Why is Shavlik Randolph entering the NBA Draft? What is going on in Durham? What makes a 6'11 PF who averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds think he can be an NBA draft pick - as a junior?

We won't know the whole story for a long time, if ever. But there's more to it than the official story. We'd been told Shavlik wanted to take the opportunity to work out for teams, get some information and feedback, then know what he needed to work on during his senior year at Duke.

We'd been told just days ago (June 6)  that his intentions were to return to Duke.
Maybe they were. He told at least one reporter that he and K were on the same page.
But were they?

What do we know? Well, not much.
What do we think? Ah, now that's a different question.

I'm not just  making up the rumors of the Randolph family feuding with K. I'm not making up the rumor that Shav was promised he'd play the 3, only to be stuck at the 4, with his back to the basket. Those are things I've heard, and I'm sure you have, too.

So what was it? Did Randolph just get tired of Duke and K? Did K get tired of Randolph's slow development, and disappointing results?

Did Shav enter the draft because he wanted to, or did K not let him back after Randolph dared work out for some NBA teams to get feedback?

You want to know what I think? I think it's a little of everything.

Shavlik just wasn't going to be the superstar that the hype machine created. Not at Duke, anyway. Shavlik needed to play the 3 to play his best game. K needed him at the 4. So he played the 4. Mom and Dad Randolph are concerned with their son's development. After all, they've been told since the kid was a junior in high school that the NBA money is waiting. The Randolphs begin to get frustrated with K. And K doesn't care to have them over his shoulder. And Shav is stuck in the middle.

Did he even have mono? Maybe. Did K just get tired of dealing with Mom and Dad Randolph? Probably.

"I'm the best college coach around. No parent is going to tell me how to do my job. My life isn't about playing games." That could have been K's thought process. I don't know. He's said the last sentence at some point.

So Shav decides he's had a lackluster career, and can't name a Duke bigman that's stayed at the University for four years and turned out a great career in the NBA. So he takes the media on this 'getting some feedback' ride. Meanwhile, Mom and Dad have decided he isn't going back no matter what.

Do I think they were being dishonest? Maybe tactful.
Do I think K's ego wouldn't allow a kid who never had his blessing to try the draft camps back into Duke? I wouldn't put it past him.

Anyway, as I said five weeks ago, Shav seems like a kid that got caught in the middle of a tug of war. The hype maching gave him high hopes. K wanted what's best for the team. Mom and Dad want what's best for the kid's career, and maybe not his own emotions.

So he walks away. Blue Devil or not, he deserves a fresh start. Away from K, away from the Broughton High School hype factory. Away from floundering behind the new kid.

Channel 11 just said "the lure of big money has taken another player out of school early..." It wasn't that. It was the broken promises.