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View Full Version : Duke to Dominican Republic (cancelled; knee)



wsb3
05-23-2017, 10:54 AM
http://duke.247sports.com/Bolt/Duke-Basketball-heading-to-Dominican-Republic-in-August-52864213


First trip since 2011...This has to help with such a young team.

CrazyNotCrazie
05-23-2017, 11:08 AM
http://duke.247sports.com/Bolt/Duke-Basketball-heading-to-Dominican-Republic-in-August-52864213


First trip since 2011...This has to help with such a young team.

Interesting. Thanks. Looks like Calipari and his consigliere Orlando Antigua are no longer there and the coach is now a local. I'm assuming Towns is not traveling back to the DR for these exhibitions.

This will be a great opportunity for the team to work together and try to gel. This was likely also a nice selling point in the effort to get Duval as I'm sure it has been in the works for a while.

duke79
05-23-2017, 11:14 AM
I'm surprised Coach K has never taken a team to Poland, the birthplace of his parents.

Troublemaker
05-23-2017, 11:22 AM
Oooh, excited to hear this.

And now, for the first time, I'm actually worried about ESPN's cutbacks. If I recall correctly, ESPN showed all our scrimmages for the China trip, which was awesome and probably left many Duke-haters seething. Unfortunately, I'm not sure ESPN is going to be willing to cover our scrimmages this time around, despite the travel costs being much less to the Dominican Republic. If ESPN's tightening the belt, this seems like one of those things that would get cut out, and it'd be an easy decision.

If I'm right, hopefully GoDuke steps up to the plate. Send Spatola over there and give us some coverage and a streaming option.

Bluedog
05-23-2017, 11:37 AM
Oooh, excited to hear this.

And now, for the first time, I'm actually worried about ESPN's cutbacks. If I recall correctly, ESPN showed all our scrimmages for the China trip, which was awesome and probably left many Duke-haters seething. Unfortunately, I'm not sure ESPN is going to be willing to cover our scrimmages this time around, despite the travel costs being much less to the Dominican Republic. If ESPN's tightening the belt, this seems like one of those things that would get cut out, and it'd be an easy decision.

If I'm right, hopefully GoDuke steps up to the plate. Send Spatola over there and give us some coverage and a streaming option.

ESPN didn't actually send anybody over to China/Dubai, though. They had Gottlieb and somebody else view it on a TV monitor and do the commentary from the US. Obviously, the cameramen and equipment needed to broadcast it have to be there, though, but I assume that can be done relatively cheaply/with local resources. I assume this is going to be like a "junior" DR national team? Similar to what we saw in China.

Troublemaker
05-23-2017, 11:48 AM
ESPN didn't actually send anybody over to China/Dubai, though. They had Gottlieb and somebody else view it on a TV monitor and do the commentary from the US. Obviously, the cameramen and equipment needed to broadcast it have to be there, though, but I assume that can be done relatively cheaply/with local resources. I assume this is going to be like a "junior" DR national team? Similar to what we saw in China.

Ah, thanks for the clarification. I agree that it'll most likely be a junior team (U21/22/23) we face.

sagegrouse
05-23-2017, 12:47 PM
http://duke.247sports.com/Bolt/Duke-Basketball-heading-to-Dominican-Republic-in-August-52864213


First trip since 2011...This has to help with such a young team.

No details yet:

According to multiple sources, the Duke Basketball team will travel to the Dominican Republic in August to face off against the Dominican National Team. The program has not taken an overseas trip preseason since 2011 when they went to China and Dubai to play four exhibition games against the U-23 Chinese National Team and the United Arab Emirates National Team.

Olympic Fan
05-23-2017, 01:53 PM
Great news, if confirmed.

The beauty is not the exhibition games the team will play in the DR, but the fact that teams making summer/fall trips are given 10 days of full practice to prepare for the trip.

That will be invaluable for such a young team.

It's funny, but K is the reason that such a trip is possible. In old days (like when Duke made its first overseas trip to Italy before the 1983-84 season), incoming freshmen were not allowed to go. But in the fall of 2002, K got around the rule by going in the fall, allowing freshmen JJ Redick, Shelden Williams and company to play. Opponents screamed that he had done something wrong, but before long, everybody was doing it. The NCAA -- probably in an effort to keep too many teams from missing class time -- modified the rule to allow freshmen to participate in summer tours if they were enrolled in school.

The Duke teams that have made foreign tours have started very well on the season. The 1984 team (coming off an 11-17 season) won 14 of its first 15 games. The 1989 team was in Europe for 21 days in the summer of 1988. They won their first 13 games. And that 2003 team that went to London won its first 12 games. The 2012 team that went to China and Dubai won 12 of its first 13.

So expect this trip to help next year's team get off to a fast start.

MartyClark
05-23-2017, 02:30 PM
Good news for a very young team.

I have airline miles and am willing to burn them on Duke basketball.

Has anybody been to the Dominican Republic? I assume, but don't know, the games will be in Santo Domingo.

Go Duke!

Indoor66
05-23-2017, 02:48 PM
That is the end of the island that has trees

flyingdutchdevil
05-23-2017, 02:53 PM
Good news for a very young team.

I have airline miles and am willing to burn them on Duke basketball.

Has anybody been to the Dominican Republic? I assume, but don't know, the games will be in Santo Domingo.

Go Duke!

Been. Solid place. Some very touristy areas (Punta Cana, Cabarete) and some really chill, unexplored parts of the island. Contrary to it's reputation, DR is very safe (and I assume that reputation is because of it's proximity to Haiti and how it treats Haitians).

I mean, it's the Caribbean, so you can't go wrong. Never been to Santo Domingo but I assume it's similar to a Central American city: pretty big, concrete, but a solid launching point to areas of interest.

If I haven't already been to DR, I'd love to go. Sun and Duke basketball? Yeah - it's pretty solid.

devildeac
05-23-2017, 03:24 PM
Guessing K won't include Cal, even with his experience recruiting, err, coaching in the Dominican Republic.

:rolleyes:

JasonEvans
05-23-2017, 03:47 PM
Ah, thanks for the clarification. I agree that it'll most likely be a junior team (U21/22/23) we face.

Actually, I would not be surprised if we played the DR National Team. There are no current NBA players on that team, though they would all be considerably older and likely stronger than Duke's players.

Their best player is probably Francisco Garcia, who was a very good player for Louisville in the mid-2000s and a late first round draft pick after coming out his junior year. He played 10 years in the NBA and averaged better than 12 ppg a couple times with Sacramento. Their starting PG is also a Louisville product, Edgar Sosa, who was a starter for the Cardinals until he graduated in 2010. They also have Eloy Vargas, who was on a few very good Kentucky teams, but did not play a lot for them. The rest of the DR National Team is guys who largely did not play for significant college basketball teams. Most of them play in the Dominican professional league, league though a couple play in Spain and Greece, which are among the better international leagues.

It would be hard for Duke to match up physically with these MEN, but we would likely be more skilled. It could be a very good game.

-Jason "that said, I would not be surprised if we played a younger national team -- no reason to get beat up at the start of your college career" Evans

MarkD83
05-23-2017, 04:23 PM
This is a carry-over discussion from the 2017 recruiting thread...so anyway...

I really like this trip for this Duke team. I hope they concentrate on team defense and if they lose a few games so be it. I think the 2017 team suffered from injuries early and games where team D could have been taught and improved but Duke did not have the right players available.

BD80
05-23-2017, 04:25 PM
...

