OT - Duke's Coach K Retiring After Upcoming Season

I’ve rarely heard valid criticisms of K. I’m not going to pretend he was a saint, but he ran a damn good, clean program. Kinda like what a lot of folks on here get all worked about. Sometimes it’s just popular to rip on the best.

I mean, the first thing I would say is I have no idea how nice/quality a guy he is. Not sure it's really up to us to judge or really know, anyway.

Job-wise, what's to debate?

Much as I respect hate,, I honestly never understood the Duke hate apart from Christian Laettner being a little whiny.
 

gmulion

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I think clean program is a stretch for Duke. There are stories out there, just like every other school. Shelden Williams and Rasheed Sulaimon were both accused of sexual assault. Corey Maggette took money. Sean Dockery had to take the ACT a crazy amount of times before getting a qualifying score, yet Duke only recruits the top student athletes...

Edit to add:
Lance Thomas and jewelry episode.
Also, Zion was paid to play at Duke too.
 
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Quentin Daniels

Hall of Famer
I think clean program is a stretch for Duke. There are stories out there, just like every other school. Shelden Williams and Rasheed Sulaimon were both accused of sexual assault. Corey Maggette took money. Sean Dockery had to take the ACT a crazy amount of times before getting a qualifying score, yet Duke only recruits the top student athletes...

Edit to add:
Lance Thomas and jewelry episode.
Also, Zion was paid to play at Duke too.

How are you defining a clean/dirty program? In any of those examples, did the Duke program pay players directly, arrange for payments of players, or create/allow an atmosphere where they should have known and turned a blind eye?

Shelden Williams accusation happened prior to Duke. It also had a lot of holes in the story and the kid had a 3.7 GPA and was the son of a Deacon who had to complete nightly Bible studies before being allowed to go out. Duke did its due diligence.

Sulaimon's accusation happened after he joined the team and was dismissed.

The NCAA cleared Duke of Maggette being paid by an AAU Coach for not having any knowledge.

So what that Sean Dockery took the ACT several times? Did he get a qualifying score in the end? Was there any evidence that he cheated on it?

What has Thomas purchasing then not paying for jewelry have to do w/Duke? It wasn't a gift, he ended up getting sued by the jewelry store.

The Zion accusations do have some merit, but I also take anything involving Michael Avenatti w/a grain of salt.

A lot of crap being thrown against the wall but all of it the equivalent of calling Mason a dirty program over a top 100 recruit being a pothead and never amounting to much. Unfortunate situation, but not the definition of a dirty program.
 

GMU79

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Two words: Grayson Allen
But winning is more important than "teaching young men."
When you set yourself up as a role model, like he has, you had better expect to be put under the microscope.
 
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gmulion

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How are you defining a clean/dirty program? In any of those examples, did the Duke program pay players directly, arrange for payments of players, or create/allow an atmosphere where they should have known and turned a blind eye?

Shelden Williams accusation happened prior to Duke. It also had a lot of holes in the story and the kid had a 3.7 GPA and was the son of a Deacon who had to complete nightly Bible studies before being allowed to go out. Duke did its due diligence.

Sulaimon's accusation happened after he joined the team and was dismissed.

The NCAA cleared Duke of Maggette being paid by an AAU Coach for not having any knowledge.

So what that Sean Dockery took the ACT several times? Did he get a qualifying score in the end? Was there any evidence that he cheated on it?

What has Thomas purchasing then not paying for jewelry have to do w/Duke? It wasn't a gift, he ended up getting sued by the jewelry store.

The Zion accusations do have some merit, but I also take anything involving Michael Avenatti w/a grain of salt.

A lot of crap being thrown against the wall but all of it the equivalent of calling Mason a dirty program over a top 100 recruit being a pothead and never amounting to much. Unfortunate situation, but not the definition of a dirty program.

I just don't think he runs a cleaner program than anyone else. All of these big time schools have skeletons in their closet.
 

Quentin Daniels

Hall of Famer
I just don't think he runs a cleaner program than anyone else. All of these big time schools have skeletons in their closet.

Those aren't complimentary statements.

Yes, every program has "skeletons," especially if you're using the ridiculous standard of having a player that behaved poorly at some point in your 40 year career. Not cleaner than anyone else though? Let me know when Duke or Coach K is:
- Recorded discussing his "Strong @ss offer" to a current player
- Has a Final Four(s) vacated
- Has an Asst. Coach teaching a graded class for credit toward graduation w/exam questions like, how many points is a free throw worth
- Is synonymous w/a guy like Worldwide Wes
- Bringing in strippers on a recruiting visit
- Coach is put on a show cause
- players are point-shaving
- Welding certificate - 'nuf said
 
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