facts are made public, if they ever are.

[Trey21]

Still in shock over this one especially since Sheed always seemed to wear the Duke jersey with pride. As a basketball player and as person I hope he continues to develop. I wish him nothing but the best. He has been one of my personal favorites over the past 2.5 years.

On other note, I'm thinking about Cook and wondering when is the last time a senior has seen so many people leave the program over his tenure?

Coaching staff - Collins and Wojo
Players - Gbinije, Murphy, Ojeleye, and now Sulaimon

[DukePA]

Probably best for me not to respond with my thoughts on this matter until all the facts are made public, if they ever are.

I don't understand. I feel you're calling me out. Can I not be sad for Rasheed? He's a young man who obviously made mistakes. (glass houses, people). Bottom line, I don't believe the details are any of our business. I still don't understand your response to my comment. Regardless, I'm sad for Rasheed, and everyone else involved. Is that acceptable?

[sagegrouse]

The NCAA counts eligibility by semester. It's why Alex Murphy is now playing for Florida and why Semi will be playing next year at this time.

Isn't that a different reg --- governing how long one must sit out before playing as a transfer? If a player plays one game in November 2014 and then another game in March 2016, he has used up two years of eligibility, even though he only played in one semester each season.

[ncexnyc]

I don't understand. I feel you're calling me out. Can I not be sad for Rasheed? He's a young man who obviously made mistakes. (glass houses, people). Bottom line, I don't believe the details are any of our business. I still don't understand your response to my comment. Regardless, I'm sad for Rasheed, and everyone else involved. Is that acceptable?

Ok, since you want to press the matter then here goes. I can't feel sad for an individual who has been given a golden opportunity and doesn't take advantage of it.

In the past when discussing the knuckleheads over at UN Cheat, P.J. in particular I've voiced the opinion that cutting a kid some slack is fine, as long as they turn things around and sail the straight and narrow. From all the info that has surfaced with Rasheed it would appear that he's had issues and that Coach K. finally said, enough is enough.

I think a better word for you to have used would be DISAPPOINTED!

[kcduke75]

Good points. I am sad and disappointed

[Kjeffrey]

Yeah, this is more or less where I stand. Coach K doesn't do this unless he's really been pushed to do this. I trust in Coach K. I've always enjoyed having Rasheed on the basketball team, and I'm sad that it has come to this, but I'm sure that he earned this. And I have a feeling that if the facts ever do come out about this, people won't be quite as sympathetic towards Sheed. I'm not saying anything negative about the outpouring of support for Sheed...I'm just saying this is probably one of those "ignorance is bliss" type of situations here.

I am one of those feeling very badly for Sulaimon right now which is probably clouding my ability to see this situation objectively. And you are 100% correct in that I probably don't want to know the details. I just can't believe it came to this.

[duke09hms]

I am one of those feeling very badly for Sulaimon right now which is probably clouding my ability to see this situation objectively. And you are 100% correct in that I probably don't want to know the details. I just can't believe it came to this.

Ignorance is definitely bliss, and I am proud of K for doing the right thing, valuing integrity over winning. Sad situation all around, but Rasheed definitely earned it.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Many highly recruited HS players base the decision on what school to attend by who is already there playing in front of them…… potential playing time.

I am sure that coaches from all schools make promises to recruits about playing time among other things.

Maybe Rasheed felt as though his deal wasn't being met and his attitude displayed his dissatisfaction.

I have no doubt it was an attitude and morale problem.
Coach K certainly presents a vision to each recruit but it is well known that he makes no promises to anyone. You gotta earn it with him. And keep earning it.

[Kjeffrey]

Coach K certainly presents a vision to each recruit but it is well known that he makes no promises to anyone. You gotta earn it with him. And keep earning it.

I am sure you are right. At the same time, I bet it is not easy for guys to play with teammates who only stay for one year. Not an excuse at all but I can imagine the frustration.

[#1Duke]

Coach K certainly presents a vision to each recruit but it is well known that he makes no promises to anyone. You gotta earn it with him. And keep earning it.

