Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!
I really enjoyed watching Cassius play and wish him the best in the NBA. He seemed to be getting better and more comfortable with each passing game. Too bad we did not get to see how he handled the ACCT and NCAAT. He certainly would have provided some highlight moments.
Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!
I'm rooting for Cassius harder than any Duke player that was a borderline 1st rounder. I enjoyed this young man as much as any player Duke has recruited. Well maybe not quite as much as Zion. Cassius seems to be a great young man on top of being a terrific basketball player. I loved how he let his playing do the talking. I think some team may get a steal with their pick in the upcoming draft. Good luck and God bless.
GoDuke!
Going to miss you Cassius!
Nothing incites bodily violence quicker than a Duke fan turning in your direction and saying 'scoreboard.'
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
It's great when a freshman comes along and wildly exceeds your expectations. Very few of us thought he was going to be a starter and serious contributor. What a fun and exciting player to watch. I agree about the quality of his posted "farewell", the dude was thoughtful and detailed in very effective ways.
I think it is a good choice, not that anyone asked me.
This is a down year for the draft.
Thanks for the memories and best of luck in the NBA.
"This is the best of all possible worlds."
Dr. Pangloss - Candide
He was just great. I'll miss him and feel cheated that we didn't get to watch him play the last nine games.
Having said that, I'll be stunned if anybody plays any kind of ball in the next 12 months. These threads go along as if nobody is watching the news. Either denial has taken root, or hope springs eternal.
Not surprising given the flashes of potential he showed, but still supremely disappointing to lose him. I was holding out hope of getting him back after the way the season ended. Having a freshman who’s an end-of-first-round talent is like the worst possible scenario. They don’t give you the instant impact that the elite, known OAD’s would, but you only have them for a year and then have to reload and restart the following year. Frank Jackson and Gary Trent were similar in that regard.
Best of luck to him. A lot more will now rest on Moore making a jump, and Hurt too indirectly as we’ll need to make up for the scoring that Stanley would have provided.
best of luck to you, man....and thanks for the thrills !!!!!
"One POSSIBLE future. From your point of view... I don't know tech stuff.".... Kyle Reese
Absolutely no chance he falls out of the first round. He’s on an elevator up the draft. He will be drafted on his upside, fact that he’s a class act, and he’s cool on social. Cheers, CS.
Thanks Cassius!
I'm sure you will do great things in the NBA.
Of next years NBA slam dunk contest between Cassius and Zion going to be lit!
Windy City Devil
I think Cassius could be Exhibit A when Coach K reminds people that the end of the OAD Rule will not end OADs. The emergence of the G League as a real tool for the NBA not only to develop players but to allow more guys to get some shot at the NBA level over the course of the season also has changed the equation on projected draft pick tempting players to declare.
I fully support Cassius and think he is undervalued in draft projections, but if he ends up going in the 2nd round, I have to think the long-term better decision would be to return. I think he could move up very safely into the 1st round next year, and being a high-teens ppg featured scorer with lots of highlight dunks for a Duke team that would be ensconced in the top 5 would have boosted his out-of-the-gate marketability.
I'm sure he has some inside intel from Duke and his dad on where he might go, so maybe he has a solid feel that he will go in the 1st round. Regardless, I think he has the talent to have a long NBA career whenever he left. First world problems.
Congratulations Cassius on your decision; and good luck in the NBA. I will miss you seeing you play in a Duke uniform. You are a special talent; and if you continue to work extremely hard on your game, I think you are going to be very special in the NBA.
I know this may sound crazy (because I was excited at the potential for next year's team if he chose to come back); but it may have been the best decision for all that he has chosen to enter the NBA draft. As talented as we would have been, I think we would have lost at least one more player to transfer or decommitment. Based on K's "traditional" rotation, I am not sure there would have been a lot of minutes on the perimeter for Steward, Baker (or possibly Moore), or an incoming post player with Cassius back (especially if you slide Wendell to the 4 for periods of time). I could see at least one of Steward or possibly Moore leaving. I think Baker would've stayed regardless.
At least this way, it ensures that our incoming freshman class stays intact and that we don't lose (unless Hurt leaves <And I have no insider knowledge or think that it will be the case> any of returning players. Even without Cassius, I think next year's team will be loaded and will be able to compete with and beat anybody in the country.
I'm just hoping that we will have a college basketball season next academic calendar year.
Dang ... I was hoping he'd stay another year. He was my favorite player this year. Good luck to him!