Coach K finally had enough of Rasheed Sulaimon.
The former McDonald's All American had been given several warnings, but Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's patience had run its course and he jettisoned the talented wing Thursday afternoon.
"It was an accumulation of a whole lot of residue," one source close to the Duke program told ESPN. "It had built up over time."
"His issues didn't outweigh his talent," he added.
It's not all that surprising that Krzyzewski opted to sever ties with Sulaimon. I'd heard about the sulking, the moping and the moodiness shortly after he arrived as a highly touted recruit out of Texas. However, as a freshman, Sulaimon's attitude was kept under wraps by seniors Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly. A year ago, there was a major leadership void and Sulaimon's attitude became more of an ongoing issue.
I was in attendance in December 2013 when Sulaimon never got off the bench for the entire 40 minutes in a nonconference victory over Michigan. At that time, most expected Sulaimon to transfer, maybe somewhere closer to his home in Houston, maybe even to Texas A&M (a program he strongly considered as a high school recruit). However, he chose to stick it out.
Entering this season, there were those who believed Sulaimon would get his chance to move back into a significant role, even perhaps as a starter. This was a guy who averaged 11.6 points as a freshman and was considered a potential first-round NBA pick. However, freshman Justise Winslow surpassed Sulaimon nearly immediately after arriving on campus thanks to his attitude, toughness and defense-first mentality.
When Duke was rolling, Sulaimon wasn't as much of an issue.
The word we kept hearing was how well senior Quinn Cook had checked his ego, moved to the 2-guard spot and bought into playing alongside freshman floor leader Tyus Jones. We didn't hear much about Sulaimon, though it's clear he always wanted more. He was coming off the bench, getting 20 or so minutes -- and had watched his production decrease in each of his three seasons in Durham.
The Blue Devils have been on a slide of sorts since their 14-0 start, losing three of their past six games, including Wednesday night against Notre Dame, where Sulaimon played 12 minutes (his fewest since Nov. 18) and finished with just three points.
Less than 24 hours later, Sulaimon became a former member of the Duke program.
"Rasheed has been unable to consistently live up to the standards required to be a member of our program," Krzyzewski said in a statement that certainly didn't protect Sulaimon. "It is a privilege to represent Duke University and with that privilege comes the responsibility to conduct oneself in a certain manner. After Rasheed repeatedly struggled to meet the necessary obligations, it became apparent that it was time to dismiss him from the program."
So, now the theory goes that another McDonald's All American -- freshman Grayson Allen -- will move into Sulaimon's spot coming off the bench. Just eight scholarship players remain on the roster. However, it's more likely that Krzyzewski rides his top guys even more than he has thus far. Winslow has averaged about 27 minutes a game. Look for that number to increase. Matt Jones has logged about 17 minutes per contest. That should also jump.
Now Coach K has a seven-, maybe eight-man rotation, if you include backup big man Marshall Plumlee.
There's not much margin for error, or injury, for a team expected to contend for the national title.