-Jason "...-- no reason to get beat up at the start of your college career" Evans

There's a VERY good reason - to get the attention of the youngsters, to show them that raw skill isn't everything, to show them how much work has to done in the weight room, to show them how tough the road ahead might be.

I have complete confidence in one of the best leaders of men on the planet to pull the right strings.

This, and better health at the start of the season, is what last years team needed.

Olympic Fan
05-23-2017, 04:25 PM
Actually, I would not be surprised if we played the DR National Team. There are no current NBA players on that team, though they would all be considerably older and likely stronger than Duke's players.

Their best player is probably Francisco Garcia, who was a very good player for Louisville in the mid-2000s and a late first round draft pick after coming out his junior year. He played 10 years in the NBA and averaged better than 12 ppg a couple times with Sacramento. Their starting PG is also a Louisville product, Edgar Sosa, who was a starter for the Cardinals until he graduated in 2010. They also have Eloy Vargas, who was on a few very good Kentucky teams, but did not play a lot for them. The rest of the DR National Team is guys who largely did not play for significant college basketball teams. Most of them play in the Dominican professional league, league though a couple play in Spain and Greece, which are among the better international leagues.

It would be hard for Duke to match up physically with these MEN, but we would likely be more skilled. It could be a very good game.

-Jason "that said, I would not be surprised if we played a younger national team -- no reason to get beat up at the start of your college career" Evans

Just one note -- we will probably play several games (at least three) in the DR. And don't worry much about the results. Duke was 4-3 in the summer of 1983; 3-7 in the summer of 1988 (although that team played several European Olympic teams that were just getting ready for the Olympics) and 3-1 in London in the summer of 2002.

lotusland
05-23-2017, 08:21 PM
This is great for a number of reasons but the main benefit is early relief from my off-season basketball jones. It'll be great to preview the new guys and see how the returnees are shaping up.

Is it just my imagination or did Alex Murphy look like he was going to be a player on the last trip? Was that the Austin Rivers team with 3 Plumlees?

awhom111
05-24-2017, 01:02 AM
Actually, I would not be surprised if we played the DR National Team. There are no current NBA players on that team, though they would all be considerably older and likely stronger than Duke's players.

Their best player is probably Francisco Garcia, who was a very good player for Louisville in the mid-2000s and a late first round draft pick after coming out his junior year. He played 10 years in the NBA and averaged better than 12 ppg a couple times with Sacramento. Their starting PG is also a Louisville product, Edgar Sosa, who was a starter for the Cardinals until he graduated in 2010. They also have Eloy Vargas, who was on a few very good Kentucky teams, but did not play a lot for them. The rest of the DR National Team is guys who largely did not play for significant college basketball teams. Most of them play in the Dominican professional league, league though a couple play in Spain and Greece, which are among the better international leagues.

It would be hard for Duke to match up physically with these MEN, but we would likely be more skilled. It could be a very good game.

-Jason "that said, I would not be surprised if we played a younger national team -- no reason to get beat up at the start of your college career" Evans

Yes, we should expect it to be against the full national team preparing for the FIBA AmeriCup scheduled for August 25th-September 3rd. The Dominican federation does not have the resources of China's, so they can't really afford to be gathering extra teams. I would not expect a full strength team with Al Horford or KAT and some bigger name players like Feldeine probably would not be expected, but the remaining players will have pretty solid experience and be trying to earn spots on the final roster and for qualifying games later in the year.

I will wait until the official announcement to judge how I feel about the location and opposition. I would assume that we would play some other teams besides the Dominican Republic, especially given how many national teams will be preparing during that time, so I think the competition should be pretty solid. I think that there are some other locations that I might have preferred. Going to Australia for Jack was probably a more difficult fit given the targeted time, but it would have been cool. Going to Croatia and other parts of Europe for Antonio would have been nice too with plenty of national teams in action at that time.

BD80
05-24-2017, 06:43 AM
... I think that there are some other locations that I might have preferred. Going to Australia for Jack was probably a more difficult fit given the targeted time, but it would have been cool. Going to Croatia and other parts of Europe for Antonio would have been nice too with plenty of national teams in action at that time.

How about Turkey to play against Enes Kanter? Oh, wait ...

trinity92
05-24-2017, 08:35 AM
I lived on the North Coast in Winter 2008 and took a couple trips to Santo Domingo, the Capitol, where games are likely to be played. Agree that it's way safer than usually advertised, so long as you use common sense and don't walk alone in unfamiliar neighborhoods late at night, especially while inebriated. In the real Dominican neighborhoods away from the tourists, however, locals will routinely carry a pistol itucked visibly into their pants when hanging out in the street with their families late at night. Just how it is.

Everything is super cheap other than imported hard alcohol. I suggest you drink Presidente, their local beer, or Brahma, from. Brazil and stick to their excellent rums, so long as you eschew the ubiquitous swill named Brugal and opt for Anejo versions of brands like Barcelo. If you like Blackjack, they have an option to take back half your bet if the dealer shows an Ace-- learn to say "retirar" to take advantage. PM if you have other questions.

Troublemaker
05-24-2017, 09:44 AM
Yes, we should expect it to be against the full national team preparing for the FIBA AmeriCup scheduled for August 25th-September 3rd. The Dominican federation does not have the resources of China's, so they can't really afford to be gathering extra teams.


Thanks, awhom, that make sense and is exciting. I would still expect us to arrange some scrimmages against lower-level competition (perhaps some DR club teams) before taking on the DR national team. Let's say we end up scrimmaging 5 times while down there. I would expect us to scrimmage 3 times against teams that we should be able to take care of and then 2 times against the DR national team.

As you know, a college team going against ANY country's national team is no joke. That 2014-15 Kentucky team that started 38-0 lost to the Dominican Republic (https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/03/sports/ncaabasketball/kentucky-38-0-recalls-little-of-preseason-defeat-in-bahamas.html) on their preseason trip (but also impressively notched a win over them as well).

trinity92
05-24-2017, 12:54 PM
Good news for a very young team.

I have airline miles and am willing to burn them on Duke basketball.

Has anybody been to the Dominican Republic? I assume, but don't know, the games will be in Santo Domingo.

Go Duke!

Thank me later7432

kAzE
05-24-2017, 01:53 PM
Amazing news. I am very glad we are doing it this year, with the youngest team of Coach K's tenure. I wonder how many games we will play against them. The more, the better. We need all the reps we can get.

I expect us to probably lose at least the first game. Nobody should expect a bunch of young kids who have played together for 10 days to defeat a team of men who have played together for years, even with the huge disparity in talent. We probably aren't as good as that UK team from 2015, although they were without Willie Cauley-Stein on that trip. If we win the first game, it would definitely increase my feelings of optimism for this team.

I really hope these games are televised . . . Duke basketball in August would be a dream come true.

weezie
05-25-2017, 08:44 AM
...I have airline miles and am willing to burn them on Duke basketball...

I'm thinking it may be a super cheap flight considering the time of year. Also, hhhmmm, "beisbol" games might be an added entertainment!

weezie has an anniversary coming up...I think husband-of-weezie is one lucky man!

wsb3
05-25-2017, 12:49 PM
weezie has an anniversary coming up...I think husband-of-weezie is one lucky man!

Agreed.. 😁

kAzE
07-27-2017, 04:23 PM
Not sure if this is news or not, but just read today that there will be 2 exhibition games against the Dominican team. The first game will be played 8/20 in Santiago and the 2nd game will be 8/23 in Santo Domingo.

