Monthly Archives: May 2011

Duke Basketball

Jeff Capel joins Duke Basketball Staff

Jeff Capel, pictured with Harvard HC Tommy Amaker, joins the Duke staff - BDN Photo, Mark Watson

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced two staff changes on Sunday as former Blue Devil Jeff Capel joins the staff as an assistant coach and Nate James is named special assistant. Capel returns to Duke after spending the previous nine years as the head coach at Virginia Commonwealth (2002-06) and Oklahoma (2006-11), while James has been an assistant coach at Duke for the past three seasons.
 
“We are excited to have Jeff joining our staff,” said Krzyzewski. “He is an outstanding coach and will be a great fit in our program. Jeff has been a highly successful head coach at the Division I level and he will continue that here at Duke. Adding a coach of his caliber will make everyone in our program better.”   
 
Capel owns a 175-110 record as a head coach with three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2008 with Oklahoma. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach under his father, Jeff Capel II, at Old Dominion University for the 2000–2001 season. In 2001, he joined the coaching staff at Virginia Commonwealth as an assistant and was promoted to head coach of the Rams for the 2002–2003 season—making him, at the time, the youngest head coach in Division I men's college basketball (27 years old). After compiling a 79-41 record and four straight winning seasons at VCU, Capel became the head coach at Oklahoma prior to the 2006-07 season. He led the Sooners to a 96-69 record overall with two NCAA Tournament trips (2008 & 2009) and was a major factor in the recruitment and development of 2009 National Player of the Year Blake Griffin. Griffin would go on to become the first player from Oklahoma to be selected No. 1 in the NBA Draft, the 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year and the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk champion.
 
During his successful playing career as a Blue Devil, Capel racked up 1,601 points, 433 assists and 220 three-point field goals. He finished his career among Duke's all-time Top 10 in minutes played, three-point field goal percentage, three-point field goals and assists. He was a four-year starter for the Blue Devils helping the team to an 83-46 record and a trip to the 1994 NCAA Championship game. On February 2, 1995 in the regular season game played at home against North Carolina, with Duke trailing 95–92 at the end of the first overtime, Capel hit a running 40-foot shot at the buzzer which sent the game into double-overtime. Although Duke lost the game 102–100, Capel's shot was hailed as one of the most memorable plays in Duke basketball history and it was nominated for an ESPY Award for College Basketball Play of the Year.
 
Following his graduation from Duke, Capel played professional basketball for two years in France and the CBA. Capel was also drafted in 1997 by the Raleigh Cougars of the USBL.
 
Capel, a native of Fayetteville, N.C., led South View High School to the 1993 state championship defeating South Mecklenburg, 73–72, with a last second lay-up. He also set school career records in points (2,066), rebounds (668), and assists (663).
 
As an assistant coach for the past three years, James has helped the Blue Devils to a 95-17 record with three ACC Tournament titles and the 2010 NCAA Championship. Although his new role will not include on-court coaching, he will continue to assist the staff in developing game strategies, breaking down game film and planning practices and contributing in staff meetings.
 
“Nate has done a very good job with us as an assistant coach and he will continue to be a huge asset to our program in his new role,” said Krzyzewski. “He has a bright future ahead of him and this opportunity will help him continue to grow and develop.”
 
James, a two-time team captain, played on a pair of Final Four teams, including Duke’s 2001 national championship squad. As a senior, he earned All-ACC and ACC All-Defensive Team honors, while averaging 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game for the Blue Devils. James finished his playing career with 1,116 points, 500 rebounds and 147 steals, while helping Duke to a 117-18 (.867) record.
 
The Duke basketball staff now features four former players that were team captains during their respective careers in Durham. The foursome of Steve Wojciechowski, Chris Collins, Jeff Capel and Nate James combined to score 4,495 points and win 375 games as players at Duke.
 
“It is a special thing to have four former players and team captains on my staff,” said Krzyzewski. “All four are great coaches and will work well together to give Duke the best coaching staff in the country.”

