Welcome to Duke, Wendell Moore!!!

[archand1]

Luckily, Cox Mill is down the road from me. I watched him last season playing alongside Leaky Black. I was impressed with him. It was a close, chippy game. Leaky had to feed off the emotion and threw down some thunderous dunks to get going. When I looked up, I remember pointing out to my friend that I couldn't believe Moore had 40 points.

He looked composed when a team they should have put away took them to OT. He played tough defense, along with a momentum saving block near the end. He quietly filled the stat sheet and did not get rattled at all through the game. It will be interesting to watch him this season as the true number 1 option on that team.

[moonpie23]

Welcome to the family !!!!!

[elvis14]

Dang. Everything I read last night was about how Wendell would be a multi-year player for our Blue Devils, so disappointing to hear he is likely to be yet another in the long list of OAD players. Still very happy to get him of course and if he can be a 1st Rd draft pick in the 2020 Draft then good for him. Hopefully if he isn't projected to be a 1st rounder he will stay and play that Sophomore season as a Blue Devil, and hopefully Tre Jones will be his teammate for those seasons as well.

Good to finally land a 2019 recruit! We need to add a couple more guys to the class to shore up the roster!

Go Duke!

I have to admit that I too was really happy to hear that we landed a good recruit that I didn't think was taking the OAD route. As I read this thread this morning, I was so disappointed when I heard that Coach K considers WM to a OAD player. Happy to have him, of course, but really wish he was coming in looking to stay 2 or 3 years (since he's not a top 10 or even top 20 recruit).

[DavidBenAkiva]

I have to admit that I too was really happy to hear that we landed a good recruit that I didn't think was taking the OAD route. As I read this thread this morning, I was so disappointed when I heard that Coach K considers WM to a OAD player. Happy to have him, of course, but really wish he was coming in looking to stay 2 or 3 years (since he's not a top 10 or even top 20 recruit).

A couple things to keep in mind:

We have not heard a direct quote from Coach K or the coaching staff where they suggest Wendell (or any recruit, for that matter) will be a one-and-done. They wouldn't say it to the public, anyway. Things happen. Injuries occur. A player isn't as developed as he might have appeared in high school. Conversely, a player may jump out of nowhere to become a lottery pick. There were a couple this year in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at UK and most notably Trae Young from Oklahoma. Whatever we hear is second or third hand through the recruit, his parents, his coaches, his friends and supporters. It is all speculation right now.

Another factor in all of this is the impending end of the one-and-done era. The NBA has let it be known that 2021 or 2022 will be the first year that high schoolers will be allowed back into the NBA Draft. That first draft with high schoolers is going to be absolutely stacked with talent. There will be the best high school kids and the last of the one-and-done players. I doubt more than 1 or 2 upperclassmen are even in the first round that year. While we may not see multiple once-in-a-generation talents like the 2003 draft, it will be so deep. Second round guys might be fringe lottery picks in other years. For that reason, anyone that has NBA dreams in the Class of 2019 and 2020 is going to face a tough, tough decision. Should they go to the draft ASAP, before the end of one-and-done, and risk sliding? Should they wait an additional two years to see if they can get into a weaker draft class? I do not envy those kids and the decision they will have to make. They will have literally millions of dollars on the line.

[Troublemaker]

There's potentially another unique factor that may influence class of 2019 kids on their NBA draft decisions, and that's the looming end of the OAD era.

There's still not 100% clarity on when exactly it will happen, but most believe the class of 2020 will be the last high school class required to be one year removed from high school before entering the draft.

Thus, logic would dictate that players in the 2019 class may be incentivized to go pro if they can, in order to avoid the "double class" that could include the best players from both 2020 and 2021.

Another factor in all of this is the impending end of the one-and-done era. The NBA has let it be known that 2021 or 2022 will be the first year that high schoolers will be allowed back into the NBA Draft. That first draft with high schoolers is going to be absolutely stacked with talent. There will be the best high school kids and the last of the one-and-done players. I doubt more than 1 or 2 upperclassmen are even in the first round that year. While we may not see multiple once-in-a-generation talents like the 2003 draft, it will be so deep. Second round guys might be fringe lottery picks in other years. For that reason, anyone that has NBA dreams in the Class of 2019 and 2020 is going to face a tough, tough decision. Should they go to the draft ASAP, before the end of one-and-done, and risk sliding? Should they wait an additional two years to see if they can get into a weaker draft class? I do not envy those kids and the decision they will have to make. They will have literally millions of dollars on the line.

To be precise, the NBA's memo to the league teams only says that those are the earliest dates possible. Quote from my link (a Zach Lowe article on ESPN):

The memo says that, as of now, the league does not expect changes in draft eligibility rules to take place at any time "prior to the 2021 or 2022 draft."

If you guys watched the pre-Canada presser from Coach K, someone who might have good sources, he expressed skepticism that the OAD is going away anytime soon. I've been on board with that view for awhile now.

We may both be right, as it appears that only the NikeEYBL league uses the college three point line, while the Adidas(Matthew Hurt's circuit)and the UnderArmour AAU leagues use the high school three point line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i84RLIyoVU0

That would make us both wrong, actually, but I'm okay with your phrasing of it :-)

[weezie]

Welcome to Wendell. I love the idea of another slashing sashayer making his way to the basket.

[DukeFanSince1990]

Neat

wendell.JPG

[BandAlum83]

I love it everytime I see someone do this. It never gets old.

I love how his family at the table all did the reveal with him. They showed the Duke shirts they had on underneath!