I hope they are televised! Nothing like Duke basketball in August :)

atoomer0881
07-27-2017, 05:31 PM
Not sure if this is news or not, but just read today that there will be 2 exhibition games against the Dominican team. The first game will be played 8/20 in Santiago and the 2nd game will be 8/23 in Santo Domingo.

I hope they are televised! Nothing like Duke basketball in August :)

Even if they aren't televised, hopefully they can at least be streamed online somewhere! Like you said, I'd love to be teased with some Duke basketball in August :)

mattman91
07-27-2017, 06:05 PM
Even if they aren't televised, hopefully they can at least be streamed online somewhere! Like you said, I'd love to be teased with some Duke basketball in August :)

Yep, I'd pay to watch.

atoomer0881
07-27-2017, 07:17 PM
Yep, I'd pay to watch.

I'd pay to watch. I'd also pay to play...

NSDukeFan
07-27-2017, 07:34 PM
I'd pay to watch. I'd also pay to play...

Do you speak Dominican?

hallcity
07-27-2017, 08:40 PM
I'd pay to watch. I'd also pay to play...

Come on Duke. It's time to announce something about TV for this even if the announcement is that there will be no TV, which I'm starting to think is likely. I have found no sign online that tickets are being sold to these games. They may be closed to the public.

53n206
07-27-2017, 08:48 PM
I'd pay to watch. I'd also pay to play...

I ain't playin' 'less I'm paid. 'Caint dribble-'caint shoot. But I'm a mean defender-on ocassion even draw a foul (no 'caint shoot them either).

atoomer0881
07-28-2017, 09:57 AM
Come on Duke. It's time to announce something about TV for this even if the announcement is that there will be no TV, which I'm starting to think is likely. I have found no sign online that tickets are being sold to these games. They may be closed to the public.

Yea I've been lookin everywhere to find any kind of information regarding streaming games and I've come across nothing. Really hope that changes!

BD80
07-28-2017, 12:45 PM
Come on Duke. It's time to announce something about TV for this even if the announcement is that there will be no TV, which I'm starting to think is likely. I have found no sign online that tickets are being sold to these games. They may be closed to the public.


Yea I've been lookin everywhere to find any kind of information regarding streaming games and I've come across nothing. Really hope that changes!

For those active on social media, is there a mechanism to post a request for such info on Blue Planet's facebook or twitter accounts?

Troublemaker
07-28-2017, 04:37 PM
Yea I've been lookin everywhere to find any kind of information regarding streaming games and I've come across nothing. Really hope that changes!

I think ESPNU will have it. When Coach K was on Seth Greenberg's podcast recently, Greenberg mentioned that ESPN was looking to send him down there to cover Duke's trip. I suppose that could also be in a writing capacity, but as of now, I'd bet on TV availability.

atoomer0881
07-28-2017, 04:39 PM
I think ESPNU will have it. When Coach K was on Seth Greenberg's podcast recently, Greenberg mentioned that ESPN was looking to send him down there to cover Duke's trip. I suppose that could also be in a writing capacity, but as of now, I'd bet on TV availability.

That would be fantastic if that's the case!

Olympic Fan
08-10-2017, 02:11 PM
I was under the impression that the Dominican National Team would be a pretty tough opponent. After all, the DR currently stands No. 18 in the FIBA world rankings.

But I just found out that the Dominican National Team lost 89-75 to Mercer on Aug. 2. Mercer (a veteran team with six seniors -- very much like the Mercer team that beat Duke in the 2014 NCAA first round), played a four game series in the DR -- the national team and three club teams.

http://mercerbears.com/news/2017/8/2/mens-basketball-bears-come-out-victorious-over-dominican-republic-national-team-89-75.aspx

No clue whether or not the Dominican team was at full strength, but this close to the Tournament of the Americas it should be ... although no evidence that Karl-Anthony Towns had joined the team or not ... or if he will before the Tournament of the Americas. As of January of this year, Towns was still committed to play for the Dominican team.

Either way, the trip and the extra practices ought to be good for this young Duke team, but the competition suddenly looks a lot less formidable to me.

Chicago 1995
08-10-2017, 02:33 PM
Or maybe not.

Hope the knee heals quick, K.

DukeFanSince1990
08-10-2017, 02:36 PM
http://duke.247sports.com/Bolt/Duke-Cancels-Dominican-Republic-Trip-Coach-K-To-Have-Surgery-105977013?Notification.Success=Your+Bolt+has+been+ successfully+created

Trip canceled. Get well Coach K!

mattman91
08-10-2017, 02:42 PM
http://duke.247sports.com/Bolt/Duke-Cancels-Dominican-Republic-Trip-Coach-K-To-Have-Surgery-105977013?Notification.Success=Your+Bolt+has+been+ successfully+created

Trip canceled. Get well Coach K!

It's over.

Olympic Fan
08-10-2017, 02:42 PM
Wow, shocking news.

I saw K at the opening of the K Academy (first of June) and he was bragging about how healthy he felt. He joked that he hadn't had surgery in months.

Obviously, wish him a quick and complete recovery. It hurts to lose the DR trip -- it may slow the development of this year's team, but in the long run it probably doesn't matter ... maybe they'll be slightly fresher in March (hey, I can look at the bright side).

JasonEvans
08-10-2017, 02:42 PM
http://duke.247sports.com/Bolt/Duke-Cancels-Dominican-Republic-Trip-Coach-K-To-Have-Surgery-105977013?Notification.Success=Your+Bolt+has+been+ successfully+created

Trip canceled. Get well Coach K!

Because I hate bald links that don't give the story...


Duke head men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will undergo total knee replacement surgery on his right knee this weekend at Duke University Hospital. To ensure Krzyzewski’s complete and thorough recovery from the procedure, Duke has canceled its scheduled exhibition trip to the Dominican Republic.

wsb3
08-10-2017, 02:43 PM
http://duke.247sports.com/Bolt/Duke-Cancels-Dominican-Republic-Trip-Coach-K-To-Have-Surgery-105977013?Notification.Success=Your+Bolt+has+been+ successfully+created

Trip canceled. Get well Coach K!

Why with everything already set up would you not go ahead with the trip & let Capel coach?

Get well Coach. Lot of surgeries. Going to try to enjoy every moment he has left with Duke..even when they lose..;)

devildeac
08-10-2017, 02:56 PM
Change the shoes!

Change the floor!

Change the strength/conditioning coach!

Change the practice facility!

Let the haters hate!

K had this planned all along to get his team a few extra early practices!

(disclaimer: I believe none of the above.):o

Get well soon, Koach.

pfrduke
08-10-2017, 02:57 PM
I'm selfishly disappointed that I don't get to see Duke basketball in August. It was going to be a wonderful oasis in the long 8-month desert.

Truth&Justise
08-10-2017, 02:58 PM
With the trip cancelled, do they count the additional pre-trip practices against the normal cap?

wsb3
08-10-2017, 03:08 PM
K had this planned all along to get his team a few extra early practices!

You know it has already been said..

Wait! This means that Bagley is coming for certain. This has been done to appease those of you worried about team chemistry if he could not go to the DR..Genius. :rolleyes:

OldPhiKap
08-10-2017, 03:15 PM
Injury bug striking early this year.

Get well soon, Coach!

aimo
08-10-2017, 03:19 PM
Isn't this a second replacement? Did the first one not hold?

Olympic Fan
08-10-2017, 03:24 PM
Isn't this a second replacement? Did the first one not hold?

