Monthly Archives: August 2011

Duke Basketball

Duke vs China Olympic – Game 2 Thoughts and Observations

Game two is in the books for the Duke Men's Basketball team and they come away 2-0 with a 78-66 victory.  Here are my random thoughts and observations -

The play of Kelly is most impressive

Ryan Kelly is establishing himself as one of the most well rounded players on the team.  Kelly went 9 of 11 today and that translated into 20 points to go with 8 rebounds and a couple of steals.  Of all the players, Kelly looks like the most relaxed on the court after two games.  Kelly is playing with a lot of confidence and is allowing the game to come to him.  If leading by work ethic is important, Kelly could be playing his way towards being named a Duke captain.  Remember where you heard that!  And that beard!

Worst calls ever?

There were maybe 24 OMG moments in today's game, where the Chinese officiating crew blew calls so bad that a UNC fan would snicker.  Seriously, it was incredibly bad in so many ways that they're too numerous to list.  The ESPN announcers commented on the situation as did thousands on Twitter.  Be it a phantom reach or a physical push of a Duke player out of bounds, this was as big of a homer job as I've ever seen on the hardwood.  Duke has won by 13 in both contests.  Maybe that's all they will be allowed to win by.  The scores are so similar that they seem scripted.  The calls also disrupt the flow of the game to the point where it is ugly.

Freshman are freshman

While Austin Rivers led all scorers yesterday, the Duke staff  has a lot of video from today to show him a plethora of mistakes.  Rivers had 7 turnovers against 1 assist and that is brutal.  He also took some ill advised shots going 5-16 from the floor and seemed to lose his concentration.  Rivers is an accomplished offensive player who is working on defense and playing without the ball in his hands as was the case his whole high school career.  Rivers will be okay, but this just goes to show that freshman, no matter their hype and stature are on a learning curve.  Rivers, of course, will be okay, but let's hope he takes better care of the ball in the next two contests.  Rivers is averaging 15 ppg after the two contests.  Meanwhile, Michael Gbinije and Alex Murphy had similar freshman issues combining for two fouls in the box score.  As for Quinn Cook?  I think it is obvious that we'd like to see him healthy.

Five players have showed they belong

I spoke of Ryan Kelly and the talented Mr.Rivers but they had help in their wins.  Seth Curry is adjusting the the PG spot but has played well and Andre Dawkins has showed he belongs as a starter or in the rotation as well.  But today, Miles Plumlee showed great efficiency and I think that these five guys have showed they are the core of this coming seasons team.  I expect Mason to join this group but he hasn't really had a great game yet and much is expected out of him this season.  It's worth noting that he tied for a team high 3 assists today.  I'm not worried about the talented Mason Plumlee but it would be nice to seem him be  more effective in the next game.

Defense not bad

Duke has been playing solid defense in their two games and pressure defense meant a mere 3 assists for the China Olympic team.  Considering the way the games are being called, it looks as if they'll be solid as ever in this traditional team trait.

Three point shot observation

The verdict is still out on whether the Blue Devils will be a good three point shooting team this season.  Today, they went 9 for 27 and four players have launched one from beyond the arc to date.

Spacing could be better

I'm not a high level coach, but from my view the Blue Devils spacing was a bit sketchy.  It seemed awkward in some ways and China pushed the play to near the half court line a few times.  There were not a lot of balls thrown into the post and part of that was due to the spacing being so far from the basket.

Duke will be well rested for their next game

The teams flight to China was delayed and once there, they have had little rest.  With three days before the next game, Duke will watch film and gather their collective legs.  A blowout or easy win is possible but the way the games are being called, the third game could really rile those who expect fair officiating.  The team will say "It was a hard fought game," but I can say from afar that their should be a technical foul called on the officials.  Remember.  Coach K has to be a bit careful in so many ways in the Friendship games.

Adversity can be good

The physical play will help Duke prepare for the season as will the bad calls.  Let's be real here in that there will be some bad calls in the ACC and on the road  this season, but the Duke players will have learned to keep cool.  There is nothing like travel to grow a person, especially young men.  The guys will come back with a much better and altered perception of life itself.

