It took Mike Krzyzewski 15 years and a plea from Bob Hurley, Sr. before he accepted his first transfer.
Five years later, it only took an explosive first step and an ever-improving jumpshot to convince him to take his second.
With a simple phone call to Rutgers Athletics Director Bob Mulcahy and a brief press release issued by Scarlet Knights coach Kevin Bannon, Dahntay Jones ended weeks of speculation and became the second transfer accepted by Krzyzewski, following only All-American Roshown McLeod's 1995 arrival.
"I am saddened by Dahntay's decision to leave Rutgers but I wish him and his family nothing but the best," Bannon said. "Dahntay is a fine young man who did everything that we asked of a student-athlete, and he has a bright future. It's unfortunate, but sometimes things just don't work out."
The decision followed a month-long whirlwind of rumors about the future of the 6-foot-5 swingman, who had reportedly told Bannon that he was not happy with the team's direction shortly after the Scarlet Knights' season-ending loss in the first round of the NIT.
An announcement had been expected Friday, but Jones' family told school officials that he would hold off making a decision until after Team USA basketball tryouts. However, Jones was not among the 16 finalists for the final round of tryouts for the 12-man team announced Sunday and his decision followed the next morning, citing "general unhappiness" as his reason for leaving.
The team MVP, Jones led Rutgers with 16 points per game last season, but the star became restless during a late season slide that saw the Scarlet Knights lose their final six contests and slip from a likely NCAA tournament bid to a second straight NIT bid behind a 15-16 record.
Jones' frustrations led him to meet with Bannon in April to tell the coach he was unhappy with his current situation and he felt that he might need a change of scenery to accomplish his basketball goals, which include the NBA.
Although both Bannon and Mulcahy tried to talk Jones into remaining at Rutgers, the second-year swingman finally decided Monday that he wanted to transfer into Krzyzewski's program.
"Duke is the best situation and the best climate for me at this point," Jones said. "It's a great opportunity. I'm looking forward to it."
For Bannon, the departure of his signature recruit and the centerpiece of his team further depletes a team that has already seen seven players transfer during his tenure.
As a high school senior, the Hamilton Square, N.J., native picked nearby Rutgers over bigger national programs so that he could help lead his state institution to the elite level of college basketball.
But after two losing seasons at Rutgers, Jones decided that despite his commitment to his home state, a transfer was in order.
"Leaving home, leaving friends, leaving a place I was comfortable with... it was difficult," Jones told the Newark Star-Ledger. "But it was a decision I had to make."
Jones will have to sit out the upcoming season per NCAA guidelines, but he will have two seasons of eligibility remaining with the Blue Devils, starting in the fall of 2001.
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