Ex-Duke basketball player deletes apparent swipe at Blue Devils

Was an inconsistent shooter’s recent tweet a clear shot at Duke basketball?

Maybe ex-Duke basketball wing Alex O’Connell went through with his since-deleted Friday tweet — “The right Blue and White!!” above pics of himself and other Creighton players — simply to express where his heart now fully lies. After all, though the 21-year-old transfer must sit out next season, he’s in Omaha taking part in team workouts right now. And his proven cheerleading prowess could benefit the talented 2020-21 Blue Jays if arenas’ seats indeed sit empty.

Maybe O’Connell typed the five words just as a fun-loving way to rib Duke fans and his ex-teammates. Besides, his roommate for three years, combo guard Jordan Goldwire, is back on campus gearing up for his senior season as a Blue Devil and is probably missing the goofy banter from his longtime pal and fellow Georgia native.

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Maybe O’Connell’s message was his own subtle way of venting pent-up frustrations from his lackluster Duke career. In other words, it’s quite possible that a part of the former four-star recruit resents head coach Mike Krzyzewski for keeping his average playing time below 15 minutes per game in each of his seasons in Durham (granted, he’d have a tough time earning a major role for any team while shooting 27.3 percent from beyond the arc, as he did for the 2019-20 Blue Devils).

Or, what seems the most likely answer, maybe the motive for the brief note was a mix of all the above. Also, it’s likely O’Connell, who is now sporting his umpteenth hairdo since entering the college ranks, either thought better of it himself shortly after hitting “Tweet” or received advice from a friend, teammate, or coach to take it down.

No hard feelings from Duke basketball

Yet regardless of the reason for either the tweet or the deletion, it’s just harmless entertainment. Therefore, Dukies should continue to thank O’Connell for his time at Duke, wish him the best in his future endeavors, and all that jazz.

Of course, it’d also be understandable to hope Creighton somehow lands on the 2021-22 schedule. That way, we could all witness five-star small forward AJ Griffin, Duke’s fierce 2021 commit, shut down O’Connell and thereby permanently silence “The right Blue and White!!” nonsense.

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more news and views regarding all things Duke basketball.