Durant's going pro

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Dallas Morning News reporting.

Still looking for info.

[JMarkJohns]

Sun rises in the East forum :)

[TheTruth]

I'm not a Horns fan, but I was hoping he'd come back for another one.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

http://news.google.com/news?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&tab=wn&q=%22kevin+durant%22&scoring=d

http://www.kvue.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/texas/stories/041007dnspoutdurant.849fb9e.html

Sources: UT's Durant will go pro

10:38 PM CDT on Monday, April 9, 2007

By CHIP BROWN / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN -- Kevin Durant bucked common rationale by turning down North Carolina and Connecticut and leaving his native East Coast for Texas, becoming the highest-profile recruit in Longhorn history.

The lure of the NBA simply proved too much for Durant to buck common rationale one more time.

He has decided to turn pro after becoming the first freshman to win all six of the major national player of the year awards, including the Naismith and Wooden awards, according to two sources close to the Texas program.

An official announcement could come as early as Tuesday. Durant, his mother, Wanda Pratt, and father, Wayne Pratt, declined to speak to reporters at the Texas team banquet Monday night.

Texas coach Rick Barnes said he has advised Durant to follow his heart.

“The one thing I do know he’s going to do is finish school,” Barnes said. “That’s one thing I don’t worry about. He’s going to do that part of it.”

Durant, who grew up in Seat Pleasant, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C., is widely seen as a possible No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft on June 28. He is also expected to command upwards of $20 million for a shoe endorsement deal.

Durant’s youthful nature – he loves candy, especially Starbursts and Now and Laters, and doesn’t even have a driver’s license – made it seem like he was 18 going on 16 at times. But his game was well beyond his years (he will turn 19 in September).

His feel on the court and ability to score inside and outside at 6-9 (with a wingspan of 7-6) made him a rarely seen phenomenon in the college game and a bankable star in the NBA whenever he decided the time was right.

After averaging 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds, Durant was the only player in Division I-A to rank in the top 10 in scoring (fourth) and rebounding (fourth). He set Texas and Big 12 records for points scored in a season (903) and set a school record for rebounds in a season with 390.

He also led the Big 12 this season in blocked shots (67) and double-doubles (20). He scored 30 or more points in 11 games this season, including UT’s season finale, an 87-68 loss to USC in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Despite losing all five starters from the previous season, Texas finished 25-10 and barely missed out on a share of the Big 12 regular-season title and lost in the finals of the Big 12 Tournament to Kansas. That success was thanks in large part to consistent domination by Durant on a team that started four freshmen and a sophomore.

“We told Kevin when we were recruiting him that for us to get back to the NCAA Tournament it would take a player of the year type season from him,” Barnes said. “And that’s what he did. With so many young players on the team with him, he didn’t have the luxury of freshman ups and downs. We needed him to be special most every night, and that’s what he was.”

Durant became the second-highest scoring freshman in NCAA history behind LSU’s Chris Jackson, who scored 965 points in 1989.

Whenever Barnes was asked about Durant, Barnes rarely talked about Durant’s talent on the court. Instead, he always found himself talking about Durant’s humble nature, unwillingness to take the spotlight and unselfishness as a teammate.

“What makes Kevin Durant special is that he really is all about his teammates,” Barnes said.

Durant turned down magazine covers unless he could be photographed with his teammates. He worked as a stat keeper at intramural games of one of UT’s team managers. When that team manager twisted his ankle in a pickup game, it was Durant who raced to get ice for him.

Durant’s humble nature is a credit to his mother, who raised Durant and his older brother, Tony, alone for much of their childhood. His highly skilled game is due in large part to Taras Brown, a coach at the Seat Pleasant (Md.) Activity Center, who refused to allow Durant to play in pickup games and instead had him work on individual drills over a six-year span.

After Texas lost to USC to end the season, Durant said he has loved college and that his UT teammates “will be my brothers for life.”

[johngateswhiteley]

Sun rises in the East forum :)

no kidding. if there ever wasn't a story, this is it.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

no kidding. if there ever wasn't a story, this is it.

