It's ok guys, he loves his home state so much

[coolcock2001]

I wish the kid luck but wish he would have dropped us long ago. This makes us look bad.

Frank keeping us in it til the end with a blue chip makes us look bad how? The top player in state not even mentioning us would have been better because...?

 

[JeffTweedyFan]

F dook and the state of nc. I hope he is a bust.

LOL get a life.

 

[67gamecock]

Kinda like trying to ease breaking up by saying “We can still be friends”. It’s insincere, disingenuous self gratification.

. . . and designed to redirect criticism from people around him - USC and Clemson fans.

 

[Horseshoe 04]

He basically turned his back on his home state to do what he thought was in his best personal interest. Who can blame him for that? It happens all the time. I wish him great success in college (when he is not playing USC) and in a pro basketball career!

At least it wasn’t UCONN
Remember when we were losing everyone there

 

[allyourbase]

calling a 17 year old weak as hell because you're mad he's not attending your school, that's pretty sad

I agree. I'm just glad he's not going to Clemson, but it's silly to say that someone who goes to an out of state school is "turning their back on the state of South Carolina." Anyway, it's his decision and although I wish he went to USC, he didn't do anything wrong by choosing to go elsewhere. All the best to him except when he plays the Gamecocks in the 2019 NCAA championship game.

 

[sbrunsfrank]

At the end of the day you can't blame the young man for making this decision. On paper it seems like a surefire way to follow a dream to one day play in the NBA. You can tell on his face that the love (and pressure) he received from the instate schools made it a difficult decision, but felt Duke was the safest bet .

Watching the press conference, his step dad would have loved for Zion to commit to an instate school. His step dad understood that committing to an instate school would have essentially meant an easy retirement for he and his wife, along with a king's welcome back and a home at whichever instate school for Zion (and HIS family) once his basketball playing days were over. Not to mention a key to the city. Ultimately like any good father would, he understood that the decision was up to the young man, and supported any decision Zion makes.

It was also obvious that mom wanted to ensure that his (and their) future financially was secure. She knew Duke to be a good school academically (Although Zion would likely have to come back to finish his degree). She also knew every word of Zion's written statement, and had a significant say in his decision on her special day. ("Like mama says...").

Coach K and staff reassured him that he would forever be a part of the brotherhood that is at Duke University. You could tell that resonated with him. You could tell they sold them that having other top players to play with would ensure that he would not necessarily have to carry the weight of being "the man" on his shoulders, face double/triple teams every night, and coming to Duke would ensure an easy path for all players committed. If you remember our final four run last year, there were rumbles then that Zion was likely headed to Duke. Seemed to have gotten lost as time passed.

Ultimately some players choose to blaze their own path, other's choose to follow a path that is already laid out.

Well, I had high hopes and dreams, but this is no real shock. And honestly we can't condemn him too much. It's not like we stress taking a lesser in state kid if FM could get someone like ZW from out of state or country.
Good luck to him, altho he's sort of an irrelevancy to me now. He made a decision that he feels good about and owed us nothing, just as we owe him nothing.

 

[1996Gamecock]

hope he has a great career, seems like a good kid, but hope he enjoys losing in the 1st or 2nd round every year in the NCAA while at Duke

 

[Cackdiesel]

Zion looks to be a helluva player but I suspect that he is going to get slapped in the face by big time college basketball....I supposed having that happen during practice at Duke with their cast of the best players in basketball next year instead of on national TV will be better for him. Let's be honest his level of competition has been BELOW SC single A ball and frankly some of the home school kids from the upstate were scoring 30pts a game on Shannon Forest, and other of those schools, etc.

His very first real test of his ability will be how he handles having to learn to play real basketball against equally talented players where not every point is a tomahawk dunk against a skinny 6-1 white boy center. I hear he is a good kid so perhaps his ego will not be destroyed and he can do it....I highly doubt he is a true one-and-done going from below 1A Spartanburg Country Day to taking on Labron James in August of the 2019.

I saw him against the #16th ranked junior in the country last week. He had a great game. The junior had a good game too, but My point is that Zion played fine against a great opponent.

 

[ansoncock]

I saw him against the #16th ranked junior in the country last week. He had a great game. The junior had a good game too, but My point is that Zion played fine against a great opponent.

Many of these guys play in high level competition on the side. I doubt all these big programs would be getting in an uproar if they didn't think Zion would fit in, based on what they have seen of him with higher level competition.

No way Frank Martin's team last year should have beaten Duke, except that coaching was the difference. We just did not match up talent wise. So, why would anyone think Duke is predestined to win a national championship, not that it should matter, or seems to matter to the one and done players?

Who is the 16th ranked junior, btw?

 

[rogue cock]

Many of these guys play in high level competition on the side. I doubt all these big programs would be getting in an uproar if they didn't think Zion would fit in, based on what they have seen of him with higher level competition.

Agree. I believe Zion played AAU ball....and would guess that his talents were better shown against that competition than at Spartanburg Day.

 

[Cackdiesel]

Many of these guys play in high level competition on the side. I doubt all these big programs would be getting in an uproar if they didn't think Zion would fit in, based on what they have seen of him with higher level competition.

No way Frank Martin's team last year should have beaten Duke, except that coaching was the difference. We just did not match up talent wise. So, why would anyone think Duke is predestined to win a national championship, not that it should matter, or seems to matter to the one and done players?

Who is the 16th ranked junior, btw?

Onyeka Okongwu - Chino Hills - He's listed as #21 on rivals...good player.

 

[midline]

Wish he would have come to USC, but he needs to do what he feels is best. Don’t have a problem with that. Was disappointed on one hand, but also elated that at least he didn’t choose Clemson. That would have been the crushing blow.