Duke players from past who weren't good FRESH/SOPH year then became solid?

[TAZORAC]

What are some players from the past who weren't contributors their freshman/sophomore years then became good? Most recently it was Plumlee, really didn't do anything the first 3 seasons and was possibly the MVP his senior season. Cherokee Parks was just as good as Laetner his senior season..wasn't really good for first 2. Who else?

[CDu]

What are some players from the past who weren't contributors their freshman/sophomore years then became good? Most recently it was Plumlee, really didn't do anything the first 3 seasons and was possibly the MVP his senior season. Cherokee Parks was just as good as Laetner his senior season..wasn't really good for first 2. Who else?

Ryan Kelly.

[TAZORAC]

Ryan Kelly.

Forgot about Kelly, I think he averaged like 13 points a game his senior year.

[rsvman]

Zoubek

[rthomas]

Phil Henderson.

[JNort]

Loaaaddddsssss of people.

Amile Jefferson
Quinn Cook
Nolan Smith
MP1
MP2
MP3
Zoubek
Thomas
Ryan Kelly

Do I need to go on?

[CDu]

Loaaaddddsssss of people.

Amile Jefferson
Quinn Cook
Nolan Smith
MP1
MP2
MP3
Zoubek
Thomas
Ryan Kelly

Do I need to go on?

To be fair, almost all of those on your list were contributors as freshmen. So they wouldn't qualify in this discussion.

[Channing]

Cherokee Parks was just as good as Laetner his senior season..wasn't really good for first 2. Who else?

Sorry ... you lost me here.

[Avvocato]

I guess if you are being really technical, Cherokee Parks can go on the list because he wasn't a huge contributor as a freshman. However, he was in the rotation as a freshman on the national champions (and played important minutes/produced in the final four that year). However, If Parks is on the list, I think so should Grayson Allen. Grayson didn't do much his freshman year but played better towards the end of the season before his coming out party at the final four. He then exploded as a sophomore.

[jimsumner]

John Smith
Alaa Abdelnaby
Brian Davis
Thomas Hill
Marty Clark
Eric Meek
Greg Newton
Carmen Wallace
Lee Melchionni
Sean Dockery
David McClure
Miles Plumlee
Ryan Kelly
Tyler Thornton
Quinn Cook
Marshall Plumlee
Matt Jones

et. al.

[Avvocato]

I also meant to add Marty Clark.

[scottdude8]

Zoubek

There are many good answers to this question. There is only one right answer. That's Brian Zoubek (see my signature, haha). And I'll (figuratively) fight anyone who says different.

[CDu]

John Smith
Alaa Abdelnaby
Brian Davis
Thomas Hill
Marty Clark
Eric Meek
Greg Newton
Carmen Wallace
Lee Melchionni
Sean Dockery
David McClure
Miles Plumlee
Ryan Kelly
Tyler Thornton
Quinn Cook
Marshall Plumlee
Matt Jones

et. al.

Again, many of these guys don't actually fit the criteria. Many of them were contributors as freshmen, and some of them never got "really good" while at Duke.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

What are some players from the past who weren't contributors their freshman/sophomore years then became good? Most recently it was Plumlee, really didn't do anything the first 3 seasons and was possibly the MVP his senior season. Cherokee Parks was just as good as Laetner his senior season..wasn't really good for first 2. Who else?

For the record, I disagree vehemently with this.

[mgtr]

What are some players from the past who weren't contributors their freshman/sophomore years then became good? Most recently it was Plumlee, really didn't do anything the first 3 seasons and was possibly the MVP his senior season. Cherokee Parks was just as good as Laetner his senior season..wasn't really good for first 2. Who else?

I understand now. The OP is playing a silly sentence game. The format is probably: "Random player 1" was just as good as "random player 2" his "random year" .. wasn't really good for "random other year."
Makes sense now.

[rthomas]

Laettner did miss an important free throw during his freshman year.

[Olympic Fan]

Silly debate ... basically because nobody has defined their terms.

Players who "weren't good freshmen and sophomore seasons."

So far I've seen guys like Nolan Smith, Cherokee Parks mentioned. Both were rotation players as freshmen ... as a soph, Parks was a starter who averaged 12.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and shot 65 percent from the floor. Nolan played 500 minutes as a freshman and averaged almost six points a game. As a soph, Nolan started at the point for most of the season ....

