OT: One more year

[Dattier]

Out of all the Duke players who have gone pro before their eligibility expired, who would you have most liked to get just one more year out of? Top 5?

For the record, here are the 22 eligible players:

'99: Brand, Avery, Maggette

'02: JWill, Booz, Dunleavy

'04: Luol

'05: Shav

'07: McRoberts

'09: G

'11: Kyrie

'12: Austin

'14: Jabari, Hood

'15: Jah, Tyus, Justise

'16: Ingram

'17: Tatum, Giles, Frank, Luke

I haven't decided yet, but the first cuts are guys who left a year before a championship, b/c why mess w/ that? So that eliminates G, Jabari, and Hood, and I'll cut the 3 guys from '99, too, as their departures allowed Shane and JWill to develop into stars. There are others I know I'll eliminate, too, but for negative things I just don't like about them, relatively speaking, and I don't care to trash them.

 

[langdon for 3]

Fun game. I like the logic on who you eliminated except maybe one of the 99 guys since the 2000 team was really good too (Avery would be the one most likely to come in practice and didn't Jwill talk about how he was worn down after that season? so maybe another guard would've really helped?)

My three favorites would be Kyrie, Deng and McRoberts. Kyrie mostly because we never got to have him a whole season (not sure i'll ever get over that really). I think the 2005 team with Deng is considerably better and maybe a champion in a year the cheaters won. I also really liked the 2008 team if they had a real big guy like McRoberts.

 

[pisgah101]

All three '15 guys and Luol and Kyrie top 5. Pick one I go tyus

 

[dukehokie]

A more mature Austin with the '12-'13 squad we had might have equated to another Final Four. I also would have liked to see Shav one more time. He could have really helped that '06 squad. Third I'd say Maggette. Pair him with Carrawell and Battier and that would have been trouble. I only wonder if Dunleavy would have come to Duke if Maggette was there.

 

[SwatX1]

Kyrie hands down #1 for me. I think we missed out on something unreal special there. next 3 would be the 3 guys from 2015. I've always said I would have loved to seen what Maggette could have done with one more year experience, so he will round out my top 5.....I like this topic!!!

 

[Mac9192]

I think Luol in 05 would have pushed that Duke team toward the top. They weren't too shabby without him but boy with him as a sophomore with Ewing, Redick, Sheldon Williams, Randolph. Took 2 out of 3 from the Holes without Luol

 

[skysdad]

Kyrie, Shav, Giles, Jabari and Tyus. Kyrie Shav and Giles just to have a healthy season. OFC

 

[nets on nets on nets]

Forget 1 more year, I would have been happy to have Kyrie for 1 year.

 

[Dattier]

I'm going Kyrie, Deng, Giles, in that order, and pretty easily... The last two are tough...

Kyrie and Giles, we just didn't get to see enough of, which is a shame. Luol makes '05 -- already ACC Champion and 1-seed -- a serious title threat in a year our biggest rival won it instead.

Tyus for my 4th pick. That stability at the point may have pushed us to championship caliber last year. Actually, no, that choice wasn't all that tough after all.

Wow, 5th is even harder... I think I'll go Shav. If he's healthy, that's a 3rd reliable post body for '06, which might have gotten us over the hump vs UNC and LSU and beyond.

First out: BI. On paper, we didn't need him this year, but I just really liked his game. It was so odd, but so good.

 

[GTHC_ GTH!]

Brand or Maggette. Either returns and Duke wins it all in 2000 and is one of the best teams ever

 

[christophero]

Brand.

 

[HuffyJB]

I would want, through science or magic, to somehow have gotten Shane 6 or 7 years of eligibility.

But to answer the actual question, I would agree with those saying Kyrie.

 

[TheDude1]

Tyus would have been something else.

 

[sheyduke]

Tyus would be my first pick followed by Hood and Giles.

 

[Quavarius]

Kyrie

 

[DiehardDukeFan4Life]

1) K Irving
2) T Jones
3) L Kennard
4) G Henderson
5) F Jackson

 

[df64]

Remember K saying his biggest regret was not redshirting Kelly his Frosh year. Kelly with Jabari and Hood up front would have been amazing. That team also would have really benefitted from Ryan's leadership and defensive smarts.

