Next year's team - who is on it?

[FerryFor50]

Keep in mind that Duke is still recruiting E.C. Montgomery. Should Duke miss on him, I think a grad-student option will be in play. Perhaps, even if they don't miss on him.

Bolden is not guaranteed to return. If he does, then he, DeLaurier and O'Connell project to the rotation players next season. Any of White, Vrankovic, Goldwire and Robinson would have to make a big jump to get significant PT next season. A big, big jump.

Reid Travis?

[scottdude8]

I don't think that team beats Pitt, even at home. Just not enough offense, even against a bad Pitt team. But, again, that doesn't really matter.



Abdur-Rahkman was a 20mpg player from day one though, even on a team loaded with good options on the wings (Walton when Albrecht played PG, LeVert, Irvin). None of our backups besides O'Connell showed out like that. I really don't expect any of our returning guys besides O'Connell, Bolden, and DeLaurier to compete for significant minutes next year.

And Thornton and (especially) Hairston were much higher-rated recruits than all but O'Connell, Bolden, and DeLaurier. Heck, Hairston was higher rated than all but Bolden. And like you said, those guys were both "fifth guy on the floor" types. As an aside, they were also primarily on our two least successful teams: 2012 and 2014; Thornton was the 4th guard and Hairston was the 4th big on the 2013 team. Thornton played major (20+) minutes in 2012-14. Hairston never really played major minutes at Duke, but was an 8-12 mpg guy from 2012-14.



But that's the thing: we had about as many returnees this year as last year. Last year, it was Allen, Bolden, DeLaurier, White, Vrankovic, and Robinson. This year it is Bolden, DeLaurier, O'Connell, White, Vrankovic, Robinson, and Goldwire. I'm not sure that the added year of experience for everyone plus the addition of Goldwire is enough to offset the loss of a senior Allen.

That's not to say next year is all doom and gloom. I think we'll be very good. I just don't expect significant contributions from anyone outside of Bolden, DeLaurier, and O'Connell.

With regards to Rahkman, he played that much as a freshman solely based on necessity. That was the worst year in the recent Beilein-era run, when injuries to Levert and (to a lesser extent) Spike, combined with the somewhat unexpected early departures of Stauskas, GR3 and McGary, led to us missing even the NIT. And in his first two years Rahkman actually wasn't even the most promising under-recruited wing on our team: the consensus was Aubrey Dawkins was the better player, and he played more important minutes than Rahk did. Even last year there was a portion of the fan base that was frustrated that Rahk started and played as much as he did (there was the occasional chatter about giving Ibi Watson, a freshman then who is our 10th man now, a chance). So, yes, the comparison is a bit forced to our guys, considering he played a lot more from the get-go than any of our returnees. However, every one of the guys I listed was a higher rated recruit than Rahk, and from my perspective you are definitely overplaying how good he was at the beginning of his career. I don't think any Michigan fan would've considered in their wildest dreams that Rahk would be where he is today three years ago (I probably would've been ecstatic if he ended up being a solid sixth man).

All of that is a long tangent (my sincere apologies, but I love talking Michigan basketball, especially right now when it soothes my heartache about Duke, haha), but my point is simply this: you're more likely to find a diamond in the rough if you actually have some rough to look through, and that rough has had some time to develop outside of pure garbage time (apologies for the VERY forced analogy there, haha). Yes, DeLaurier, Bolden, Vrank and White all were returnees this season, but I think they (along with O'Connell and to a lesser extent Robinson or Goldwire) stand a better chance of making a leap after this season as opposed to last season given the experience they gained.

Again, I don't think we're actually disagreeing about anything major here; if anything, the debate seems to just be about whether any of those guys become real contributors or just bench players. I'm not even saying I'm 100% confident that the mythical leap will take place. I just think we're in a better position for that to possibly happen to someone compared to where we were last year, when we entered this season having seen nobody besides Grayson ever play real minutes over an extended period in ACC play. Maybe the comparisons to Rahk, Thornton and Hairston were a bit of a stretch, but I would argue the situation we're in is closer to them than it is to another year of only having 6 or 7 real contributors.

[jimsumner]

Reid Travis?