Several others mentioned were limited as fresh/sophs by injuries -- Brian Zoubek and Gerald Henderson come to mind.

Also, there's a difference between being not good and not getting a lot of opportunity because of veterans ahead. That was what limited Parks as a freshman, playing behind senior Christian Laettner (and, yes, the statement that Parks was a good as Laettner as a senior is one of the more ridiculous things posted on this board)

The other term that needs to be defined is "solid" -- what does that mean? Started? Was in the rotation? Won all-star honors?

I love historical debate, but please, let/s be a bit more focused.

[TAZORAC]

Loaaaddddsssss of people.

Amile Jefferson
Quinn Cook
Nolan Smith
MP1
MP2
MP3
Zoubek
Thomas
Ryan Kelly

Do I need to go on?

Amile Jefferson, cook and Dockery are all similar...they were "kinda solid as Freshman" and never got much better :(

[jimsumner]

Amile Jefferson, cook and Dockery are all similar...they were "kinda solid as Freshman" and never got much better :(

Quinn Cook never got much better than he was as a freshman.

We have a winner, here folks. The silly season will have to work really hard to top this.

[Channing]

Amile Jefferson, cook and Dockery are all similar...they were "kinda solid as Freshman" and never got much better :(

fee fiii fooo fummm....

[NashvilleDevil]

Quinn Cook never got much better than he was as a freshman.

We have a winner, here folks. The silly season will have to work really hard to top this.

That comment is 2nd to their senior Cherokee Parks was as good as senior Christian Laettner.

[Kedsy]

A person who joined the forum this week and spells his (or her) user name in all caps, spends his/her 2nd, 3rd, and 4th posts on the forum to start three new threads seemingly for the sole purpose of making ridiculous statements... and yet seasoned DBR veterans feel obligated to respond. My question is why?

[jimsumner]

A person who joined the forum this week and spells his (or her) user name in all caps, spends his/her 2nd, 3rd, and 4th posts on the forum to start three new threads seemingly for the sole purpose of making ridiculous statements... and yet seasoned DBR veterans feel obligated to respond. My question is why?

Slow day at work? Target practice? Beats watching Steve Harvey?

[Troublemaker]

A person who joined the forum this week and spells his (or her) user name in all caps, spends his/her 2nd, 3rd, and 4th posts on the forum to start three new threads seemingly for the sole purpose of making ridiculous statements... and yet seasoned DBR veterans feel obligated to respond. My question is why?

TAZORAC (all caps) is the brand name of an acne cream. Needs to be mentioned. For the time being, I'm enjoying this character.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

A person who joined the forum this week and spells his (or her) user name in all caps, spends his/her 2nd, 3rd, and 4th posts on the forum to start three new threads seemingly for the sole purpose of making ridiculous statements... and yet seasoned DBR veterans feel obligated to respond. My question is why?

Offseason. Gotta hone our skills.

Imagine how far we could have gone in 2015 if Cook had improved?

[CameronBlue]

Offseason. Gotta hone our skills.

Imagine how far we could have gone in 2015 if Cook had improved?

Yeah, what we really needed was a 3 year veteran at PG who would've understood that his team needed a strong contributor at the 2 and who would not merely have just accepted the role but who would have also excelled at it. That could have gotten us a long way, maybe even could've swept UNC. Oh, Quinn and the wishes of the wayward heart. I wouldn't bet against that person being in the pros right now.

[OldPhiKap]

Amile Jefferson, cook and Dockery are all similar...they were "kinda solid as Freshman" and never got much better :(

See, there's an art to trolling. Try reading some of Wheat's work. This is just lazy, really.

7351

[CameronBlue]

See, there's an art to trolling. Try reading some of Wheat's work. This is just lazy, really.

Yeah but Wheat trolls for a living. Rumor has it he has a sponsor and everything, "Bait & Switch" I think they're called.

[Troublemaker]

See, there's an art to trolling. Try reading some of Wheat's work. This is just lazy, really.

I think TAZORAC (may he RIP) was a parody poster rather than troll. There was a short-lived thread a few days ago in which he spelled Luke's name "Konnard." There's no way anyone spells it with an 'o' except on purpose, perhaps to parody how often Duke player names are misspelled. Suggesting that Duke needs to play BIG with Javin, Marques, and Vrank starting together in the frontcourt is also parody, imo.

I wouldn't say any of TAZORAC's work was LOL-worthy but I smiled at a few things and would've given him some space to grow into the role. Then again, maybe I'm just giving him too much credit, and he's dumb or something.