Also would have loved to have seen McRob and Shav stay. Both probably would have really benefitted in the draft.

Freaking Deng! He wanted to stay, but his dad convinced him to go. That hurt.

 

[sheyduke]

McRoberts would have benefited greatly.

Still remember him bringing the ball up court going between the legs splitting two UNC defenders and making the lay up

 

[Dattier]

McRoberts would have benefited greatly.

Still remember him bringing the ball up court going between the legs splitting two UNC defenders and making the lay up

The one I remember is bringing it up the floor v WF and going behind-the-back w/ his dribble on consecutive dribbles.

 

[dukehokie]

The one I remember is bringing it up the floor v WF and going behind-the-back w/ his dribble on consecutive dribbles.

It's in this video. Around :18 left in the vid. Watch the whole thing though. Josh was so damn talented.

 

[skysdad]

It's in this video. Around :18 left in the vid. Watch the whole thing though. Josh was so damn talented.

Good find. OFC

 

[Dattier]

It's in this video. Around :18 left in the vid. Watch the whole thing though. Josh was so damn talented.

Oh, it was GT. I had the colors right.
Josh was an amazing athlete.

 

[skysdad]

Josh was so good. I often wonder just how good he would have been if he stayed four years. I'll bet you 8 dollars to a doughnut ( inflation) he would have been an All-American. OFC

 

[dukiejay]

Some of the selections have just seemed a bit odd to me. But, this is each individual's preference.

My top four would be....

1) Loul Deng. I firmly believe we're the national champions in 2005 if he comes back.

2) Tyus Jones. It's Tyus...he's kind of my 'bae' when it comes to college basketball.

3) Kyrie Irving. I don't even want him for the 2012 season....give him to me for 2011.

4) Shavlik Randolph. His departure left us extremely thin up front in 2006. I'm not sure we win it all with him, but our chances significantly improve.

 

[jcdevilfan]

1. Kyrie Irving
2. Luol Deng
3. Tyus Jones
4. Elton Brand
5. Josh McRoberts

I think it would be fair to say that there might be another banner or two hanging in Cameron if these kids would have returned!
Go Duke!
OFC

 

[jnastasi]

1. Kyrie: like somebody said I wish we had just 1 year with him
2. Jabari: Only OAD I thought might come back. That 2015 team would've been all time w him.
3. Brand: might have won it in 2000 w him, battier, and Williams
4. Deng: game changer for the 2005 team w him. We're back in the final four
5. Tyus: him and Ingram. Not losing early in the tournament. Maybe even getting to the final four

 

[LongTimeDukeFan]

Nice thread Dat. I think this is pretty easy.

1. Brand
2. JWill
3. Luol
4. KI
5. Tyus

I think having these guys for another year and Duke adds a couple of championships.

Now, I think another interesting question would be NOT who I would WANT, but who I thought would MOST benefit from staying the extra year.
1. Avery
2. Shav
3. McBob
4. Austin
5. Ingram

I think these guys left too soon squandered their potential. IMHO.

 

[IPSYCHOSIS]

How about kennard Jackson Tatum Jefferson Giles

 

[Dattier]

Now, I think another interesting question would be NOT who I would WANT, but who I thought would MOST benefit from staying the extra year.
1. Avery
2. Shav
3. McBob
4. Austin
5. Ingram

I think these guys left too soon squandered their potential. IMHO.

That's a good follow-up question.

Hard to argue against any of those choices. Even the sequence is pretty tight. Avery washed out quickly; Shav ended up undrafted; Josh fell to the 2nd round. Austin probably could have rounded out his game some, raised his stock... but he's no lock. BI went second in the draft... but had a rough rookie season.

G didn't have a great rookie year, iirc. Tyus is a strong candidate for this list, too. He was as close as you can get to that perfect spot between college star and mediocre pro prospect... time was he'd be entering his senior year right now, too...

 

[Dattier]

Some of the selections have just seemed a bit odd to me. But, this is each individual's preference...

Yeah, same here.

There've been some good explanations for some, too, though. Brand, in particular.

 

[dukehokie]

That's a good follow-up question.

