Whitehead

[Billy Dat]

Some info from The Athletic's Duke beat writer, Brendan Marks

@BrendanRMarks
Dariq Whitehead says that he's feeling 100% recovered now, including mentally. Was a little more cautious earlier on in the recovery process, like with landing on his foot, but all good now.
Feels like he can cut/defend/play overall like he used to.

Whitehead added that when he went home for holiday break, he got some "tough love" from family, telling him (basically) that time for excuses was over.
Jon Scheyer adds that he's seen a different, renewed level of focus from Whitehead since he returned, too.

[weezie]

Excellent Billy, thanks.
We all need to see these players as very young, vulnerable men regardless of how strong and intense they are on the court.
Go get 'em Duke!

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Excellent Billy, thanks.
We all need to see these players as very young, vulnerable men regardless of how strong and intense they are on the court.
Go get 'em Duke!

Unsurprisingly, that is very well stated weezie.

It's easy to forget the human element when watching sports - these are very young men with A LOT of pressure on them.

[Billy Dat]

Unsurprisingly, that is very well stated weezie.

It's easy to forget the human element when watching sports - these are very young men with A LOT of pressure on them.

Based on Whitehead's comments, sounds like a chunk of that pressure comes from the parental units! It reminds one of Capel Sr. showing up in Durham, taking young frustrated jeff to Damon's for some burgers, tough love, and making him find his own ride back to campus.

[superdave]

Based on Whitehead's comments, sounds like a chunk of that pressure comes from the parental units! It reminds one of Capel Sr. showing up in Durham, taking young frustrated jeff to Damon's for some burgers, tough love, and making him find his own ride back to campus.

Jeff wanted to transfer. His Dad said....but you are starting at Duke!!!???

[sagegrouse]

Before the season got really cranked up, I picked both Whitehead and Flip to get All-ACC honors (1st or 2nd team). Whitehead has shown some amazing moves and had an outstanding game against FSU. if that performance continues, he will be on track.

Flip OTOH is in a funk, probably caused by ACC defenses. The coaches should get him through this rough patch; for sure, we need him to play at early-season form.

[MChambers]

Some info from The Athletic's Duke beat writer, Brendan Marks

@BrendanRMarks
Dariq Whitehead says that he's feeling 100% recovered now, including mentally. Was a little more cautious earlier on in the recovery process, like with landing on his foot, but all good now.
Feels like he can cut/defend/play overall like he used to.

Whitehead added that when he went home for holiday break, he got some "tough love" from family, telling him (basically) that time for excuses was over.
Jon Scheyer adds that he's seen a different, renewed level of focus from Whitehead since he returned, too.

Hey mods, Billy Dat is posting about Whitehead in this thread. Is that allowed?

[Steven43]

Based on Whitehead's comments, sounds like a chunk of that pressure comes from the parental units! It reminds one of Capel Sr. showing up in Durham, taking young frustrated jeff to Damon's for some burgers, tough love, and making him find his own ride back to campus.

I looked up Damon’s just now and could only find a mention of a restaurant in Raleigh that is permanently closed. 😞

[Billy Dat]

I looked up Damon’s just now and could only find a mention of a restaurant in Raleigh that is permanently closed. 😞

It opened when I was at Duke in the early 90s near the South Square Mall. It predated, at least near Duke, Buffalo Wild Wings but was basically the same concept...large franchise sports bar with lots of TVs and wings/burgers/fried food. I just found this article from about 15 years ago which describes it's rise and fall

https://www.restaurant-hospitality.c...s/rh_imp_16738

[jv001]

Before the season got really cranked up, I picked both Whitehead and Flip to get All-ACC honors (1st or 2nd team). Whitehead has shown some amazing moves and had an outstanding game against FSU. if that performance continues, he will be on track.

Flip OTOH is in a funk, probably caused by ACC defenses. The coaches should get him through this rough patch; for sure, we need him to play at early-season form.

It looks like opposing defenses are taking away his spin move by guards getting their hands on the ball, resulting in turnovers. He needs a new plan, and that plan doesn't call for more three-point attempts.

GoDuke!

[roywhite]

Yeah, I'm interested to see how Dariq comes out of the Christmas break. Do the players get back late on the 25th? Or possibly the 26th? FSU comes to Cameron on 12/31.

Does he come back in good shape physically, mentally, and looking for a fresh start? Probably so, but in this brave new world, maybe family members or others suggest that he could just shut down his college career and prepare for the draft. Pull a Jalen Johnson?

Some info from The Athletic's Duke beat writer, Brendan Marks

@BrendanRMarks
Dariq Whitehead says that he's feeling 100% recovered now, including mentally. Was a little more cautious earlier on in the recovery process, like with landing on his foot, but all good now.
Feels like he can cut/defend/play overall like he used to.

Whitehead added that when he went home for holiday break, he got some "tough love" from family, telling him (basically) that time for excuses was over.
Jon Scheyer adds that he's seen a different, renewed level of focus from Whitehead since he returned, too.

Really good news. It did seem like he was at a critical point in his Duke career.

Can't think of anything better for this Duke team than to have Whitehead playing at a high level. He can be a difference maker on offense and defense.

[gumbomoop]

Whitehead can be a difference maker on offense and defense.

Want to emphasize the “and” here. Whitehead is a terrific 1-3, maybe even 1-4, defender.

And Scheyer’s comments on Whitehead’s O don’t focus on his shooting, but on “playmaking, passing, feel for the game, getting downhill, attacking the rim.” Scheyer expects a healthy Whitehead to “really do it all on the floor,” rather than being relegated, as in his first games post-injury, to being mostly a wing shooter.

