Monthly Archives: October 2010

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Rasheed Sulaimon enjoys his visit to Duke and Countdown to Craziness

Rasheed Sulaimon enjoyed his vist to Cameron Indoor Stadium and DUke. BDN Premium has his thoughts on the trip posted. BDN Photo/Rick Crank

Houston, Texas prospect Rasheed Sulaimon has made it no secret that he grew up following the Duke Blue Devils.  On Friday Rasheed made got a chance to make his first trip over to Durham to catch the opening of Dukes season and take in Coutndown to Craziness.  The 6’3 shooting guard got a chance to speak with the coaches and tour the school and BDN caught up with him to hear what he had to say.

BDN: Can you give the audience a quick recap of your trip to Duke this past weekend? Let them know what happened from your arrival to your flight back.

RS: When I got there I toured the campus a little bit with Coach K. I got to kind of walk through with the team and what they were going to do for Midnight Madness. And the next day I got to watch the practice and shoot around a little bit afterwards.  Overall the trip was really really good.

BDN: Did you speak individually with Coach K? If so, what did you talk about?

RS: Yes and at one point I got to sit down with the coaching staff and [private] chat with them for about 15 minutes or so.  We talked about my family and basketball , how they run things at Duke and Coach was saying that they had a really high interest in me and that they were going to continue to recruit me in the future.

BDN: What was your impression of him and the Duke coaching staff overall?

RS: They are really great people, all of them from Coach K to the rest of the staff.  I felt they were really genuine people. Coach K is really a tremendous coach with all of his accomplishments; it was almost weird speaking with him face to face because he is so great. I got a really great impression of them from the visit.

BDN: What was the first thing you told your parents about the trip when you got back?

RS:  I just told them how crazy (laughs) and tremendous the visit and Cameron was. The atmosphere and energy was amazing it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.  I spoke to them about my conversation with Coach K and how hard they practiced and how hard they worked in practice.

BDN: Did you have a favorite moment of your visit?

RS: Oh yea before it was Countdown to Craziness they showed us the rings and they were crazy.  They were really heavy and Mason Plumlee let me try it on and it just felt really cool being able to wear a National Championship ring and it just made me want to experience that one day.  It was really a great thing.  Another great thing was when they unveiled the National Championship banner.  That was just crazy, the fans just (laughs), man I can’t even explain it. I mean the energy in the building was just, man it was just crazy.

BDN: Sounds like you had a great time.  Out of all the recruits and players did you connect with anyone the most?

RS: Out of everybody there I think I connected with Andre Dawkins the most.  I kind of see myself like him a little bit.  You know he’s a great shooter, a great athlete and he can defend.  I was talking to him a lot about how they do things at Duke and how his transition from high school to college was; me and him really connected the most during my trip.

BDN: Did they mention whether they will offer you in the near future?

RS: I was talking to Coach James and he said if I keep it up that Coach K would come back to see me in the future and if I play my cards right that an offer would be soon.

BDN: Did you discuss a return trip? And would you bring your parents along?

RS: Yes we also talked about that.  Before I left me and Coach James were talking and he said that we’re going to try and schedule a future trip where I come back with my parents.

BDN: When you make the leap to college what position do you envision yourself playing?

RS: Me and Coach K actually talked about that.  I told him I don’t mind playing the 1 or the 2, the point guard or shooting guard. I’m just a combo guard and I feel comfortable playing in both positions. He kind of said the same thing to me.  He said wherever they need me the most he’d play me since I’m comfortable playing both positions.

BDN: Did you speak to them about any of the educational opportunities and support available at the school?

RS: I talked to one of the academic advisors; I talked to him really briefly. We talked about how they do things academically at Duke and the help they receive throughout the season but that’s about it.

BDN: Thank you very much Rasheed. Take care.

RS: Thank you thank you.

*thanks to Andrew Slater for help with questions*  [/private]

Duke Basketball

BDN chats up Josh Hairston and Tyler Thornton after Countdown to Craziness

Josh Hairston battles for position during CTC 2

DURHAM - Josh Hairston dropped 18 points in game two going 9 of 14 during last evenings Blue-White contest held during Countdown to Craziness.  After going 0-4 in the first contest, Hairston's teammate Kyrie Irving got him involved early on when the teams redistributed their lineups at the half.  BDN spoke to Hairston after the contest and his fellow freshman Tyler Thornton who tallied 10 points and 6 assists.

