So I just scrolled through Mark's twitter... and I think any of us reading too much into anything he tweets is going to lose some brain cells. A solid majority of his tweets are single words or emoji's with no context.
Does that mean he's playing coy and trying to tease some news? Maybe. Does it mean he's a kid having fun on social media? Maybe. Did he send a handful of "butt-dial" tweets? Maybe.
If we look into that too hard we're going to lose our collective minds. That said, mine is lost already given the impending COVID doom we're facing in Toronto right now. So maybe I'll go back and look for some Da Vinci Code style clues...
Scott Rich on the front page
Trinity BS 2012; University of Michigan PhD 2018
Duke Chronicle, Sports Online Editor: 2010-2012
K-Ville Blue Tenting 2009-2012
Unofficial Brian Zoubek Biographer
If you have questions about Michigan Basketball/Football, I'm your man!
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill
President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club
Yep. Remember last year when folks were saying that all those cryptic/coy Cassius Stanley tweets/posts were evidence he was coming back? Because surely he would know better than to toy with his fans' emotions, right?
Really, these are kids/young adults playing on social media, and their every word doesn't and quite likely isn't about Duke basketball.
Wiseman tweets he thinks Williams will stay:
https://mobile.twitter.com/stevewise...79776388780032
I still ask we retain the new thread name.
Whew... can't say more than that
https://twitter.com/JasonDukeEvans/s...07292927938560
Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?
interpreting Mark's tweets is every bit as scientific as phrenology.
Mark hasnt posted a tik tok in nearly a month either...
In all seriousness though, without knowing Mark's value on education, I'd leave if I were him . I pray he stays though he was so fun to watch. I think one more year of development in college basketball doesn't compare much today to a year of development in the NBA and making millions. Seems better financially and as a player. All speculation tho
Some of the biggest stoners/slackers I ever knew had physicians as parents, so I doubt Mark's father's career choice has any bearing on Mark's decision to declare for the draft.
Even so, let's just say for sake of argument, that the Williams family values education.
Do you know what else their family clearly places just as much, if not more, importance on? Basketball!!!
I am in a one child household with a 12 year old who plays competitive soccer. What a time suck! I can't imagine the amount of time the Williams family must have sacrificed raising two children who became good enough to move on to high-level college basketball. Basketball must have ruled their house.
I do not know Mark nor his family and I don't disagree with anything you've said here, except for one thing... it's all about the money, or at least the dream of NBA money.
It seems like every year there is a Blue Devil whom everyone thinks has another year of college in him, then he bolts for late first round/early second round/undrafted. Mike Dunleavy and Austin Rivers already had generational wealth in their families and they left when their place in the lottery was secured. Those exits were 20 and 10 years ago, respectively. As has been noted heavily in the Henry Coleman thread, the landscape is much changed, even in the past 4-5 years.
My original point. The family's value on education has no bearing in the decision making process. I was flamed for saying this by a poster who has been predictably silent over in the Henry Coleman thread.
Hard at work making beautiful things.
My point on the Coleman thread was to refrain from projecting ANY particular values, character flaws, or peccadillos to these young men without the full story. It's very easy to point at those who return and say "good human" or those who leave and say "selfish." These are very young men making massive decisions about their lives. So while I feel it is fair to say "Imt disappointed Coleman os transferring," in my opinion it is presumptuous to say "he's making a mistake because he would eventually XXX at Duke much moreso than and University Y." Now, if Coleman comes out and says "hey, I'm taking my talents to South Beach to play for Miami because I want more playing time," well, then we fairly debate the decision.
I hope Mark Williams sticks around. He seems by all accounts to be a hard worker. You don't earn praise from K without showing out in practice and kicking butt.
If he decides that going pro is the best thing for him, I won't see it as contrary to any generational interest in education, but rather as a pretty good career move. Now, if Mark Williams says "man, Duke was a waste of my time, can't wait to get to the NBA $$$!!!" perhaps we can ask some questions.
I guess my point is to be wary about how we attribute either positive or negative character traits to these young men who are trying to make difficult choices.
And...he’s back! Per his twitter
Break out the bubbly baby our boy is back
Change the thread title back!
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill
President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club
Good news is fun. Let’s have more of it please.
Sophomore Mark Williams is going to make next year a lot of fun, regardless of all the other developments this offseason.