No idea. I'm not trying to play wink-wink, nudge-nudge here. It's too early to know which prospective grad-student options are interested in Duke and have that interest reciprocated. The season just ended yesterday and Duke cannot and will not initiate contact with anyone.

But I'm pretty sure Duke doesn't want to go into next season with White, Goldwire and Vrankovic in contention for eighth man and Vrankovic the only senior. Duke needs more people who can shave and legally buy beer.

[Natty_B]

No idea. I'm not trying to play wink-wink, nudge-nudge here. It's too early to know which prospective grad-student options are interested in Duke and have that interest reciprocated. The season just ended yesterday and Duke cannot and will not initiate contact with anyone.

But I'm pretty sure Duke doesn't want to go into next season with White, Goldwire and Vrankovic in contention for eighth man and Vrankovic the only senior. Duke needs more people who can shave and legally buy beer.

Yeah next season makes a ton of sense for the first grad transfer. It's impossible to predict who as the number of grad transfers grows every year. It's almost impossible to track potential grad transfers but the person who does track it best, IMO, is Jeff Goodman at ESPN. I imagine the chance to get minutes at Duke, with the recruits coming in, would be very appealing to a lot of big guys looking to play one more season.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

But I'm pretty sure Duke doesn't want to go into next season with White, Goldwire and Vrankovic in contention for eighth man and Vrankovic the only senior. Duke needs more people who can shave and legally buy beer.

After Syracuse K said that "we played young" - and I was too disgusted to listen to last night's post game presser, but I'm thinking they "played young" again last night at times. Ironically, Grayson played young at times. For the life of me, i can't imagine why he waited about 38 minutes to start attacking the basket.

Between clanking our 3s for the second straight game, even good looks, and getting out worked on the boards, and other mistakes, it's clear Duke's A game is 25 points better than Kansas. There are six teams in the ACC who kill us with a performance like last night.

[CDu]

With regards to Rahkman, he played that much as a freshman solely based on necessity. That was the worst year in the recent Beilein-era run, when injuries to Levert and (to a lesser extent) Spike, combined with the somewhat unexpected early departures of Stauskas, GR3 and McGary, led to us missing even the NIT. And in his first two years Rahkman actually wasn't even the most promising under-recruited wing on our team: the consensus was Aubrey Dawkins was the better player, and he played more important minutes than Rahk did. Even last year there was a portion of the fan base that was frustrated that Rahk started and played as much as he did (there was the occasional chatter about giving Ibi Watson, a freshman then who is our 10th man now, a chance). So, yes, the comparison is a bit forced to our guys, considering he played a lot more from the get-go than any of our returnees. However, every one of the guys I listed was a higher rated recruit than Rahk, and from my perspective you are definitely overplaying how good he was at the beginning of his career. I don't think any Michigan fan would've considered in their wildest dreams that Rahk would be where he is today three years ago (I probably would've been ecstatic if he ended up being a solid sixth man).

All of that is a long tangent (my sincere apologies, but I love talking Michigan basketball, especially right now when it soothes my heartache about Duke, haha), but my point is simply this: you're more likely to find a diamond in the rough if you actually have some rough to look through, and that rough has had some time to develop outside of pure garbage time (apologies for the VERY forced analogy there, haha). Yes, DeLaurier, Bolden, Vrank and White all were returnees this season, but I think they (along with O'Connell and to a lesser extent Robinson or Goldwire) stand a better chance of making a leap after this season as opposed to last season given the experience they gained.

Again, I don't think we're actually disagreeing about anything major here; if anything, the debate seems to just be about whether any of those guys become real contributors or just bench players. I'm not even saying I'm 100% confident that the mythical leap will take place. I just think we're in a better position for that to possibly happen to someone compared to where we were last year, when we entered this season having seen nobody besides Grayson ever play real minutes over an extended period in ACC play. Maybe the comparisons to Rahk, Thornton and Hairston were a bit of a stretch, but I would argue the situation we're in is closer to them than it is to another year of only having 6 or 7 real contributors.

I certainly think that Bolden (a junior top-15 recruit) and DeLaurier (a junior top-40 recruit) have a chance to be key players next year. But I thought Bolden had a chance to be a key player THIS year too. Last year, we had Allen, Bolden, and DeLaurier as returnees expected to contribute. This year, we will have Bolden, DeLaurier, and O'Connell as returnees expected to contribute. That seems like at best a lateral step to me.