Oh, I believe that. I would suspect that vision is a "best case scenario vision"….. subject to change depending on who we recruit next year and how we evaluate ( somewhat subjectively ) your performance at that time.
It's that small print that most of us tend to overlook!!:D

[gep]

I got wind of this within an hour of the news. I've been very sad ever since... and still sad. Many folks are now looking at the team, how does the team cope, how does the team go forward. All of these are real concerns, but I'm really sad for Rasheed. I'm so sorry that it came to this, but based on the press release, Rasheed apparently brought this upon himself. Coach K must have really had "enough"... whatever that was. I'm sure this decision was not made on the spur-of-the-moment. Good luck, Rasheed.

[Kedsy]

I would be surprised if Rasheed stays the semester. It wont be easy being on campus during the season. I suspect he will go back home.

According to the press release, "Sulaimon remains in good academic standing and is expected to finish the spring semester." Obviously, expectations don't always become reality, but it was a pretty short press release and they still made the effort to say this.


One positive precedent would be Elliot Williams, who struggled and barely played until February of his freshman year, and then actually started and played well. I doubt we see that dramatic of an emergence for Grayson, but I think he could well become a solid contributor. IMO, he'll get the chance to do so.

While it's true Elliot Williams had more or less dropped out of the rotation and then came back to start, he played way more than Grayson has. Below is a month-by-month comparison of mpg (counting DNP-CDs as 0 minutes), in the months leading up to Febrary:

Elliot Williams
NOVEMBER: 15.9 mpg
DECEMBER: 11.4 mpg
JANUARY: 4.5 mpg

Grayson Allen
NOVEMBER: 8.7 mpg
DECEMBER: 3.4 mpg
JANUARY: 2.1 mpg

It's really not close. And I don't think it's quite accurate to say Elliot "barely played" prior to February. So I'm not sure how good a precedent Elliot would actually be for Grayson's situation.


I think Luke Kennard will play more pg at Duke next year than Sheed.

This time, despite my previous demurrals, I almost have to agree with your prediction. Though it's still not a lock. If Tyus stays, Rasheed and Luke both might play the same amount of time at PG next season.

[DukeCrow]

The NCAA counts eligibility by semester. It's why Alex Murphy is now playing for Florida and why Semi will be playing next year at this time.
When they can start playing is a different matter than how many seasons they're eligible to participate in. NCAA rules stipulate that a DI athlete that transfers must attend the school they transferred to for one academic year before they are eligible to play. The rules also state they have 4 seasons of eligibility not 8 semesters. And they say an athlete has used up a season of competition the moment they spend one second on the playing field. See page 29 in the transfer rules.
http://www.gogriffs.com/pdf9/2293885.pdf

Also, see this explanation.
http://cjonline.com/blog-post/jesse-newell/2014-12-16/difference-between-conner-frankamp-and-semi-ojeleyes-transfers

[neemizzle]

I think what stings most is the fact that it came right after a loss. Can we truthfully say that we would be having this discussion if we would have pulled it out against ND? Just a thought. Don't hound me for asking that, but something had to have happened either in the last couple of days that broke the camels back or something. It's shocking, but as others have pointed out, I do feel at least a little sad for Sheed. You could tell when he did make mistakes, that he would be frustrated with himself for making said mistake.

I don't know what happened, but the team we do have now is the team we got. I seem to remember everyone ready to throw in the towel after the Miami game, and we've came out of that stretch towards basically the homestretch, with a loss to ND (not a completely terrible loss, considering it really came down to free throws) and possibly the biggest blow of them all, Sheed now gone. But everyone going into that seemingless "must-win" game at Louisville, convinced K wouldn't figure it out and we would fall flat on our faces, we came together with a truly remarkable recovery at Louisville.

Different situation obviosuly, but can we at least give them some hope? I'm sure most of the team is hungry to prove the critics wrong. They've been critiqued for every move they make, whether it be a turnover game, missed FT game, and truth be told, when they've had these "big moment" games, they have pulled it together.

Forgive me for my positiveness, just trying to be a shimmer of light here.

:D

[daveduke76]

As a parent, my heart breaks for Sulaimon. Maybe I am being too soft but I think that Coach K's statement was pretty harsh even if it was true. While I realize it didn't need to be sugar coated I feel like it could have been said differently. Now there is all this speculation about Sulaimon's behavior and what he did to deserve this dismissal. It just stinks!

