Jordan Tucker to transfer to Butler

[GeneBanksManCrush]

Just saw this pop up. http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211691056&DB_OEM_ID=4200

Thoughts, anyone?

[sagegrouse]

Just saw this pop up. http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211691056&DB_OEM_ID=4200

Thoughts, anyone?

Here's the article from GoDuke.com

Jordan Tucker to Transfer from Duke
Courtesy: Duke Sports Information
Release: 12/31/2017

DURHAM, N.C. – Freshman forward Jordan Tucker will transfer from Duke University, school officials announced Sunday. Tucker will depart Duke in good academic standing and is expected to transfer to another Division I institution.

“We support Jordan and his family’s decision,” said Duke head men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski. “We appreciate his commitment to Duke during his time here. Jordan represented our program well and we wish him the very best moving forward.”
I wish Jordan well at another school.

[richardjackson199]

I kinda thought this was coming after that nebulous injury was announced and he was held out of the Evansville game (same game Javin sat out of with the legit hamstring injury).

I wish Tucker the best. It didn't look like he would be part of Duke's rotation any time soon, but he gave it a shot.

[WillJ]

Good luck to Jordan, but too bad for us. Our returning bunch next year won't be quite as good. Perhaps we should blame Alex O'C for being better than expected:)?

[skysdad]

Best of luck to him. Just too much talent ahead of him and more to come.

[Rich]

Here's the article from GoDuke.com

I wish Jordan well at another school.

Presumably Syracuse is the front runner considering we plucked him from there at the last minute.

[sagegrouse]

Presumably Syracuse is the front runner considering we plucked him from there at the last minute.

Well, I hope Jordan ends up someplace where he can get on the court. I'm not sure it will be in the ACC.

[GeneBanksManCrush]

I was just thinking about the first Duke transfer I remember. Billy McCaffrey, uncle of Panthers sensation Christian McCaffrey. Played really well at Duke and had some huge moments, but chose to transfer to Vanderbilt. Worked out pretty well for him and he played a while in Europe and Australia.

Hope it goes as well for young Mr. Tucker.

[richardjackson199]

My condolences to anyone who had Tucker in the minutes contests. I don't think many gave him many minutes in the real contest. But prior to that almost half of us (me included) picked him in the poll to get more minutes than DeLaurier, AOC, Goldwire, and most of the rest of our bench.

After we missed Knox, many of us saw Tucker as a guy who might grab a role as a shooter / floor-spacer on a team needing more shooting. I think his lack of lateral quickness on defense and ball-handling were too much to overcome.

[UrinalCake]

Not surprising at all. He committed right after we missed on Knox, and he probably thought he could fill a similar role on a team that lacks a true wing and could use another shooter. But since coming he hasn't made the transition to the college level, while Alex has played so well at his same position. Next year we have two more studs coming in on the wing so it is unlikely that Tucker would ever see much playing time. With all that said, I think he could be a solid player on another team so I wish him well.

[sagegrouse]

My condolences to anyone who had Tucker in the minutes contests. I don't think many gave him many minutes in the real contest. But prior to that almost half of us (me included) picked him in the poll to get more minutes than DeLaurier, AOC, Goldwire, and most of the rest of our bench.

After we missed Knox, many of us saw Tucker as a guy who might grab a role as a shooter / floor-spacer on a team needing more shooting. I think his lack of lateral quickness on defense and ball-handling were too much to overcome.

Who would have figured that O'Connell was much more college-ready than Tucker?

[ncexnyc]

I guess none of us should be surprised by this. The topic was discussed in a thread just after the Evansville game and someone suggested he was just waiting on his grades.

Anyhow, I wish him the best of luck and hope he finds a school where he gets some playing time.

[arnie]

Just saw this pop up. http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211691056&DB_OEM_ID=4200

Thoughts, anyone?

Disappointing but predictable with our OAD recruiting success. I was hoping he might really help stabilize our D and understand the system in future years, but not gonna happen.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Not surprising at all. He committed right after we missed on Knox, and he probably thought he could fill a similar role on a team that lacks a true wing and could use another shooter. But since coming he hasn't made the transition to the college level, while Alex has played so well at his same position. Next year we have two more studs coming in on the wing so it is unlikely that Tucker would ever see much playing time. With all that said, I think he could be a solid player on another team so I wish him well.

I hadn't thought about the timing of his commitment. He must have thought that he would be treated just like a top tier player and then confronted a very different reality. These are kids, after all, and prone to make immature decisions. I recall hearing about Jeff Capel thought about transferring during his freshman year, too, when he wasn't getting the college experience he had envisioned for himself. But he stuck it out. Not all of the players we recruit, like Javin DeLaurier, are willing to bet on themselves. I hope he uses this as an opportunity to work hard and earn a role for himself at another school. Good luck, Jordan!

[CDu]

It is very tough to make the rotation as a recruit outside the top-30. With O’Connell beating him out on the wing, and with Barrett and Reddish next year, the opportunities weren’t going to be there. Best of luck to him.