2009 Interview with Capel from BDN archives

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Football

Football Friday assigns homework

The Oompa Loompas will escort you out now if you don't have BDN Premium!

We hope you all had a great Cinco de Mayo. We certainly did. Anyway, with the surprising retirement of Gary Williams and the spring signing period wrapping up, we understand that you’ve been distracted this week, but that’s no excuse for not joining BDN Premium so that you can get your inside look at Duke athletics. Also, if you don’t have BDN Premium, then you can’t read Football Friday, which means that this is the end of the ride for you. Cue the Oompa Loompas! [private]

Reading Assignments

You didn’t know you were going to be assigned homework when you started reading this article, did you? Too bad. I’ll keep this week’s article short so that you will have time to complete the following assigned reading.

No excuses will be accepted for this week's homework assignment

When I first started writing this column, I intended to include a section of noteworthy links each week, and to this point, I haven’t really followed through on that idea, mostly because there hasn’t been much to read this offseason. This week, however, I came across two important articles to read. As most of you know, Al Featherston is a great friend to BDN and also one of the most knowledgeable Duke writers around. This spring, we’ve touched briefly on some of the hopes and concerns for the new Duke defense, but not nearly to the depth of Al’s recent article for GoDuke. It’s a must read for Duke football fans, and gives some insight into the strategy Duke will apply this fall, straight from the mouth of defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. The 4-2-5 defense is an interesting strategy that is based on the concept that speed will be a strength for the Blue Devils. It also should be noted that TCU is one of the more successful programs to implement a 4-2-5 defensive scheme.

The second development this week is the letter sent from the Justice Department to the NCAA regarding the BCS system. While there may not be a formal investigation into the BCS at this time, the letter clearly outlines the potential antitrust issues. The questions raised by the letter should be thought-provoking to the NCAA and college football fans. What are the advantages of the BCS for schools, student-athletes, and fans? What are its disadvantages? And of course, what might an alternative system look like, and how would that affect a program like Duke? Sounds like great material for the message board.

 

Duke recruiting genetics?

Has the Duke staff unlocked the genetic code for football stardom?

 

 

In recent years, the Duke men’s basketball program has enjoyed the benefits of genetics – Gerald Henderson, Nolan Smith, Seth Curry, and Austin Rivers are all the sons of former NBA stars. In the class of 2012, the Duke football program is targeting a group of football legacies, hoping that at least part of NFL stardom is genetic.

Patrick DeStefano: the 6’4” 275 pound offensive lineman from Roebuck, South Carolina is the son of former Blue Devil and NFL offensive lineman Frank DeStefano. The versatile prospect is one of the hardest workers in the class of 2012 and plans to lead Dorman back to the state championship this fall. With over a dozen scholarship offers, DeStefano has his choice of ACC and SEC schools, and plans to narrow his list down later this spring.

Max McCaffery: the 6’2” 180 pound wide receiver prospect from Highlands Ranch, Colorado is the son of former NFL and Stanford WR Ed McCaffrey, Max is also the nephew of former Duke men’s basketball player Billy McCaffrey, who transferred to Vanderbilt after the 1991 National Championship. Max and his younger brother, Christian (a rising sophomore running back) will look to lead Valor Christian to their third state championship this fall. Max currently has scholarship offers from Duke, Wake Forest, and Arizona State.

Woody Baron: the 6’3” 250 pound defensive end prospect from Brentwood, Tennessee is the nephew of former Virginia Tech defensive tackle James Baron, who later played briefly in the NFL and for several years in the AFL. A 2011 Finalist for Mr. Football in Tennessee, Woody finished his junior year with 50 tackles and 17 sacks at Brentwood Academy. With family ties to Virginia Tech, the Hokies may be tough to beat in this recruitment, but Duke was one of the first schools to offer the top prospect.

Torey Agee: the 6’4” 247 pound defensive end prospect from Opelika, Alabama is the son of former Auburn star fullback Tommie Agee. A talented run-stopper, Torey hopes to work on his pass rush this fall at Opelika. The Blue Devils joined South Alabama as the first to offer the talented junior, who now has 5 scholarship offers and interest from Auburn and Georgia Tech.

