The last few days have been a lot quieter in Columbia and around South Carolina's Campus since both, Dominique Archie and especially Devan Downey decided to return to school for their senior years. I, for one, was just a little surprised that both returned.
While I was hopeful, for the sake of the overall program, the last week leading up their decisions didn't go without a lot of speculation. I always thought that one of them would return, but not both especially with Europe becoming such a viable option that has also become very trendy for players who are ready to embark on their professional careers.
Archie didn't spark the interest from the NBA or Europe the way that he hoped for, so his decision was a little bit easier to make.
Downey's decision, on the other hand, was much more difficult. And the reality was that nobody knew what Downey's decision was going to be because he truly didn't know. He wavered back and forth all the way down to his final decision.
Here are the three facts that swayed Downey's decision to return.
First of all, he did have a lucrative contract offer on the table for about three weeks from a European team that he mulled over and thought long and hard about. But Downey's ultimate goal is to play in the NBA and use Europe as a safety net so to speak.
He admitted that he didn't fare too well in his workout for Oklahoma City. This sparked some dejection and disappointment. Then he worked out in Houston which sparked plenty of interest from a flurry of teams.
This is where the problems began to arise because he had two more terrific workouts right before the weekend. This prompted invitations from at least five more teams that wanted to bring him in through this week. Obviously, this would've conflicted with the June 15 deadline of withdrawing.
This interest intrigued Downey because his lifelong dream seemed like it was now becoming a reality. But it also became just a little tricky because they all echoed the same sentiment in saying, "you weren't even on our radar". And that statement makes so much sense to me.
I think we all would agree that Downey's decision to test the waters surprised many. Well, it also surprised the NBA brass, which didn't put much effort into evaluating him during the season.
I've been accused of drinking too much Devan Downey Kool-aid but I knew when all of these so-called NBA projections came out with the top 25 point guards and Downey wasn't one of them, I immediately saw those projections as being tainted. Nobody, and I mean nobody, could convince me that there are 25 better point guards in the country than Downey. I would venture to say that every SEC coach would also agree with that assessment.
His workouts garnered a potential second round draft choice selection. But mainly they convinced him that he'd be an almost lock as a first rounder in next year's draft with all of the guards who chose to remain in the draft this year.
With the NBA being he and his advisors, who I've had a relationship with for almost 15 years, ultimate goal, this made his decision a little bit easier.
The second fact was real simple. He really likes the new group that arrived on campus for the summer. He raves about their work ethic. And as a veteran, you can appreciate that because you're battle-tested and know how tough it is to play high level college basketball.
He embraces the challenge of competing in the all of a sudden ultra-competitive SEC. He also wants to get into the NCAA Tournament before his career ends.
Third and finally, Downey truly cares about Carolina and his legacy once he's done. He wants to be mentioned amongst the best that's ever played here. And based on his projected numbers, with all due respect to the other greats, that should be a guaranteed lock.
I, for one, post-John Roche Era because I think the comparisons are unjust and unfair because of his mammoth-like contributions, think Downey could go down as arguably the best guard to play here. Not because of how many points he scored, but by his mere ability to impact every play, offensively and defensively.
So, there you have it, the three facts that impacted Downey's decision to stay/
Carey Rich is the resident basketball expert for TheBigSpur.com and the South Carolina Network. He also is the co-host of Sports Talk, First Edition on 1400AM in Columbia and 1400theteam.com. Rich is a former South Carolina point guard who was part of coach Eddie Fogler’s rebuilding project in the 1990s and is known throughout the Southeast for his knowledge of the game.
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