He had his left knee replaced in April of 2016. I THINK this is his right knee.

He's also had both hips replaced.

Hey, that's good news -- he's becoming a bionic man. If we keep replacing parts, he may be able to coach forever!

Seriously, he had a fast recovery from the left knee replacement -- he joined the Olympic team at the end of July and had no problems.

EDIT: Just checked and it definitely IS his right knee this time.

superdave
08-10-2017, 03:48 PM
Why with everything already set up would you not go ahead with the trip & let Capel coach?



This was my thought as well. Would love to see Capel get more reps in. But I dont guess the world works that way.

devildeac
08-10-2017, 03:48 PM
He had his left knee replaced in April of 2016. I THINK this is his right knee.

He's also had both hips replaced.

Hey, that's good news -- he's becoming a bionic man. If we keep replacing parts, he may be able to coach forever!

Seriously, he had a fast recovery from the left knee replacement -- he joined the Olympic team at the end of July and had no problems.

EDIT: Just checked and it definitely IS his right knee this time.

I know a couple folks in the EP section at Duke. Might be time for a pacemaker. :rolleyes:

fgb
08-10-2017, 03:51 PM
there could be a possible silver lining here, in that maybe now we're eligible for a summer trip next season, with what could wind up being an even less experienced group.

CrazyNotCrazie
08-10-2017, 03:57 PM
Hopefully some good news from Tre Jones this weekend will be just the feel better gift that Coach K needs after his surgery. Otherwise, talk about kicking a guy when he's down...

kAzE
08-10-2017, 04:04 PM
Wow. 2 hips and now 2 knees. Is he going for the NCAA record for joint replacement surgeries? Get well soon, Coach.

Matches
08-10-2017, 04:08 PM
Isn't this a second replacement? Did the first one not hold?

They don't last forever anyway - depends on the person's activity level but replacement joints do wear out.

budwom
08-10-2017, 04:10 PM
lower extremity situation

JasonEvans
08-10-2017, 04:36 PM
Hey, that's good news -- he's becoming a bionic man.

Well, it is widely reported that Coach K's annual salary from Duke is just a tad about $6 million. So, he already is...
https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/six-million-dollar-man.jpg?w=301&h=202&crop=1

SlapTheFloor
08-10-2017, 04:39 PM
He had his left knee replaced in April of 2016. I THINK this is his right knee.

He's also had both hips replaced.

Hey, that's good news -- he's becoming a bionic man. If we keep replacing parts, he may be able to coach forever!

Seriously, he had a fast recovery from the left knee replacement -- he joined the Olympic team at the end of July and had no problems.

EDIT: Just checked and it definitely IS his right knee this time.

He's turning into the Coach of Theseus.

Billy Dat
08-10-2017, 04:47 PM
Get well Coach. Lot of surgeries. Going to try to enjoy every moment he has left with Duke..even when they lose..;)

That's the first thing I thought, too, and why I ultimately don't mind the recent mercenary aspect of recruiting. I don't know how long he'll last and I want as much talent as possible for however much longer the K head coach era lasts.


I'm selfishly disappointed that I don't get to see Duke basketball in August. It was going to be a wonderful oasis in the long 8-month desert.

Me, too. Because of the one-and-done reality of the program, it also would have meant a few more games to watch some of these guys.

MartyClark
08-10-2017, 05:40 PM
This was my thought as well. Would love to see Capel get more reps in. But I dont guess the world works that way.

We probably won't hear the back story on this. In my amateur opinion, the team would benefit from the trip with Capel as acting head coach.

Go Duke!

westwall
08-10-2017, 05:49 PM
I'm wondering whether there's more to the trip cancellation than just K's knee. Perhaps something about the financial arrangements haven't panned out. As they say, "follow the money", which is what these junkets are all about. Blaming cancellation solely on the knee doesn't add up for me.

Dr. Rosenrosen
08-10-2017, 06:09 PM
Wow. 2 hips and now 2 knees. Is he going for the NCAA record for joint replacement surgeries? Get well soon, Coach.
TSA agent's worst nightmare.

DBFAN
08-10-2017, 06:27 PM
Ok so this is just a conspiracy on my part, and I have no info to support this, but I have to wonder if a certain player may get the go ahead from NCAA, and said player may likely chose Duke. If so, he wouldn't be ready to join team yet, and may be easier to build team by not adding him later.

Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15
08-10-2017, 06:48 PM
Ok so this is just a conspiracy on my part, and I have no info to support this, but I have to wonder if a certain player may get the go ahead from NCAA, and said player may likely chose Duke. If so, he wouldn't be ready to join team yet, and may be easier to build team by not adding him later.

So.. Sacrifice experience for already committed veteran players for the chance of a late one semester addition? I doubt that, somehow.

Class of '94
08-10-2017, 06:49 PM
I'm wondering whether there's more to the trip cancellation than just K's knee. Perhaps something about the financial arrangements haven't panned out. As they say, "follow the money", which is what these junkets are all about. Blaming cancellation solely on the knee doesn't add up for me.

With the loss to Mercer, maybe the DR team decided they wanted to pull out of playing Duke; and with the team possibly looking good during these last 3 days of practice, K may have decided that the team wasn't going to get much out of the playing the DR team as he might have initially hoped; and thought this was the best time to do the surgery. Everyone has been going hard (including the coaching staff with recruiting as well); and decided this would be a good time to give the team and coaching staff a break before gearing up at the end of September to have a strong season.

With that said, i would have preferred the team to continue practicing and let Capel take over the reins for this trip while K had the surgery; but I trust Coach to have a good reason for not doing that, which leads me back to my original thought that maybe the DR team wanted to back out; or something else that had nothing to do with K's knee operation as being the root cause of the team cancelling the trip.

Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15
08-10-2017, 06:52 PM
With the loss to Mercer, maybe the DR team decided they wanted to pull out of playing Duke; and with the team possibly looking good during these last 3 days of practice, K may have decided that the team wasn't going to get much out of the playing the DR team as he might have initially hoped; and thought this was the best time to do the surgery. Everyone has been going hard (including the coaching staff with recruiting as well); and decided this would be a good time to give the team and coaching staff a break before gearing up at the end of September to have a strong season.

With that said, i would have preferred the team to continue practicing and let Capel take over the reins for this trip while K had the surgery; but I trust Coach to have a good reason for not doing that, which leads me back to my original thought that maybe the DR team wanted to back out; or something else that had nothing to do with K's knee operation as being the root cause of the team cancelling the trip.

Only chumps lose to Mercer...

Class of '94
08-10-2017, 06:54 PM
Only chumps lose to Mercer...

And disjointed Duke teams that decide not to play any good individual and team defense...<jk>

Seriously, I hope a reporter will be brave enough to ask a member of the Duke coaching staff why the team didn't proceed forward with Capel leading the team while K had the surgery. However, I am not holding my breath on that happening.

MartyClark
08-10-2017, 07:04 PM
And disjointed Duke teams that decide not to play any good individual and team defense...<jk>

Seriously, I hope a reporter will be brave enough to ask a member of the Duke coaching staff why the team didn't proceed forward with Capel leading the team while K had the surgery. However, I am not holding my breath on that happening.

It's puzzling. I have no experience playing college basketball but I have taken a number of trips to Guatemala and other developing countries to do water projects. It's amazing how a water team bonds under mildly adverse circumstances. I have made life long friendships with people that I otherwise had little in common with.

I speculate that a Duke basketball trip to the Dominican Republic had the same potential.