Nick Davidson: the 6’7” 270 pound offensive lineman from Eden Prarie, Minnesota is the son of former Ohio State and NFL lineman Jeff Davidson. Nick moved to Minnesota this spring from Charlotte, North Carolina, after his father left the Carolina Panthers to become the offensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings. With 14 scholarship offers already, Nick will have his choice of schools throughout the country, though he's still waiting for an Ohio State offer.

Next week

With high school spring practices kicking off across the country, the Duke staff has been busy on the recruiting trail. We’ll have lots of recruiting coverage coming up next week, so be sure to check back in with Blue Devil Nation. As for the current Blue Devil team, we wish them best of luck as they wrap up their finals and take a well-deserved break. Of course, we also with the seniors well as they prepare to graduate on May 15. Duke’s first summer session begins on May 18 and several members of the class of 2011 will be on campus for the first time.

We promised a short column so that you could get to your assigned reading. Have a great week and be sure to chime in on the 4-2-5 defense or the BCS on the BDN premium message board. WE ARE DUKE.

 

[/private]

 

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

BDN Recruiting Focus – Budding Prospect Alex Poythress speaks

Alex Poythress talks of Duke coach visiting and more in the latest BDN Premium offering. Photo - Mark Watson, BDN

Alex Poythress is a very athletic 6'7" forward from Clarksville, Tennessee, hometown of Pat Summitt, Shawn Marion, and Trent Hassell. He's made the quick and relatively smooth assimilation into the Georgia Stars AAU program , where he teams with Duke recruit, Tony Parker. The laconic forward spoke with us about the latest in his recruitment, playing with Parker at this level and the next, and his impressions of Duke.

Let's start with recruiting. What schools are after you right now?

The schools would be Vandy, Memphis, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Alabama, Stanford, Duke, Texas..I've got a lot. Ohio State, Minnesota, and Marquette.

Which of those are offers versus those expressing serious interest? [private]

UConn has offered. Georgia, Florida, Vandy, Tennessee, Miami, Alabama, Stanford, Marquette, and Memphis. There might be a couple of other schools, but that's all that I can remember right now.

That's plenty. Now, which schools came in recently to watch you during your "open gyms?"
 

Duke, Ohio State, Minnesota, Texas, Florida, Memphis, Marquette, Vandy, and Tennessee. Alabama came to my open gym as well.

Do you have any timeline for when you'd like to decide by?

I'd like to cut my schools down by the end of the summer and then take my visits in the fall.

And you must be a pretty good student to have some of those schools interested in you.

Oh, yeah, I have a 3.9.

Congratulations.

Thanks.

Finally, there's somebody around here cracking the books.

(laughs) Oh, yeah. I try.

Can you describe your game for an audience that may not have seen you play in person?

I'm like an athletic wing player that can post up small defenders and can take bigger defenders away from the basket. Just being a really versatile player that can help a coach or a team in whatever way is necessary.

In terms of a position, what do you view yourself as?

A wing player. A 3 or a 4.

What would you like to improve upon?

I'd like to get my outside shot to become more consistent and work on my ball-handling as well.

Who are some players that you try to emulate?

I don't really try to emulate nobody. I just try to play out there.

Who's been the most difficult match-up or player for you to defend so far?

The most difficult match-up was probably against Andre Drummond. We played him in Arkansas.

Sure, he's an athletic 6'10' to 6'11" guy.

Yeah, he was tough guy to defend.

Whenever you decide on a program, what are you ideally looking for?

Schools that have demonstrated good player development, a quality coaching staff, academics, and finally just a good fit for me.

What schools have you visited so far?

I've visited Florida, Georgia, Memphis, Vandy, Tennessee, and Alabama

Will distance be a factor for you?

No, sir.

What would you like the audience to know about you away from the court?

I like to play tennis.

Excuse me.

I like to play tennis.
 

Wow. That's another thing that I don't hear very often.

(laughs) Yeah, yeah.

Do you play on the school's team?

