Monthly Archives: March 2011

Duke Football

Ohio TE Tanner Kearns impressed with Duke on Junior Day

Ohio TE Tanner Kearns is hearing from a lot of Big 10, SEC, and ACC schools

Tight end is a position that Coach Cutcliffe and Coach Middleton hope to develop into a consistent strength within the Duke offense. In the past few seasons, Duke has featured a dynamic group of tight ends, including Brett Huffman, Brandon King, and Cooper Helfet. The Blue Devils will add freshman David Reeves to the depth chart this fall, and are looking at several prospects in the class of 2012. Along with verbal commit Erich Schneider, Duke is looking at a group of versatile tight end prospects such as Tanner Kearns. Kearns is a 6’5” 220 pound prospect from Lexington, Ohio. The athletic junior visited Duke for Junior Day earlier this year and was impressed with the program.

 

BDN: Can you start off by describing your strengths for fans who haven’t had a chance to see you play?

My strengths, probably – I run good routes, and really get open, catch the ball well.

BDN: What are some of the things you’ve been working on this offseason?

I’ve been lifting aside, we lift a little bit for basketball, but I lift on top of that, just to get bigger for next year.  And I’ve been working on speed training with my track coach to get faster.

BDN: What are some of your goals for your senior year?

To go undefeated, that’d be nice, and make a run in the state tournament.

BDN: What are the most important factors you’re looking for in a college?

Education and tradition.  That’s what Duke had, they’re known for their academics, and I like that.

BDN: Who are the schools that you have heard the most from and which schools were the first to contact you?

Basically Big 10 schools, and LSU, Oregon, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Kentucky, and the first school I think that contacted me was LSU and NC State.

BDN: Have you had a chance to visit any schools?

Well, this fall I went down to Cincinnati, went up to Michigan, to Ohio State, Indiana, and Notre Dame for some football games.

BDN: Have any schools stood out to you at this point in the process?

I really liked Notre Dame, and I did like Duke a lot.  Their tight end coach was a nice guy, was funny, and I really liked him.

BDN: Do you have any plans for additional visits this spring or summer?

Yeah, this year I’m going down into the Carolinas for football camps this summer, I’m going to Eastern Carolina, NC State, North Carolina, Duke, and I think we’re going to Cincinnati too.

BDN: Do you have an idea for when you would like to make your college decision?

No, I’m just leaving my options open, and I’ll roll with the punches, I guess.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Tanner, and best of luck.

Alright, thanks.

 

Duke Basketball

Monday Musings – Lot’s of Duke Basketball chatter

photo- Lance King for BDN

As Duke took a 15 point lead over Michigan in yesterday's game, the song "California Dreaming," started to play in my head, but a furious Wolverine comeback almost burst that dream bubble and that's what it is all about.  It takes but one made shot to send your dreams packing and nightmares to begin, but Duke survived and advanced and this is how you do in the NCAA's.  In this weeks Monday Musings, late afternoon column, we'll take a look back and ahead with happenings surrounding Duke Basketball.

Sometimes, you have to make your own emotion

For the first thirty minutes of the game I kept thinking to myself on press row, how flat the crowd was in Charlotte.  Across the way, the only person I could make out standing up in the Iron Duke section was Debbie K, Coach K's daughter.  A few moments later with the team looking flat, Coach Krzyzewski slapped the court with his hand, jacket peeled off, arms in the air exhorting fans as he walked out to meet his team, emotion clearly implanted on his face.  It's not the first time he's had to do this for as fans we get a little fat and happy.  Regardless, without that emotion Duke would have never vaulted to a substantial lead, one which they had to hang onto for dear life to advance.

900 wins, 1,2,3, 4 ................. 896 more

Wow!  Coach K now has 900 wins!  Amazing feat indeed and it deserves even more attention than it is getting but make no mistake, Coach will reflect on this after the season.  For now, he wants nothing more than this team to win, not for him, but for them and the fan base.  With so much going on, BDN hasn't even been able to write much about the accomplishment but we want to address that after four more victories if you know what I mean, wink, wink.  We do however salute him with the count box on our main page which will soon contain a link to his vast accomplishments.