The bottom line

You cannot judge the 2011-12 team on their China-Dubai trip alone.  This journey was to grow players and see what coaches have to work with but plenty of adjustments will be made between now and the start of regular season practice.  And Coach K?  He's not showing his hand just yet.  After the games, the staff will get together and figure out a team identity and style for the coming season. This journey is about more than basketball as well and it is important to see that Duke University is expanding their horizons in many ways.

 

Duke Football

BDN checks in with two second year players ready to make an impact in 2011 for Duke Football

DURHAM - The Blue Devils closed out the first week of training camp with a full contact session on Friday morning. Duke is looking for two second-year players to step up in 2011 to help the Blue Devils improve upon their win total from a year ago. Ross Cockrell is expected to become the team's top cornerback this fall, and Brandon Braxton will bring his playmaking skills to the potent Duke offense.

Ross Cockrell

Brandon Braxton

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Speed Trap: The Kasey Hill Interview

PG Kasey Hill Adidas Photo

This coming year Kasey Hill, a 6'1" Umatilla, Florida scoring point guard, will have a pair of significant additions to his Montverde Academy (FL) program. Kevin Boyle and Dakari Johnsonhave traded New Jersey winters for Floridian humidity. Boyle, who coached Kyrie Irving, the former Blue Devil guard and the NBA's number one overall draft pick, in high school at St. Patrick's (NJ), takes over a Montverde Academy program that finished 22-4 overall and fifteenth in the country last season. Montverde, located about thirty minutes away from Orlando, has two current NBA players, Solomon Alabi and Luc Mbah a Moute, as alumni.

Hill, who has been playing varsity basketball since he was a sixth grader at Mount Dora Bible School (FL), demonstrated more of an ability to be a facilitator, while leveraging his natural speed and penetrating ability, for the Florida Rams Black this AAU season. A high point of the rising junior's summer was winning the Adidas Invitational in Indianapolis and being named the tournament's MVP. The born scorer, with a penchant for finishing in traffic, led his Florida Rams Black team with 28 points and orchestrated the program's offense in front of an assortment of college coaches and a national television audience.

At the Super 64 in Las Vegas, the 2013 point guard played briefly in front of the Duke coaching staff. Last weekend, Kasey Hill played in greater Los Angeles, as part of the latest Adidas Nations event.

Kasey spoke with Blue Devil Nation about the latest in his recruitment, his new coach,

Can you talk about, perhaps, a highlight of your summer, your (MVP) performance at the Addidas Invitational? Touch on how you and your teammates played at that tournament.

I did pretty good at the Addidas Invitational, but most importantly, it was a team effort. It wasn’t just me. It was just a lot of good things coming together.
[private]

How much momentum were you able to carry and how much of that winning mentality that you had earned were you able to bring to the future events?

I think it helped a little bit. We should've been able to use that. We have to stay consistent with our defense and use it to motivate ourselves.

People are always interested in recruiting. What schools are currently recruiting you?

Florida, Memphis, Louisville, Kentucky, USF, Miami, Baylor, Kansas. I'm sure that I'm missing some.

Anyone recently coming into the picture?

No, not that I know of.

In terms of your overall timeline, is this relatively early for you?

Yeah, it’s really early.

Do you view yourself as a scoring point guard? Is that a fair characterization?

Yeah, that’s a good way of putting it.

Kasey Hill Andrew Slater/BDN Photo

What do you know about Coach Boyle?

He seems like he’s a great guy. I’m excited to play for him. I’ve talked to him on the phone a couple of times. Overall, he seems like a good guy.

He seems excited?

Oh, yes, sir, he definitely seems excited.

Did he give you any advice, in terms of what he’s looking for out of you next year?

Not really. He says we’ll sit down and talk about what the team needs when it gets closer to the season.

Well, you’ve got a valuable new addition and a very nice kid in Dakari Johnson.

Yes, sir. I heard he’s really good.

It’ll be great to have a quality big guy out there to take some pressure off of you.

Yes, sir,. We’ll be young and improving too.

Do you know which national tournaments you will be playing at next year that people might be able to catch you at?

I really have no idea. I don’t know that the coaches have made the schedule out so far.

For people who haven’t seen you play, what would you say is your greatest strength right now?