Yeah, I play.

What are you first singles?

No, I'm doubles.

And can you talk about playing alongside Tony Parker?

Oh, he's a good player. He's unselfish. He'll like pass the ball, if he doesn't have his shot. He's a good, dominant post player.

What's you current height and weight?

I'm 6'7 1/2" and 216 pounds.

Whenever you get close to deciding, who will you turn to for guidance?

Probably my mom and my high school coach.

Physically, what are you going to try to work on this summer?

Just lifting a lot of weights. Building my arms.

In terms of in your community, with your success on the court and in the classroom, do you view yourself as a role model?

Yes, at my school, we have this thing called freshman focus. I just try to help the freshmen get acquainted to high school and stuff like that. I do that as like a leader.

You're a mentor?

Yeah.

Lastly, you and Tony have a bit of an overlap in terms of schools that are interested in you. Have you talked about playing in college together?

No, we haven't talked about it yet, but we might though because we're roommates and stuff like that.

One of the programs that you and Tony have in common is Duke. What do you know about their program and can you talk about them a little bit?

I know Duke is a good school and has a very good track record. Coach K's a great coach. They've been in the finals and like all of this stuff. They're in the finals like every other year.

Which coach came to visit you recently?

Coach James.

Do you follow college basketball pretty closely?

Yeah, I love watching basketball.

Thanks for your time.

Oh, alright, thanks. [/private]

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

The Latest from Duke Prospect Tony Parker

In a class that's being hailed for the depth and quality of its bigs, 6'9" Tony Parker of Lithonia, Georgia is one of the top best. His game is based off of a mix of strength, skill, and soft hands. This past year, Parker led Miller Grove to a third consecutive Class AAAA state title, scoring 21 points and grabbing 22 rebounds in the championship game. Parker is noticeably more lean, silencing some who felt that his conditioning was his primary weakness. This past weekend, Tony averaged over 13 points and 8 rebounds per game at Nike's session two of EYBL in Dallas. Following a 20 point, 11 rebound performance in a come-from-behind overtime win against the New York Gauchos, Parker spoke with Blue Devil Nation.

Can you talk about this game?

It was a tough game. The Gauchos played hard. They scrap the hell of you. They got real good play out of their guards. They've got really good guards. They've got great coaching. Great coaching's gonna take you a long way.

He (Billy Singleton) coached at St. John's.

Yeah. So, they've got great coaching, good guards, and play really, really hard. They're a hard team to beat.

How do you feel you've played so far against AAU competition? We'll start with that.

I've got to play harder and work on my shot, but other than that, (In depth interview ahead ... [private] I'm satisfied with my play.

Can you talk about the Milton game? I was talking with Evan Nolte (a Milton forward) and getting his perspective. What can you tell me about that game?

We had to run with them. We had to hit them in the mouth. No team had really hit them in the mouth, but we tried to do that.

He said they came in overly cocky.

We decided to hit them in the mouth. Whether they were humble or not, we were going to keep fighting. We got a big lead on them and made it hard on them to score.

Was that at your place or his?

It was at a neutral site, but it was right down the street from their house. 

So they had the crowd behind them?

Yeah.

And people have talked about how you're in much better shape right now and have better conditioning.

I've been working with my conditioning coach. We've been getting in there every day and working hard.  Man hard and just pushing myself.

Pushing work ethic?

Yeah, pushing my work ethics and getting in the weight room a lot.

You must do a lot of cardio as well.

Yeah, we do a lot of cardio, a lot of jump-roping, a lot of laddering, and just stuff to get me slimmed down. We're working it.

Do you do that locally or do you go somewhere else for training?

Yeah, locally. It's like right next to my school. 

Oh that's good. People are always interested in the latest in your recruitment. What's going on with that?

Texas and Kansas have really picked it up.  They've done a really good job. They're two great schools and I'm really interested in what they have to say. Those are two new names.

Well, that's good for you. What are some other schools?

Duke, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgetown, and that's some more schools. I really gotta narrow it down.

