Friday, March 25, 2011

Irving says there's no guarantee he'll return to Duke

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Duke freshman point guard Kyrie Irving said late Thursday night that he doesn’t know whether he will return to the Blue Devils next season.

Irving is projected as one of the top picks in the NBA draft after a season that was interrupted for 3 ½ months because of an injury to his right big toe.

“Right now, I’m thinking about next year,” he said shortly after the game. “I’m not definitely guaranteeing I’m coming back. I’ll sit down with the coaching staff after the NCAA tournament and go from there.”

Irving said the deciding factor will be what’s best for him and his family.

“I’m not really thinking about whether this was my last game or not,” he said. “I would love to wear the Duke uniform again. At this point, I don’t want to take it off. That’s all I’m going to say.”

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski didn’t comment on Irving’s future when asked after the game.

“You think I just grabbed him and talked to him about that?” Krzyzewski said. “I just hugged him because he’s crying. I’m not talking to him about going pro. Those things will happen in due time.”

Irving led Duke with 28 points in its season-ending, 93-77 loss to Arizona late Thursday night. In three games after returning from the toe injury, he totaled 53 points.

Ken Tysiac

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

He's gone

Anonymous said...

This is great.

K brings back Irving, destroying team chemistry (See Nolan Smith, March 24, 2011). Meanwhile, Irving plays so well his draft stock managed to actually rise (if that's even possible).

Duke wasted two (2) senior seasons. They won't have 2 super talented seniors like that ever again (sorry d-bag guys and ugly girls, the Plumlees suck and Kelly is and will remain between solid and very good).

Lightning struck for Coach K last year. He shouldn't have won #4. We all know that. Lightning won't strike again.

Duke will be very good next year. But they won't win it all.

Coach K blew it last night.

Anonymous said...

It's too bad for Duke. We were, by far, the best team.

If we had beaten Zona, we would have stuck it to Calhoun for beating us in '99. Trajan Langdon got fouled on the last shot! Then we would have beaten OSU or Kentucky (UNC will lose tonight - they suck). Then we would have tied UNC for championships!

I'm scared to death that Wojo might get offered the State job. Or Collins. I don't know whose better, but they're both pretty much the best assistants in all of basketball.

I think Irving stays. If so, we definitely win it next year.

Anonymous said...

Gone....

Anonymous said...

Return next year? LOL He's not likely to return next week.

Anonymous said...

Goneski. With Smith and Singler gone as well, next year will be rough for the dookies.

Anonymous said...

Uh oh, I see another "bad back" (meaning nervous breakdown) for Coach K mid year next year.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 1:24p ... "IF" the dog had not stopped to take care of business, he'd have caught the rabbit!

kickazzz2000 said...

el owe el at the dude that said the bobsie twins are the best assistants in all of college basketball


hahahahhahahahhahahahha

Michael Procton said...

Yeah, next year will be awful with Austin Rivers, who is and has been a better and more complete player in high school than Irving ever thought of being.

Anonymous said...

Yeah Austin Rivers and Duke's horde of 5-star recruits coming in (Quinn Cook, Plumlee III, Alex Murphy, Michael Gbinije) should really set Duke back in 2012! 32, 33 wins might not even be a guarantee!

Anonymous said...

Surely 5-star phenom PG Quinn Cook could never fill Kyrie's void...surely.