I’d say penetrating and just getting to the baskets.. my explosiveness. I guess I’d say my strengths are just getting to the basket and now getting my teammates involved.

What would you say is a weakness that you’d most like to improve upon?

My jumpshot. I’d like to improve upon that.

You’ve hit a few threes in several of the tournaments, including the Addidas Invitational, but it’s always good to hear that a player recognizes there’s room for improvement.

Yes, sir.

Is there a player you try to model your game after? Or a favorite player?

No, not really. I can’t think of one guy.

I was trying to figure out if I could recognize a player whose game is or was similar to yours.

Yeah, I can’t really think of one. I don’t know him. (laughs)

What are you looking for ideally, whenever you do decide?

Just like a college that fits my game overall and has great coaches.

What would you say is your overall game? A penetrating point guard?

Yeah, a penetrating point guard and one who wants to get out and run.

And who are you turning to for guidance whenever you do decide? Who are some people?

My Coach, Jeff Simmons, who’s also my guardian, and my mother and my grandmother.

Do you have any visits planned?

No, not yet.

Did you have any favorite teams growing up? Either college or pro.

No, not really.

Where did you actually grow up, by the way?

Umatilla, Florida. It’s in, like, Central or North Florida. It's a really small place.

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

That I’m just a really laid-back kid and that I like to have fun.

And very active on Twitter, I see.

Yes, sir. (laughs)

Kasey Hill Adidas Photo

Who’s the best player you’ve played so far?

So far, I’d probably say Shabazz Muhummad. I couldn’t believe how good he was when I played him in Georgia.

Yeah, he always goes hard.

Yeah, he’s amazing.

Who are some coaches that you enjoy talking to?

Definitely Coach Donovan, Coach Cal, Coach Rick Pitino, Coach Hamilton, Coach Stan Heath, Coach Donnie Jones.

When you're playing off the ball, what is your favorite place to catch the ball?

Probably on the wing. That is probably my best area.

How far out do you feel comfortable shooting the ball?

Probably fifteen feet...probably a fifteen foot jumper.

What’s the toughest type of player for you to defend?

Probably a lefty. Lefties can be tough to deal with.

A lefty? And does strength play a factor at all or not too much?

No, not really, cause I try to use my speed against them.

And how did you choose your school, Montverde?

I really just chose it because it was a great academic school. It was supposed to be, like, a great college preparatory school and teach you about life.

Do you think Montverde has helped you, long-term, to make decisions and live away from home?

Yes, sir...probably more than most normal kids. In some ways, I feel a little more grown up or mature than some other kids.

Lastly, has Duke expressed any interest in you so far?

No, not really, but North Carolina has... but not a lot recently.

What do you know about those two programs?

I know that they’re great programs pretty much, well, since they started.

And you mentioned before that it was still early. Would you be open to either of them?

Yes, sir, I’ll definitely listen. I'd definitely be open to both of them.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.[/private]

Duke Basketball

Duke defeats Chinese National Team 77-64

The Duke Blue Devils shook off the jetlag and a sluggish first quarter that ended in an 11 all tie to defeat the Chinese Olympic National Team 77-64 in Kunshan.  The Blue Devils were led by true freshman Austin Rivers who scored a team high 18 points and 5 assists.  A 21-12 second quarter run gave Duke a working lead, one which would stand up for the rest of the game.

Rivers backcourt teammate Seth Curry started the game slow offensively but warmed up in the second half ending the game with 13 points.  Ryan Kelly showed off his improvement gaining a double-double in the process.  Kelly ended the game with 14 points and 13 rebounds while teammate Andre Dawkins was the other Blue Devil in double figures with 15 points.  Duke played solid defense, a program staple, holding China to 20 of 61 from the field.

Duke turned the ball over 21 times and were whistled for quite a few fouls at 32 total.    Another interesting statistic was the fact that just three Blue Devils took 3 point shots, with Dawkins leading the way going 4 of 9.

Duke will play the same Chinese team twice more, once Thursday night in Shanghai and on August 22 in Beijing.  All of the remaining games will be televised on ESPNU and ESPN3.  Tomorrow's game tips at 8:00 a.m.