Milestone Moment: Coach K Takes a JUCO Player

Mike Krzyzewski was not quick to jump on the trend of players transferring. Roshown McLeod became his first transfer addition in 1995 from St. John’s. It hasn’t become a regular crutch for adding talent since then, either. Duke added Dahntay Jones from Rutgers and currently has Seth Curry, a transfer from Liberty, sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules. That’s just three transfers over three decades of coaching at Duke. While that’s a remarkably low number, the even more astonishing number is the one related to the number of junior college transfers Krzyzewski has brought to Duke: zero. That number changes today.↵↵Get to know Carrick Felix, the first junior college transfer for Mike Krzyzewski at Duke. Read up on him on Rivals and Scout. Felix first posted the news on his Facebook page.↵

↵↵Highlights of Felix are tough to find, so you’ll have to settle for a few dunk contest highlights. ↵
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Felix has three years of eligibility remaining after redshirting his freshman year. Where will he fit? Kyrie Irving is a highly touted guard entering the Duke backcourt next season, plus there’s the aforementioned younger Curry who will surely be in the mix for some instant minutes. Nolan Smith, a junior, would be wise to return to Duke. Add Andre Dawkins into the mix and that makes the 1 and 2 spots look very crowded, but there’s room for Felix on the wing to ease in and grab some minutes. Even if Irving, Curry and Smith play in a three guard front, Felix would seem to be in line to spell any of those three guys.↵↵There could have been a myriad of reasons why Duke hasn’t taken a JUCO player to this point. Academics certainly play a big role. Duke having its pick of McDonald’s All-Americans every year probably doesn’t hurt either. So while Felix won’t be the biggest name on the perimeter for Duke, he’ll be heavily scrutinized because of where he came from. Not that Duke haters are really ever at a deficit for things to hate the Blue Devils about.↵

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