While Wisconsin's Bo Ryan became the latest coach to face criticism over restrictions placed on student-athletes hoping to transfer, Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski is drawing praise for his handling of the transfer of Michael Gbinije to Syracuse.

Gbinije -- who was a highly regarded recruit coming out of Benedictine High School in Richmond, Va., last year -- played in 19 games for Duke this past season as a freshman, averaging 1.7 points in limited action. He committed to Syracuse on Saturday, after spending Friday visiting SU. Gbinije will sit out the 2012-13 season according to the NCAA's rules regarding transfers, and then have three years of eligibility.

The transfer was unusual in that most coaches put restrictions on players to prevent them from transferring to schools in the same conference; and, while Syracuse is still a member of the Big East, the Orange is moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference. That move is expected to happen for the 2013-14 season, which would be Gbinije's first playing for SU. Despite this, Krzyzewski did not block the transfer.

"(Krzyzewski and Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim) talked to each other about me. Coach K's a really good person. He gave a good word for me,'' Gbinije said on Saturday.

Eamonn Brennan, ESPN's College Basketball Nation blog, noted the situation and praised Krzyzewski:

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski just kind of, sort of -- gasp! -- allowed a player to transfer within his own league.

And yet frogs are not raining from the sky, and cats are not lying down with dogs. There is a distinct lack of mass hysteria involved here. In other words, Division I coaches of the world, there is a way to handle transfers like this in a particularly non-dramatic fashion. A thumbs-up to Coach K for allowing his player to transfer in decidedly straightforward fashion, despite the chance Gbinije could play against the Blue Devils at some undisclosed future time and place. Life goes on.

Brett Friedlander had this to say in the Wilmington (N.C.) StarNews' ACC Insider blog:

Krzyzewski would have been completely justified if he would have limited Gbinije's ability to play for either Syracuse or Pittsburgh — the other incoming ACC member. Instead, he showed Ryan, (St. Joseph's coach Phil) Martelli and the others how it's done by taking a course of action that's best for the youngster involved.

For that he should be saluted, regardless of how you feel about him or his program.

» Mike Gbinije could make ACC history [ZagsBlog]
» Michael Gbinije: 'Syracuse was a good fit for me' [Nunes Magician]

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