[Heaven's Guardian]

I might be more surprised than most of you. Considering how long he waited on the offer, I thought that he and the staff might have agreed upon an 'injury' to get him a medical redshirt once it became clear that he wasn't going to play this season. Considering how the one-and-done rule looks like it will be changing in the next year or so, I thought he had a pretty clear path to playing time as an upperclassman once the immediate impact players go pro directly from high school.

[luvdahops]

My condolences to anyone who had Tucker in the minutes contests. I don't think many gave him many minutes in the real contest. But prior to that almost half of us (me included) picked him in the poll to get more minutes than DeLaurier, AOC, Goldwire, and most of the rest of our bench.

After we missed Knox, many of us saw Tucker as a guy who might grab a role as a shooter / floor-spacer on a team needing more shooting. I think his lack of lateral quickness on defense and ball-handling were too much to overcome.

I was certainly on that bandwagon. But O'Connell appears to offer comparable (if not better) shooting, plus a superior handle, and more quickness, bounce and court savvy than anyone seems to have anticipated. And I think AOC's readiness, coupled to a lesser extent with the staff's confidence in Javin defending the 3 for stretches, made PT an uphill climb for Jordan, one that wasn't likely to get any easier with the incoming class.

I wish him luck, and hope he finds a better fit.

[scottdude8]

This is a totally understandable decision from Tucker’s POV considering Alex developing way ahead of schedule and Jordan being serviceable off the bench. And it’s totally understandable that Duke recruited Tucker hard after missing on Knox considering I don’t think even K foresaw the early development of the two aforementioned players.

All that said, I can’t help but feel frustrated about having to go through this story cycle nearly every year. I’m not sure if it’s a function of the expectations of the caliber of players we recruit in the OAD era or how Duke specifically is recruiting, but this does seem to be happening to us more than a lot of they top-tier programs. (Admittedly, that could be confirmation bias.) If I have one pet-peeve about being a Duke fan, it’s this. Regardless of our success, transfers are never a good look for the program, and I fear eventually it’s going to come back to bite us in recruiting when we can’t just “recruit over” transfers by adding OAD talent.

I’m not sure what a good solution is, or if there is one. I just wish the program was making a clearer effort to at least attempt to mitigate this recurring situation. It’d help me sleep better about the future post-OAD and post-K.

All that said, all the best to Jordan. I’m sure he’ll be a success wherever he ends up.

[sagegrouse]

This is a totally understandable decision from Tucker’s POV considering Alex developing way ahead of schedule and Jordan being serviceable off the bench. And it’s totally understandable that Duke recruited Tucker hard after missing on Knox considering I don’t think even K foresaw the early development of the two aforementioned players.

All that said, I can’t help but feel frustrated about having to go through this story cycle nearly every year. I’m not sure if it’s a function of the expectations of the caliber of players we recruit in the OAD era or how Duke specifically is recruiting, but this does seem to be happening to us more than a lot of they top-tier programs. (Admittedly, that could be confirmation bias.) If I have one pet-peeve about being a Duke fan, it’s this. Regardless of our success, transfers are never a good look for the program, and I fear eventually it’s going to come back to bite us in recruiting when we can’t just “recruit over” transfers by adding OAD talent.

I’m not sure what a good solution is, or if there is one. I just wish the program was making a clearer effort to at least attempt to mitigate this recurring situation. It’d help me sleep better about the future post-OAD and post-K.

All that said, all the best to Jordan. I’m sure he’ll be a success wherever he ends up.

I would make a distinction between players that couldn't get on the court, like Tucker, and players that transferred for other reasons -- Gbinije, Elliott Williams, and Derryck Thornton.

[Furniture]

My eye test tells me that kids who want to get into the NBA have a much better chance of doing that by sticking at Duke. Sometimes it’s not even that easy at the new home.
Derryck Thornton comes to mind. His playing time and ppg are lower at USC than they were at Duke.

[CDu]

I would make a distinction between players that couldn't get on the court, like Tucker, and players that transferred for other reasons -- Gbinije, Elliott Williams, and Derryck Thornton.

I kind of feel like Gbinije fits in that first category. Moreso than the second, at least.

[OldPhiKap]

I wish him luck going forward, and thanks for the time you’ve spent here young man.

[golfinesquire]

Presumably Syracuse is the front runner considering we plucked him from there at the last minute.

Syracuse is in the ACC. He would need a waiver from K to go there, otherwise he would have to sit out 2 years.

[richardjackson199]

Syracuse is in the ACC. He would need a waiver from K to go there, otherwise he would have to sit out 2 years.

UNCheat got Cam Johnson from ACC school Pitt after they lifted all restrictions. And Stallings has prior connections with Roy.
So maybe K should just grant Tucker the waiver since K is friends with Boeheim.

[Bluedog]

UNCheat got Cam Johnson from ACC school Pitt after they lifted all restrictions. And Stallings has prior connections with Roy.
So maybe K should just grant Tucker the waiver since K is friends with Boeheim.