I'm amazed that anyone would have been disappointed in Rahkman as a sophomore or junior. The guy shot 46% from the field, 37% from 3, and averaged 8.6 points per game as a sophomore in 28 mpg. He averaged 46% from the field, 38% from 3, and 9 ppg in 30 mpg as a junior. He was a really good player the last two years. Really the only thing he's doing now is playing more and passing better. As a scorer, he's been about the same each of the last 3 years (i.e., really good at it). I think you are underestimating how good Rahkman has been throughout his career. It really hasn't been just a senior-year emergence.

I just don't think White, Robinson (who was certainly not rated above Abdur-Rahkman coming out of high school), or Goldwire have much chance to do anything like what Rahkman did. For one thing, Rahkman had already put together multiple good seasons as a starter/sixth man on a power-6 program by this point in the careers of White, Robinson, and Vrankovic. And he had shown a lot more than Goldwire did as a freshman.

[CajunDevil]

Starters:
PG - Tre Jones
SG - RJ
SF - Cam
PF - Zion
C - Bolden

Regular Bench Contributors:
DeLaurier
O'Connell
White

Spot-time Contributors:
Goldwire

Blow-out Contributors:
Vrank
everyone else

Key issues:
1. Leadership - Does Tre and RJ lead from day one? If not, who? Bolden? DeLaurier?
2. Shooting - Can Cam, Tre, RJ, and Alex provide consistency from 3?
3. Defense - K will be working with his favorite type of players - uber-athletic, long wings who can switch 1-4, a center who can move his feet really well, and a quick, strong, athletic pg with off-the-charts intangibles. IF, and a big IF, these freshmen can learn the M2M principles, this team could be devastating defensively, which could lead to many ridiculous transition highlights.

[Dev11]

Javin is not a very skilled offensive player. I can't really think of a comp. except maybe Hairston, but that's not fair because Javin is so much more athletic, longer, and taller, but offensively, that's kind of his comparison right now. He's gotta get a lot better on both sides of the ball. He fouls all the time and gets lost on D and he isn't just a net-0 on offense, he's a real negative. You don't have to guard him and his decision making with the ball unless it's an open lay-up is almost always a turnover.

Good news is he has a lot of room to improve!

Maybe he's like Lance Thomas, but remove some of Lance's versatility and replace it with more hops. Javin DeLaurier is the IPA they brewed from the Lance Thomas barrels.

[Acymetric]

Javin is not a very skilled offensive player. I can't really think of a comp. except maybe Hairston, but that's not fair because Javin is so much more athletic, longer, and taller, but offensively, that's kind of his comparison right now. He's gotta get a lot better on both sides of the ball. He fouls all the time and gets lost on D and he isn't just a net-0 on offense, he's a real negative. You don't have to guard him and his decision making with the ball unless it's an open lay-up is almost always a turnover.

Good news is he has a lot of room to improve!

Seems like a better comparison might be Lance Thomas (pre-senior year)? High energy, a lot of athleticism, but plays out of control frequently (high foul rate) and has no offensive moves to speak of. Without checking, I would suspect that Javin's height/build is more similar to Thomas than to Hairston as well.

That said, I don't feel comfortable at all with the idea of Javin as our primary backup at center (assuming Bolden stays). Just not big enough to bang down low like that. I don't see any of our current commits being the solution either (and even if they could play C adequately, it would not be the best use of their talents on the floor). Montgomery might be able to help absorb some of those minutes if we land him. If not, either we get a grad transfer or expect to see Vrank as the 7th or 8th man off the bench to take 5-10 minutes (maybe more) at center.

If Bolden leaves and we don't take a grad transfer, we should probably just abandon the idea of a traditional center altogether (which is not entirely foreign to Duke, although we usually do have one true big man that gets minutes). Becomes a true run and gun offense at that point with no real post anchor for offense or defense.

[CDu]

Seems like a better comparison might be Lance Thomas (pre-senior year)? High energy, a lot of athleticism, but plays out of control frequently (high foul rate) and has no offensive moves to speak of. Without checking, I would suspect that Javin's height/build is more similar to Thomas than to Hairston as well.