DBFAN
08-10-2017, 07:07 PM
So.. Sacrifice experience for already committed veteran players for the chance of a late one semester addition? I doubt that, somehow.

Like is said it was a theory. But I would point out that one addition would be a pretty impressive addition. With Allen having off season surgery it's not that unlikely to not wanna push him yet especially after last season. And if you doubt that then why assume that K not being with them for a week is worth not going. Easy to say no that's not it, but we already know Capel can coach so still doesn't make sense for the team to not go. Just saying that one is not more valid than other

Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15
08-10-2017, 07:11 PM
Like is said it was a theory. But I would point out that one addition would be a pretty impressive addition. With Allen having off season surgery it's not that unlikely to not wanna push him yet especially after last season. And if you doubt that then why assume that K not being with them for a week is worth not going. Easy to say no that's not it, but we already know Capel can coach so still doesn't make sense for the team to not go. Just saying that one is not more valid than other

I am inclined to take the Duke program at their word, rather than to believe it is for the potential of picking up another player at the expense of others.

DBFAN
08-10-2017, 07:17 PM
But it wouldn't be to pick up a player. Never said that. I'm saying they may already have insight that they DO have him. If he is younger than rest of freshman why would it not make sense to not let him be so far behind. I know none of this may be true, but it may all be very true as well. With him finishing up his last visit yesterday not so sure this is as wild of a guess as some would like to think

duke4ever19
08-10-2017, 07:35 PM
But it wouldn't be to pick up a player. Never said that. I'm saying they may already have insight that they DO have him. If he is younger than rest of freshman why would it not make sense to not let him be so far behind. I know none of this may be true, but it may all be very true as well. With him finishing up his last visit yesterday not so sure this is as wild of a guess as some would like to think

Well, I'm not sure about your theory, but I will grant that it strikes me as odd that Coach K's knee surgery automatically means the trip is out of the question.

Like others have questioned . . . why is it that Capel can't just take over in heading up the trip? If the trip is about getting a young team some valuable experience and some "team building" in the process, then I'm sure that could still happen under a very experienced assistant coach like Capel.

BD80
08-10-2017, 08:39 PM
... Like others have questioned . . . why is it that Capel can't just take over in heading up the trip? If the trip is about getting a young team some valuable experience and some "team building" in the process, then I'm sure that could still happen under a very experienced assistant coach like Capel.

Even moreso, they would be sharing the "adversity" of being without their head coach.

I would prefer they still go, proving the "next man up" mantra applies all the way to the top.

weezie
08-10-2017, 08:41 PM
You got this Coach K!

Piece of cake, up and at 'em.

NYBri
08-10-2017, 09:35 PM
Certainly a strange summer season. DR then knee then no DR then Bagley....weird.

dukejim1
08-10-2017, 09:36 PM
Like many retiring Americans Coach K is trying to get in all of his surgeries while he still has Corporate benefits. Solid financial planning.

Atlanta Duke
08-10-2017, 09:38 PM
And disjointed Duke teams that decide not to play any good individual and team defense...<jk>

Seriously, I hope a reporter will be brave enough to ask a member of the Duke coaching staff why the team didn't proceed forward with Capel leading the team while K had the surgery. However, I am not holding my breath on that happening.

You can ask the question but have no guarantee of an answer from anyone who wants to stay with the program

There is a last days of a long and glorious reign vibe to all of this

It is not about how long Mike Krzyzewski wants to coach; it’s about how long he can – Luke DeCock

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/luke-decock/article166520472.html#storylink=cpy

jipops
08-10-2017, 11:17 PM
Well, I'm not sure about your theory, but I will grant that it strikes me as odd that Coach K's knee surgery automatically means the trip is out of the question.

Like others have questioned . . . why is it that Capel can't just take over in heading up the trip? If the trip is about getting a young team some valuable experience and some "team building" in the process, then I'm sure that could still happen under a very experienced assistant coach like Capel.

If this truly is only about the knee, then not handing the keys to Capel for this trip seems bizarre to me. Which makes me think something else is up. What that something would be I have no idea.

Neals384
08-11-2017, 12:05 AM
My wife fooat d the conspiracy theory that K didn't want to miss the eclipse;):cool:

awhom111
08-11-2017, 12:10 AM
With the loss to Mercer, maybe the DR team decided they wanted to pull out of playing Duke; and with the team possibly looking good during these last 3 days of practice, K may have decided that the team wasn't going to get much out of the playing the DR team as he might have initially hoped; and thought this was the best time to do the surgery. Everyone has been going hard (including the coaching staff with recruiting as well); and decided this would be a good time to give the team and coaching staff a break before gearing up at the end of September to have a strong season.

With that said, i would have preferred the team to continue practicing and let Capel take over the reins for this trip while K had the surgery; but I trust Coach to have a good reason for not doing that, which leads me back to my original thought that maybe the DR team wanted to back out; or something else that had nothing to do with K's knee operation as being the root cause of the team cancelling the trip.

There is no boxscore so it is tough to tell, but I believe Mercer played something well below the strength of the team we would have faced. Since the Dominican league season is still going right now, I think that they only played against players who were not in the Finals, which features a number of the strongest players. If we had gone on this tour, the second game would have been much tougher than the first since more players would have been available by then. Unfortunately, the organizational level of the Dominican federation is fairly low (they do not even have an official website) so they cannot afford to have as long a preparation as other national teams, especially those in Asia and Europe.

Atldukie79
08-11-2017, 12:11 AM
The eclipse will follow Coach K....

BD80
08-11-2017, 08:09 AM
The eclipse will follow Coach K...

Coach K causes the eclipse ...

rocketeli
08-11-2017, 08:28 AM
been thinking about this development and I see three possible scenarios delineated by a single word change:

The DR trip is cancelled SO K has surgery.
The DR trip is cancelled AND K has surgery.
The DR trip is cancelled BECAUSE K has surgery.

We'll probably never know all the real details especially since, unlike some public figures, Coach K goes out of his way not to embarrass anyone he may be working with now or in the future. So if the trip was actually cancelled because the DR people couldn't get their stuff together we won't hear about it.

I worry more about all this surgery. It's what 6 operations in 16 months, for a 70 year old? I know enough surgeons to know they tend to think that everyone should have surgery every now and then, because it's so healthy and relaxing...but actually surgery is often a major injury to the body and requires a substantial amount of energy to recover from, even for a young person. I'm assuming that some of these surgeries were not done with general anesthesia, as I don't think any anesthesia practice would sign off on that many surgeries for a 70 year old in that time period, but still.
Also I'm not an orthopod, but I assume a total knee replacement would be done under general? At Coach K's age that does add another level of complexity to recovery.

devildeac
08-11-2017, 08:42 AM
been thinking about this development and I see three possible scenarios delineated by a single word change:

The DR trip is cancelled SO K has surgery.
The DR trip is cancelled AND K has surgery.
The DR trip is cancelled BECAUSE K has surgery.

We'll probably never know all the real details especially since, unlike some public figures, Coach K goes out of his way not to embarrass anyone he may be working with now or in the future. So if the trip was actually cancelled because the DR people couldn't get their stuff together we won't hear about it.

I worry more about all this surgery. It's what 6 operations in 16 months, for a 70 year old? I know enough surgeons to know they tend to think that everyone should have surgery every now and then, because it's so healthy and relaxing...but actually surgery is often a major injury to the body and requires a substantial amount of energy to recover from, even for a young person. I'm assuming that some of these surgeries were not done with general anesthesia, as I don't think any anesthesia practice would sign off on that many surgeries for a 70 year old in that time period, but still.
Also I'm not an orthopod, but I assume a total knee replacement would be done under general? At Coach K's age that does add another level of complexity to recovery.

