highlandangel
03-08-2007, 11:07 PM
I came to a conclusion after the game that I wanted to run by the board...
We are missing the leader on the court. And I'm not refering to the point guard.
This is not a bash, or even criticism of any player on the court in a Duke uniform. It has a lot to do with our youth, but it also has a lot to do with the character of the players that have passed through Cameron - and I think anyone of the young men in our uniform could step up to that position.
While I have been a basketball fan my entire life, I'll limit my analysis to the last 9 seasons, in large part because that's when i started at Duke:
1998-99 Trajan Langdon
99-00 Chris Carawell
00-01 Shane Battier
01-02 Jason Williams
02-03 Daniel Ewing
03-06 JJ Redick/Shelden Williams
Each of the above players took the team on their backs, with ample help from the rest of the team.
We've have had varying levels of talent (and I mean in comparison to each team at Duke, not across the country), and we've had various injuries, etc. But each year, someone would put the team on their back, even if they weren't necessarily the most talented person. We didn't always win, but we won a lot more than we lost.
The other thing that happened is that each year that followed, the "leader" on the floor had a chance the previous year to work his way into the go-to guy position. That was lost with this team. Our most experienced player has battled with injuries most of his career, and the next two were righfully overshadowed by two of Duke's best ever. That doesn't mean they can't do it, but it means that they had a lot to live up to this season, without the chance to grow into the job.
I wanted to post this because it makes me excited, not only for this NCAA tournament, but also for next year, because I think this team will be back where they belong - at the top!
We are missing the leader on the court. And I'm not refering to the point guard.
This is not a bash, or even criticism of any player on the court in a Duke uniform. It has a lot to do with our youth, but it also has a lot to do with the character of the players that have passed through Cameron - and I think anyone of the young men in our uniform could step up to that position.
While I have been a basketball fan my entire life, I'll limit my analysis to the last 9 seasons, in large part because that's when i started at Duke:
1998-99 Trajan Langdon
99-00 Chris Carawell
00-01 Shane Battier
01-02 Jason Williams
02-03 Daniel Ewing
03-06 JJ Redick/Shelden Williams
Each of the above players took the team on their backs, with ample help from the rest of the team.
We've have had varying levels of talent (and I mean in comparison to each team at Duke, not across the country), and we've had various injuries, etc. But each year, someone would put the team on their back, even if they weren't necessarily the most talented person. We didn't always win, but we won a lot more than we lost.
The other thing that happened is that each year that followed, the "leader" on the floor had a chance the previous year to work his way into the go-to guy position. That was lost with this team. Our most experienced player has battled with injuries most of his career, and the next two were righfully overshadowed by two of Duke's best ever. That doesn't mean they can't do it, but it means that they had a lot to live up to this season, without the chance to grow into the job.
I wanted to post this because it makes me excited, not only for this NCAA tournament, but also for next year, because I think this team will be back where they belong - at the top!