Hard to argue against any of those choices. Even the sequence is pretty tight. Avery washed out quickly; Shav ended up undrafted; Josh fell to the 2nd round. Austin probably could have rounded out his game some, raised his stock... but he's no lock. BI went second in the draft... but had a rough rookie season.

G didn't have a great rookie year, iirc. Tyus is a strong candidate for this list, too. He was as close as you can get to that perfect spot between college star and mediocre pro prospect... time was he'd be entering his senior year right now, too...

I don't know that Tyus staying would have changed his game much. Same with G and Shav. They were who they were going to be. I don't think any of those guys were destined for league greatness.

I do agree with:
- Avery needed to learn to shoot. He should've stayed.
- Josh needed to mature.
- I think Frank is going to be added to this list as well. Maybe even Harry (though I get why he left).
- I'd say Jason Williams only because his motorcycle accident was such a freak thing. Maybe he wouldn't have been in that place at that time to have such a tragedy happen to him. He would have been a great NBA player.

 

[Mac9192]

To me this list is about the guys that missed out on a title. The reason I didn't say Brand is he was expected to leave after his sophomore season, and the team would have been different the next. Him leaving brought Boozer in. Deng and Kyrie are the 2 to me that hurt the most. Duke lost one important guy off the 04 team, Duhon. Had Deng stayed and not surprised K, the 05 team could have won it all. Him staying wouldn't have disrupted anything. They lost in regional semifinals to MSU. He was really good as a freshman and K had no one to replace him. And yes like mentioned, a full season out of Kyrie because they were nearly unstoppable early in season with him.

 

[Dattier]

I don't know that Tyus staying would have changed his game much. Same with G and Shav. They were who they were going to be. I don't think any of those guys were destined for league greatness.

I do agree with:
- Avery needed to learn to shoot. He should've stayed.
- Josh needed to mature.
- I think Frank is going to be added to this list as well. Maybe even Harry (though I get why he left).
- I'd say Jason Williams only because his motorcycle accident was such a freak thing. Maybe he wouldn't have been in that place at that time to have such a tragedy happen to him. He would have been a great NBA player.

I guess w/ Tyus, G, and Shav, I'm thinking their first year in the pros wasn't much to celebrate. Even if they were essentially who they were going to be as players, a year's maturity might have given them better starts to their pro careers, and who knows what doors might have opened. None of them was/is slated for NBA greatness, that's true.

I also think that about Frank, but it's just a hunch for now, and certainly wish him the best. Harry might slide pretty far b/c of concern about his health. A healthy year at Duke might have put him as a solid top 3 pick, but there're no guarantee that's what would happen.

 

[Arlene]

Tyus, Justice, Maggette, Jwill, and Giles

 

[dukehokie]

I guess w/ Tyus, G, and Shav, I'm thinking their first year in the pros wasn't much to celebrate. Even if they were essentially who they were going to be as players, a year's maturity might have given them better starts to their pro careers, and who knows what doors might have opened. None of them was/is slated for NBA greatness, that's true.

I also think that about Frank, but it's just a hunch for now, and certainly wish him the best. Harry might slide pretty far b/c of concern about his health. A healthy year at Duke might have put him as a solid top 3 pick, but there're no guarantee that's what would happen.

I'm with you. The only thing about the NBA is that maturity doesn't always equate better success, and in that case, you strike while the iron is hot. All three of those guys would've lost money sticking around, where I think Frank and Harry would've made more by sticking around. That's my rationale.

 

[BluePhil]

Luol staying = 2005 Championship IMO

 

[nets on nets on nets]

1. Kyrie (for 2011)- we probably go back to back.
2. Brand- Having the national player of the year return would have been insane. Clearly we become 2000 title favorites.
3. Deng- the 2005 team got a 1 seed, always felt like that was one of K's best coaching jobs. Switch Lee Melchioni's minutes to Deng...yikes.
4. Maggette- Like Brand, would have made us 2000 title favorites.
5. Randolph - The 2006 team was missing another big body, he would have helped a lot.

-Really wanted to include Tyus on here but omitted him because if he stayed ONE MORE year, still not sure the 2016 team had enough to be special. (2017 team obviously could have been insane though)
-Jabari was also omitted due to the fact that we won the title the year after he left.
-McRoberts left off for similar reasons as Tyus, don't believe the 2008 team would have gotten over the hump even with Josh.

