Originally Posted by
CDu
A “recruited walk-on” is an oxymoron. Walk-ons are, by definition, not recruited. A preferred walk-on is someone guaranteed a spot on the team, while a walk-on has to make the team (like a manager who gets to the team, or in UNC’s case a JV player that makes the team.
Robinson was a preferred walk-on. He was not recruited by Duke. He reached out and they said he could come as a preferred walk-on.
At Duke, the preferred walk-ons are the guys who have a chance each year of landing an extra scholarship if one happens to be available.
CDu, I have been totally amazed at other posts where you are showing your chops on pandemics -- R0 and all that stuff. But I have a couple of points of potential disagreement here.
First, the issue is Duke Admissions preferences, which goes hand in hand with "a spot on the team." A "preferred walk-on" implies some really strong pull with Duke Admissions. All varsity sports get some preference in admissions . And hoops, in the words of Animal Farm is "more equal than others."
Second, I disagree with the statement, "Walk-ons are not recruited." Well, maybe they first expressed an interest, but they are certainly evaluated and approved by the coaching staff. For example, I don't believe that Justin Robinson decided to apply to Duke as his first choice and then contacted Duke basketball. It seems totally evident to me -- and, of course, I can't find the light switch in my own bedroom -- that there were discussions between Coach K and David Robinson before Justin decided to apply to Duke. I mean, both Coach and the Admiral are world-famous, and these things don't happen by accident. Moreover, there are not many seven-footers around whose fathers are in the Hall of Fame. (Although Justin seems super smart to me, why wouldn't Justin want the imprimatur of Duke basketball before submitting his application?) So when you say, "He was not recruited by Duke," you will need to insert several asterisks worth of qualifications.
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013