[Rich]

See, there's an art to trolling. Try reading some of Wheat's work. This is just lazy, really.

7351

Wow, with a 90% off coupon, who cares what it treats!? Where can I get me some?

[YmoBeThere]

I think TAZORAC (may he RIP) was a parody poster rather than troll. There was a short-lived thread a few days ago in which he spelled Luke's name "Konnard." There's no way anyone spells it with an 'o' except on purpose, perhaps to parody how often Duke player names are misspelled. Suggesting that Duke needs to play BIG with Javin, Marques, and Vrank starting together in the frontcourt is also parody, imo.

I wouldn't say any of TAZORAC's work was LOL-worthy but I smiled at a few things and would've given him some space to grow into the role. Then again, maybe I'm just giving him too much credit, and he's dumb or something.

So, you are saying he wasn't a real Troublemaker?

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

TAZORAC (all caps) is the brand name of an acne cream. Needs to be mentioned. For the time being, I'm enjoying this character.
Apparently one of the side effects is irritation. Just saying.

[OldPhiKap]

Apparently one of the side effects is irritation. Just saying.

"CAUTION: May cause trolling."

[hudlow]

TAZORAC spelled backwards starts with CARO...

It shoulda been a dead giveaway.

[TKG]

TAZORAC (all caps) is the brand name of an acne cream. Needs to be mentioned. For the time being, I'm enjoying this character.

Maybe the OP is Mike O'Koren......

[moonpie23]

the champion and savior of the 2010 Duke Men's Basketball Team....


BRI-ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN ZUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUBBBBBBBEEEEEKKKKKKK.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

TAZORAC spelled backwards starts with CARO...

It shoulda been a dead giveaway.
It was a dead giveaway from his/her first post the other day. Anyway, acne cream seems like an appropriate identity for a heel to assume.

[sagegrouse]

Anyway, the OP had a reasonable question. Limiting myself to the coach K era, we have mainstays who didn't a lot for either their first year or firstand second year:

Quin Snyder
Billy King
Kevin Strickland
Alaa
Phil Henderson
Brian Davis
Erik Meek
Lee Melchionni
Sean Dockery
Brian Zoubek
Andre Dawkins -- but probably sui generis
Marshall Plumlee

Anyway, that's my list. Not as many recently as in the 1990's -- some transfer who would have been good if they had stayed.

[NSDukeFan]

Offseason. Gotta hone our skills.

Imagine how far we could have gone in 2015 if Cook had improved?
This season may have ended differently had we been a little sharper this season. Gotta get ready for next year.

[OldPhiKap]

This season may have ended differently had we been a little sharper this season. Gotta get ready for next year.

We
Let
The whole team down

[YmoBeThere]

We
Let
The whole team down

Yes, one of these days they will har me yelling at my TV.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

A person who joined the forum this week and spells his (or her) user name in all caps, spends his/her 2nd, 3rd, and 4th posts on the forum to start three new threads seemingly for the sole purpose of making ridiculous statements... and yet seasoned DBR veterans feel obligated to respond. My question is why?
And just what's wrong with spelling your screen name in all caps? Hmm? :) LGD GTHc!

[OZZIE4DUKE]

It was a dead giveaway from his/her first post the other day. Anyway, acne cream seems like an appropriate identity for a heel to assume.
Only if he's Mike O'Koren! Permanent captain of the all acne team!

[Kedsy]

And just what's wrong with spelling your screen name in all caps? Hmm? :) LGD GTHc!

Oh... it looks good on you, though.

[duketaylor]

Oh... it looks good on you, though.

Do you get a free bowl of soup with that hat?

[fidel]

Do you get a free bowl of soup with that hat?

You guys were something before electricity.

[TKG]

Only if he's Mike O'Koren! Permanent captain of the all acne team!

See the reference to Mr. O'Koren up thread......

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

For the record, I disagree vehemently with this.

The OP has made one of the most controversial statements I've ever read.

[Newton_14]

The OP has made one of the most controversial statements I've ever read.

Nah... it was one of the most "ridiculous" statements we've ever read...

[burnspbesq]

Maybe the OP is Mike O'Koren...

Awww ... that's just unnecessarily and gratuitously mean.

[RPS]

For the record, I disagree vehemently with this.
In other news, I'm having a bit of trouble keeping up with Usain Bolt.