That said, I don't feel comfortable at all with the idea of Javin as our primary backup at center (assuming Bolden stays). Just not big enough to bang down low like that. I don't see any of our current commits being the solution either (and even if they could play C adequately, it would not be the best use of their talents on the floor). Montgomery might be able to help absorb some of those minutes if we land him. If not, either we get a grad transfer or expect to see Vrank as the 7th or 8th man off the bench to take 5-10 minutes (maybe more) at center.

If Bolden leaves and we don't take a grad transfer, we should probably just abandon the idea of a traditional center altogether (which is not entirely foreign to Duke, although we usually do have one true big man that gets minutes). Becomes a true run and gun offense at that point with no real post anchor for offense or defense.

I don’t have a problem with Williamson and DeLaurier sharing the backup C minutes. Williamson is plenty strong enough to defend Cs, and would be a nightmare to defend. DeLaurier could play C when the center is quicker/thinner, or PF otherwise.

[kako]

One way to deal with OADs is to build your team expecting OADs but then have a core of leadership around them so that we don't have a team full of them. I personally don't think starting 5 OADs, even if they were say the top 5 rated recruits, is a good strategy.

I thought the reason K went after Goldwire was to have a 4-year, slowly-increasing-in-capability PG that can offer leadership as a junior and senior. As a 3-star HS prospect, he's shown some moments. His stats don't scream lottery pick, but he did have 24 assists and 7 steals compared to 7 TOs. Still, he was of course completely overshadowed by Duval (and the other frosh guards), but was as it should have been. Having a 4-year PG who understands the offense/defense and can be (at least) a rotation player could greatly benefit Duke, assuming OAD stays in place as-is. It's not like he's a walk-on - there were mid-majors courting him for years... but when Duke took, what, 1 week, and swooped in, he signed immediately. He must have signed knowing that he will be a long-term player, gaining more experience as time goes on.

I'm hoping Goldwire can get more minutes next year. Sure, he's not going to start over Tre Jones. But Jones will probably be OAD, too. And Duke will need a backup PG. People might say that could be AOC. I think AOC is a shooting guard, but he might develop other skills. Even if that's the case, Duke will still need backup at the guard spot. And long term if Duke can keep developing Goldwire, then that leads to upperclassman leadership over the OADs, like Cook, Allen, etc. Maybe the ceiling is not so high for Goldwire. But even if he can become like Tyler Thornton, I think it would be very helpful.

I have noticed Goldwire on the bench, encouraging, celebrating and going up to teammates during timeouts. That's a good sign.

Mid-majors have senior guard leadership. Ben Richardson from Loyola is leading that FF team, and Rivals says he was a 3-star prospect. Same as Goldwire. So I'm just hoping for hard work on his part, keep his head up and strive towards his senior season when he can be an important contributor.

[scottdude8]

I certainly think that Bolden (a junior top-15 recruit) and DeLaurier (a junior top-40 recruit) have a chance to be key players next year. But I thought Bolden had a chance to be a key player THIS year too. Last year, we had Allen, Bolden, and DeLaurier as returnees expected to contribute. This year, we will have Bolden, DeLaurier, and O'Connell as returnees expected to contribute. That seems like at best a lateral step to me.

I'm amazed that anyone would have been disappointed in Rahkman as a sophomore or junior. The guy shot 46% from the field, 37% from 3, and averaged 8.6 points per game as a sophomore in 28 mpg. He averaged 46% from the field, 38% from 3, and 9 ppg in 30 mpg as a junior. He was a really good player the last two years. Really the only thing he's doing now is playing more and passing better. As a scorer, he's been about the same each of the last 3 years (i.e., really good at it). I think you are underestimating how good Rahkman has been throughout his career. It really hasn't been just a senior-year emergence.

I just don't think White, Robinson (who was certainly not rated above Abdur-Rahkman coming out of high school), or Goldwire have much chance to do anything like what Rahkman did. For one thing, Rahkman had already put together multiple good seasons as a starter/sixth man on a power-6 program by this point in the careers of White, Robinson, and Vrankovic. And he had shown a lot more than Goldwire did as a freshman.