 

[youngman42]

Out of all the Duke players who have gone pro before their eligibility expired, who would you have most liked to get just one more year out of? Top 5?

For the record, here are the 22 eligible players:

'99: Brand, Avery, Maggette

'02: JWill, Booz, Dunleavy

'04: Luol

'05: Shav

'07: McRoberts

'09: G

'11: Kyrie

'12: Austin

'14: Jabari, Hood

'15: Jah, Tyus, Justise

'16: Ingram

'17: Tatum, Giles, Frank, Luke
.

There really are only two of those guys that I feel would have made the next year's team much better to the point that we had an excellent shot at a Title.

1. Luol Deng, 05. We basically had the 2004 Semis against UCONN and got ripped on some questionable foul calls that fouled out all our centers. I think we'd have beaten G-Tech in the finals as well. But, even losing, had Deng come back the following year I think we'd have been a top 5 team and would have competed for, and been favored to win the title. I think we would have been better than UNC in 05.

2. Brand, 00. I chose Deng over Brand b/c The 00 team was pretty thin depth wise, I think 05 with Deng would have had a better title shot, and even with Brand in 00 I'm not sure we'd have had the depth to compete against teams like UF. A freshman J-Will had not come into his own and too inconsistent with a ton of turnovers. I just don't think we'd have won it though Brand would have been great. Could have made a FF though and who knows then?

Several players I either didn't see as strong "team" players to make the following year's team a lot better (including: Ingram, Austin, G, McRoberts), or don't think the following year would have been a title year even with them. As talented as G or Austin were, I never saw them as team players and think they took too many bad shots. Jabari would have been fun to watch another year, but we won the title in '15 and it is hard to say how the chemistry would have been with Jabari there. More talent, obviously, but that doesn't always win. Chemistry is a bigger deal at the NCAA level.

 

[Arlene]

Now, I think another interesting question would be NOT who I would WANT, but who I thought would MOST benefit from staying the extra year.
1. Avery
2. Shav
3. McBob
4. Austin
5. Ingram

I think these guys left too soon squandered their potential. IMHO.

Agree with the above outside of replacing Ingram with Jackson or Tyus. Have a feeling if K was being completely honest, he would have most of the above. Remember him being dead against Avery going and not keeping it quiet.

 

[dukedevilz]

Let's insert some players and make a couple more runs at some titles! ... Boozer was the only real big man that was used on the 2000 team. Brand certainly didn't need another year of college, but can you imagine how dominant that 2000 team would have been? Duke was already the #1 team in the country before the start of the tournament.. I placed Dunleavy on the 03 team instead of Jay Williams/Carlos Boozer because I think that team needed a combo forward much more than a ball handler (Duhon, Ewing, Dockery) or another big man (Shelden, Casey, Shav, Horvath). Kyrie in 2012 would have been huge! He was a great ball-handler, finisher, and facilitator; he really got guys like Mason Plumlee involved in high-percentage shooting situations. Brandon Ingram on the team this year would have been interesting. Obviously defense and point-guard play still would have been an issue, but the thought of having Grayson-Luke-Brandon-Tatum on the court at the same time is a scary combination.

2000
Starters:
Jay Williams
Nate James
Chris Carrawell
Shane Battier
Elton Brand

Key Bench: Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy

2003
Starters:
Chris Duhon
JJ Redick
Dahntay Jones
Mike Dunleavy
Shelden Williams

Key Bench: Daniel Ewing, Casey Sanders, Shavlik Randolph

2005
Starters:
Daniel Ewing
Sean Dockery
JJ Redick
Luol Deng
Shelden Williams

Key Bench: Shavlik Randolph, DeMarcus Nelson, Lee Melchionni

2012
Starters:
Kyrie Irving
Seth Curry
Austin Rivers
Ryan Kelly
Mason Plumlee

Key Bench: Miles Plumlee, Andre Dawkins, Quinn Cook

2017
Starters:
Frank Jackson
Luke Kennard
Brandon Ingram
Jayson Tatum
Amile Jefferson

Key Bench: Grayson Allen, Harry Giles, Matt Jones