 
 
 
 

LK Image for BDN

The return of Kyrie Irving

Let me tell you first hand that it was quite the circus surrounding Kyrie Irving this past weekend.  Never have I seen so many cameras on a kid during NCAA events.  Irving is clearly coming along fast at this point and he will see even more minutes against Arizona and may even start.  We have several video interviews up with Irving, so check them out.  You could see flashes of Irving getting back to where he was but there is a ways to go yet with concern to his   Still, Duke may not have advanced had it not been for his second half play.  His one steal was a key one and the only one the Blue Devils made all day and that runner was the difference in the end.

... but Rollin' Nolan is the backbone

Make no mistake, Nolan Smith is the leader of this season's team and his skills have allowed Duke to get as far as they have to date.  Nolan put the team on his back, scoring 10 straight points against Michigan yesterday and without him Duke would be staying in Durham until graduation.  Smith has been flat out hard to stop and when he gets on the same page with Irving ... watch out!  He is the most dependable player on the team and his consistency has been amazing.  Give him a good look the rest of the way Duke fans, because he's having one of the best seasons of any player in the Blue Devils illustrious history.

Kyle Singler, he's not that good

Relax!  I didn't  say it, an astute well thought of sports writer beside me on press row did.   Look, Kyle had some misses yesterday that make you want to hide until the next play and it is funny how some only seem to recognize an air ball.  That was the case with the writer beside me.  I then pointed out that Kyle had 7 rebounds and led the team with assists with 4 with about 17 minutes left in the game.  It amazes me how people fail to see what he does off ball and how good a defensive player he is.  Singler is a flat out winner who could care less about his stat line.  You better get a good look this week at #12 Duke fans, for you will not realize how much you miss an eternal starter until he is gone.

Jet lag and adjusting

Duke will leave tomorrow afternoon for California in order to adjust to a three hour time difference.  It will be quite an adjustment for the Devils and could point to a slow start.  Arizona is much more familiar with the turf, having a lot of players from Cali on their roster mixed with some street tough New Yorkers.  Anaheim is a nice family oriented place so it shouldn't be too many crazed fans and for the first time, Duke is away from the baby blue bunch that is booing them heartily at every turn.

Speaking of the lunatic fringe fans ...

Okay, there are a lot of Carolina fans, so that means more fools in their fan base and all schools have them.  But I just cannot understand the make up of hate some of them seem to have.  F&%$ Duke shirts are a bit over the top and you never see Duke fans, no matter how redneck they may be in similar garb.  There were fans there whose soul purpose was to spew hate when Duke took to the court, spittle flying out of their mouths, faces red with last nights beverages.  One got escorted away and even more rational Tar Heels fans actually clapped.  One couple held up an anti Duke sign saying I hate  Dooke?  Any Tar Heel hating fan knows its Dook.  On to a public restaurant where four Heels fans were asked to leave or take off their F&%# Duke shirts.  Not the kind of thing one would wear in public unless of course they are part of the lunatic fringe.  The hate really is disturbing at times.

Get well soon to one of our cheerleaders!

One of our own suffered an injury yesterday, cheerleader Hattie Cutcliffe.  BDN loves the support group behind the Blue Devils and we wish her a speedy recovery.  She's the one that turns like 164 flips in Cameron, being the best at that!  No details on the injury but we have our sources working on it;)

We love what we do!

Just wanted to take a moment to say thanks for all the fans who support and make up the Blue Devil Nation!  We love what we do around here and will continue to bring you passionate yet professional coverage of all things Duke Athletics.  We will be working on some changes soon which are sure to please and our AAU Basketball coverage will begin soon.  You can support our efforts and ability to bring you up close and personal with the teams by joining Blue Devil Nation Premium, our subscription service.  It is our members which help keep the site going and that give us the ability to offer so much on the free side of the site, much of which other sites charge for.