I think that was only because Johnson was transferring as a grad student. I think you can't transfer to another ACC team as an undergrad unless you want to sit out two years (please somebody correct me if I'm wrong). Coach K can't do anything about that. But historically, Coach K doesn't impose any transfer restrictions on anybody. He's among the most flexible coaches in the nation in that regard (silent G to Cuse being the most obvious example.. The year before they joined the ACC so it wasn't against ACC bylaws yet). But yes, kinda stinks that we have so much turnover these days and players don't stick it out. Just a function of the system as it exists today.

Also, I think we can remove the question mark from the thread title...

[subzero02]

I hadn't thought about the timing of his commitment. He must have thought that he would be treated just like a top tier player and then confronted a very different reality. These are kids, after all, and prone to make immature decisions. I recall hearing about Jeff Capel thought about transferring during his freshman year, too, when he wasn't getting the college experience he had envisioned for himself. But he stuck it out. Not all of the players we recruit, like Javin DeLaurier, are willing to bet on themselves. I hope he uses this as an opportunity to work hard and earn a role for himself at another school. Good luck, Jordan!

Nolan Smith thought about transferring too. He had to be talked out of it.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Tucker wasn’t playing this year. Probably not next year with two elite wings, maybe Trent (probs not), and a buffed up O’Connell.

I’ve come to accept three facts with the Duke OAD approach:

-Elite offense
-atrocious defense
-increased transfers

Love the first, hate the second, totally fine with the third.

[Bluedog]

Here's an article with some nice quotes:
http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/duke/duke-now/article192392054.html

“It was pretty simple for me. I just needed playing time,” Tucker said in a phone interview Sunday. “Nothing negative. I just needed to play at the end of the day. And coach understands it. It was a mutual agreement.”

Tucker said he wanted to thank Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski for what he did for him.
“He taught me a lot about myself on and off the court. I’m grateful for the experience and being able to say I played at Duke. A lot of people can’t say that.”

[dukelifer]

Just saw this pop up. http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211691056&DB_OEM_ID=4200

Thoughts, anyone?

I am sure he learned a lot and will grow from the experienece. Duke bball is a competitive. Need to be ready.

[lotusland]

That was quick. I didn’t see him play enough to form an opinion about his potential at Duke. I guess either he didn’t think he could be a contributor at Duke or wasn’t willing to wait. Good luck to JTuck.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I am very sorry that he is leaving so quickly but it clearly was not a good fit. We have a horrible track record of players like him transferring out so I don't know why he thought he would be the exception to the rule. I recognize that at the time he signed we had just missed on Knox, Alex seemed like a lesser player and Bagley wasn't on the radar for another year. But if I was in his position I would have grilled K about why I am different from all the others. I would like to think the staff was 100% honest with him about playing time being earned, their future recruiting plans (for which there are no guarantees) and what his strengths and weaknesses are.

I wish Jordan the best at his next destination and hope he takes the time to do thorough due diligence before he makes his choice.

[CDu]

The only downside I see is that he has essentially cost himself at least a half (and probably a full) season of basketball by transferring midseason due to the NCAA rules on midseason transfers. But I guess he really wanted to get started on his next quest.

[Devilwin]

I wish him luck wherever he goes. I watched all of his videos, and was looking forward to seeing him contribute this year. Seemed to have a good stroke and was smooth with the ball. I just don't get it..:confused:

[MrPoon]

I wish him luck wherever he goes. I watched all of his videos, and was looking forward to seeing him contribute this year. Seemed to have a good stroke and was smooth with the ball. I just don't get it..:confused:

Agreed.
I thought his length and shot would play a small but key bench role. Something wasn’t right when he was the last one or two off the bench, even in blowouts.
I hate these. I just feel badly for the kids. Not that I blame anyone, sometimes it very much the right decision, but still a lot of disappointment and regret. Hope the right fit is out there and he finds it.

But next year’s class probably soidified his choice.

[freshmanjs]

Agreed.
I thought his length and shot would play a small but key bench role. Something wasn’t right when he was the last one or two off the bench, even in blowouts.
I hate these. I just feel badly for the kids. Not that I blame anyone, sometimes it very much the right decision, but still a lot of disappointment and regret. Hope the right fit is out there and he finds it.

But next year’s class probably soidified his choice.

It was already clear he was the 12th or 13th man at the Blue and White game...

[kAzE]

Sadly, this is going to be a pretty regular occurrence as long as we are on this hot streak of recruiting. I thought Jordan had a chance to be a rotation guy this year, but for whatever reason, it didn't work out. You can't fault a guy for wanting to play. Good luck, kid. Sorry it didn't work out at Duke. Hope you find the best place for you to shine.

[UrinalCake]

. I recognize that at the time he signed we had just missed on Knox, Alex seemed like a lesser player and Bagley wasn't on the radar for another year.

The Bagley factor is a big one. Take him off of this team (which is the roster Tucker thought he was joining) and we’re playing a lot with Carter at the 5 and four guards, with a team that only had three high-level guards on the roster. It was reasonable for Tucker to think there was an opportunity for playing time as a freshman.

