One-on-One with D.J. Carton - Video Interview & Transcript

Nice interview Rob. I do wish his grandpa would be doing his part as a Hawk alumnus and push DJ more to sign with the Hawks.
 
Good write up Rob. He seems to me like a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. I can’t remember a recruit that has blown up so quickly, so imagine this last year has been a whirlwind for him.

I don’t think Iowa’s chances are very high but it does sound like we have a fighting chance. The comment he made about the blue-bloods was an intersing one and makes you think that is what he is really hoping for. I guess if it comes down to it I’d rather see him at Kansas or UNC than at Michigan.
 
NikeHawk21 said:
Good write up Rob. He seems to me like a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. I can’t remember a recruit that has blown up so quickly, so imagine this last year has been a whirlwind for him.

I don’t think Iowa’s chances are very high but it does sound like we have a fighting chance. The comment he made about the blue-bloods was an intersing one and makes you think that is what he is really hoping for. I guess if it comes down to it I’d rather see him at Kansas or UNC than at Michigan.
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Thanks. He's been pretty up front about the blue bloods since he rose to the point where it became a possibility.

I really enjoyed interviewing the kid. Seemed confident but not cocky.

I think his relationship with the Patrick and the Iowa coaches gives the Hawks a fighting chance.

I'll be posting an interview with Patrick tomorrow morning where he talks about their relationship.
 
Well I will say this, I respect that Fran has really played hard for this kid. Telling him he is the missing piece. That is showing some love. Let's hope it helps.
 
Adam said:
Well I will say this, I respect that Fran has really played hard for this kid. Telling him he is the missing piece. That is showing some love. Let's hope it helps.
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The point guard position for Fran is not just a missing piece of a puzzle. In Frans case it’s more like the missing keystone.

Keystone

“the wedge-shaped piece at the summit of an arch, regarded as holding the other pieces in place”

I am hoping this will be one of many keystones for Fran. These things have a way of snowballing once you get it rolling.
 
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There's nothing in this interview that makes it sound like Michigan is a favorite or that he's made up his mind. And there's nothing in this interview to make it sound like Iowa is just getting a "courtesy" visit. I think he's being open minded about 6 schools right now and will likely consider a couple more schools when the bigger names offer.
 
Good god, the kid's not coming to Iowa, guys...might as well face it. He's said numerous times his end goal is the NBA and the best chance for that to happen out of his offers is Michigan, not Iowa. And to be honest, no one could blame him. Beilein is the real deal and our coach is not. He's had 8 players drafted since '07; Iowa has had 3 drafted this century. Would you even consider playing for a team that had the worst defense in all of P6 basketball last year? Wouldn't that tell you something about 1) coaching skill, and 2) the type of team you'll be surrounded by?

Beilein has been to 2 NCAA finals, 12 dances total, and won the B1G twice. You better believe Carton's people are telling him that, and they should be if they have his interests in mind. If you have NBA aspirations and a blue blood comes calling you take it. I'd tell my son the same thing.

We can kid ourselves all we want, but he's just being a nice guy to Iowa. Our team has nothing to offer him towards his goals and he knows it.
 
Fryowa said:
Good god, the kid's not coming to Iowa, guys...might as well face it. He's said numerous times his end goal is the NBA and the best chance for that to happen out of his offers is Michigan, not Iowa. And to be honest, no one could blame him. Beilein is the real deal and our coach is not. He's had 8 players drafted since '07; Iowa has had 3 drafted this century. Would you even consider playing for a team that had the worst defense in all of P6 basketball last year? Wouldn't that tell you something about 1) coaching skill, and 2) the type of team you'll be surrounded by?

Beilein has been to 2 NCAA finals, 12 dances total, and won the B1G twice. You better believe Carton's people are telling him that, and they should be if they have his interests in mind. If you have NBA aspirations and a blue blood comes calling you take it. I'd tell my son the same thing.

We can kid ourselves all we want, but he's just being a nice guy to Iowa. Our team has nothing to offer him towards his goals and he knows it.
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If he really has no intentions of going to Iowa, he's not being "a nice guy". Making Iowa waste that much time on him when they could use that time to find others is about as far from nice as it gets.
 