In closing, a little  story for you

After the media scramble where I interviewed players in the Duke locker room, I ventured back to my computer which was court side.  Most of the media had left for the media room but I remained with maybe five others due to a faster Internet connection.  It must have been maybe an hour after the game ended when I  looked up from my work.  Walking towards the court with his head hanging was a player in a Michigan warm up.  As he strolled out on to the court area, I could see tears in his eyes.  He walked onto the court and then started from just inside the free throw line and walked through and took a shot with and imaginary ball and repeated this two more  times.  You could see his mind working and he was doing all he could to fight back more tears.  He then strolled silently off the court and walked to the top of the arena where he stood and reflected one more time before turning and walking off until he faded from sight.  It was Darius Morris who missed the shot at the buzzer.  Folks, this is what it is all about!  And this is why you need to relish every single victory and understand it is not your birthright as a fan to see Duke win every game.  Each win is sweet and it should be cherished for there are players on the losing team who showed as much heart despite the loss.  Keep your head up Darius for you guys played a helluva game.

 

Duke Football

Duke is among the first to offer California OL Max Tuerk

Max Tuerk made the switch from TE to OL last year

In their three-plus years in Durham, Head Coach David Cutcliffe and Offensive Line Coach Matt Luke have built the Duke offensive line into a position of strength. The past two recruiting classes have brought in a very good group of offensive linemen, and the Blue Devils hope to continue that trend with the class of 2012. Max Tuerk is a 6’6” 275 pound offensive lineman from Santa Margarita, California. Though he’s early in the recruiting process, the junior already holds offers from Duke, Washington, and SMU. Highlights from his junior year, which earned him 1st Team All State and Trinity Lineman of the Year honors, can be viewed here.

BDN: Can you start off by describing your strengths for fans who haven’t had a chance to see you play?

My strengths as a player are I work really hard, I’m always trying to get better in the weight room and practice.  Right now, I’ve been gaining a lot of weight and that was probably my biggest problem last year, I weighed like 250 only, and now I’m up to 275, and I’m pretty fast for an offensive lineman, so that’s probably my biggest strength.

BDN: What are some of the things you have been working on this offseason?

Gaining weight, and gaining strength, definitely.

BDN: What are some of your goals for your senior year?

For the team I’ve love if we can win our division, we went to the playoffs last year and we lost in the second round.  And I’m hoping that this year we can win CIF, and that’d be awesome for me.

BDN: As you look at your college decision, what are the most important factors you are looking for in a school?

In a college, most important thing is probably just to get to know all the coaches, get to know some of the members that are gonna be in my team.  Know the school, if it’s a good school, good academics.  Good campus, just – kind of get to know everything about the school.

BDN: Have you had a chance to visit any schools so far?

Not yet.  I have visited Washington 2 years ago, for like a football tournament, for passing tournament, I went as a tight end, and it was a cool campus, so that’s the only school I’ve visited.

BDN: Do you have any other visits planned for this spring or summer?

Yeah, I’m hoping I can go to Duke.  I’m hoping to check out Washington and maybe SMU even, and I’m hoping to go to USC, check out USC, just the schools around my house kind of.

Max Tuerk hopes to visit Duke this spring or summer

 

 

BDN: Are there any schools that you feel like you’ve developed a good relationship with at this point in the process?

Yeah, definitely.  I’ve talked to Duke’s offensive line coach this week for a while, actually, and we’re steadily starting to get a relationship.  I emailed a lot of the coaches, the coaches at SMU, and I talk to a lot of the coaches on almost a daily basis, and we’re definitely developing relationships.

BDN: Is there anything else you think is important for college football fans to know about you?

I’m a good kid and I work really hard, and I’m hoping to – I love football, and I’m just hoping it’ll take me to college.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Max, and best of luck to you.