The guy loves Duke and really wanted to come here despite having offers from other major programs. Can’t knock him for that.

[drummerdevil]

I thought he was gonna be awesome in the future, hope he does well wherever he goes

[uh_no]

Nolan Smith thought about transferring too. He had to be talked out of it.

if i recall, this had more to do with his coping with the death of his sister than anything else...

[subzero02]

if i recall, this had more to do with his coping with the death of his sister than anything else...

Are you confusing him with Dawkins?

[jv001]

if i recall, this had more to do with his coping with the death of his sister than anything else...

Same situation as Andre Dawkins? I didn't remember Nolan's sister passing. GoDuke!

[richardjackson199]

Same situation as Andre Dawkins? I didn't remember Nolan's sister passing. GoDuke!

Nolan Smith's sister did not pass away. That was Andre Dawkins. Dawkins's sister was killed in a car accident travelling to a home Duke game to try to watch Andre play. They were close and he understandably had a tough time with it including subsequent major depression.

Nolan Smith lost his father Derek Smith when Nolan was 8 and Derek was 34.

[uh_no]

Are you confusing him with Dawkins?

yes. my fact checking was a bit hasty.

apologies for confusion!

[Neals384]

Yes, AOC has been a very pleasant surprise, but Tucker was also behind White in the rotation.

[uh_no]

Yes, AOC has been a very pleasant surprise, but Tucker was also behind White in the rotation.

he's been behind everyone, it seems.

His minutes distribution is curious. he played against elon and st. francis, but not in any of the other games.

It was clear that he wasn't red shirting....so the explanation before st. francis was either injury, doghouse, or transfer....then he got big minutes against st. francis. but then nothing against evansville...

just weird. it seems you either give minutes to a guy transferring, or you don't....

[sagegrouse]

he's been behind everyone, it seems.

His minutes distribution is curious. he played against elon and st. francis, but not in any of the other games.

It was clear that he wasn't red shirting...so the explanation before st. francis was either injury, doghouse, or transfer...then he got big minutes against st. francis. but then nothing against evansville...

just weird. it seems you either give minutes to a guy transferring, or you don't...

It may be NCAA rules. Evansville was after the completion of the semester. It may have counted as a "second-semester" game and meant he would have to sit out all of 2018-2019, instead of just the first semester. The NCAA rules experts here will know.

Alternatively, it may simply be that the die was cast, and Coach K wasn't going to give minutes to someone bailing on the program.

[richardjackson199]

he's been behind everyone, it seems.

His minutes distribution is curious. he played against elon and st. francis, but not in any of the other games.

It was clear that he wasn't red shirting...so the explanation before st. francis was either injury, doghouse, or transfer...then he got big minutes against st. francis. but then nothing against evansville...

just weird. it seems you either give minutes to a guy transferring, or you don't...

I believe it was announced prior to Evansville game that Tucker was being held out of that game due to some nebulous injury. In hindsight, that sounds like he was being held out because he had 100% definitively decided to transfer and maybe didn't want to risk injury. Or the 2nd semester explanation by Sage makes even more sense if that is indeed the rule. I think Tucker may have had the same injury Chase Jeter had after he had decided to transfer, didn't play, and it was not yet time to announce it.

[moonpie23]

man....tough.....i wish him well......

[Furniture]

So I guess he has to be talking to potential Colleges very quickly over the next few days then.

[budwom]

he's been behind everyone, it seems.

His minutes distribution is curious. he played against elon and st. francis, but not in any of the other games.

It was clear that he wasn't red shirting...so the explanation before st. francis was either injury, doghouse, or transfer...then he got big minutes against st. francis. but then nothing against evansville...

just weird. it seems you either give minutes to a guy transferring, or you don't...

It was pretty telling when he began sitting at the far side of the walkons...

[MChambers]

Hope he transfers to a program that better fits his talents and that he excels. From the little we saw, he's got a nice shot, but the rest of his game needs development. Sitting out a year will give him the opportunity to work on stuff.

[thedukelamere]

The guy loves Duke and really wanted to come here despite having offers from other major programs. Can’t knock him for that.

See, this is the part that I don't get. I always assumed he waited for a Duke offer with the mindset of putting in work for 4+ years, contributing where he could as a Frosh/Soph, and then becoming a Matt Jones-type as a Junior/Senior. Don't want to jinx anything, but how could a true Duke fan leave at semester when we have serious March aspirations? Is he afraid of ladders? Does he not like confetti? Seriously though, I hope he shines in the next leg of his journey and I think almost all of us will be rooting for him as part of The Brotherhood whether he left it or not. Can't fault anyone for wanting to play, I'm just surprised that training at a premier university and learning from the GOAT wouldn't hold more appeal to a fan.

