Derryk Thornton Duke
- Thread starter biazza38
- Start date
My guess is that, during the season, Thornton figured out that Coach K lied to him. So he decided to bounce. This after making incredible sacrifices so he could graduate HS one year early to attend Duke because that's what K told him, most likely, Duke really needed him (ala Alex Murphy)
This is what I thought and what I'm leaning towards. By the way, the NCAA really needs to get rid of the reclass rule. It puts recruits in a horrible position. It's one thing for a player to graduate in January and work out with the football team a semester early, but graduating a full year early can create some messy situations.
I guess players will have to stop committing to Duke or else K will just keep lying to get what he wants.
And to take it a step forward, Coach K has the #1 class coming in, so it appears as if the RAT is copying Calipari; bring in the best class possible to win it all and then see your spectacular recruits head for the NBA after playing college ball for one season.
I still don't understand what's wrong with recruiting the best players. This is hands down the dumbest thing that's said about guys like Calipari and K. But you're right we totally wouldn't accept Giles and Tatum if they wanted to commit here. Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
I think two things were at play actually:
1) K needed Thornton to get Ingram, but Thornton was a 2016 kid so he talked him into coming early by promising early playing time (which he got) and telling him he was the point guard of the future at Duke.
2) Ingram was one and done, Frank Jackson wanted in so Thornton was suddenly no longer the point guard of the future. Thornton figured it out I knew he wouldn't play as much next season chucked up the deuces and is transferring
It happens everywhere but Duke likes to act like it doesn't happen there because Coach K is a saint
Russ, I disagree with the Ingrsm angle. I think K was suprised to find himself without a true 1 after Tyus Jones somewhat unexpectedly became a 1 and done. Bottom line -- K did a terrible job of roster management this year with the dud of a transfer from Rice and the big stiff frosh from Florida. One injury -- Jefferson -- shouldn't have been so catastrophic
You're right, why wouldn't one want the best players possible. But that misses the point. I was responding to Russ Wood's assessment and taking it a step further. Personally, I HATE what the NCAA has allowed with these one and done players as a quick stopover to the NBA. And both Coach K and Calipari because of who they are, are able to take advantage of it. Sadly, it's the new normal in college BB, which I don't like.
I wish NBA draft would expand to 4 rounds. Players didn't have to go to college for 1 year. The NBA took on the onus of developing NBA players.
I don't understand why each sport in college has different eligibility rules. They should all be like baseball: Either you sign a pro contact before you start your freshman year, or you are not eligible to be drafted until after your 3rd year. In basketball, it's actually the NBA that set the current parameter, not the NCAA. The NBA will not allow anyone to be drafted until after one year after they graduate high school.
It's not the NCAA. The NBA has an age restriction. What's the NCAA supposed to do, say sorry we don't want you here for only 1 year? You can also blame the AAU circuit and every media outlet that hypes every player up as the next best thing. Don't hate Coach K and Cal because they can land guys like Ingram and Towns. Sorry, but you're way off the mark here.
Last edited:
This. ^^^^^
THE NBA has an age restriction and MLB doesn't. Is the MLB way better? IMHO yes. It's like other professions. If a kid wants to go right into the workforce in any other field, we don't make them go "study" in a college for a year before they do. If they can get the job they want right away, they do. (Study in quotes because you and I both know there's no actual coursework going on, most times.)
Again, you're having trouble with your reading comprehension. I don't hate what Coach K or Calipari are doing. I HATE the NBA system. I think we agree overall, but I stated it differently than you did and rather than disagree with me and explain it in your terms you decided to make ad hominen attacks.
NCAA could do something by promulgating a rule that any player leaving school to play professional basketball has his scholarship frozen for 4 years. If you bring a one and done in his scholarship is not available until the 4 years are up. This minimizes the likelihood that potentential one and dones would be recruited in the first place and increases the pressure on the NBA to fund a professional training league for excellent players who have no intention of being students.
A watered down version of this model would only require the one and done student athlete to maintain acceptable academic progress for two semesters. I suspect that many one and done players now don't bother to study for either the fall or spring semesters and likely would be in academic jeopardy after their freshman year.
A watered down version of this model would only require the one and done student athlete to maintain acceptable academic progress for two semesters. I suspect that many one and done players now don't bother to study for either the fall or spring semesters and likely would be in academic jeopardy after their freshman year.
this is an NBA issue that has created an NCAA issue.
The Players association were seeing too many veterans losing jobs for the hs kids to develop at the end of the bench. They fought and asked for a 1 - 2 year waiting period after hs. This kept more veterans in the NBA. In addition, NBA franchises are now able to see the kids play a year of college ball against more consistent competition (compared to the HS scouting). The NBA teams don't need to develop the players as much. If you remember Kobe only averaged about 12 mins a game his rookie year. Jermaine Oneal only averaged 10 mins a game his rookie year. Don't forget #1 overall pick Kwame Brown and his rookie season averaging 14 mins per game. I bet if Kwame played a year in college that he wouldn'tr have been a #1 pick.
The Players association were seeing too many veterans losing jobs for the hs kids to develop at the end of the bench. They fought and asked for a 1 - 2 year waiting period after hs. This kept more veterans in the NBA. In addition, NBA franchises are now able to see the kids play a year of college ball against more consistent competition (compared to the HS scouting). The NBA teams don't need to develop the players as much. If you remember Kobe only averaged about 12 mins a game his rookie year. Jermaine Oneal only averaged 10 mins a game his rookie year. Don't forget #1 overall pick Kwame Brown and his rookie season averaging 14 mins per game. I bet if Kwame played a year in college that he wouldn'tr have been a #1 pick.
This is as much on the NBA owners as it is on the Players Association.
The owners needed a way to protect themselves from drafting the Kwame Brown's of the world. Instead of doing a better job of talent evaluation & drafting they put a rule in place that prevents them from making the mistake of drafting a kid right out of high school.
You can't blame any school from taking these kids. The issue then becomes managing the talent & egos of these kids which Cal & K have been very good at.
The owners needed a way to protect themselves from drafting the Kwame Brown's of the world. Instead of doing a better job of talent evaluation & drafting they put a rule in place that prevents them from making the mistake of drafting a kid right out of high school.
You can't blame any school from taking these kids. The issue then becomes managing the talent & egos of these kids which Cal & K have been very good at.
Kwame Brown was immature. I'm not even sure one season of college would have helped him much. He probably would have been kicked off the team by Billy Donovan or Brown would have left school and gone home.
Having said that, he did improve season-to-season during his first three years in the NBA. If I remember correctly he had injuries in his fourth season. The Wizards traded him to the Lakers and I don't know what happened after that.
Having said that, he did improve season-to-season during his first three years in the NBA. If I remember correctly he had injuries in his fourth season. The Wizards traded him to the Lakers and I don't know what happened after that.