PCHawk said:
If he really has no intentions of going to Iowa, he's not being "a nice guy". Making Iowa waste that much time on him when they could use that time to find others is about as far from nice as it gets.
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If he genuinely feels like he’s being a good dude by humoring Iowa, he’s being a good dude.
 
Fryowa said:
If he genuinely feels like he’s being a good dude by humoring Iowa, he’s being a good dude.
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It's being strung along by a woman for awhile, you thinking she's interested in you when she's really just playing with you the whole time. That sucks.


...Not that I know how that feels.
 
But I don't think he has made up his mind 100%. He probably has a serious lean (and it's probably Michigan) in mind but is working through it. Some guys are decisive and other guys aren't as much. He might be one of the latter type.
 
Fryowa said:
If he genuinely feels like he’s being a good dude by humoring Iowa, he’s being a good dude.
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You make it sound like there is 0 chance. I think you are just being incredibly negative. If he has relationships here, it's possible. It may not be likely, but nobody can say with certainty "he's not coming to Iowa". I don't think he knows yet, so you and I don't either.
 
Fryowa said:
Good god, the kid's not coming to Iowa, guys...might as well face it. He's said numerous times his end goal is the NBA and the best chance for that to happen out of his offers is Michigan, not Iowa. And to be honest, no one could blame him. Beilein is the real deal and our coach is not. He's had 8 players drafted since '07; Iowa has had 3 drafted this century. Would you even consider playing for a team that had the worst defense in all of P6 basketball last year? Wouldn't that tell you something about 1) coaching skill, and 2) the type of team you'll be surrounded by?

Beilein has been to 2 NCAA finals, 12 dances total, and won the B1G twice. You better believe Carton's people are telling him that, and they should be if they have his interests in mind. If you have NBA aspirations and a blue blood comes calling you take it. I'd tell my son the same thing.

We can kid ourselves all we want, but he's just being a nice guy to Iowa. Our team has nothing to offer him towards his goals and he knows it.
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There is chance enough that he chooses Iowa. Logic would indicate that Michigan should be his top choice currently, but every P6 recruit has a "dream" of playing in the NBA. Many of them choose schools based on other desires.

Furthermore I don't believe that DJ's main focus is playing in the NBA. I believe his main goal is to graduate or get damn close in something that will keep him around the sport of basketball. That said Iowa has a fine broadcasting program in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

All of that said if he feels a connection to Iowa, the coaching staff, and his teammates he will come even if Michigan is the superior basketball opportunity.
 
Adam said:
There is chance enough that he chooses Iowa. Logic would indicate that Michigan should be his top choice currently, but every P6 recruit has a "dream" of playing in the NBA. Many of them choose schools based on other desires.

Furthermore I don't believe that DJ's main focus is playing in the NBA. I believe his main goal is to graduate or get damn close in something that will keep him around the sport of basketball. That said Iowa has a fine broadcasting program in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

All of that said if he feels a connection to Iowa, the coaching staff, and his teammates he will come even if Michigan is the superior basketball opportunity.
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He's literally said in every interview I've read or heard interviews (including Rob's recent one) that his ultimate basketball goal is playing in the NBA.

“The individual type of accolades and stuff like that will just take its place on its own… If I feel like I’m NBA ready by (the end of my) freshman or sophomore year, I’m going to go follow my dreams.”
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Of the 247Sports Composite’s top 30 recruits in the recently graduated 2014 class, 24 are currently part of an NBA or G-League team.

“That’s been my goal ever since I was a little kid. And now, I feel like it is starting to get more real,” Carton said.
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This kid is of course going to say his degree is important, and I'm sure it is, but he has his eye on the pros and he is not coming here--because Iowa is not part of that path.
 
DJL said:
You make it sound like there is 0 chance. I think you are just being incredibly negative. If he has relationships here, it's possible. It may not be likely, but nobody can say with certainty "he's not coming to Iowa". I don't think he knows yet, so you and I don't either.
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There's a difference between being negative and being realistic. Sometimes reality is negative.

If it blows your skirt up to think this kid might play here then knock yourself out.
 
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