Just press play -

Coach K spoke of Tyler Thorntons defensive abilities in during the post game press conference. Phot copyright BDN/Rick Crank
Duke Football

BDN’s Cacchio previews Duke vs. Miami

Photo by Lance King

Duke (1-4) begins the second half of their season at 1:00 on Saturday in Wallace Wade Stadium, where they will take on the Miami Hurricanes (3-2). With basketball season kicking off Friday night, the Blue Devil Nation will be out in force in Durham this weekend. BDN previews Saturday’s matchup with the Canes and what it will take for a Blue Devil victory.

Duke in Week 5
The Blue Devils’ last game was two weeks ago in College Park, where they fell to the Terrapins, 21-16. The Blue Devils outplayed the Terrapins for much of the game, but the key factors in the loss were red zone offense, turnovers, and special teams. Duke traveled to the red zone 4 times in the first half, coming away with only 9 points, and a 9-7 halftime lead. An 84-yard kick return for a touchdown and a 71-yard touchdown pass put the Blue Devils in a second half hole once again. The offense rallied, but came up short, ultimately failing to overcome their 2-0 turnover deficit. During the bye week, the Blue Devils underwent a thorough self-examination, and expect to see some personnel and schematic changes as they take the field on Saturday.

Miami in Week 6
The Hurricanes put forth their worst effort of the season last Saturday evening, falling at home to the rival Florida State Seminoles 45-17. The Canes were dominated from the start, and found themselves in a 21-0 hole early in the second quarter. The team failed to consistently match the Seminoles intensity and physical play, which resulted in many fans and analysts questioning their coaching and leadership. The previously-dominant Hurricanes’ defense gave up an astonishing 471 total yards, including 298 on the ground. Jacory Harris finished the day just 19/47 for 225 yards and an interception. Damien Berry paced the ground game with 101 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown.

Analysis
Miami is a team of big, physical athletes that will challenge the Blue Devils in all areas of the game. Duke should be near full strength after a week off, and the Hurricanes expect Jacory Harris to play, despite a recent groin pull. The Hurricanes enter the game at the top of the ACC in total defense, giving up just over 300 total yards per game, and also first in pass defense, giving up just 143 yards through the air per game. The defense is effective in bringing pressure, already totaling 11 sacks and 11 turnovers on the season. Perhaps the most telling statistic is tackles for loss, where the Hurricanes lead the NCAA with 48 total tackles for loss. The Hurricanes will get after the Blue Devils from all angles, led by LBs Sean Spence and Colin McCarthy. On the defensive front, the pass rush will be led by Olivier Vernon and Andrew Smith, each with 3 solo sacks on the year. The Hurricanes’ secondary is fast and physical and has already grabbed 7 interceptions on the year.

Offensively, Miami has several weapons, most notably RB Damien Berry and WR Leonard Hankerson. Berry is averaging 4.9 yards per carry, while Hankerson enters the game 2nd in the ACC in receiving at 92 yards per game and 6 touchdowns. RB Graig Cooper is healthy again after a week 1 injury and will bolster the Canes’ rushing attack. The slowly improving Blue Devil defense will have to contain these explosive weapons to keep the Hurricanes out of the end zone. Jacory Harris enters the game averaging 220 yards passing and a total of 10 touchdowns. That being said, Harris has continued to be plagued by poor throws and interceptions. If Duke can apply pressure and good coverage, they should be able to force Harris into turnovers and keep themselves in the game. Miami also enters the game last in the ACC in penalties, averaging 68.6 yards per game, which could help sustain Blue Devil drives and stall the Hurricanes. The advantage should go to Duke in the kicking game, where Will Snyderwine is 9/10 on the year, while Miami’ s Matt Bosher enters the game just 5/8.

The keys to the game are fairly obvious for the Blue Devils:

  1. TURNOVERS: Both QBs have been plagued by interceptions this year, and the team that takes care of the football will win this game.
  2. BIG PLAYS: Duke has been burned by several big plays, including 2 in their last contest against Maryland. Miami has the athletes capable of torching the Blue Devils if given the chance.
  3. SPECIAL TEAMS: Miami features two explosive returners in Travis Benjamin and Lamar Miller. Both have already returned kicks for touchdowns this year, and will be looking to do so again if the Blue Devils have any lapses in coverage.

BDN Prediction
The Blue Devils have given the Hurricanes a scare in recent years, forcing Miami to win the last two contests in the 4th quarter. Those Duke teams showed a mental toughness we have yet to see from the 2010 Blue Devils, but a victory over a top 25 caliber opponent would be just the boost this team needs. Duke’s overall effort has improved in recent weeks, particularly on defense, and will have to take another big step forward on Saturday to compete with “The U.”
BDN staff consensus pick - Miami 40 Duke 23