From Luke DeCock in yesterday's N&O:

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/luke-decock/article166520472.html

Another N&O piece from yesterday:

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/duke/article166501922.html

From Steve Wiseman yesterday (but I think it is in the print edition this AM):

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/duke/duke-now/article166537817.html

weezie
08-11-2017, 08:47 AM
Coach K causes the eclipse ...


And no one will ever eclipse Coach K.

Philadukie
08-11-2017, 09:04 AM
Get well soon K!

I'm not prone to conspiracy theories and tend to think the true explanation of why the trip was canceled was the one we got.

That said, I also wonder if some concern about the North Korea situation played into it. Not that it was dispositive, but it was like "you know what, I need a knee replacement and, yes the team could still go, but we don't want to be overseas and trying to get home while an international military crisis is unfolding (as remote as it may be). Let's just scrap it."

flyingdutchdevil
08-11-2017, 09:10 AM
Get well soon K!

I'm not prone to conspiracy theories and tend to think the true explanation of why the trip was canceled was the one we got.

That said, I also wonder if some concern about the North Korea situation played into it. Not that it was dispositive, but it was like "you know what, I need a knee replacement and, yes the team could still go, but we don't want to be overseas and trying to get home while an international military crisis is unfolding (as remote as it may be). Let's just scrap it."

If this had any barring on the cancellation, I will have lost a ton of respect for the Duke program.

I really hope you're joking.

Troublemaker
08-11-2017, 09:18 AM
Two other maybes (that I don't necessarily believe, but just throwing it out there):

- Maybe, for whatever reason, the DR team would find it insulting that we'd play them without our head coach.

- Maybe, for whatever reason, Duke wants the freshmen accustomed to how it's going to be during the season (Coach K as head coach, Coach Capel as Associate HC) and don't want to start their careers doing it another way.

tbyers11
08-11-2017, 09:22 AM
Two other maybes (that I don't necessarily believe, but just throwing it out there):

- Maybe, for whatever reason, the DR team would find it insulting that we'd play them without our head coach.

- Maybe, for whatever reason, Duke wants the freshmen accustomed to how it's going to be during the season (Coach K as head coach, Coach Capel as Associate HC) and don't want to start their careers doing it another way.

This is what I've kind of been leaning toward in my head. After all the personnel chaos (players and coaches) last year, I think Coach K wants a single, consistent chain of command and clearly defined roles (as much as possible) all year.

CrazyNotCrazie
08-11-2017, 09:26 AM
I'm also in the camp that we should have done the trip with Capel as the coach, because the playing experience sounds like it would be very valuable (and the coaching experience would be valuable for him). But as seems to be the case with all things Duke basketball these days, there is likely a lot going on behind the scenes that we are not aware of and will likely never be aware of - Washington, DC should take some lessons from Coach K on preventing leaks!

Hopefully no one planned a vacation around going to some of the games, though worst case, there are worse places to spend a vacation than the Dominican Republic.

I apologize if someone has addressed this already upthread, but does the fact that we have had some of the bonus practices already prevent us from doing an international trip in the near future?

Most importantly, best of luck to Coach K on the surgery. A colleague who is about 60 and in pretty good shape just had his knee replaced and I know it was a long rehab for him - he was unable to fly for a while and normally travels a lot for work.

OldPhiKap
08-11-2017, 09:41 AM
- Maybe, for whatever reason, Duke wants the freshmen accustomed to how it's going to be during the season (Coach K as head coach, Coach Capel as Associate HC) and don't want to start their careers doing it another way.

After the incredible lack of continuity we had last year, I think this is exactly right.

CDu
08-11-2017, 09:46 AM
You can ask the question but have no guarantee of an answer from anyone who wants to stay with the program

There is a last days of a long and glorious reign vibe to all of this

It is not about how long Mike Krzyzewski wants to coach; it’s about how long he can – Luke DeCock

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/luke-decock/article166520472.html#storylink=cpy

Yeah, I don't know exactly how close we are to the end of the road with Coach K on the sidelines. But this is yet another sign that it probably isn't too far out in the future.

This is why I bristle at the "let's not get the best players because I want to see our end-of-the-bench guys get to play" argument. Who knows what Duke basketball will look like when Coach K retires? I want to maximize our chances of titles every single year that we still have Coach K running the show.

UrinalCake
08-11-2017, 09:58 AM
Wow. 2 hips and now 2 knees. Is he going for the NCAA record for joint replacement surgeries? Get well soon, Coach.

I think it's common practice when someone needs both knees replaced that they only do one, then wait a couple years before doing the second. That way you can handle the recovery for each one.

As for the trip, it's somewhat common for these international trips to get cancelled, though it's usually for other reasons (travel safety concerns are the most common). So I'm sure the NCAA has rules in place for how soon we can take another one.

I guess there's a potential loophole where a team could schedule a trip and then cancel it at the last minute every year, thus earning the extra practices every year. But that would require a deliberate effort to manipulate the system, and would violate the spirit of the NCAA allowing schools to monitor themselves under the assumption that they will act ethically. And surely no school would ever do that...

Truth&Justise
08-11-2017, 10:11 AM
Wishing K a speedy recovery. In the meantime, two logistical questions that I haven't seen addressed yet (apologies if they were mentioned elsewhere):

We had already started holding the extra practices that are allowed before an international trip. Will cancelling the trip impact the legality of those practices? Will Duke need to adjust the schedule later (i.e. hold three or four fewer practices)?


Does this use up Duke's international trip allotment for the next few years?

wsb3
08-11-2017, 10:15 AM
- Maybe, for whatever reason, Duke wants the freshmen accustomed to how it's going to be during the season (Coach K as head coach, Coach Capel as Associate HC) and don't want to start their careers doing it another way.

I asked early in this conversation about why we would not just go ahead with Capel in place. This might be as good a reason as I have heard.

aimo
08-11-2017, 10:48 AM
Has Capel been at the practices so far? Just wondering if maybe he's been out on the recruiting trail and hasn't even worked with these guys yet.

duke79
08-11-2017, 11:04 AM
This is what I've kind of been leaning toward in my head. After all the personnel chaos (players and coaches) last year, I think Coach K wants a single, consistent chain of command and clearly defined roles (as much as possible) all year.

I'm not sure that any of us know the REAL reason the trip was cancelled (other than what was officially released by Duke) but I'm guessing that your speculation above MAY be close to the truth. Obviously, Coach Capel could take the team on the trip but it seems to me that it would be (sort of) awkward for Duke, the players and even the other coaches. It's too bad the trip was cancelled but certainly not the end of the world.

I hope K has a quick recovery but from friends who have had knee replacement surgery, I know the rehab takes longer than for hip replacement and can be a more arduous recovery. Obviously, basketball is not as much of a contact sport as football, but I'm sure all of the running up and down the court in his youth has taken a toll on K's knee and hip joints. Not surprising he needs to have them replaced.

wsb3
08-11-2017, 11:30 AM
I think it's common practice when someone needs both knees replaced that they only do one, then wait a couple years before doing the second. That way you can handle the recovery for each one.

I have no medical knowledge & I did not even sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night but I would guess that it depends on how bad each is. I have a friend who has had both done this year. Pretty much as soon as he could get some support on the first they went right in & did the second. He is four years younger than Coach K. He went to the mountains a couple of weeks ago & shared that he played 18 on consecutive days & was doing great.