[jv001]

For those familiar with Jim Sumner's articles, I suggest you take a look at the article he has written on Whitehead. Good stuff as always from Mr. Sumner on substack.

[jwillfan]

For those familiar with Jim Sumner's articles, I suggest you take a look at the article he has written on Whitehead. Good stuff as always from Mr. Sumner on substack.

Second. Also you get to learn about Dariq's Aunt Mercedes!

[UrinalCake]

It opened when I was at Duke in the early 90s near the South Square Mall. It predated, at least near Duke, Buffalo Wild Wings but was basically the same concept...large franchise sports bar with lots of TVs and wings/burgers/fried food.

Shortly after it opened some classmates of mine spent twelve full hours at Damon's watching all the games on the first day of the tournament, consuming three entire meals in the process. To this day it remains a dream of mine to replicate that feat.

[duketaylor]

Damon’s: So for several years when I played in the Kenridge Invite
At Farmington CC in C’ville, I’d stay at a Holiday Inn that had a Damon’s in it. Loved it. Great ribs, wings and burgers. I ate the ribs mostly.
We used to have a Damon’s not too far away from here in Atlee, Va but i think it’s long gone. Sadly.

[SavDukeGrad]

My kids loved playing the trivia game at Damon’s when they were younger. Chicken fingers and trivia was a fun night out in grade/middle school for them.

[DukieInBrasil]

after a slow start from 3, Dariq is now shooting 33% from 3 on the season. He hit 4-7 from 3 vs State, which is great, but i'm still waiting to see this "floor vision makes everyone better on offense" player he was reputed to be. He had 4 turnovers to co-lead the team vs State, so he needs to tighten that up.

[gumbomoop]

After a slow start from 3, Dariq is now shooting 33% from 3 on the season. He hit 4-7 from 3 vs State, which is great, but i'm still waiting to see this "floor vision makes everyone better on offense" player he was reputed to be. He had 4 turnovers to co-lead the team vs State, so he needs to tighten that up.

It’s a fair point. As much as anyone, more than almost everyone on EK, I have claimed that Whitehead has great court sense and is a gifted vision-passer. That’s what I saw last spring in the GEICOs and in one of the AS games.

And permit me to repeat the recent Scheyer comments that I noted [post 132 ^] yesterday morning re Whitehead’s ”playmaking, passing, feel for the game, getting downhill, attacking the rim.”

I’ve never seen any assessment from the recruitment gurus that Whitehead was ranked so highly principally because of his shooting. His scoring was part of it, yes, but it was his overall floor game, including his D, that impressed so many, Scheyer included.

No telling exactly how much his injury has affected his rounding into shape, his confidence, etc. Some. But I also suspect — and have several times posted as much — that Whitehead has been affected by an odd problem that Scheyer has: too many potential O-initiators. Proctor’s reclass and Blakes’s emergence, along with an experienced sort-of PG, junior captain expected to be team leader, all have meant that Whitehead is not yet fully integrated into the O.

Because I think Whitehead is the best these 4 options, I’m hoping he’ll get to run the O more regularly. But Scheyer has this odd problem. Roach is there, the returning “PG,” but with a bad toe. Proctor has arrived early, a CG who might best be used as a PG. Blakes has emerged, though with a yet-shaky handle that hardly screams starting PG. And then there’s Whitehead, who seems to me and others, including his coach, to be a point-forward.

I had hoped that Scheyer’s preseason promise that the team would “play fast” would solve this odd problem, as he could play 9-10 guys, including several guys who could push the ball, pass it, throw some alley-oops, press full-court some. Plenty of bodies, rest whoever needs it during the fast pace.

I’ve no idea where that idea went to hide. I hope Scheyer remembers it and implements it.

[kshepinthehouse]

It’s a fair point. As much as anyone, more than almost everyone on EK, I have claimed that Whitehead has great court sense and is a gifted vision-passer. That’s what I saw last spring in the GEICOs and in one of the AS games.

And permit me to repeat the recent Scheyer comments that I noted [post 132 ^] yesterday morning re Whitehead’s ”playmaking, passing, feel for the game, getting downhill, attacking the rim.”

I’ve never seen any assessment from the recruitment gurus that Whitehead was ranked so highly principally because of his shooting. His scoring was part of it, yes, but it was his overall floor game, including his D, that impressed so many, Scheyer included.

No telling exactly how much his injury has affected his rounding into shape, his confidence, etc. Some. But I also suspect — and have several times posted as much — that Whitehead has been affected by an odd problem that Scheyer has: too many potential O-initiators. Proctor’s reclass and Blakes’s emergence, along with an experienced sort-of PG, junior captain expected to be team leader, all have meant that Whitehead is not yet fully integrated into the O.

Because I think Whitehead is the best these 4 options, I’m hoping he’ll get to run the O more regularly. But Scheyer has this odd problem. Roach is there, the returning “PG,” but with a bad toe. Proctor has arrived early, a CG who might best be used as a PG. Blakes has emerged, though with a yet-shaky handle that hardly screams starting PG. And then there’s Whitehead, who seems to me and others, including his coach, to be a point-forward.

I had hoped that Scheyer’s preseason promise that the team would “play fast” would solve this odd problem, as he could play 9-10 guys, including several guys who could push the ball, pass it, throw some alley-oops, press full-court some. Plenty of bodies, rest whoever needs it during the fast pace.

I’ve no idea where that idea went to hide. I hope Scheyer remembers it and implements it.

Turns it over too much.