BDN talks with former Duke great Bobby Hurley in this audio interview

Hurley and his assistants led his team to the title during the recent Coach K Academy
Hurley and his assistants led his team to the title during the recent Coach K Academy

It's always good to see former Duke All American Bobby Hurley for he brings back nothing but great memories from his playing days at Duke University.  Hurley remains the NCAA's All Time Assist leader to this day and he of course quarterbacked Duke to back to back national championships in 1991 and 1992 and participated three final fours and three national championship games.

His roots at basketball crazy St. Anthony's in New Jersey are worn on his sleeve where he is quick to talk about his Dad Bob and his brother, Danny.  Hurley was a first team All American as a senior in 1993 and was named to numerous AA teams during his successful career.  He still holds the Blue Devils single game assist record and his jersey number 11 hangs in the rafters of Cameron Indoor Stadium.

It's worth noting that Hurley was named the Final Four MVP in 92 and that he was the 7th pick in the NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings.  Hurley's pro career was cut short after a car hit his automobile after a Kings practice.  Hurley's knee injury kept him from doing the things he is accustomed  to on the court and his fabulous career on the court came to an end shortly thereafter.

Hurley know lives in Florida where he enjoys raising his sons and partaking in horse racing.  The following audio interview was conducted by Brian Strickland of the Herald Sun and myself with a few other questions from others towards the end.  We hope you enjoy hearing from this ACC legend as much as we did during our chat.  For more interviews with former players and Duke basketball prospects, join our subscription service Blue Devil Nation Premium.

k-academy-008

Duke Basketball Recruiting Update – Class of 2010

Kyrie Irving - BDN Photo
Kyrie Irving - BDN Photo

BDN takes a look at the how the recruiting class of 2010 is shaping up.  First of all we know that Josh Hairston, Andre Dawkins and Tyler Thornton are in the fold, but who are they really after to fill that class out?  Duke is happy to have all three of these kids but they are still seeking an [private] athletic wing, a point guard and a physical presence down low.

What this mean is that Duke is looking to bring in six players next year and seven counting red shirt Curry.  Duke is confident that current bigs in the program will all blossom.  Mason and Miles Plumlee alongside Ryan Kelly and Olek Czyz give the Devils a lot to work with.  Three of the four are very versatile players while one is an athletic project.

Harrison Barnes remains Duke's biggest target but he is  followed closely by Kyrie Irving.  Okay, you're asking where is Brandon Knight, right?  Knight is very much on his radar, so he is still listing Duke but Brandon is hard to read and takes a low key approach to recruiting.  He is well aware that there is a spot here if he wants to come, but Duke cannot sit by waiting on his decision.  That's why they have turned it up with Kyrie Irving.  Duke loves his athleticism and his demeanor.  Duke very much feels that they have a good shot at landing Irving.

Duke will on the recruting trail in July and Irving and Barnes will get a lot of attention at that time.  Duke is in desperate need of a point guard and Thornton is well aware that he'll likely be a backup at Duke and/or a program kid and is accepting of that role.  The Blue Devils like Ray McCallum as well and they have been told that he is no hurry in his recruiting by those close to the situation.  The bottom line is that Duke will look his way if and when there comes a time when they feel less confident with Irving.

Despite reports that Irving is leaning towards Indiana, recent statements to BDN indicated that he was in the early stages of the process.  Irving will visit Duke in the near future.  Duke feels as if his athleticism is just too enticing and again, they feel good about the situation.  Should that change on his visit and different vibes are felt, then they'll turn their attention to Ray McCallum and offer him.

Harrison Barnes' recruitment will go on for a while yet, but Duke feels good about their positioning and their relationship with the key prospect.  Again, he will visit Duke after he does UNC and this will be for the third time late this month.  The feeling is that this one may go down very much like Kyle Singler's recruitment, meaning they felt confident but had to let it play out.

Ideally, Duke wants to bring in a wide body athletic type and don't sleep on a kid like DeMarco Cox for he is very much what they are looking for physically.  While he needs work on his grades, there is time to turn that situation around.  Duke is interested in Tarik Black, but they'll need to get some more views of him in order to get a good feel for his game.   We'll keep you posted on any developments with concerns to unofficial visits and such.[/private]

Jason Williams Audio Interview – Williams shares his thoughts on Duke Basketball, working for ESPN and more

JWill and Nate discuss talent during the Coach K Academy Camp in Durham, N.C.
JWill and Nate discuss talent during the Coach K Academy Camp in Durham, N.C.

I had the opportunity to speak with former Duke All American and College Player of the Year Jason Williams yesterday afternoon.  Jason is participating as a coach in the annual Coach K Academy where he'll test his x's and o's skills against former Duke Basketball greats. 

We are making this interview available to give you an idea of the audio you'll find in Blue Devil Nation Premium featuring current, former players and prospects.  Jason talked of the event, broadcasting and much more. 

So, sit back and enjoy the latest from Jason Williams on BDN audio.  Also, be sure to listen to what Coach K had to say in our previous feature.

Coach K addresses the media during the opening of the Coach K Academy (Audio interview)

Coach K allows participants to feel the Duke experience during his annual Coach K Academy
Coach K allows participants to feel the Duke experience during his annual Coach K Academy

Coach Mike Krzyzewski addressed the media this afternoon during the opening day of the Coach K Academy.  The event features a chance for men thirty-five years of age and older to participate in a fantasy camp which oozes with the Duke environment.  We'll have a bit more on the camp later, but for now, enjoy this audio Q & A session with Krzyzewski.  BDN Premium members will get to hear several interviews with former players in the coming days.

LaQuinton Ross talks recruiting and hearing from Duke

Ross gets a lot of attention when he has the ball - BDN Photo
Ross gets a lot of attention when he has the ball - BDN Photo

If one spends enough time evaluating talent on the AAU scene, they quickly learn that it takes more than one event to judge a player's skills.  All too often, a kid will blow up in a game or an event and get crowned the next Kobe Bryant.  Others will struggle or not live up to expectations, making it easy for the observer to label them overrated. 

Had I not been around the circuit a few times, I would have stated that LaQuinton Ross is vastly overrated.  Ross (6-8, 180, Jackson, MS) came into the Tournament of Champions event in almost everybody's top five players in the class of 2011, but he failed to live up to the hype when I first saw him.  I thought to myself, perhaps the reason for my disappointment has something to do with him playing for a very talented AAU team.   I then did a little digging and was told he as coming off an injury, which hindered his ability to move as he normally would. 

In my second view, Ross showed flashes of why he has earned high rankings by the scouts, but he still was far from his A-game.  Don't get me wrong, he stands out as an outstanding player, but just didn't seem to be one of the nation's top five players.  That's why I always wait to give my true analysis of a player after multiple views.  My general rule is that I must see a prospect play in a minimum of five games and that has to be over two separate events.  This rule has proven to help me get a real feel for a player.  One must consider that intangibles are always at work.  A kid may be hurt, or he has been going through some of life's issues.  I like to see a young man play tired to see if he forces himself through it.  I like to see a kid go up against an wide variety of match ups and AAU styles.  I could go on but you get the picture and you can bet that I will see Ross play a few more times before making a true assessment. 

It is worth noting that Duke has already made contact and visited Ross's school to see him play as you will hear in this audio interview - (Join BDN Premium and get full access and benefits from our site) [private]

Enjoy the interview.

[/private]