[UNCbasketballbumParticipant]

This is a big blow to Duke.  Dawkins was a really good shooter who was streaky and could hit 4-5 threes in a row.  The pressure shifts to Curry and incoming freshman Rasheed Sulaimon to pick up the slack left by the loss of Dawkins. 

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

The reason behind it is really sad:

Dawkins father, also named Andre Dawkins, said in April that his son still is dealing with the grief from the death of his sister, Lacey, in a Dec. 5, 2009, car accident. Lacey Dawkins died while en route to Durham to see her brother play for Duke against St. John’s.

Barely 18 years old at the time because of his early enrollment at Duke, Dawkins continued playing his freshman season with the Blue Devils. That season ended with Duke winning the 2010 NCAA championship.

But Dawkins, his family said, never took the time to properly treat the shock of his sister’s death.

Pamela Dawkins, Andre’s mother, said she spoke with him Thursday after Krzyzewski announced the decision to the media and said that he is happy with the situation.

“I think he will be fine,” Pamela Dawkins said. “He was the regular, normal Andre when I spoke to him.”

His mother said Andre, has returned home to Chesapeake, Va., more often now that he isn’t preparing to play a basketball season. He’s able to spend time with his younger brothers, Caleb and Jalon, and younger sister, Naomi.

“(He) had a chance to spend more time with them and he plans to come home more,” Pamela Dawkins said. “He’s family-oriented. As a mom, that’s one of the things that I look forward to.”

Krzyzewski said no decision has been made about whether Dawkins will participate in practices when the season begins, and Pamela Dawkins agreed.

Andre Dawkins is on pace to graduate on time next year, his mother said. While the family has asked Andre Dawkins if he wants to play his final year of basketball at another school, she said he is clear about wanting to stay at Duke.

“He loves Duke and that’s where he wants to be,” Pamela Dawkins said. “He’s never even uttered being anywhere else. He’s adamant that he wants to stay there.”

http://www.thetimesnews.com/sports/season-56597-sit-dawkins.html

Definitely a sad situation, was really surprised to hear about his redshirting, but it sounds like the right thing to do. He was an early entry into Duke, much like Alex Murphy who redshirted this past season. Honestly, I feel that while Dawkins would have added a lot of depth to the 2 guard spot, this Duke team has pieces to make up for his absence (at least at the 2 guard). Obviously this kid is dealing with quite a bit, seems like it is best for him to take some time off to fully cope. I can’t imagine what this young man has had to deal with and wish him the best.

Basketball wise, as Coach K said, Seth Curry will play off of the ball more. This should be huge for Seth, expect a great senior season at his more natural position. Rasheed Sulaimon is definitely more of a 2 than a 1, but Quinn Cook should get a lot more time, as will Tyler Thornton. They have Alex Murphy coming in as another wing and my guess is he will have a solid contribution. Even with Dawkins, I was unsure Duke was really a contender. Nonetheless, without him, they should still be one of the better teams in the ACC as per usual.

[surveParticipant]

I am by no means trying to chit on your comments or to be insensitive to Dawkins personal issues….but the fact of the matter is, Dawkins didnt have a great year and he was really starting to regress as a player.  The death of his sister absolutely could be the reason behind it….but the fact is, the redshirt is best for all parties involved.  Its best for personal reasons, but this was a basketball decision first and foremost I believe, the fact that he needed time off personally made it an easier decision.   This was a decision that was in the best interest of the team and Dawkins career.  In fact, I thought he shouldve redshirted this past season….but they really needed him so he didnt.

@uncbasketballbum….the pressure was already going to be on Sulaimon, yes he is more of a 2 than 1, but he is their new version of Nolan Smith…he was going to be relied upon heavily anyway to make plays and handle the ball a lot because basically, that is not Seth Curry’s game.  Curry will be relied upon to be their top perimeter scorer.

Dawkins is going to be more valuable to the team next year than he ever was going to be this year…particularly with his confidence shrinking to an all time low and the fact that they are overloaded with guards and not enough rotation for everyone.  I would have to say, next year’s team will likely be better than this one anyway. With Curry gone, Dawkins will return hopefully refreshed mentally and will be relied upon to possibly be their top player, if nothing else their leading scorer.  Dawkins is a better player than what he has shown at Duke, and hopefully, he comes back with a renewed love for Basketball, because I dont think it was very fun to him in the past couple of years after the tragedy.

[mattmancalcagnoParticipant]

This could be a blessing in disguise, as unfortunate of an event it was Andre needs to get away from basketball and when he is ready come back and improve his game. Duke may take a little hit from this but I doubt it since they are easily one of the deepest teams in the country. Hopefully Andre recovers from this event mentally and I wish the best for the rest of his family

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