[sagegrouse]

See, this is the part that I don't get. I always assumed he waited for a Duke offer with the mindset of putting in work for 4+ years, contributing where he could as a Frosh/Soph, and then becoming a Matt Jones-type as a Junior/Senior. Don't want to jinx anything, but how could a true Duke fan leave at semester when we have serious March aspirations? Is he afraid of ladders? Does he not like confetti? Seriously though, I hope he shines in the next leg of his journey and I think almost all of us will be rooting for him as part of The Brotherhood whether he left it or not. Can't fault anyone for wanting to play, I'm just surprised that training at a premier university and learning from the GOAT wouldn't hold more appeal to a fan.

Part of the answer will come, I believe, when we see his transfer school. I am not convinced it will be a major program. I mean, he was on the fa-a-a-ar end of the bench at Duke.

[BeachBlueDevil]

Part of the answer will come, I believe, when we see his transfer school. I am not convinced it will be a major program. I mean, he was on the fa-a-a-ar end of the bench at Duke.

He's from New York originally with family still up there (Queens). I expect him to end up somewhere up north, he had interest from Villanova and St John's. With the Queens connection, I could see St John's being a real possibility.

[UrinalCake]

See, this is the part that I don't get. I always assumed he waited for a Duke offer with the mindset of putting in work for 4+ years, contributing where he could as a Frosh/Soph, and then becoming a Matt Jones-type as a Junior/Senior.

I’m guessing that was the plan, but after arriving it became clear that he wasn’t going to be able to compete for minutes even as an upperclassman. There’s a difference between getting a few minutes and getting zero minutes. Guys like Matt and Tyler Thornton and Josh Hairston were able to play as upperclassmen even when surrounded by more talented freshmen, but they were at least seeing the floor as freshmen. Tucker was not on that trajectory. He loved Duke enough to sacrifice some playing time, but not all of his playing time.

The situation reminds me a bit of Semi, who also loved Duke and was a great student but had to weigh that against the prospect of being a starter at another school.

[Bike4Fun]

He's doing the right thing. When you put in as much time/effort as all these kids do, you want to play in games.

What I don't understand is this in perspective. Only Obi had fewer career points (5) before transferring, but that was a grad transfer after 3y. Joey Beard got 69 minutes in 16 games over 2 semesters (21 career points). Andre Sweet played in 7 games and got 29 points before going to Seton Hall, but news reports suggested that was an issue with academics. Stuck around longer and got more minutes than Tucker: Boateng (20g freshman y and 20 total points), Boykin (26g freshman year, then 3 games sophomore year), King, Czyz (13g freshman y and 6 his soph year to get 23 career points; wound up being decent at Nevada then off to Europe). Compare Tucker to Robinson (freshman year 6 games and 1 point) and White (10g as a freshman and scored 21), and it seems surprising he hasn't seen more game action. But, unless you've been to practice and seen Tucker play, no one can be certain as to why he hasn't gotten minutes. I hope he's a great student who just really wants to play for all the time he's putting in. All best intentions aside, I'm going to assume that he messed up by accepting the offer that we messed up in giving him. If the future were predictable... I hope he makes All-Conference at a new great school.

[wobatus]

He's from New York originally with family still up there (Queens). I expect him to end up somewhere up north, he had interest from Villanova and St John's. With the Queens connection, I could see St John's being a real possibility.

Not gonna happen but I wish he'd go to Fordham (my beau geste local follow in the nyc area). Now there's a school where he'd get major minutes immediately. They've been bad usually for years but at least it's A-10, which is a pretty good level and he could be a difference maker.

Fordham has had decent players but have had a hard time keeping them. Eric Paschall was A-10 freshman of the year 3 years ago but transferred when they fired Pecora, and now he starts for Villanova. Antwoine Anderson and Christian Sengfelder stuck around for the new coach at first but graduated early and transferred, now starting for UConn and Boise State. Jashire Hardnett starts for BYU. Nych Smith plays 20 minutes plus for Winthrop. Manny Suarez is a back-up for Creighton. Sorry to go into detail, but although none of these guys are great shakes, that's a bunch of guys starting for KP top 100 teams or playing minutes for decent D-I programs. You can see where the transfer situation can kill a mid-major like Fordham. That's 6 guys playing elsewhere, and with 3 guys out with injuries and 2 transfers sitting out but taking up schollies they are down to 7.

OK, aside from that pipe dream, I think Tucker would have had at least a shot at some minutes next year, even though Barrett and Redding are coming in and for now O'Connell is ahead of him on depth chart. The fact that there a lot of wings doesn't necessarily mean all that much because they may need bodies anyway.

Bolden will be back, no? So right now it looks like what:

T. Jones
Barrett
Redding
Delaurier
Bolden

Goldwire (is there another back-up point?)
O'Connell
White
Robinson
Vrank

The only other recruit that seems like a major possibility is Zion Williamson. If he comes in then Tuck really would almost certainly be buried. And of course someone could always re-classify. But if Williamson doesn't sign he at least would have had a shot at some minutes, if not starter minutes. But he likely didn't want to wait until Williamson announces in the spring to find out. He'd at least get some minutes and a chance to impress for 2020 and 2021. I guess that's a long time these days for youngsters and no guaranteed payoff.

