As I was reading DBR's piece on John Wall, I came across the following lines:

Moreover, we think that after nearly 30 years of building credibility Coach K has earned the right to say that a particular player is worth the risk. Does it always work out? Clearly not - William Avery is a good example of the wager gone bad. But he’s an exception.
How was Avery a "wager gone bad"? He was successful starting as a freshman (remember the Kentucky Shot Volume 2 that almost was?), then averaged something like 15 and 5 his sophomore year on the way to a title game appearance. He never, to my knowledge got in any trouble while in school, and was drafted just outside the lottery. OK, he was a bust, but he's had a reasonably successful career in Europe. Since when does failing to pan out in the League make you a "wager gone bad", anyway? Using that logic, it's too bad we ever "wagered" on Amaker, Hurley, T. Hill, Langdon, JWill, Shelden, etc. Are people here still bitter that he went pro against K's wishes? If so, that's pretty petty, don't ya think? Avery was a valuable contributor to Duke basketball. I'd love to hear the rationale behind DBR's remarks.