I should probably ask you about that now. What's your timeline for when you would like to cut down on your list and ultimately decide on it?

I think I'm going to narrow it down pretty soon and really focus on where I want to go and have the confidence to pick a program.

How many would you like to narrow it down to? Five or ten?

Ten, probably.

And then you're going to do the five official visits ultimately?

Yeah, I'll do the five official visits. 

How do you like playing with Alex (Poythress)?

Alex is a great player. He's really athletic. He helps you a lot in all aspects of the game. He can block shots, he's got wings. I love playing with him. He's really fun.

He said he was your roommate, too.

Yeah, he is and we have a lot of fun.

Tell the audience a little something positive about each of those teams you just mentioned.

Duke, of course, it's got great basketball history. The way they play and how hard they play. You get a great education. North Carolina, you've got a great basketball history and you look at all the players that get into the pros. Just the success that they've had in the past.  And now they've got players playing off of that with their pride and all. Kansas, you know, they always have a tough team. It seems they always get knocked out early, but they have a good team. They're always in the top five, you know.  Texas, they had a great team. They always have great teams, but they might not have had a year that they expected. I think that they'll come back strong and, you know, Georgia and Georgia Tech, they're good schools.

I remember your father was from Missouri.

Yeah, and everybody there is pushing for me to go to Kansas. My family's pushing me to go to Kansas.

Oh, are they?
(laughs)

Did you mention Georgetown? Are they still in it?

Yeah, they're still in it. It's a good school and they have a good basketball history.

And did you mention Ohio State?

Yeah, that's one of the schools that I really like. They really play their bigs. It's a great all-around school.

I just wanted you to say something positive about each of your teams. Who are some of the guys that you are friends with on the circuit that may not be on your team?

Me and DeJuan Coleman are pretty close. L.J. Rose, Kyle Anderson, and (Dashawn) Suber. So yeah, I know a lot of guys on the circuit from playing against each other.

Yeah, I'm not sure people realize just how much you run into other players on the circuit.

Yeah, definitely.

How did you like the All-American game in Houston?

It was a great experience and an all-out good game. They had a really good set-up for us. It was definitely an event worth watching on TV and stuff.  They were first-class guys. It was a great game for juniors. 

I thought that was a brilliant idea that hadn't been done yet.

Oh yeah. It was a great idea.

What are your goals for the summer?

Just keep working on my all-around game and keep working on my weight. Just keep playing hard.

Physically, what do you want to accomplish this summer?

I'll probably try to drop a couple of pounds this summer and then put it back on for the season. It's just an on-going process.

Exactly, you want to lose the fat, but you don't want to lose the muscle that you've already gained. How do you balance that?

I've got to be really disciplined, that's the thing. And not taking anything for granted.

Are you eating differently?

Yeah, I have to eat differently. I've been eating a lot of greens, you've got to. A lot of greens. (laughs)

I don't think most players realize until their first year of college just how important diet is to their games.

Yeah, right. Yeah. Right, right. My strength and conditioning guy is really good.  He actually played for the Cowboys.

Yeah?

Yeah, he's one of those really crazy football guys.

I remember you saying last year that a ton of guys in your area are big football guys and kept encouraging you to play.

Yeah, but he's not. He's a really good guy and he always has my back calling me after games and this guy will get up in the morning at 5 or maybe 6 and he'll do no-hand back-flips.

Oh, wow. How old is he?

He's 35 or maybe 37, so he's good, man. He's the best you can have. He's really calming.

How did you two meet?

I think we met in 8th grade and so I was playing with the Southern Kings.

Right, right, that's what Nolte was saying.

Yeah, we played together.  He kept working me out, but he left early. He said, "I can't do this, you're terrible" and then he came back and he kept pushing me and pushing me. Finally, it started to click with me and we started to have success this last year.  He told me I had to drop it and then tone it. 

It's great that you had access to him. What are your goals for your next high school season?

Win a fourth straight championship.

I wanted to be sure and get a picture of that shirt (has picture of 3 Georgia state high school championship trophies on it).