But I'm not really up on Duke's recruiting situation or depth chart for next year.

[JasonEvans]

OK, aside from that pipe dream, I think Tucker would have had at least a shot at some minutes next year, even though Barrett and Redding are coming in and for now O'Connell is ahead of him on depth chart. The fact that there a lot of wings doesn't necessarily mean all that much because they may need bodies anyway.

Bolden will be back, no? So right now it looks like what:

T. Jones
Barrett
Redding
Delaurier
Bolden

Goldwire (is there another back-up point?)
O'Connell
White
Robinson
Vrank

But I'm not really up on Duke's recruiting situation or depth chart for next year.

It is Reddish, not Redding. Think of him as almost being red, not as a Monopoly railroad.

[wobatus]

Not gonna happen but I wish he'd go to Fordham (my beau geste local follow in the nyc area). Now there's a school where he'd get major minutes immediately. They've been bad usually for years but at least it's A-10, which is a pretty good level and he could be a difference maker.

Fordham has had decent players but have had a hard time keeping them. Eric Paschall was A-10 freshman of the year 3 years ago but transferred when they fired Pecora, and now he starts for Villanova. Antwoine Anderson and Christian Sengfelder stuck around for the new coach at first but graduated early and transferred, now starting for UConn and Boise State. Jashire Hardnett starts for BYU. Nych Smith plays 20 minutes plus for Winthrop. Manny Suarez is a back-up for Creighton. Sorry to go into detail, but although none of these guys are great shakes, that's a bunch of guys starting for KP top 100 teams or playing minutes for decent D-I programs. You can see where the transfer situation can kill a mid-major like Fordham. That's 6 guys playing elsewhere, and with 3 guys out with injuries and 2 transfers sitting out but taking up schollies they are down to 7.

OK, aside from that pipe dream, I think Tucker would have had at least a shot at some minutes next year, even though Barrett and Redding are coming in and for now O'Connell is ahead of him on depth chart. The fact that there a lot of wings doesn't necessarily mean all that much because they may need bodies anyway.

Bolden will be back, no? So right now it looks like what:

T. Jones
Barrett
Redding
Delaurier
Bolden

Goldwire (is there another back-up point?)
O'Connell
White
Robinson
Vrank

The only other recruit that seems like a major possibility is Zion Williamson. If he comes in then Tuck really would almost certainly be buried. And of course someone could always re-classify. But if Williamson doesn't sign he at least would have had a shot at some minutes, if not starter minutes. But he likely didn't want to wait until Williamson announces in the spring to find out. He'd at least get some minutes and a chance to impress for 2020 and 2021. I guess that's a long time these days for youngsters and no guaranteed payoff.

But I'm not really up on Duke's recruiting situation or depth chart for next year.


Reddish, not Redding. Anyone here remember Curtis Redding? Led Canarsie to an NYPL title in 1976, went to K-State and starred. He put up 32 in an NCAA tourney win against providence in '77, then 12 in a loss to Marquette during their title run. He transferred to St. John's, scored 17 in an NCAA loss to Purdue in 1980 (Purdue went to the Final 4), and then quit the next year. A really good player who disappeared.

Just checked the 2018 recruiting thread. I see some speculation that Carey or others may reclassify.

[wobatus]

It is Reddish, not Redding. Think of him as almost being red, not as a Monopoly railroad.

Yup, tried to edit but too late and got bogged down googling Curtis Redding. Too many old players bouncing around in my head. And it's Reading, no? I was always a Short Line man, myself.

[JasonEvans]

And it's Reading, no? I was always a Short Line man, myself.

Yes, but it is pronounced red-ding, not reed-ding, so I went with it anyway ;)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i3tWMOboOJ0/UEoVgOEnQmI/AAAAAAAAEvk/VJhozOTFaNw/s1600/ReadingRailroad.jpg

[UrinalCake]

To answer wobatus’s question about backup point guard, Mike Buckmire will still be on the roster as a walk-on I would presume. But he’s unlikely to see the floor except for the occasional coast to coast and-1. Even as the roster currently stands I wouldn’t expect Tucker to see much action next season. After the projected starters he is behind O’Connell, Goldwire, White, and even Robinson.

[yancem]

I was certainly on that bandwagon. But O'Connell appears to offer comparable (if not better) shooting, plus a superior handle, and more quickness, bounce and court savvy than anyone seems to have anticipated. And I think AOC's readiness, coupled to a lesser extent with the staff's confidence in Javin defending the 3 for stretches, made PT an uphill climb for Jordan, one that wasn't likely to get any easier with the incoming class.

I wish him luck, and hope he finds a better fit.

Well, since O'Connell was offered several months before Tucker, it would seem that K probably anticipated him being better the better of the two. There seemed to be an awful lot of hesitation in giving Tucker an offer so the coaches either saw the deficiencies during recruiting or maybe they held on to a negative bias once he arrived? Hard to tell from afar but I was always concerned that Tucker wouldn't work out. It felt like the coaches were kind forced into giving him an offer, kind a like having to ask your 3rd or 4th choice to the prom. You have a date but you spend more time at the prom trying to see what or other options are doing then enjoying the company of who you brought. Hopefully he finds what he is looking for and success at his next stop.

