Duke University head basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski, officially confirmed Thursday afternoon during an offseason press conference that Duke’s 6-4 shooting guard, Andre Dawkins, will in fact redshirt for the upcoming 2012-13 season.
Curious reports surfaced in April regarding Dawkins and his status for his senior season at Duke that left many fans wondering, will they ever see him in a Duke uniform again? Duke’s sports information department released a forced statement shortly after rumors began to spread that stated Dawkins is a member of Duke’s basketball program, still a cryptic response that did nothing to convey wondering minds. The following month, Krzyzewski hinted at a possible redshirt but that no decision would be made until the decision process was complete.
Dawkins on court career has been filled with promise, yet also inconsistency. In an up and down season as a junior, Dawkins has proven capable of displaying that brilliant shooting stroke, while also being stuck in horrible, frustrating shooting slumps. He bounced from the starting rotation for Duke all the way to the deepest spots used on the Blue Devils’ bench, averaging 8.4 points per game. He played in all 34 of Duke’s games, starting 11, as the Blue Devils went 27-7 including a second round flame out during the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Dawkins closed the season mired in a difficult shooting slump, hitting only 3 of his final 23 shots. Dawkins went scoreless in four of Duke’s final six games. Dawkins offered a small glimspe into his mindset earlier that season in an interview with The News & Observer, “My whole life I have tended to become complacent,” Dawkins said. “When I get a little bit of success, I think, ‘Okay, I’m good now’, instead of getting a little bit of success and thinking that I want more success.”
Dawkins, who was a member of the 2010 NCAA championship team as freshman, has suffered far worse experiences off the court while at Duke. During his freshman year, his older sister Lacey was tragically killed in a car accident on her way to Durham to watch her younger brother play against the St. John’s Red Storm in December of that year. Lacey was just 21 years old. With a rigorous schedule that goes along with being a student-athlete, Dawkins has found it extremely difficult to work through the grief that has stuck by his side for the year’s after the unfortunate event.
During Thursday’s press conference, Krzyzewski stated that the only thing left undecided is whether or not Dawkins will participate in the team’s practices in the fall. “It’s a time for him to step away,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s the right thing. We’re doing the right thing.”
Chad Lykins