Yes, sure. It was a great experience playing with these guys. I've played with some great players and we've got to get another one. We're always hungry for more. We've got to get another one. Southwest DeKalb, they're really going to be good next year. We've got to be tougher and we're going to be ready to take it on. 

Who are some coaches, either assistant coaches or head coaches, that you really have a good relationship with?

I think Rob Lanier is really cool. The coach from Ohio State with glasses, I can't remember his name now. Oh, it's Jeff Boals. Yeah, he and Nate James I talk to a lot. Just different coaches, like Billy Donovan is really cool.  Mark Fox is. I have a nickname for him- I call him "Baldy." 

(laughs) How does he like that one?

(laughs) He thinks it's funny.

Have you taken any visits lately or do you have any plans?

I think I'm going to take a lot of visits soon. I've got to start visiting these schools and then later I'm going to know which ones I'm going to take for my five.

Is it really tough with AAU to get to these schools? You're away almost every weekend.

Yeah, it is. I've talked to Jared Sullinger, so I've got to get down there soon. I've got to go to Ohio State and get a feel for it.  You know, just have fun with the process.

Yeah, yeah..and you said you were going to do the officials anyway. What are you ideally looking for in a program?

Just a program that uses its bigs and plays hard.  My mom loves education and so that's big for me.  I need to look for an all-around school, but....

Are you a pretty good student or at least a solid one?

Yeah, I'm pretty solid.

And since I follow you on it, can you talk about Twitter? It seems like a pretty good way to build your audience.

Yeah, I love Twitter. I try to have fun with it. Not really broadcast my personal life, I feel like that's my business. You try to share as much as you can.

Who's the best big that you've played so far?

I haven't really matched up with anyone really, really big yet, but we've got Bounce tomorrow. I've got to match up with Anthony Bennett.

And then they've got that 7'5" kid, Sim.

Yeah, 2012 is the class of bigs

You guys play against BABC yet?

Yeah, we did.

How did you guys do against them?

We did pretty well against them, but those guys are really, really good. They're very well coached.

Their coach (Leo Papile) works for the Celtics

Yeah, he does? The Atlanta Celtics?

No, no, the Boston Celtics.

Oh really?

Indeed. Thanks a lot for your time, Tony, and good luck tomorrow.

Thanks. No problem. [/private]

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Football

Duke leads for California LB Deion Williams

Lutheran (CA) LB Deion Williams visited Durham for Duke's spring game

In 2010, Duke coaches and fans were impressed by the play of freshman linebacker Kelby Brown. On the recruiting trail, the Duke coaching staff is searching for more hard-hitting linebackers to join Brown on the Blue Devil defense. Deion Williams is a 6’0” 215 pound linebacker prospect from Orange, California. The Blue Devils have had recruiting success on the west coast, bringing QB Brandon Connette, TE Cooper Helfet and WR Blair Holliday to Durham in recent classes. They hope that trend continues with Williams, who has already received a verbal scholarship offer from Duke and visited Durham this spring. As a junior, Williams was named 2nd Team All-Trinity League and is getting ready to [private] start spring football and make his college decision.

 

BDN: Which schools have you had a chance to visit this spring?

I only got to go out to North Carolina to visit Duke.

BDN: How did your visit to Duke go?

It went really well. The campus is beautiful and it just felt really good.

BDN: Which other schools do you hope to visit this spring or summer?

We’re going into spring ball right now so I don’t know if I can do a whole lot of traveling, but I’m hoping to get upstate to see Cal and even further up to see Washington.

BDN: Have any coaches spoken to you about coming to watch you play this spring?

I’m not sure, no. My coach will tell me that soon, though.

BDN: Have any new schools been in contact with your recently?

Some coaches from Northwestern have tried to get in contact with me through Facebook and…I can’t remember off the top of my head right now.

BDN: Which schools stand out to you at this point, based on your relationship with the coaching staff or your visits?

Duke really stands out to me. The coaching staff is great. I really felt at home there.

BDN: When you do plan to make your decision?

I hope to make my decision pretty soon. I want to just go on a couple more visits just to check around.

