Buttermaker
Well-known member
One part of the "culture" issue that has been little discussed is the academic side. The perception of Wake as a top academic school is extremely important to those in Reynolda. When anything even slightly threatens that perception, it has to change.
Basketball players are expected to be students first. Basketball is what they do to get the scholarship to attend the University. Comments that came from players about "pre-NBA" as the major didn't sit well. That was perceived as disrespectful to the academic side. It isn't about athletes leaving Wake before graduation to accept lucrative contracts to play professional sports. Its about how a student-athlete, while officially a student at Wake, needs to not disrespect the academic side of being a student athlete. Something like "I'm just a freshman/sophomore, I'm still looking at some different ones." would play a lot better in the "culture" realm.
One thing many learn early on is "don't embarrass the boss." A high profile athlete seen and heard publicly as not supportive of the student part of student athlete is perceived as embarrassing the institution that is providing the opportunity for the student to further his basketball ambitions.
Duke has become a one-and-done basketball factory. Has that strategy negatively impacted the perception of Duke as a top academic school?