Welcome to Duke, Theo John!

[Bob Green]

He's going to be 23 when the season starts. I'm a big fan of getting some older guys on the roster.

I agree. An experienced player who has potential to bring leadership into the locker room.

[UrinalCake]

Hysterical!!

Funny stuff. I don’t want to throw shade on Tape, but John looks like he’s on another level in terms of physique. Last season I got so tired of hearing how we were “knocked back” and weren’t ready to compete physically. Even if John doesn’t play a lot of minutes in games, he can help set the time in practice.

[Kedsy]

He's going to be 23 when the season starts. I'm a big fan of getting some older guys on the roster.

Isn't he just another kind of OAD?

[SkyBrickey]

I honestly didn’t expect us to pick up a rotation player from the transfer portal.

12-15 productive minutes from Theo per game could end up being the difference maker in a special season.

But I also think Coleman will have a chance to compete for rotation minutes and a starting spot in 22-23 season.

Great job Coach CWell.

[jv001]

Isn't he just another kind of OAD?

In a way he sure is but he also feels a need for a backup big. I don't think Jones(transfer) fits the bill but this guy is a big dude that looks to have hops. I know his rebounding numbers are not great but he sure can block shots. Like you I'm a fan of Coleman. He's the type player that seems to be around the basketball. Offensive rebounding in particular. I also think John is going to be a big improvement over Tapé( who didn't look like a division 1 player to me). I hope Coleman is the type player who takes this pick up as a challenge. I think Henry will be fine.

GoDuke!

[dukelion]

Pretty much a perfect transfer signing for this season.

Connections to Duke, position of need, proven production (especially on D), and experience.

Really hope Mark stays because if so we're looking at one of the best front courts in the country next year.

[hustleplays]

Isn't he just another kind of OAD?

Fair point, Kedsy.

I'm happy adding mature OADs to the roster, given we are in a OAD era. If a player doesn't stay long enough to forge attachments, at least a mature OAD player won't subject us to the typical freshman level of play.

In an ideal world, I would be against all OADs.

[hustleplays]

Fair point, Kedsy.

I'm happy adding mature OADs to the roster, given we are in a OAD era. If a player doesn't stay long enough to forge attachments, at least a mature OAD player won't subject us to the typical freshman level of play.

In an ideal world, I would be against all OADs.

The title of my prior post is poorly put. Of course not all experienced OADs are better than all frosh OADs. I'd rather have Zion than most if not all available seasoned transfer OADs.

More precisely, I'm okay with adding a certain number of experienced one year players, to round out a roster of overly young, inexperienced players, due to the number of frosh OADs, and soph TADs, that come and go.

[budwom]

Funny stuff. I don’t want to throw shade on Tape, but John looks like he’s on another level in terms of physique. Last season I got so tired of hearing how we were “knocked back” and weren’t ready to compete physically. Even if John doesn’t play a lot of minutes in games, he can help set the time in practice.

Ha, I absolutely agree that "knocked back" should be purged from K's vocabulary next year...

[Spanarkel]

Excited about Theo bringing his talents to Duke, but is anyone else concerned that he MAY be a player who is able to play considerable minutes in games but has potentially chronic knee issues that limit his day-to-day practice availability? There are Milwaukee media references that suggest this was an issue for Theo during his last two years at Marquette.
Certainly Wojo would have communicated to K/Duke staff if this were the case?
PS I worry about most everything.

[camion]

Excited about Theo bringing his talents to Duke, but is anyone else concerned that he MAY be a player who is able to play considerable minutes in games but has potentially chronic knee issues that limit his day-to-day practice availability? There are Milwaukee media references that suggest this was an issue for Theo during his last two years at Marquette.
Certainly Wojo would have communicated to K/Duke staff if this were the case?
PS I worry about most everything.

Maybe he transferred to Duke for the proximity to Duke doctors. I hear there are some good ones in the area.

[CDu]

Excited about Theo bringing his talents to Duke, but is anyone else concerned that he MAY be a player who is able to play considerable minutes in games but has potentially chronic knee issues that limit his day-to-day practice availability? There are Milwaukee media references that suggest this was an issue for Theo during his last two years at Marquette.
Certainly Wojo would have communicated to K/Duke staff if this were the case?
PS I worry about most everything.

What I read was it was a wrist injury as a junior and a knee issue as a senior.

[jimsumner]

Maybe he transferred to Duke for the proximity to Duke doctors. I hear there are some good ones in the area.

They specialize in foot injuries.

They've had lots of practice.

[budwom]

They specialize in foot injuries.

They've had lots of practice.

yeah, this is why we can't worry about having too many big men...the situation seems to sort itself out over at the Medical Center.

[UrinalCake]

I think it's the other way around... he always knew he was Duke-bound, so he decided to get all of his lower leg injuries out of the way first

[BlueDevilStop]

I agree. An experienced player who has potential to bring leadership into the locker room.

Love that as well. He will be great for Mark Williams (assuming he is back at Duke.)

[SilkyJ]

So, long story short, perhaps I overstated it by saying that Henry is likely OK with it, but I felt that something needed to be said in light of all of the handwringing about the impact of this on Henry. And if Henry announces tomorrow that he is transferring, I will admit I was wrong.

Ah-hem!

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Ah-hem!

I think I admitted I was wrong in the other thread. But if not, I was wrong. Though you didn't copy a key part of my post (which must have taken you quite a while to find). I was also trying to play devil's advocate to some members of the know-it-all brigade who insist on seeing the world in black and white rather than shades of gray...

"As I've said repeatedly in my responses to everyone's hyperventilating about Henry, I don't think Coach K just called Henry up and said "hey Henry, guess what, we're bringing in a guy who is kind of similar to you. Deal with it." The needs of the team and the program are greater than what Henry wants, and if Henry was asked and said "don't do it" that doesn't mean they wouldn't do it. But he seems like a smart guy with a positive attitude who knew from day one that he was in this for the long haul. So perhaps I am wrong and Henry isn't OK with it.

Contrary to your assertations otherwise, the team needed more bodies to be able to run practice, be prepared for injuries, etc. So Henry had to know this was a possibility. And having a guy come in for one year is a better end game for him than if Duke had somehow found a sophomore or junior transfer.

So, long story short, perhaps I overstated it by saying that Henry is likely OK with it, but I felt that something needed to be said in light of all of the handwringing about the impact of this on Henry. And if Henry announces tomorrow that he is transferring, I will admit I was wrong.

Can we now return to being happy?"

[JasonEvans]

So, long story short, perhaps I overstated it by saying that Henry is likely OK with it, but I felt that something needed to be said in light of all of the handwringing about the impact of this on Henry. And if Henry announces tomorrow that he is transferring, I will admit I was wrong.

Ah-hem!

In fairness, Henry did not announce it "tomorrow." It took him 2 additional days

[bshrader]

In fairness, Henry did not announce it "tomorrow." It took him 2 additional days

Jason, you eluded to this yesterday, that thinking about what college basketball has become is just a nightmare. And it is. A total nightmare. Because we can no longer look at a team in terms of progression and stability in the future. As it stands with the current parameters, college basketball is a year-by-year platform. My guess is that the staff took this into account, and calculated that Theo gives us the best chance to win THIS year, and I agree with that thought process. Is that throwing the future by the wayside? Yes, but the current landscape essentially forces you to do so. It forces you to look at each season in a vacuum.