It would have been so much better if this happened a month ago. Coach K said the team has been off since the break. I wonder if this is part of the reason. Would have been better if Sheed's could have transferred somewhere this semester

[daveduke76]

An interesting sentiment.:confused:

I wonder what Sheed's daemons are? Too bad it went down this way

[allenmurray]

Ok, since you want to press the matter then here goes. I can't feel sad for an individual who has been given a golden opportunity and doesn't take advantage of it.

In the past when discussing the knuckleheads over at UN Cheat, P.J. in particular I've voiced the opinion that cutting a kid some slack is fine, as long as they turn things around and sail the straight and narrow. From all the info that has surfaced with Rasheed it would appear that he's had issues and that Coach K. finally said, enough is enough.

I think a better word for you to have used would be DISAPPOINTED!

I've always found it odd when one person feels they know what another person's emotions should be. If CathyPA is sad it is her right to be sad. You don't get to decide for her whether sad or disappointed is the more appropriate emotion - she alone gets to choose how she feels. And as she said (and she speaks for a good sized group of us) I'm also reminded of why I used to be an active DBR member and now rarely venture here.

It is possible to understand that K might have done the right/necessary thing and still have sadness for the young man (not yet 21 years old) involved.

[dukelifer]

I knew something was up with Rasheed Sulaimon early last year.

Since then until now, I have thought about it and even wanted to start a thread about it but thought bringing it up wouldn't be productive and a good idea.

I never thought something like this would happen.

It was obvious to me from watching Rasheed play that he was not happy, especially last season and it carried over to this season.

I think the explanation for todays action is pretty simple……Rasheed was unhappy, his attitude was bad and it finally came to a head with Coach K becoming unwilling to deal with it any more.

It had to be hard on Rasheed coming off the bench the last two seasons when he was so highly touted ( rightly so ) and the stud his freshman year. When you are that competitive, it is hard for some personality types to deal with becoming second fiddle.

Yesterday was a hard loss and I believe emotions were/are running high within the team. Rasheed rushing that 3 point attempt ( at end of game) and shooting so far out was a bad choice and perhaps he got called out for it and went off. Rank speculation on my part but something happened between that shot and his dismissal.

Many highly recruited HS players base the decision on what school to attend by who is already there playing in front of them…… potential playing time.

I am sure that coaches from all schools make promises to recruits about playing time among other things.

Maybe Rasheed felt as though his deal wasn't being met and his attitude displayed his dissatisfaction.

I have no doubt it was an attitude and morale problem.
Then why not transfer? Lots of player get unhappy and most leave on their own terms. He did not leave on his terms. I have no doubt that whatever it was- it has happened before. But I do not think it was unhappiness or dissatisfaction.

[dukelifer]

According to the press release, "Sulaimon remains in good academic standing and is expected to finish the spring semester." Obviously, expectations don't always become reality, but it was a pretty short press release and they still made the effort to say this.



While it's true Elliot Williams had more or less dropped out of the rotation and then came back to start, he played way more than Grayson has. Below is a month-by-month comparison of mpg (counting DNP-CDs as 0 minutes), in the months leading up to Febrary:

Elliot Williams
NOVEMBER: 15.9 mpg
DECEMBER: 11.4 mpg
JANUARY: 4.5 mpg

Grayson Allen
NOVEMBER: 8.7 mpg
DECEMBER: 3.4 mpg
JANUARY: 2.1 mpg

It's really not close. And I don't think it's quite accurate to say Elliot "barely played" prior to February. So I'm not sure how good a precedent Elliot would actually be for Grayson's situation.



This time, despite my previous demurrals, I almost have to agree with your prediction. Though it's still not a lock. If Tyus stays, Rasheed and Luke both might play the same amount of time at PG next season.

I am sure the press release simply made clear that Duke has not kicked him out of the Univeristy which would require many levels of approval. If he stays at Duke, he will show a lot of character. But basketball is so intertwined with the player's identities that I do not see it happening. It is not like he can join another team on campus. He will need a lot of time to process what happened. Hard to focus on anything as a result.

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

We all have our vices, our problems, our demons that eat away at us and cause us to get in trouble at some point in our lives. I don't think there is a single person on this planet who can truly say they haven't made mistakes or done something deserving of harsh treatment. I have and very recently and I am an adult who should know better by now. Sheed is just a kid, and he deserves a second chance somewhere. It seems that Duke gave him multiple chances and finally had to let him go. Hopefully this is a lesson well learned by the young man and he can move on to have a successful life in whatever he chooses to do.