Again, all completely fair points. However, I think you may be looking at things through the lens of the success Michigan has had over the last 12 months, and not the types of teams Rahk was actually playing on. Like I said, Rahk's freshman year was one of the worst years in recent Michigan memory, and he played mostly out of injury necessity. His sophomore and junior years Michigan was a bubble team at best (until the amazing run late last season), and again, his scoring was largely dictated by the fact that he was a starter on a team that didn't have any clear stars and didn't have much post production (until Mo's explosion late last year). And while the stats might look nice, until this year Rahk's performances in game never were particularly pretty. It's hard to back this up, obviously, but I would venture to say that a judgement via the "eye-test" comparing sophomore year Rahk to senior year Rahk would be pretty jarring.

None of this is to say I don't like Rahk or think he's a great player. I LOVE Rahk. But the improvements he's made from his freshman year to now (maybe the point we're arguing over is more the "year-to-year" improvement versus overall improvement) were shocking to the fans who watched him every game. As context, after Michigan his best offers out of HS were from Bucknell and VCU. That's an incredible rise over the course of four years.

Given all of that, and some of my previous discussion, the point I was trying to make is this: oftentimes, you need someone unexpected to make a Rahk-like, somewhat unexpected leap to turn a great team into an excellent team (Michigan wouldn't be in the Final Four if we had sophomore year Rahk, of that I'm pretty certain). Unfortunately, that didn't happen this year for Bolden, DeLaurier, White or Vrank. However, with another year under their belts, and the addition of O'Connell to the returnees, I think the probability that SOMEONE makes that type of leap is higher this year than it was last year. Hence, we have a slightly higher chance of finding that X-factor on next year's team.

Side note: I always love my debates with you CDu. They're always rational, grounded in facts and supporting evidence, and enlightening. Even when we don't end up coming to a consensus, it's always a good time. These types of discussions are the reason this is really the only message board I actively participate in.

[whereinthehellami]

All four recruits are RSCI top 10 and poised to start next year.

Tre Jones- PG - RSCI #7
Tre (6-2, 183) is a natural born leader and has been training like a pro, being the younger brother of Tyus Jones. I think it says it all that he chose Duke instead of forging his own path at a different school. He approached this decision like a professional and embraced following in his brother’s footsteps.

Tre is a gamer, likes the bright lights. Tre is at his best setting up teammates and has a high basketball IQ. The type of player who finds the ball and delivers it in the right spot. Tre always has his head up in transition and looks for the pass ahead. It should be fun next year in transition!

Despite his slight size (6-2, 183) and somewhat limited athleticism (for a top ten recruit), Tre is an effective driver with the ball using high level hesitation moves, switching tempo to keep defenders on their heels. Tre has a solid mid-range game and can get shots off in the lane with decent step-backs and floaters. Good at drawing fouls.

On defense Tre shows good effort and instincts. Should get a fair amount of steals he has good anticipation in the passing lanes. Not as long as Trevon though, will miss the deflections Trevon’s length causes. Tre is a good rebounder for his size but it is grown mans’ game in the ACC.

Tre is improving his strength and outside shooting but right now they are not ACC level ready. He has been really working on the outside shot but is still looking for greater consistency.

RJ Barret – SF – RSCI #1
RJ is a winner and has been playing high level basketball (Team Canada, Montverde HS) for a while now. Team Canada beat the US last summer in the U19 world cup (scored 38 pts, 13 boards) and Montverde is perennially one of the best HS teams in the country. They are the favorite for the Geico HS championship this year and are undefeated, play March 29. Check out the game highlights against Bol-Bols team from earlier this year to see the level of ball that Barret has been playing against.

RJ is thin but with a good build (6-7, 200). RJ is another gamer who loves the bright lights and wants the ball at the end of the game. Has a lot of confidence in his scoring and passing and is creative with both. Has great body control and uses his length well. On offense he switches pace well and takes long strides, gliding around defenders. Gets to the line a ton due to his craftiness. Explosive in transition and at the rim. Looks to push it at every opportunity. Has on okay mid-range game.

His 3 point shot is more of a set shot and is streaky at best. Needs more consistency. RJ is prone to taking bad shots and will gamble on passes more than he should.

On defense, RJ is willing to use his length and quick feet. Wasn’t afraid to take the other team’s best player. Needs to get stronger to handle ACC level guys in the paint/rebounding.

