He thanked the students... which is a classy move. But not getting to play in front of them during his senior year makes me wonder why he wouldn't be interested in coming back and leaving a hero. But to each his own! All the best Jordan!
That's pretty shocking. Thought if he decided to return to college he'd stay at Duke.
He thanked the students... which is a classy move. But not getting to play in front of them during his senior year makes me wonder why he wouldn't be interested in coming back and leaving a hero. But to each his own! All the best Jordan!
Many thanks to Jordan for staying 4 years and best wishes for his 5th!
It was great to watch him grow over the past years and slowly silence, if not entirely, the many critics on this board.
I’m sad we won’t get to see a fifth year of JG in a Duke uniform... when the free year rule was announced, my first thought was, “Yes, another year of Jordan!” It’s been a joy watching him develop in a Duke uniform and so far surpass any reasonable expectations for him.
That said, I also understand this decision. Assuming no further unexpected movement, JGs role was at best going to be the same next year as it was this year. If Keels comes, his minutes become reduced. He has every right to use this free year to see whether he can be the alpha dog somewhere else and potentially turn that into a career playing pro, either in the G League or overseas (and yes, I don’t think the G league is out of the question... Zavier Simpson, Michigan’s diminutive, shooting challenge but defensively savvy PG is there, and JG is arguably a bigger but less offensively skilled version of Zavier). If he goes the mid major route, I know I’ll look forward to hopefully picking whichever school he goes to for a first round upset in next year’s tourney.
If we get Keels, this probably ends up being an effective wash for next year’s ceiling: our first guard off the bench will be less experienced and defensively skilled, but much more offensively skilled. Unless something very unexpected is on the horizon, I think the only last piece to determine whether we’re a preseason Top 10 team versus a preseason Top 5 team is Matt’s decision.
To Jordan Goldwire : It was a pleasure watching you play and grow. Thank You and best wishes.
Totally! JGold was one of those four year development players that was so gratifying to see.
And as one of us said, I would hate to be the one facing him next year.
While some of us, including me, wished there had been more vocal, intense on-court leadership [based upon what we saw/didn't see], we didn't have any doubt that he was a mature influence and that he played with great intensity. JGold was one of my candidates for Coach K's "Playing with Heart" award.
While I will greatly miss seeing him harass offenses, it will be fun to see him play major minutes somewhere else. Will be strongly rooting for him...unless he is playing against us [and, don't tell anybody, but I will still admire his amazing steals].
“I love it. Coach, when we came here, we had a three-hour meeting about the core values. If you really represent the core values, it means diving on the floor, sacrificing your body for your teammates, no matter how much you’re up by or how much you’re down by, always playing hard.” -- Zion
I'll really miss him. In a program containing highly motivated players across the board giving 100%, Jordan Goldwire was at 110.
Video of his play in that Louisville game mentioned by JD King on the front page is inspirational.
Best of luck, Jordan!
Yeah, I second all of the gratitude folks have offered to Goldwire here. He could easily have gone to a midmajor at any point in his career and been a starter and potentially a star. But he showed incredible loyalty to the program to stay four years, and his growth from essentially a practice player into a legitimate rotation player and even into a starting role has been phenomenal. He was part of some great moments over his 4 years, most notably obviously the Louisville comeback in 2019. A tough, tough kid, a great competitor, and a great representative of the university and bball program.
I suspect he'll transfer to a program that is a bit lower in tier and/or in greater need at guard in order to be a full-time starter. At best he was going to be a 20 mpg guy for us next year, and at worst (for him) he would have trouble seeing the floor. So I completely understand if he wants to use his last year of college ball to go somewhere where he can play a ton.
Big shout out to a kid who gave it his all at Duke for four years, and was one of the true feel-good development stories we've had in my memory.
Unless something very unexpected is on the horizon, I think the only last piece to determine whether we’re a preseason Top 10 team versus a preseason Top 5 team is Matt’s decision.[/QUOTE]
Why does preseason ranking matter? We don't hang banners for preseason ranking. Where were we ranked preseason this year? At the end, we were not even in "others receiving votes." I certainly hope we have a high post-season ranking. I think there has been a preseason default to rank Duke high because Coach K. But I frankly would be disappointed to see us in the Top 5 or 10 pre-season. I would rather we earned it on the court.
And just to be clear, best wishes to Jordan. He "exceeded expectations" and then some. Without intending disrespect, he is what he is. So glad he played for us, will never forget the Louisville comeback, but he is not the reincarnation of Bobby Hurley. It would have been nice to have his experience next year. I really don't think this move says anything about Trevor Keels or anything else. I think it says Jordan Goldwire wants to go in another direction in the next phase of his life. Good for him. And I wish him well.
Last edited by buddy; 03-27-2021 at 02:22 PM. Reason: additional comment
I didn’t expect this, like others I thought he’d either return to Duke or move on from college. K values what he brings and has given him ample playing time, though certainly not as much as he could get elsewhere. He was a real asset to our team for four years and I wish him well.
As a side note, I thought you could only use the extra year if you remained at the same school. Is there an exception for grad transfers, or can everybody carry the extra year wherever they go?
I second all the up thread praise of Jordan. He was ferocious on defense. I never doubted his effort.
Best wishes to him. Jordan, if you are reading this, come to University of Colorado next year. We are losing a great point guard and you would love playing at altitude.
Why does preseason ranking matter? We don't hang banners for preseason ranking. Where were we ranked preseason this year? At the end, we were not even in "others receiving votes." I certainly hope we have a high post-season ranking. I think there has been a preseason default to rank Duke high because Coach K. But I frankly would be disappointed to see us in the Top 5 or 10 pre-season. I would rather we earned it on the court.
And just to be clear, best wishes to Jordan. He "exceeded expectations" and then some. Without intending disrespect, he is what he is. So glad he played for us, will never forget the Louisville comeback, but he is not the reincarnation of Bobby Hurley. It would have been nice to have his experience next year. I really don't think this move says anything about Trevor Keels or anything else. I think it says Jordan Goldwire wants to go in another direction in the next phase of his life. Good for him. And I wish him well.[/QUOTE]
Thankfully, this isn't college football. Preseason rankings are a beauty pageant. In football, you have to start high to end high. Basketball is much more of a meritocracy. A high preseason ranking might assist you as a true bubble team trying to get into the tournament, but by the end, the last team standing has earned their way there.
No one is going to top this comment. Sums up Goldwire as well as can be. The kid gave Duke four remarkable years, and he would be one of the few players that should his contributions, on his new team, directly contribute to eliminating Duke next season, I would be content with that result.
There are plenty of Dukies in the NBA who I can barely remember, but Goldwire is a guy I will never forget.
Best of luck JGold. It was a great 4 yr run (though I was hoping for a 5 yr run). You will be missed.