Duke Point Guard Syndrome

Back in early December, I made the 5-hour trip to Columbia, Mo., to scout Rock Bridge HS for an upcoming game in Kansas City. The big name for Rock Bridge was a 6'6" senior sniper named Ricky Kreklow. Kreklow had committed to Missouri a few months earlier and, sitting in the stands at Columbia College, all I could hear was his name. The kid was a legendary shooter in mid-Missouri. His parents were volleyball coaches at Missouri and rumor had it that he could set a volleyball in from mid-court without hitting rim.

But I knew Rock Bridge had a lot more to offer than Kreklow. There was junior guard Justin Miller, who had interest from almost the entire Missouri Valley, as well as UConn and Virginia. They also had a slew of 6'6"-6'8" kids, some with college-ready bodies, who were offensively skilled. These kids were freakin' scary, with every player in their 9-man rotation virtually guaranteed a spot on a DI or DII roster. The one player I didn't know about, however, was Travis Jorgensen.

When they announced Jorgensen's name in the starting lineup, I had to gag back a chuckle. They're starting a 5'7" freshman point guard? Are they nuts? The kid looks like a twelve-year-old nerd who skipped a few grades. Then, a few minutes into the game, little Jorgensen buried a 26-foot bomb without hesitation. He looked up at the opposing student section, thumped his chest, and yelled like a man possessed. Scrambling to jot some notes down about this kid, all my pen would write was "Duke pg syndrome."

When I came back from the game, I was asked what that note meant. "What the hell is the Duke Point Guard Syndrome?" I struggled to explain it then, but I got the point across. The kid was scrappy, slapped the floor, talked trash, had great court vision, and played with an arrogant sense of entitlement. But I think I have a better grip on it now. So, let me explain:

The Duke Point Guard Syndrome (DPGS) is not exclusive to Dukies or guards. The name is what it is because this basketball-related illness is commonly found in Duke point guards. Jon Scheyer, Greg Paulus, Quinn Snyder, etc. all displayed many of the symptoms found in DPGS.

Some symptoms of DPGS are: constant slapping of the floor, never-ending trash talk, antagonizing of opposing fans, yelling (at nothing at all), and an overall cockiness. Players afflicted with DPGS generally play defense as close to their man as possible, even though they don't have much foot speed. They are team leaders, but they don't dunk on anybody or break legs. They just break hearts. These are guys we love to hate and love our hate.

Previous players afflicted with DPGS include, but by no means are limited to: Syracuse's Eric Devendorf, Duke's Greg Paulus, North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, and Syracuse's Gerry McNamara.

If you are still struggling with this concept, think the opposite of what Michael Beasley was at K-State. I'm sure Beasley wanted to win, but he rarely looked like it. Players with DPGS have a constant, unchangeable game face. They never look like they're going to fall asleep in the middle of a game.

I have been told the reason for DPGS is twofold: skin color and talent. Everybody told Michael Beasley he was good. He didn't have to beat the hell out of or scare the hell out of anyone. His talent was intimidation enough. But how intimidating is a little white kid? So the only thing they can do is act insane, knowing that they probably weren't born with as much athleticism as the guy they're guarding. They had to work and, even with All-American accolades, they know they'd get beat up if they tried to play at Rucker Park.

Later in December, while Rock Bridge was playing us (Heights), Jorgensen sank an almost 30-footer like it was nothing. He screamed, thumped his chest, kicked a leg in the air, and had his arms twitching like he had momentary Tourettes. Behind me, all-state point guard and Alabama commit Travis Releford looked on in amazement. I'm sure he thought the kid was crazy. I wanted to turn around and explain, "The kid's not crazy, he's just a little ill. He's a tiny white kid who thinks he's still the underdog."