Zion Williamson – PF – RSCI #2
6-6, 270. 40 inch vertical. Holy cow! Might be the most unique player Duke has ever had. If you have not seen his Highlight tape check it out, absolutely ridiculous. HS competition was terrible and questions as to how well his game will translate to the next level(s) abound. Most of the experts agree that he is a surefire star if he can remain injury free (that size just doesn’t seem physically possible). The key to me is how well he moves horizontally. Amazing hips and wiggle for someone of that size. Can he win battles against ACC level talent in the paint at 6-6 as a freshman? Loves to block shots and go for steals. Fouls will no doubt be a huge concern. Helpfully he learns quickly to manage that part of his game.

Good ball handler in traffic and has some guard type moves with the ball, change of direction. Hesitation. Hard to stop with his determination to get to the hoop. A willing, creative passer. But can force things and be turnover prone.

Outside shot needs a lot of work but can hit the occasional 3. Not consistent or efficient though.

Has a big personality that is contagious, loves to play and isn’t afraid to show it.

Cam Reddish – SG – RSCI #3
Cam is a 6-7 (210) SG with length and NBA level athleticism. A streaky shooter with handles and a willing/creative passer. Can get to the rim and finish with explosive dunks. Loves to get in transition, has played some point guard.

Has potential on defense with his length and quickness but struggled with effort and consistency. One of the reasons he signed with Duke was to be pushed by Coach K, that is a good sign.

Also needs strength, especially against ACC level guys in the paint. Has the height and a good build.

Settles for difficult outside shots too much. Unselfish player who will look to setup other teammates. Silky smooth player, can disappear in tough play though.

General thoughts
Really exciting class though and should be a totally different look than this past year’s team. If these guys can stay relatively injury free and develop together, should be a lot of fun.

It will be interesting to see where Duke goes with the fifth starter. If Bolden is back, he is the man. That lineup on paper is crazy, 6-1, 6-7, 6-7, 6-6, 6-11. That is some serious length and athleticism.
If Bolden is gone, I like Delaurier in the 5th spot as a rebounder and defender with some dunks and garbage points on offense.

On offense, this is a team build for transition and driving/passing to the hoop. A streaky outside shooting team prone to long droughts. The youth will need to grow up quickly in terms of focus on both ends of the floor. TOs could be a concern as this group figures out they have to treasure possessions. I’m hoping Tre Jones really steps as a leader and reigns this in as the proverbial coach on the floor.

On defense this team should be a great man to man team but can they learn it quickly enough and put the effort/communication in that it requires? I’m not sure. I’m hoping coach stays with the zone as it easier to play for the younger players and with the length and athleticism should be enough to keep the Duke defense in the Kenpom top 20.

Overall, I think this team will be more exciting (more transition) than last year’s squad but I’m not sure they will mature as quickly as last year’s team. Allen, Bagley, Carter, and Trent played mature ball pretty quickly. It should be a fun ride though as these are some seriously talented recruits coming thru the door. I love how it is a completely different look from last year.
The top 3 recruits and 4 in the top 10. Absolutely amazing!

[Dukebasketball2020]

I think Duke needs 1 more big next year whether that's Ej Montogomery or a grad Transfer (Reid Travis), also I think duke needs to target a legit shooter 6'5, 6'6 guy who can shoot lights out or respectable 38-42 % 3 point shooter

[Acymetric]

I don’t have a problem with Williamson and DeLaurier sharing the backup C minutes. Williamson is plenty strong enough to defend Cs, and would be a nightmare to defend. DeLaurier could play C when the center is quicker/thinner, or PF otherwise.

Williamson is definitely strong enough to defend, but there are some issues with using your starting PF as the primary backup C when it comes to getting guys rest and having your best lineup on the floor as much as possible (assuming that our best lineup would include Zion at PF and Bolden at C playing together).

[DavidBenAkiva]

Keep in mind that Duke is still recruiting E.C. Montgomery. Should Duke miss on him, I think a grad-student option will be in play. Perhaps, even if they don't miss on him.

Bolden is not guaranteed to return. If he does, then he, DeLaurier and O'Connell project to the rotation players next season. Any of White, Vrankovic, Goldwire and Robinson would have to make a big jump to get significant PT next season. A big, big jump.

