When Seth announced his intention to transfer, did you know he wanted to come to Duke?
When he decided to transfer and when Liberty gave him his release, we just waited to see who was interested, and Duke went right to the top of the list. As soon as all the paperwork was in and everything was released, they expressed their interest and they were excited to talk to Seth.... We had a great visit [Sunday], talking to Coach K and the staff and the facility. Duke, the reputation is just that, and Seth felt it was the right fit and a good choice. We didn't need to visit anywhere else. We just decided it right there.
What was it about Duke that appealed to Seth?
It's the best program in the country with the best coach. It's hard to beat that. When they show you around, especially the way they did with Seth, and show you how he can be a part of the program and how the program can benefit him, it was just a great fit. We had other schools to visit, but we decided, hey, we're going to go for the best first, and it was just a great fit. It was an easy decision.
What are Seth's strengths, and what will he bring to the Duke team?
He's an excellent shooter. He's a great competitor. He can play both positions, and he's a team player. He'll sacrifice and do whatever it takes for his team to be successful. I think the year of him sitting out will be a major help to his game, in that hopefully he'll grow a little bit, but he'll get stronger, and getting accustomed to being on Duke and being in practice and going against better players in practice and competing against better players... and he's a young student-athlete. He's only 18. He doesn't turn 19 until August. So it's like a chance for him to catch up with his class. It's just great timing for all this to take place.
So this is almost like him repeating kindergarten?
Yeah, exactly. He started school early, and he always told his mom and me, we need to reclass him. He's too young in his class. We kept telling him, Seth, work out man. If he had to do another year of high school with us, we'd have both been in trouble. With what he decided and what he was offered today and the choice, he kind of said to himself, mom and dad knew what they were talking about when they didn't reclass him.
How do Seth and Stephen compare? And, as a dad, are you allowed to say which one is better?
Well, Seth was a better high school player. Seth's a little taller and a little bigger than Stephen, if you compare them as college freshmen. The numbers, and Coach K even said this today, it's almost scary in how similar they are. I told him today, I will give Seth the nod, because when Stephen went in, he was playing with a veteran team. They had Sanders and Richards, and Seth's team was very young. They started three freshmen, a walk-on junior and one senior. Playing with a young team and having to step in and be a leader right away, it's tough for freshmen in college.
And as a parent and basketball player, are you excited to have an excuse to watch games in Cameron Indoor Stadium now?
My wife and I are so excited. It was our first trip ever to Cameron, when Davidson played there this year. We had a sense of what it was like, and we had a great time there even though Davidson lost. We're so excited, not only for Seth to play in one of the most prestigious places in America, but also for him to be able to work toward a degree and be a Duke grad.
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