Raw Potential and Talent Not Enough



Nessley: Minus Conditioning

Martin Nessley was a 7’2" 280 lb. Lumbering mountain from Whitehall-Yearling High School in Columbus, Ohio. Along together with his size he introduced mind-blowing credentials as a McDonald’s All-American and a Parade All-American. What’s not to like? Coach K went after him and he devoted to Duke in 1984. Coach probable believed he may want to get Martin into weight training and conditioning and speed the guy up-give him a vertical leap of at least several inches.

Nessley turned into positioned on a strict weight loss plan. Alarie recalls that the fellow infrequently ate whatever except maybe a salad at the schooling desk. Yet he couldn’t even drop a pound. Marty didn’t play a lot as a freshman-too sluggish. Then knee surgical procedure confined him as a sophomore.

Sumner describes one night among 1:00 and 2:00 a.M. Amaker, Nessley’s roommate, became awoke by a knock at their door after which a few muffled verbal exchange. As Amaker attempted to fall asleep, he heard motion coming from the opposite side of the room. He turned on a lamp and found Nessley gulping a massive pizza beneath his blanket. Surely Nessley needed to know that the Duke running shoes would have happy that starvation with masses of protein liquids and occasional-fats meats full of protein. But maybe his drive to excel wasn’t effective enough.

Finally, as a senior Nessley played in each sport, started 4, blocking 24 photographs—now not horrific. The nice recreation of his career changed into at Harvard with 25 factors and 8 rebounds. But that become the extreme exception. It appears as though that 7 foot 2 frame of his ought to have finished an entire lot greater. He played a touch NBA ball for one year.

Randolph: Bad Breaks or Bad Attitude?

Shavlik Randolph became an instantaneous famous person at Broughton High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. His high of 56 factors in a game broke Pete Maravich’s record on the same faculty. With that type of play it must now not be shocking that he turned into a McDonald’s All-American, a two-time Associated Press North Carolina participant of the Year and a -time Parade All-American.

The kid were given off to a exquisite begin at Duke with a team-high 23 factors and 7 rebounds in the first game in opposition to Army. Two days later he had a double-double in opposition to Davidson. Then unexpectedly Shavlik nearly dropped out of sight. He scored in double figures simplest 5 more video games that season and struggled a piece with accidents. Over the summer season he needed to rehab after a success hip surgical treatment. As a sophomore he played in all 37 of Duke’s video games, averaging a ho-hum 7.0 factors, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in line with sport. Then he appeared to come alive for the NCAA event run, gambling fantastic against each Alabama State and UConn.

During his junior yr his averages were slightly decrease than his sophomore stats, but he sat out four video games getting better from mono. Still, he averaged nearly 20 mins of gambling time consistent with sport. Then, unexplainably, after his mediocre junior yr, Randolph decided to opt out of his senior yr and declare for the draft. Through the years he is bounced backward and forward among short stints with NBA teams observed by means of play in European leagues.

Price: One Terrific Year

Ricky Price played 3 years of excessive faculty basketball at St. Anthony’s and his final 12 months at Serra High School in Gardena, California. One element that have become apparent at some stage in Price’s high school career and later at Nike camps is that he was completely able to taking over games and carrying a team on his back. A McDonalds All-American Slam Dunk Champion, he become unanimously named a USA Today/AP/Parade Top five player within the state.

Price began 14 video games as a rookie during that nightmare season with out Coach K. Then he had a breakout sophomore season with 29 starts in 31 games. He starred because the cross-to man in near video games and he won numerous inside the very last seconds. Against Virginia he went crazy with 28 points. Everything was coming up roses for Price until rapidly earlier than preseason of his junior 12 months while he broke a finger and commenced having trouble together with his outside shot. He most effective began 11 games that 12 months. Definitely a disappointment.

Then as he entered his fourth year, this ought to have been his golden hazard to properly exceed his stellar sophomore stats and make NBA scouts salivate. However, he turned into stuck plagiarizing and declared academically ineligible following his junior yr. He needed to take a seat out the autumn semester as a senior. In December while he ought to resume play, Coach K become apparently now not very impressed due to the fact he were given handiest one begin-on Senior Day against UNC. Price ended up playing professionally remote places.

Sheer Talent no longer Enough

Nessley, Randolph and Price arrived at Duke with accolades and awards rivaling some of the first-class recruits ever. Veteran scouts raved about them and they have been voted prep faculty All-Americans. Their natural capacity seemed nearly limitless. Some might also blame injuries however many Duke gamers have fought thru injuries and still put together a sterling Duke career. When men display up at Duke, success isn’t even close to being inevitable. They need to stretch for excellence, combat for minutes, slave away at strength, speed and conditioning. They need to play for the team, analyze from the coaches, and outplay their combatants. Nothing is assured in sports. That’s why it’s a fierce competition to the stop.