*E.J. Montgomery.

Regarding Bolden, I don't see why he would leave for basketball/roster reasons. He clearly earned the trust of the coaching staff this season and, after returning from the MCL sprain in early 2018, played the best basketball of his short career at Duke. With the roster coming in next year, it seems very obvious that he can be a starter on a Top 10 team. The team needs a big center like him, a guy that can play close to the rim while everyone else switches and attacks from the perimeter. I could hardly think of a better type of player for the incoming roster.

Transferring would require that he sit out the entire year. I just don't see why he would forgo another run at it with Duke versus going somewhere else. There has to be some other reason, not related to basketball, for him to transfer.

[Acymetric]

*E.J. Montgomery.

Regarding Bolden, I don't see why he would leave for basketball/roster reasons. He clearly earned the trust of the coaching staff this season and, after returning from the MCL sprain in early 2018, played the best basketball of his short career at Duke. With the roster coming in next year, it seems very obvious that he can be a starter on a Top 10 team. The team needs a big center like him, a guy that can play close to the rim while everyone else switches and attacks from the perimeter. I could hardly think of a better type of player for the incoming roster.

Transferring would require that he sit out the entire year. I just don't see why he would forgo another run at it with Duke versus going somewhere else. There has to be some other reason, not related to basketball, for him to transfer.

I don't think anyone is suggesting Bolden would transfer. He very well could choose to go pro though. He could definitely raise his stock significantly by coming back and having a strong year as the primary center, but he could torpedo his chances of playing pro ball at all if he were to come back and suffer another injury. It is a risk-reward situation, hope he stays but would not blame him if he thinks he can get paid now and takes the money. With his size and some leftover hype coming out of high school (plus some solid though not spectacular play this year) somebody would take a chance on him.

[proelitedota]

Zion Williamson is listed as 6/7 250 in the latest McDAA roster. He has shed some of the injury weight.

RJ Barrett looks to be our 3 rather than Cam as he seems to have a nose for rebounding and physical play. Cam is a SG for sure.

I want Zion to shed 15-20 more pounds and RJ to put on 10-15 pounds.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Regarding Bolden, I don't see why he would leave for basketball/roster reasons. He clearly earned the trust of the coaching staff this season and, after returning from the MCL sprain in early 2018, played the best basketball of his short career at Duke. With the roster coming in next year, it seems very obvious that he can be a starter on a Top 10 team. The team needs a big center like him, a guy that can play close to the rim while everyone else switches and attacks from the perimeter. I could hardly think of a better type of player for the incoming roster.

Transferring would require that he sit out the entire year. I just don't see why he would forgo another run at it with Duke versus going somewhere else. There has to be some other reason, not related to basketball, for him to transfer.

Agreed. He seemed happier to me than he's ever been at Duke - I mean, that's 30 thousand foot view with no inside info at all...but he seemed into it. Almost sure to start and get big minutes next season on high profile team. Can be the next Lance Thomas...seems like a little bit less springy and a little disappointing for a while, then blossom into a good four year player and good pro. Not the worst life path in the world...

[CDu]

I don't think anyone is suggesting Bolden would transfer. He very well could choose to go pro though. He could definitely raise his stock significantly by coming back and having a strong year as the primary center, but he could torpedo his chances of playing pro ball at all if he were to come back and suffer another injury. It is a risk-reward situation, hope he stays but would not blame him if he thinks he can get paid now and takes the money. With his size and some leftover hype coming out of high school (plus some solid though not spectacular play this year) somebody would take a chance on him.

From a draft stock perspective, next year is definitely a better option for him than this year. For one thing, he'd likely be a starter next year as opposed to a 10-12 mpg guy this year. For another, next year's class of bigs is far less impressive than this year's group. No way he'd get drafted this year. But next year, there is just one guy 6'9" or taller in the top-10, and just 4 guys 6'10" or taller in the top-30. It is a guard/wing-heavy class.

Of course, decisions aren't always rational. I'm sure he didn't envision being a 3-4 year college player coming out of high school. If he is unable to come to terms with that, then he could well go pro. Sounds like he had trouble with it last Spring before deciding to return. Maybe (hopefully) he's gotten over that since then.