Alright, thank you.

 

Duke Football

California QB Brendan Keeney is on Coach Cutcliffe’s radar

California QB Brendan Keeney is on Duke's radar

Duke Head Coach David Cutcliffe is known for his ability to develop quarterbacks, thanks to his work with Thad Lewis and Sean Renfree at Duke, and Peyton and Eli Manning at Tennessee and Ole Miss. In the class of 2012, Duke has already been in contact with many of the top quarterbacks around the country, including Brendan Keeney, a 6’3” 215 pound prospect from Granite Bay, California. As a junior, Brendan led Granite Bay to a league title and a 9-4 overall record, finishing the year throwing for over 2,500 yards and 33 touchdowns. Highlights from his junior year can be viewed here.

BDN: Can you start off by describing your strengths as a quarterback for fans who haven’t had a chance to see you play?

We run a “fly” offense at Granite Bay, where I am usually under center and play action on most of our pass plays. I roll out on most of our pass plays away from the run fake. So my strength is being able to throw on the run or I can also step up in the pocket. When we snap the ball, I usually have a good plan of what we’re gonna do and where I’m gonna go. So my mental game, I’m still working on of course, but that’s one of my strengths, as well as the physical tools that I was blessed with. My height and strength help a lot.

BDN: Is there a quarterback in college or the NFL that you have studied or modeled your game after?

Well, everyone wishes they had Tim Tebow’s work ethic, but from a technique standpoint, I worked with Tom Brady’s coach at a camp in the Bay Area, so he taught me a lot of what Tom Brady does to mentally prepare for the game. And of course Peyton Manning, what he does before the game. I just admire a lot of quarterbacks that put in hard work and don’t just take for granted what they’re given.

BDN: What are some of your goals for your senior year?

We’ve been to the playoffs twice, my sophomore year and junior year, but we have always come up a little short. So this year of course, I’m looking at the big picture, hopefully maybe win a section title, and just win more games.  I know everyone wants to win, but I just like competing at a high level, and I want to be known as a winner.

BDN: What are the most important factors you’re looking for in a college?

A strong, stable program. Good academics of course, great school environment, and how many quarterbacks are already ahead of me.

BDN: What are some of the goals you hope to accomplish in college?

First of all, I want to make it to the right school - the school that is the best fit - a win-win both academically and athletically.  Second, I want to play football, and when I get the chance to play, I want people to remember the team, not only as a good team, but a memorable team.

BDN: Who are the schools that you have heard the most from and which schools were the first to contact you?

Well, the first day that we could get email, Duke emailed me and let me know that they were interested, and I already talked to the coach recruiting me a little bit. I tried to get a hold of Coach Roper, but never did, since we had a pretty short period of time for juniors to talk to the coaches.  Duke started out early but some colleges are coming to the high school now, and have began checking in on me and a lineman on our team, but I would say Duke, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State, and Notre Dame, have shown me the most interest.

BDN: Have you had a chance to visit any schools?

I’ve been to Stanford unofficially, but I don’t know what’s going on anymore now that [Head Coach Jim] Harbaugh left. So I’ve only been to Stanford.

BDN: Do you have any plans for additional visits this spring or summer?

Yes, more unofficial visits to some Pac 10 school and some east coast schools. I’m invited to the Elite 11 at UC Berkeley and the Nike camp at Stanford. Most coaches want me to throw for them in person so I am planning some trips to those schools.

BDN: Have any schools stood out to you at this point in the process?

A Washington State area recruiter has come by three times, and he finally brought the head coach to our school, so I got to meet him too. They’ve tried to build a relationship, and we have, and I just talked to Oregon coaches, so hopefully that grows.  I’ve known the Oregon State coach since my sophomore year and he’s come by to see me.  So I’m still early in the process but those are the places I have built relationships with so far and stand out at this point, however there are many schools that impressive.