This brings me back to a conversation in another thread about one and done's and whether we really consider them Duke guys. Many said even if they won a national title they still wouldn't really be Duke guys because they were only here one year. How about Sheed now, released for what can only be speculated as disciplinary reasons, is he a true Duke guy for being here almost 3 years and then dismissed?

I only bring this up because I have come to realize that it doesn't really matter in the long run. These are just kids in the most important times of their lives. They have to make decision and those decisions will echo through their lives for eternity. What these basketball players who entertain us and bring joy to us decide in the 1, 2, 3, or 4 years they spend at Duke is really up to them. They could care less what us as fans think about their decisions, and that's how it should be. We aren't the ones supporting their family or picking their next career if they don't make the NBA. Perhaps we should all take a deep breathe, and remember basketball to us is just a game that we watch for entertainment purposes. We bleed whatever school color we cheer for because it brings us emotion, it may be joy, sadness, elation, or disappointment. In the end, these kids we watch, and that we put so much pressure on to make us happy are just kids just like we were at one point. Could you handle the pressure that you personally put on this team to succeed year in and year out. As Duke fans we are extremely demanding, and every failure as a player, person, and team is looked at with a microscope and is national news. We go down, and everyone knows it. Hell, as fans we have a hard time sleeping and don't want to face our rival coworkers who were cheering for the other guys. This is how we feel as fans, imagine it from the players perspective. They know what kind of standard they must live up to, and it is a huge undertaking.

I for one am happy to have seen the kid play for the time he did here at Duke. He brought me joy, and now he this news brings me sadness. However, I won't think anything less of the kid, and I won't be disappointed in him. The pressure he puts on himself is enough to bare without me adding to it whether he knows about it or not. I only have hope for him, that he can turn this into a positive in his life. Hopefully this will be a turning point for him and he goes on to be a great member of our world. Then we can look back and say, that guy was a "Duke Guy" and be proud that we once got to see him play basketball. We are just fans, for them its their entire LIFE!

[throatybeard]

Here's what makes a young man in early middle age go hmmm.

If sustained attitude problems are sufficient to get oneself ejected from the program, how did Josh McRoberts make it even halfway through Advent in 2006-07?

[Sir Stealth]

While I understand and appreciate your line of thinking, there is a lot of speculation here. At this time, we don't know what Rasheed did, and all we have is a single quote from Coach K that doesn't tell us much.

For those of us who have been affiliated with the team, "standards of commitment to the program" has a fairly broad meaning. I know Coach K enjoys building the character of his players as well as building their basketball acumen, which is one reason why running afoul of that rule, even repeatedly, isn't necessarily cause for dismissal. To be the first one kicked off the team in 35 years, well, something had to be amiss. I'll refrain from offering possible scenarios that would counter yours, because mine, too, would be speculation, which is prohibited on this board.

One thing you said really jumped out at me: to assign K's motives at this time, even speculatively, to "are you in or out, with us or against us" and that he's booting someone out that should be helped is not fair to K, Rasheed, or the team. That is baseless speculation that is close to rumor mongering. Because a number of people have quoted your post and agreed with you, I feel strongly that instead of deleting your post and any responses, it needs to be addressed.

Please, everyone, let's refrain from speculation on this board. Want to speculate? Do it offline/privately with your friends, where your words won't stand on the Internet forever.

I didn't have the opportunity to read and respond to this yesterday, but I think you're finding content in my post that wasn't there. I did not assign or speculate as to any motives, I simply said what I hope not to see in the wake of this situation. There have already been plenty of reactions along the lines of hoping that this will be a wake up call, a turning point, or some other moment of cohesion that solves intangible issues with the team. I disagree that it speculates about what happened to see this as a possibility for the story that we end up with when the dust settles. Even if the team's on court performance was the furthest thing from Coach K's mind when making this decision, I don't want to see the unprecedented dismissal of a player for having a bad attitude problem show up in narratives (especially those reporting from team sources) describing Coach K's tough minded mastery if the team goes on to success. As you say, there have been plenty of times in the past where players weren't lined up with the standards of the team (or when the team had more on court trouble than they are experiencing now), so such a step shouldn't be necessary to right the ship.

