I hope he finishes his classes this semester, rather than pull a big blue and leave for private preparation for the draft process.
Best of luck to a fine representative of the school.
Jayson has declared for the draft (no shock). Wish him all the best and it was a joy watching him grow this year.
I hope he finishes his classes this semester, rather than pull a big blue and leave for private preparation for the draft process.
Best of luck to a fine representative of the school.
Good luck in the league big guy, thanks for the awesome year.
Thanks for the ACC Championship, Jayson! Great job this year, and good luck in the league.
Hope this news found its way to Mr. Knox.
Best wishes, Jayson! I know you'll make us proud!
How can Tatum declare? Why would he not stay at Duke and give up ~$15M in salary (and arguably half that in endorsements)! Inconceivable!
Anywho, congrats to Tatum. See you in the TD Garden shortly.
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 luck, Jayson.
I should note that in the past when Duke had multiple undergrads go pro, they have staggered the announcements so that each kid gets his day in the sun.
I suspect we have at least one more and maybe as many as three or four more guys to salute as they head out the door.
Trust, but verify. Link from GoDuke.com.
Tatum is the 10th Duke freshman to declare for the NBA Draft, joining Corey Maggette (1999), Luol Deng (2004), Kyrie Irving (2011), Austin Rivers (2012), Jabari Parker (2014), Tyus Jones (2015), Jahlil Okafor (2015), Justise Winslow (2015) and Brandon Ingram (2016).
Each of the previous nine Duke freshman in the draft was a first-round selection, including eight lottery picks.
[I]Tatum is the 10th Duke freshman to declare for the NBA Draft, joining Corey Maggette (1999), Luol Deng (2004), Kyrie Irving (2011), Austin Rivers (2012), Jabari Parker (2014), Tyus Jones (2015), Jahlil Okafor (2015), Justise Winslow (2015) and Brandon Ingram (2016). Each of the previous nine Duke freshman in the draft was a first-round selection, including eight lottery picks.
And the one exception?
Tyus Jones was No. 24 in the first round in 2015.
The others (in order of their draft position):
No. 1. Elton Brand (1999)
No. 1 Kyrie Irving (2011)
No. 2 Jabari Parker (2014)
No. 2 Brandon Ingram (2016)
No. 3 Jahlil Okafor (2015)
No. 7 Luol Deng (2004)
No. 10 Justise Winslow (2015)
No. 13 Corey Maggette (1999)
I think it's safe to say Jayson Tatum will be a 9th Duke freshman to wind up in the lottery. Predicting his precise position will depend on the lottery itself. While most projections have him at 4 or 5, he could go higher, depending on which teams draft in which order. Either Tatum or Josh Jackson of Kansas is likely the first non-point guard taken. Fultz, Ball and even Dennis Smith are highly prized, but there are teams that don't need a point guard. Boston, for instance, has the Nets pick and could be piking No. 1 ... if that happens, they most likely take Tatum or Jackson (or trade the pick).
Ditto to this sentiment! I realize he will be making a lot of money (nothing wrong with that) and I realize that it is the dream for many of these young star basketball players to get to the NBA as fast as possible...BUT I also feel sorry for him that he will not have a normal 4-year college experience (if the scholarship players at a place like Duke have a "normal" experience?). I was certainly not ready after one year of college to leave and go out into the "real world". But I wish him the best of luck and to stay healthy and have a great NBA career. I think the sky is the only limit for him!
I really enjoyed watching him play this year. His growth as a player the last couple of months has been impressive and I'm sure he'll do well in the NBA.
Thanks for a great year Jayson! It was fun watching you develop throughout the season. I'll be rooting for you in the NBA!
Thanks for 28 wins, ACC Championship, and 2 wins vs Cheats. Hopes he does well anywhere but would love the Knicks to build around Porzingis-Tatum combo if the lottery bounces them in the right spot.
Best of luck, Jayson!