He has hopes of returning to the basketball court. :) Big State fan. Played on the Freshman team back in the day.

sagegrouse
08-11-2017, 11:32 AM
I'm not sure that any of us know the REAL reason the trip was cancelled (other than what was officially released by Duke) but I'm guessing that your speculation above MAY be close to the truth. Obviously, Coach Capel could take the team on the trip but it seems to me that it would be (sort of) awkward for Duke, the players and even the other coaches. It's too bad the trip was cancelled but certainly not the end of the world.

I hope K has a quick recovery but from friends who have had knee replacement surgery, I know the rehab takes longer than for hip replacement and can be a more arduous recovery. Obviously, basketball is not as much of a contact sport as football, but I'm sure all of the running up and down the court in his youth has taken a toll on K's knee and hip joints. Not surprising he needs to have them replaced.

It is K's team. It is K's team. It is K's team. Having the first exhibition played under someone else -- even the reincarnation of Red Auerbach --weakens rather than strengthens the team. It would also apply to any other head coach.

See comments on Syracuse's awful record when Boeheim was serving a suspension.

cato
08-11-2017, 11:54 AM
I think it's common practice when someone needs both knees replaced that they only do one, then wait a couple years before doing the second. That way you can handle the recovery for each one.

I know several people who started off with this plan, had one knee done, and after discovering how horrible that experience was, decided never to get the second done.

I've had surgery a couple of times, in my late teens and mid-20s, and nothing as difficult as a knee replacement. Coach K's dedication to his coaching is impressive. Most people would not have the drive and fortitude to commit to this again while keeping up with his professional responsibilities.

I hope the surgery goes well. There is no guaranty we will see Coach K on the sideline this year (or any year after) . . .

sagegrouse
08-11-2017, 03:10 PM
I know several people who started off with this plan, had one knee done, and after discovering how horrible that experience was, decided never to get the second done.

I've had surgery a couple of times, in my late teens and mid-20s, and nothing as difficult as a knee replacement. Coach K's dedication to his coaching is impressive. Most people would not have the drive and fortitude to commit to this again while keeping up with his professional responsibilities.

I hope the surgery goes well. There is no guaranty we will see Coach K on the sideline this year (or any year after) . . .

In recent years I have heard fewer and fewer complaints about knee-replacement surgery. It may be that the techniques have gotten much better.

Kindly,
Sage
'In ski country we have a lot of joint surgeries'

Henderson
08-11-2017, 05:36 PM
1. I don't believe for a minute that the Duke Basketball Program cancels an overseas trip that would benefit the university and the players just because the Head Coach has a knee issue. You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to recognize a cow patty in the field.

2. I now feel as though I have been lied to by that Head Coach.

Jeffrey
08-11-2017, 05:40 PM
1. I don't believe for a minute that the Duke Basketball Program cancels an overseas trip that would benefit the university and the players just because the Head Coach has a knee issue. You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to recognize a cow patty in the field.

2. I now feel as though I have been lied to by that Head Coach.

What's your theory?

billy
08-11-2017, 10:45 PM
Also I'm not an orthopod, but I assume a total knee replacement would be done under general? At Coach K's age that does add another level of complexity to recovery.

Nope - often done with spinal or epidural anesthesia, especially in someone "advanced in age".

In someone not "advanced in age", often done these days as outpatient surgery.

K won't be able to joke any more, as he's done the last few years, that he's been waiting to get his knee replaced because it makes the shape of the letter "K" when combined with the one that already had been replaced

MCFinARL
08-12-2017, 08:27 AM
1. I don't believe for a minute that the Duke Basketball Program cancels an overseas trip that would benefit the university and the players just because the Head Coach has a knee issue. You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to recognize a cow patty in the field.

2. I now feel as though I have been lied to by that Head Coach.

Well, but isn't the key "that would benefit the university and the players"? Posters earlier in this thread have speculated that, given the inexperience of this team, sending them on a trip to play their first games under the direction of an assistant coach (or even an assistant head coach) might be more confusing than helpful. It seems at least plausible that Coach K and the staff concluded that, without K, the trip would not benefit the players. Granted, that conclusion is arguable, but I don't think it's so obviously not the case that we should be sure there is another undisclosed reason here.

superdave
08-12-2017, 08:40 AM
1. I don't believe for a minute that the Duke Basketball Program cancels an overseas trip that would benefit the university and the players just because the Head Coach has a knee issue. You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to recognize a cow patty in the field.

2. I now feel as though I have been lied to by that Head Coach.

So you think it's more of a shoulder injury?

westwall
08-12-2017, 09:38 AM
1. I don't believe for a minute that the Duke Basketball Program cancels an overseas trip that would benefit the university and the players just because the Head Coach has a knee issue. You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to recognize a cow patty in the field..


Like Henderson, I remain skeptical that the knee alone accounts for the cancellation. Several posters have proposed-- without evidentiary backing -- various high-sounding theories for why the trip without K would harm players' psyche/team chemistry, etc. To me (perhaps I lived in DC too long) these attempts ring hollow. Too often, when someone says, "I'm doing it for the principle" the "principle" becomes "principal" and an amount of money. Let's face it, money, or the lack of money, is a driver of college athletics. Thus, I continue to believe that something about the financial arrangements for the DR is a far more logical reason for the cancellation than the knee (and K's absence) alone.

OZ
08-12-2017, 09:50 AM
Well, but isn't the key "that would benefit the university and the players"? Posters earlier in this thread have speculated that, given the inexperience of this team, sending them on a trip to play their first games under the direction of an assistant coach (or even an assistant head coach) might be more confusing than helpful. It seems at least plausible that Coach K and the staff concluded that, without K, the trip would not benefit the players. Granted, that conclusion is arguable, but I don't think it's so obviously not the case that we should be sure there is another undisclosed reason here.

If ONE of the main objectives of this trip was to help unify the TEAM, perhaps the PLAYERS didn't want to go without their COACH. As great as all our assistants are... they are NOT the "Coach." It's possible the players had some input in this decision.

Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15
08-12-2017, 09:57 AM
If ONE of the main objectives of this trip was to help unify the TEAM, perhaps the PLAYERS didn't want to go without their COACH. As great as all our assistants are... they are NOT the "Coach." It's possible the players had some input in this decision.

Excellent point. Thanks for some reasonable sanity that doesn't include conspiracy theories and misleading the fan base.

chriso
08-12-2017, 10:00 AM
Maybe Coach K just wanted us to stop obsessing about Bagley and start obsessing about something else. :) Seriously get well coach.

Troublemaker
08-12-2017, 10:43 AM
There's also a marketing/image/recruiting aspect here. With all of Coach K's recent surgeries and him missing games in both the '16 (one game) and '17 seasons, he and Duke probably weren't all that enthused with him being unavailable again while the Duke DR trip receives coverage, in whatever fashion it was going to be covered (likely TV/ESPN, imo). They probably want the next image of Duke to be Countdown to Craziness with Coach K available and on the bench. Recruiting is the lifeblood of any college program. Yes, it's true our coach is old and perhaps frail, but we don't necessarily want to broadcast that if it can be helped.

mgtr
08-12-2017, 11:12 AM
Color me naïve, but I tend to believe people (unless they have demonstrated that I should not). I see nothing wrong or suspicious about the statement as issued. Of course, without conspiracy theories, these threads would be much shorter in the summer!