ESPN has a "source close to the team" report this morning saying something to the effect of "his talent wasn't enough to overcome his attitude baggage." That's obviously a vague source and should be evaluated as such, but I hate to see Rasheed's basketball ability referenced as a factor weighing into the decision. The other reports from Keeley, et al. that have come out describe this as an "accumulation" situation and don't reference any one of the wild rumors that inevitably have flown around as justification. If the "last straw/accumulation" scenario proves true, and I still look at that as only one possible scenario for what ultimately comes out about this (with your "something [serious] had to be amiss" being another), it would disappoint me that such a drastic step would be taken.

[Troublemaker]

This brings me back to a conversation in another thread about one and done's and whether we really consider them Duke guys. Many said even if they won a national title they still wouldn't really be Duke guys because they were only here one year. How about Sheed now, released for what can only be speculated as disciplinary reasons, is he a true Duke guy for being here almost 3 years and then dismissed?


Oh, he's one of us, alright.

In about a year and a half, he's going to start receiving the Duke alumni mail / magazines that will trail him for the rest of his life. It doesn't matter if he moves out-of-state and doesn't update the school with his new address. They will find him. It doesn't matter if he moves several times throughout his life. They will find him.

Sheed is One of Us, One of Us, One of Us, for life.

[Flyers52]

Is it beyond the realm of possibility that Rasheed could continue his studies at Duke, and possibly return? I'm just so confused by the situation. If Rasheed takes the necessary steps to correct his attitude issues (whatever/however that may be), does anyone think K would take him back?

In regards to joining another team, at my alma mater (D1 school in the northeast), a member of the men's basketball team couldn't continue playing due to health reasons, and then he joined the track & field team doing the High Jump.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Had some time to gather my thoughts this morning on the way to work, this is in essence what I posted on Facebook. I don't know the reason for the dismissal; my guess is if it is bad enough we'll find out at some point.
I wish Rasheed the best, but in the murkiness of not knowing the exact reason, it is pretty clear that whatever it was that earned him his dismissal had to be very distasteful. As Duke fans, we should take pride in knowing that our coaching staffs (Coach Cut has done it) do the right thing and kick a player off their teams instead of going the route of UNC and FSU, catering to the satisfaction of boosters for the sake of more victories.
While we take a hit on the court, as a university and a program we will be better for this action in the long run. I'm reminded of a few of the lamp posts leading to Cameron and Wallace Wade next to the Card Gym lot.

4675 4676 4677

[detule]

It seems counterintuitive, but for Rasheed's sake, as well as for the larger Duke family, I hope that it actually WAS something truly, exceptionally bad and not just a final straw in a long line of transgressions.

I think you are over-simplifying the matter - not all repeated transgressions are made equal. I have no knowledge of the situation but to me the following two patterns of behavior are not equal in severity:

1. Repeatedly failing to invest himself 100% in practices.
2. Repeatedly mouthing off to the head coach, and at times physically threatening to managers and young assistants.

Again I have no knowledge of the situation and will reserve judgement - even in the form of


I would hate to think that this ends up looking like a "are you in or out, with us or against us" method of circling the wagons to pull together the team's basketball performance as it bumps and falters somewhat in the middle of the season

which, by the way, is an exceptionally leading statement. In the meantime, I have no problems sleeping at night, knowing that the guy in charge has managed personalities that range the entire width of the spectrum, and this is the first time he felt there was no other recourse.

[CarmenWallaceWade]

Is it beyond the realm of possibility that Rasheed could continue his studies at Duke, and possibly return? I'm just so confused by the situation. If Rasheed takes the necessary steps to correct his attitude issues (whatever/however that may be), does anyone think K would take him back?

In regards to joining another team, at my alma mater (D1 school in the northeast), a member of the men's basketball team couldn't continue playing due to health reasons, and then he joined the track & field team doing the High Jump.

Considering this is the first time K has dismissed someone, I'd bet the farm this is a done deal. He's a junior. This has built up over time. Opportunities were given to him to correct his attitude and for whatever reason(s) he wasn't able to. Time to cut ties and move forward. I hate we've lost him, but it is what it is.

[Mike Corey]

Sulaimon is done playing basketball at Duke. I can confirm that.