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

Thank you, sir.

[/private]

 

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Prospect Anton Gill still wide open

Anton Gill is a 6'3" sophomore shooting guard from the Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Gill led the private school team in scoring this past season and has generated interest from high-major programs, including several in the ACC. The first program to offer the 2013 prospect was his father's alma mater, East Carolina. Gill's father, also named Anton, is the ECU Pirates' fourth all-time leading scorer. On Wednesday, NC State became the first ACC program and third overall (UNC-Charlotte) to formally offer him.

In this abbreviated interview, which was conducted earlier, he talked about a variety of topics, including his recent injury which has had him sidelined for the past few weeks, his relationship with Ryan Kelly, and some of the tougher North Carolinian players that he's faced.

First of all, can you talk about your injury and how it happened? Was it at that Telep camp or after it?

It was after Telep. I guess I just tweaked it a little bit. Then, I tried to play on it the next week. We went to the doctor's and he said that it was a stress fracture. I guess I'm kind of unlucky. (laughs)

No, not at all. You're a Ravenscroft kid. How do you feel that you played this past year in high school?

I think I'm playing well and knocking down open shots. I've got a lot of confidence in the things that I can do. I think this is probably the best year that I've had, so far, in my high school career.

In terms of recruiting, who's after you right now? [private]

Right now, I've got two offers: East Carolina and UNC-Charlotte. As far as other schools that are currently recruiting me, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State, Texas, and a bunch of other schools showing other levels of interest.

You're still wide open, I assume?

Yes, definitely.

Do you have any timeframe for when you'd like to decide by?

I'm not really sure. I'm just trying to find a school that's the right fit for me.

Now, have you made visits?

Yeah, I've visited Clemson and North Carolina

You must live in the Triangle.

Yeah, I live in the Triangle, closest to NC State.

And you never visited there yet?

Yeah, well, I visited there in my freshman year, but since the whole, like, coaching thing..

It's a new regime. What's your current height and weight?

I'm about 6' 3 1/2" and about 175.

Do you know how tall that you're projected to be? Your dad is obviously a very tall man.

Yes, sir. They think that I'll be about 6'6" to 6'7."

And assuming that you hit that 6'6" to 6'7" height, which position would you like to play?

I think I'm going to be a two guard.

Alright, a 6'7" two guard. I can see it.

Gill - (laughs)

For those that haven't seen you play, what are your strengths and weaknesses?

I would say that my strength is really shooting the ball and getting to the rim. Things like that. My weakness would probably be my strength and being able to finish and even my defense so that I'll be able to take hits.

Strength is one of those things that you don't see high school guards often talk about until much later in their careers. Going back to Ravenscroft for a moment, do you know Ryan Kelly?

Oh, yeah, I speak to him all the time. His mother's here. He plays for Duke and works out with them, but, in the summer, he comes back and we work out with him and stuff like that.

What's he like as a person?

He's cool. Like if you saw him, you wouldn't know that he's a national champion (laughs). He's humble. He's real hard-working. He's just a normal guy to talk with. He's a very smart guy too.

Who will be some people that you'll turn to for guidance in your college decision, whenever you do decide? Your dad?

Yeah, my dad and my coaches, Coach Coleman and my high school coach, Coach Billerman and guys like Ryan, you know, older guys. Same thing, you know, I'd like to hear advice from guys who've been through it.

Speaking of Kelly, is Duke recruiting you, by the way? Will they?

I hope they will, but I haven't really heard from them yet.

Did you have a favorite team growing up? I know this is always a touchy issue in your area.

(laughs) Yeah, for some it is.

Were you a Tar Heel fan growing up?

Yeah, I was a Tar Heel fan growing up (laughs).

Are you still and are you open to NC State and Duke?

Yeah, I'm definitely open to all of them, but…

If the Tar Heels came calling, you'll …

(laughs) I can't even say.

Alright, we'll see.
(laughs)

Who's the toughest opponent for you thus far?

