“Our whole program is overjoyed with having Kyrie here for one year and that he has the chance now to pursue a dream of being a high draft pick and a great player in the NBA,” Krzyzewski said. “We are totally supportive of Kyrie, his family and his decision. We look forward to continuing to work with him during the upcoming months leading to his entry into the NBA and afterwards while he is an NBA player."
Irving Tweeted the news of his decision around the same time the athletic department issued its press release:
@RealKyrieIrving I will be entering the 2011 NBA draft.Thank you fans out there for your support throughout the year and hopefully you stick around!thank you
Irving entered Duke as a highly-touted freshman and made his mark early on the college basketball landscape. He scored 17 and dished out nine assists against Princeton in his first game. He dropped 17 again versus Kansas State in the CBE Classic a week later. And, on Dec. 1, he delivered one of the finest performances of any Blue Devil this season—31 points against a then-top-five Michigan State team.
It would all come crashing down on Dec. 4, though, against Butler. The freshman suffered what appeared to be a relatively innocuous toe injury, then discovered it was much more serious than anyone originally thought. Irving didn't suit up again until the ACC Tournament, when he participated in pre-game drills with the team. His re-debut would come against Hampton, when he played in limited minutes. His career at Duke was capped off by a 28-point performance against Arizona.
Over the weekend, the freshman visited his family in New Jersey, and, it would seem, came to his decision while there.
“I want to thank the entire staff at Duke, especially the coaches,” Irving said in the statement. “It was a great experience playing for Coach K. He taught me a lot about the game. Even when I was hurt, I learned a lot. Also a special thanks goes to the medical staff for getting me back on the court for the NCAA Tournament and my teammates for sticking with me throughout the entire year. Duke offered me an experience I could never have imagined.”
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