The transfer market isn't just the grad transfer market. The expectation is that there will be a one-time free transfer with immediate eligibility. Thus, we can look for guys -- and they'll be out there -- who can help us next year and the year after (and maybe even after that ...)
I suggested Bediako as insurance if Williams gets injured and for some PT against the big teams such as FSU and UNC Bedaiko might be a solid player as I assume Williams may only stay one more year and Bedaiko might be more of a multi-year player.
With a team that included Williams, Banchero, Griffin and Keels we would probably not miss having a playmaking guard all that much as Steward, Roach and Moore are expected to show some development.
I have no Knowledge of who will not be back but assume Hurt, Tapé and Goldwire will not return I wouldn't expect any of the others to transfer.
Last edited by -jk; 03-11-2021 at 06:40 PM. Reason: If your keyboard doesn't have an easy é, add an apostrophe(') after Tape for DBR to autocorrect to Tapé
Last edited by jimsumner; 03-11-2021 at 07:13 PM.
Agreed. I could see Roach's assist/game doubling, although that in itself is a big ask, but really only if JGold leaves. If Roach has the ball in his hands enough to double his assist average, i would expect his turnovers/game to stay the same, at best. If Jeremy finishes next season with an a/t better than 2:1, then that in itself would be a big improvement.
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
I'm stunned Hurt would have plans to leave.He lead us in scoring for a month on a very below average Duke team.A G League coach i can see shaking his head that Hurt left school early.
Okay, so is that an indication that the silent (in those instances) half of DBR loves OAD? Are the DBR denizens who dislike OAD wrong to feel that way while those who like OAD are correct to feel thusly?
Who is right and who is wrong? And if the issue is completely subjective it seems pointless to bring it up. I’m not saying that to you; I just mean it as a general comment. It is what it is. Nothing we can do about it either way. We’ll just have to see how Brad approaches it when he takes over.
Sure. Anyone COULD transfer if unhappy. But do we have any reason to believe that to be the case with two rising sophomores who got major minutes as freshmen and project to get more as sophomores? I sure don't.
We're talking about a scenario in which Duke misses on Keels and Goldwire elects to not return for that extra season, leaving Duke with two true guards. Not sure why adding a third would threaten either Steward or Roach. Unless they expect to play 40 mpg.
If I was (were?) an NBA GM I would be higher on Williams than Hurt. The NBA is so athletic now its hard for average athletes like Hurt to compete. And neither player is going to contribute significantly for 3 or 4 years so it’s all about potential. 7’ers with a 7’4” wingspan, soft hands and the athleticism to defend modern NBA forwards aren't that easy to find. I just think Williams has a higher ceiling. But maybe Im wrong - if Hurt can learn to defend in the league he could become the next Larry Bird.
Im going to ignore that last sentence because the chances of Matt Hurt becoming “the next” greatest 15 or 20 players of all time is pretty much zero. Bird was so much more than a shooter.
But the thing about Hurt is that he’s actually not a guy you have to give some years to in order to see if he develops. You already know exactly what he is. A long stretch 4 with a deadly shooting stroke, who is subpar at pretty much everything else. That’s what youre getting out of him this year, next year, and any other year. Sure he could put on some more weight and maybe become a little more effective inside, but that’s never going to be his game. He is what he is and as a GM either you think that’s good enough to stick in the league and help you, or you don’t.
I know you may well have been kidding, but did you actually watch Larry Bird play when he was at his peak? The guy would absolutely DOMINATE his opponents. Bird was a 6’ 10” space alien with otherworldly shooting ability from anywhere on the court even though he had defenders draped all over him at all times. Yet as great of a shooter as he was his court awareness, vision, and passing ability was even better. No player has ever been one of the greatest of all time at both of those things.
In addition to those remarkable talents he was a very good rebounder, the best free throw shooter in the league, was often among the league leaders in steals, was a savvy and capable defender (I believe he made All-NBA second team defense a couple of times), was one of the toughest guys you’ll ever find, lived for the moments when the pressure was greatest (and came through again and again), and had leadership qualities in spades.
I’m not sure Hurt can do a single thing at the level of Larry Bird. And that’s not a knock on Matthew; it just is what it is.
I certainly don’t expect either to transfer, but never saw the Derrick Thornton transfer coming either. Also, if a transfer comes from another school due to lack of playing time, will he really help??
Anyway, I’ll be surprised if anyone today can accurately predict next years roster and expect offseason to wild throughout college b-ball.