Yeah, but you know, there's just something about that confirmation that makes a news outlet report it.

[T-Pain]

:cry

[ducks]

durant all 6 awards oden nothing

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

durant all 6 awards oden nothing

Overall #1 pick hata forum.

[Pugglekicker_21]

well= than. I wanted to se this guy agains the spurs, but not this soon.

[samikeyp]

Well it was fun while it lasted! Thanks KD, have fun and go spend some money.

[ducks]

Overall #1 pick hata forum.
stating a fact is considered hatered?

I like oden I just think durant is the better player right now

[degenerate_gambler]

stating a fact is considered hatered?

I like oden I just think durant is the better player right now


I'm the same way with where they're both at right now in their careers.

But if Oden enters the draft, I just don't see how you can pass on a big man with the skills he has, and as he got healthier, finally was able to show against Georgetown and Florida.

[JamStone]

I'm the same way with where they're both at right now in their careers.

But if Oden enters the draft, I just don't see how you can pass on a big man with the skills he has, and as he got healthier, finally was able to show against Georgetown and Florida.


Didn't Kwame Brown have similar skills when he declared for the draft? Greg Oden might be the next great NBA center, but if I were an NBA GM with the #1 overall pick, it would be just as difficult to pass on Kevin Durant as it would be passing on Oden.

[ShoogarBear]

durant all 6 awards oden nothingWell, at leas we now have a center to join LeBron on the All-ducks team.

[HuskerinSA]

Beasley won't win awards like Durant did his freshman year, but he will be another one and done. Dudes a baller.

[50 cent]

Did anybody really think he might come back?

[IcemanCometh]

congratulations to my new favorite nba player.

would you pick hakeem or jordan?

[ShoogarBear]

Durant = Jordan?

[mardigan]

Durant = Jordan?
Completly different games. Durant will be one of the 5 best NBA players within 3-5 years I think

[ShoogarBear]

I know their games are different. I'm asking about impact.

"One of the five best NBA players" != Jordan

EDIT: although I'll give you that top five by year 3 is an equivalent career trajectory.

[mookie2001]

http://www.am1300thezone.com/pages/livestreaming.html


if you can make within a few minutes

[mardigan]

I know their games are different. I'm asking about impact.

"One of the five best NBA players" != Jordan

EDIT: although I'll give you that top five by year 3 is an equivalent career trajectory.
Yea, I realize you a smart fan, more stating it to myself. As far as impact, I doubt it, although Durant does seem to like taking over games at the end. I dont think he will have the same impact on the defesive side, but then again, who knows. The guy is a great rebounder and blocks shots and gets steals. I dont think he will be the leader that MJ was either

[mookie2001]

"It is what it is"-Rick Barnes


what a dumbass

[Jimcs50]

duh!

[IcemanCometh]

oden =! hakeem ?

[50 cent]

Rick Barnes is such a stupid fuck.

The guy oozes mediocrity.

[mookie2001]

i have really grown to dislike barnes these last couple of years

hes a coach who can get deep in the tourney, but his teams are inconsistent

he plays zone at the worst times

a few years ago his 9-10 man rotations used to be too strict, he used to leave shitty players (Boddicker was THE shitty player) on the court and hope to god they pulled it off

this year he played 6 guys and was like daring Augustine to break down by seasons end, it took this dummy 2/3 of the season to figure out JD Lewis was going to ruin the season and make Boddicker look like Klotz

naturally we had little depth, but he LET DJ break down, was too afraid of Pittman getting winded that he played him like 40 seconds at a time, he would do great, then get benched showing little signs of slowing down

it took him until to tourneys to play Winder
predictably his team cracks under full court pressure

look at the players he let get away in the couple of years
dan gibson
cj miles
durant
dion dowell
mike williams
pj tucker
lamarcus

you cant really blame guys like Lamarcus, Miles and Durant, but you figure he would have got lucky with somebody

he needs to get it done quick otherwise texas might as well get a Urban Venebels to be the coach