[AtlDuke72]

Reddish, not Redding. Anyone here remember Curtis Redding? Led Canarsie to an NYPL title in 1976, went to K-State and starred. He put up 32 in an NCAA tourney win against providence in '77, then 12 in a loss to Marquette during their title run. He transferred to St. John's, scored 17 in an NCAA loss to Purdue in 1980 (Purdue went to the Final 4), and then quit the next year. A really good player who disappeared.

Just checked the 2018 recruiting thread. I see some speculation that Carey or others may reclassify.

Chris Redding was a very good forward for Duke in the early 70s. Averaged about 14 points a game.

Georgia Texh thought it was going to get Tucker. Would be a good place for him since they need players badly at about every spot on the floor.

[Tappan Zee Devil]

It is Reddish, not Redding. Think of him as almost being red, not as a Monopoly railroad.

And for us of a certain age and era, there is Otis Redding

although I am not sure he ever played much b'ball

[TruBlu]

And for us of a certain age and era, there is Otis Redding

although I am not sure he ever played much b'ball

Nope. Too busy sitting on the dock of the bay.

[wobatus]

Nope. Too busy sitting on the dock of the bay.

I hear you had to Respect his shot.

[jaytoc]

Nope. Too busy sitting on the dock of the bay.

Hey, try a little tenderness.

[lotusland]

Hey, try a little tenderness.

Otis was sho hard to handle now.

[miramar]

While Duke could certainly use some more continuity in the OAD era, that is a tough road for most players. I expect that guys like DeLaurier, O'Connell, and Goldwire will stay around, but I assume that Tucker thought that he would keep losing playing time with every incoming freshman class so he has to start over.

On the other hand, transferring doesn't automatically work out, as Derryck Thornton and his genius uncle probably realize by now.

[Rich]

While Duke could certainly use some more continuity in the OAD era, that is a tough road for most players. I expect that guys like DeLaurier, O'Connell, and Goldwire will stay around, but I assume that Tucker thought that he would keep losing playing time with every incoming freshman class so he has to start over.

On the other hand, transferring doesn't automatically work out, as Derryck Thornton and his genius uncle probably realize by now.

Well, in Tuck's defense, there's a difference between going from playing good minutes on a tremendously talented team to playing less on a less talented team (Thornton) vs. not playing AT ALL to whatever his future holds (Tucker). I mean, it couldn't possibly be worse than his situation now, could it?

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Otis was sho hard to handle now.

Tramp!

/got nuthin

LOVE me some Otis. Wildly underappreciated. Worthy of his own thread even.

[cakerace]

And for us of a certain age and era, there is Otis Redding

although I am not sure he ever played much b'ball

After a half century my memory is a little foggy, but I have a vague recollection of Otis Redding’s
“I’m Depending On You” being a Duke locker room favorite back in the late 60s: “I'm depending on you/ Everything that you do/ I'm depending on you/ To see me through...”

Good stuff for a B side.

[superdave]

Any word on where Tucker is going?

I've seen Georgetown mentioned on Twitter, but nowhere else.

[Steven43]

See, this is the part that I don't get. I always assumed he waited for a Duke offer with the mindset of putting in work for 4+ years, contributing where he could as a Frosh/Soph, and then becoming a Matt Jones-type as a Junior/Senior. Don't want to jinx anything, but how could a true Duke fan leave at semester when we have serious March aspirations? Is he afraid of ladders? Does he not like confetti? Seriously though, I hope he shines in the next leg of his journey and I think almost all of us will be rooting for him as part of The Brotherhood whether he left it or not. Can't fault anyone for wanting to play, I'm just surprised that training at a premier university and learning from the GOAT wouldn't hold more appeal to a fan.

You allude to Tucker having been a fan of Duke before he chose to commit. While I don’t know anything about that I will assume it’s true. Regardless, just because he was a fan of Duke does not mean he continued to feel that way after enrolling. Perhaps he became disillusioned about certain aspects of the university after becoming a student. Maybe he thought the academics were too demanding. Maybe he didn’t like K and the other coaches riding him hard during practice. Maybe he didn’t see a clear path to future playing time. I would like to know the unvarnished truth, just as you would, but I know we never will.

Regardless, this is a big loss. It’s guys like Tucker—talented, but not OAD level and who stay four years—who are the glue that holds the program together. He would have potentially been invaluable to Coach Stevens, Coach Hurley, or Coach Snyder (if K were to leave within the next three years) in passing down to the younger players the traditions and history of the University and the basketball program. The more I think about it the more bummed out I am becoming. Sad.

[lotusland]

I always enjoy watching Duke players progress and become upper classmen. Next year we’ll most likely have 2 seniors and 2 juniors on scholarship if both Javin and Jack are back. JGold and Alex both look like 4 year guys from this year’s class. I hate losing JTuck but this seems like about as much balance as we can hope for while recruiting at the current level.