The toughest opponent for me has been either Rodney Purvis or Torian Graham. He's just so strong. He can get wherever he wants on the court. Even T.J. Warren…he scores so easily. He's tough to match-up against.

Is he in your league?

Well, he's 2012, but, yeah, we've played once already and he plays with the older Garner Road team.

Yeah, I've seen all three of those guys. What style of play do you prefer to play now?

Probably up-and-down. You know fast-paced, running the floor, shooting baskets quickly… things like that. I think that I'm more of a perimeter guy. I've grown a bit, but I still prefer to play outside.

Either at the NBA or in college, is there a guy that you try to model your game after?

I'd have to say Kobe Bryant. He's got no weaknesses at either end. A total professional and a competitor.

They always talk about his work ethic.

Yeah, he's got a great work ethic and the thing I like about his game is his footwork. He knows how to use his feet and position his body on the court at all times.

It's beautiful. 

Yeah, it is and that's really something I try to watch and learn from.

What would you like the audience to know about you away from the court?

I'm just a normal kid.

Very approachable and friendly..

(laughs) Thanks. I'm just a normal kid. I play video games, listen to music, and go to school.

What's your favorite types of music and video games?

With video games, I like NBA 2K11 and play it all the time (laughs). Play it all the time and that's what we do.

Let me guess. You're on the Lakers.

Oh, yeah, I'm a huge Lakers fan and, in terms of music, I listen to rap music.

Who do you like to listen to?

Probably Jay-Z is my favorite.

The Brooklyn boy ...

(laughs) Yeah, he's my man.

Do you like movies? What types?

Oh, yeah, definitely. I just like something that keeps me awake. I like action movies. I like action.

What will you be looking for ideally in a college, whenever you do decide?

A place where I'm wanted…where I'm a high priority for the coaching staff

Now, for example, did you visit UNC-Charlotte or East Carolina after they made you an offer?

Yes, I've been there numerous times, particularly ECU. My dad played there.

Now does give them any upper-hand?

Not really. (laughs) I guess it kind of helps them right now, but we'll see. I know their coaching staff and Coach Lebo is great. They're just really welcoming. That's what I really like. It really feels like I'm at home.

What did your father play at ECU?

He played the three and the four. He graduated in 1995.

So, he's a relatively a recent grad.

Yeah. (laughs)

When do you expect for the injury to heal and for you to be playing at full-strength? Will you be ready for July?

The doctor thinks it will only be about four weeks, if I stay off of it.

That's not too bad.

No, it's not. I'm just going to take a few weeks off and just lift weights and stuff. I should be back soon.

How are the facilities at Ravenscroft, in terms of weight-lifting, cardio machines, etcetera?

Oh, they're great. First-class stuff and they really keep on top of it. You come in and they have it all laid out on the wall about the stuff that you have to do. The weight-lifting coach stays on you and things like that.

Have you improved, in terms of weight-lifting?

Yeah, when I came in as a freshman, I think I was maybe 140. So, you can definitely see the improvement and how I've tried to build that lean muscle.

It looks like you must've been targeting your upper body and hitting your shoulders.

That's actually what the coach told me to work on. Hitting the shoulders so that I can kinda get that "V" look like Kobe.

I heard you played well at Telep's camp. What was that experience like and how do you feel you played?

I think I played well. There's always things that you can find to do better, but, overall, I felt like I played really well. It was just fun because you see the different guys that you read about or..

You hear names.

Right, you hear names and it was just an opportunity to show what you can do.

And you're a competitor, right?

Yeah, you definitely don't want to let anybody get the upper hand on you or embarrass you.

Did you play (Rodney) Purvis there?

Yeah, I played him there. I think we played him in the last game. Guys like that are the ones that you want to target and also watch out for.

Lastly, what would you like to work on or target this summer?

This summer, I'd like to continue to get stronger and get quicker. I 'd like to work on my weakness, like my off-hand, and my jump shot. Just tuning my game. I don't feel like there's really one thing thing that is a weakness, but I think, at the same time, you can always get better. Just fine-tuning my game.

Thank you very much.

Sure, no problem. [/private]