(04-09-2019 03:48 PM)Muskrat Wrote: Duling will always be a mystery to me. I'm sure the staff tried to coach him up. Over my many decades following the sport I've seen plenty who seemed sure things not perform well at the next step. Lots of times it's a mystery as to why not. It happens, though.
Ditto this ... Being the biggest thing in high school is often a curse as it masks someone's true abilities, both positively and negatively.
Duling in high school 'posted up' with brute force and athleticism, primarily against players half his bulk. In college, his bulk on the block was/is of little use without the true fundamental post-up skills of a Jimmy Hall.
What this shows, really, is the lack of baseline fundamentals he lacked in high school to score and manuver on the block showing itself on the college level vs. players his size or bigger. Clearly, a redshirt year was needed early on and he did not get it, for any variety of reasons.
Also, no fault of his own, it seems he was recruited to be more of a 4/3-type player and, again, never truly got to play or be coached at that position because - my opinion - Kent seemed to need him more as a 5-man.
Perhaps by transferring, and getting a redshirt year to dedicate himself to one position or another, he will blossom.