[jimsumner]

I always enjoy watching Duke players progress and become upper classmen. Next year we’ll most likely have 2 seniors and 2 juniors on scholarship if both Javin and Jack are back. JGold and Alex both look like 4 year guys from this year’s class. I hate losing JTuck but this seems like about as much balance as we can hope for while recruiting at the current level.

Vrankovic would be a senior. Who's the second?

[mattman91]

Vrankovic would be a senior. Who's the second?

Brennan Besser?

[CDu]

I always enjoy watching Duke players progress and become upper classmen. Next year we’ll most likely have 2 seniors and 2 juniors on scholarship if both Javin and Jack are back. JGold and Alex both look like 4 year guys from this year’s class. I hate losing JTuck but this seems like about as much balance as we can hope for while recruiting at the current level.

I think there is a decent chance we will have one senior (Vrankovic) and three junior recruited scholarship guys (Bolden, DeLaurier, White), along with two soph recruits (O’Connell and Goldwire).

[lotusland]

Vrankovic would be a senior. Who's the second?

JRob?

[CDu]

JRob?

Robinson may or may not get a scholarship (he was not recruited, and thus was never promised one). Also, he will not be a senior (he redshirted).

[DukieInBrasil]

JRob?

J-Rob is a red-shirt So. this year. So he's a Jr in terms of years in the Duke program, but only a So. in eligibility.

[lotusland]

Ok glad to have JRob for 2 more years. Assuming Bolden and Javin play 1 more year only we could still have 2 seniors in 2019 if JRob and Jack stick around. I think bringing in 2-3 guys like either Javin, Justin and Alex or Vrank, JRob, JGold and Jack each year along with the OADs is a good mix. Some may transfer out or blow up and leave for the draft earlier than expected but hopefully we maintain some experienced upper class-men.

[Furniture]

Robinson may or may not get a scholarship (he was not recruited, and thus was never promised one). Also, he will not be a senior (he redshirted).

JRob was given a scholarship this year.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N6R0PCiITsM

[CDu]

JRob was given a scholarship this year.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N6R0PCiITsM

Yes, and I believe he received one last year too. But he was not promised one. He was given one before the season because we had one to spare.

If we don’t use all of our allotted scholarships next year, he will probably get one then too. But he isn’t holding down a scholarship spot next year as of now.

[jimsumner]

Absent a transfer, Antonio Vrankovic will be Duke's only recruited senior next season.

[4Gen]

Absent a transfer, Antonio Vrankovic will be Duke's only recruited senior next season.

To get into Duke is next to impossible. One better be on track to win the Nobel. A guy like Vrank not only got accepted but he's on a full scholarship and a valued member of the world renouned basketball team. That's winning, my friend.

[CDu]

To get into Duke is next to impossible. One better be on track to win the Nobel. A guy like Vrank not only got accepted but he's on a full scholarship and a valued member of the world renouned basketball team. That's winning, my friend.

Well, to get accepted, one has to be really elite smart... or be really well-connected... or be really elite at sports.

Not sure what your post means. Barring surprise, Vrankovic will be the only recruited senior next year.

[4Gen]

All I'm trying to say is when your acceptance letter arrives, you have achieved a dream. If it comes with a full scholarship, you are blessed indeed. Selling admittance to Duke is a dream come true, which Cut said greatly influenced his decision to coach in Durham.

[uh_no]

All I'm trying to say is when your acceptance letter arrives, you have achieved a dream. If it comes with a full scholarship, you are blessed indeed. Selling admittance to Duke is a dream come true, which Cut said greatly influenced his decision to coach in Durham.

yes, but what does that have to do with vrank specifically, and his status as a senior next year?

[superdave]

Any word on where Tucker is going?

I've seen Georgetown mentioned on Twitter, but nowhere else.

Visiting Gtown this weekend.

https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/949409265671917569

[luburch]

Headed to Butler, per Twitter.

[budwom]

yes, but what does that have to do with vrank specifically, and his status as a senior next year?

yeah, this is a weird tangent....when guys are offered hoop scholarships, there generally isn't much drama about acceptance to Duke unless they have bad grades.

[Truth&Justise]

Headed to Butler, per Twitter.

Good luck to Jordan, he'll be part of a good program.

[Bluegrassdevil1]

Headed to Butler, per Twitter.

I believe this is a great fit for him.

[CDu]

It appeared that Tucker was just in over his head on the court at Duke. Butler should provide an appropriate step down in level of competition - both on his own team and in his opponents. Best of luck to him. Sorry it didn't work out here.

[BD80]

Headed to Butler, per Twitter.

It will be easy to root for him there ...

Congrats to Jordan and Butler.

[OldPhiKap]

Best of luck Jordan, and thanks for your efforts here. I’m pulling for you.

[juise]

He must have been impressed by the rabid fans base that attended the PK80. It would have been funny if Duke had played Butler and then he ended up there. Good luck, JTucks.