Indoor66
08-12-2017, 11:59 AM
Color me naïve, but I tend to believe people (unless they have demonstrated that I should not). I see nothing wrong or suspicious about the statement as issued. Of course, without conspiracy theories, these threads would be much shorter in the summer!

What a killjoy you are. But you may be on to something - I mean about someone actually telling the truth and all....😎

budwom
08-12-2017, 12:28 PM
or maybe someone took a look at the weather forecast...DR in August can be nasty, just saw some 78 degree dew points for this weekend, which is just plain nasty.
It makes Derm feel like Reykjavik...

ipatent
08-12-2017, 12:55 PM
There's also a marketing/image/recruiting aspect here. With all of Coach K's recent surgeries and him missing games in both the '16 (one game) and '17 seasons, he and Duke probably weren't all that enthused with him being unavailable again while the Duke DR trip receives coverage, in whatever fashion it was going to be covered (likely TV/ESPN, imo). They probably want the next image of Duke to be Countdown to Craziness with Coach K available and on the bench. Recruiting is the lifeblood of any college program. Yes, it's true our coach is old and perhaps frail, but we don't necessarily want to broadcast that if it can be helped.

There was probably an element of that. The extra practices might not have been thought productive enough without Coach K to use the four year opportunity. Maybe K was also uncomfortable having the team travel overseas without him. Not sure if the economics of the trip were a factor. Hopefully there was nothing else like security threats that entered into the decision.

devildeac
08-12-2017, 02:43 PM
or maybe someone took a look at the weather forecast...DR in August can be nasty, just saw some 78 degree dew points for this weekend, which is just plain nasty.
It makes Derm feel like Reykjavik...

Have you checked the dew points for Topsail any the last few weeks? :rolleyes:

BD80
08-12-2017, 07:07 PM
or maybe someone took a look at the weather forecast...DR in August can be nasty, just saw some 78 degree dew points for this weekend, which is just plain nasty.
It makes Derm feel like Reykjavik...

But there are no ocean breezes in Derm

devildeac
08-12-2017, 07:41 PM
But there are no ocean breezes in Derm

You must have missed Hurricane Matthew last fall...

OZ
08-12-2017, 08:16 PM
or maybe someone took a look at the weather forecast...DR in August can be nasty, just saw some 78 degree dew points for this weekend, which is just plain nasty.
It makes Derm feel like Reykjavik...


I think it was fear of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.

jimsumner
08-13-2017, 12:57 PM
Media release on surgery.

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211661159&DB_OEM_ID=4200

plimnko
08-13-2017, 01:14 PM
here's to a speedy recovery and on to a great season!!

aimo
08-13-2017, 04:50 PM
Mike Bolognesi is a Durham native. Went to Jordan High School. Think his dad was a Duke doc, too. Just a tidbit of info.

sagegrouse
08-15-2017, 05:01 PM
I think I have figured out the cancellation of the trip to the Dominican Republic. Coach K got advanced word that Bagley would reclassify and enroll at Duke. The DR trip became a negative because a key player would not be available to play with the team. Aha! Coach K has an idea -- quit putting off replacement of his other knee and get it done now, so he is ready for the season. Obviously, the team can't go on a preseason trip without the head coach. Moreover, when practice starts October 1, he has his full team on the court (Deo volente).

Any takers on this explanation?

CDu
08-15-2017, 05:04 PM
I think I have figured out the cancellation of the trip to the Dominican Republic. Coach K got advanced word that Bagley would reclassify and enroll at Duke. The DR trip became a negative because a key player would not be available to play with the team. Aha! Coach K has an idea -- quit putting off replacement of his other knee and get it done now, so he is ready for the season. Obviously, the team can't go on a preseason trip without the head coach. Moreover, when practice starts October 1, he has his full team on the court (Deo volente).

Any takers on this explanation?

Works for me.

bigperm13
08-15-2017, 05:08 PM
I think I have figured out the cancellation of the trip to the Dominican Republic. Coach K got advanced word that Bagley would reclassify and enroll at Duke. The DR trip became a negative because a key player would not be available to play with the team. Aha! Coach K has an idea -- quit putting off replacement of his other knee and get it done now, so he is ready for the season. Obviously, the team can't go on a preseason trip without the head coach. Moreover, when practice starts October 1, he has his full team on the court (Deo volente).

Any takers on this explanation?

That's 100% how it went down.

CrazyNotCrazie
08-15-2017, 05:29 PM
I think many posters have speculated this is what happened in the heads, but were fearful of putting out such a suggestion on this board. ;) I mean, I don't know if that's a "good look" or not, or maybe optics snouldn't matter. But when Bagley said "only my family knew" that can't be true, right? I know there have been a few instances in the past where recruits truly do NOT tell the coaches ahead of time because they don't want any leaks, but I got the impression that in this case, the coaches of the schools did know ahead of time (although that's contrary to what they said last night).

At what point was Danny Ferry brought into the conversation? Could "having a retired jersey number be made available" be considered an improper recruiting benefit? (just kidding)

Bluedog
08-15-2017, 05:30 PM
At what point was Danny Ferry brought into the conversation? Could "having a retired jersey number be made available" be considered an improper recruiting benefit? (just kidding)

It's possible Bagley asked Coach K / Ferry during his recruitment about number 32, and Ferry said "if you commit to Duke, you can have my number" BEFORE Bagley officially gave them word of his commitment. But, yes, I think that's unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibility. Funnily, I just deleted my post (but you quoted it quickly!) as I was thinking about this exact point and was going to edit it to include this caveat... :)

OZ
08-15-2017, 06:12 PM
It's possible Bagley asked Coach K / Ferry during his recruitment about number 32, and Ferry said "if you commit to Duke, you can have my number" BEFORE Bagley officially gave them word of his commitment. But, yes, I think that's unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibility. Funnily, I just deleted my post (but you quoted it quickly!) as I was thinking about this exact point and was going to edit it to include this caveat... :)



# 35

proelitedota
08-15-2017, 06:46 PM
It's possible Bagley asked Coach K / Ferry during his recruitment about number 32, and Ferry said "if you commit to Duke, you can have my number" BEFORE Bagley officially gave them word of his commitment. But, yes, I think that's unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibility. Funnily, I just deleted my post (but you quoted it quickly!) as I was thinking about this exact point and was going to edit it to include this caveat... :)

If don't commit to Duke, you're not allowed to wear 35 anywhere. Ferry holds some clout amongst the NBA world.

:cool:

quahog174
08-15-2017, 07:04 PM
At what point was Danny Ferry brought into the conversation? Could "having a retired jersey number be made available" be considered an improper recruiting benefit? (just kidding)

I saw Danny on campus in June when Coach K was running his basketball camp. Could they have discussed it back then?

devildeac
08-15-2017, 07:52 PM
At what point was Danny Ferry brought into the conversation? Could "having a retired jersey number be made available" be considered an improper recruiting benefit? (just kidding)

No monetary benefit, just like a unc phantom/paper/fake class. ;)

Jeffrey
08-16-2017, 10:28 AM
# 35

Yep, he cannot have the GOAT Duke jersey.

NSDukeFan
08-16-2017, 12:02 PM
Yep, he cannot have the GOAT Duke jersey.

I believe Singler's 12 is still available. 😃

Furniture
09-06-2017, 07:13 PM
http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7619&stc=1Great news. We really kneed K!!

proelitedota
09-06-2017, 09:20 PM
Knee Heeled.