Duke wide receiver Blair Holliday, a projected starter for this season's football team, has been seriously injured in an accident. Duke officials released the following statement: "On Wednesday, Blair Holliday was involved in a boating accident on Lake Tillery, and was transported via air to the UNC Trauma Center in Chapel Hill. He suffered head injuries and is currently in critical condition."
Duke Head Football Coach David Cutcliffe also commented on Holliday's status: "First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with Blair, his parents, Leslie and Rick, and the entire Holliday family. The Holliday family is one of tremendous character and strength, and is truly an inspiration for all of us. Secondly, we could not be more appreciative of the care and support Blair has received here at UNC Hospitals. The doctors, nurses and support staff have been truly outstanding . . . We ask that you continue to keep Blair and his family in your thoughts, and also respect their privacy in this time of concern."
The entire Blue Devil Nation's thoughts and prayers are with the Holliday family during this trying time, and we ask that you respect their privacy until they are ready to comment on their son's status.
Mason slams one down. His brother was a first round NBA Draft pick this past week.
What a week it has been for Duke Basketball! There is no denying the "feel good" atmosphere around the program these days. It began last Thursday night when Austin Rivers was selected by the New Orleans Hornets with the 10th pick in the NBA draft. He was followed by Miles Plumlee, who went 26th to the Indiana Pacers, giving Duke two more first round draft selections under Coach Mike Krzyzewski. On Saturday, coveted transfer Rodney Hood pulled the trigger for Duke, so as I say, it has indeed been a good week for the program.
If you've seen Miles Plumlee of late, he sports a spiffy new look that recalls Clark Kent chic, and it fits him to a tee. Plumlee was often seen by the media as a mild-mannered type, always polite, grounded and professional. But this past Thursday, Plumlee ripped open his shirt to reveal he has a little Superman thing going on as well. While the Pacers' pick shocked many, those of us who followed Plumlee's progress and spoke with league insiders saw this coming. Plumlee is a workout freak, and he posted great numbers during the NBA combines. Many teams saw a player with both the athletic ability and the skill set to make it in the league. You can't teach height, of course, and Miles's size, combined with his ability to shoot from the permiter and run the court, served him well. NBA coaches and execs also did not forget that Miles learned how to play the game under Coach Krzyzewski at Duke, and that at 23, he's already mature in many ways that should aid in his transition to the next level.
Austin Rivers is one of the most unfairly judged players I have been around since covering Duke basketball. Many mistake his confidence as a brash arrogance, when the reality is that confidence is an integral part of his game and a key component of his drive and his motor. Desire can carry a player a long way, and Rivers unquestionably has it. It never ceases to amaze me how uninformed internet chatter can be taken as gospel truth, even by the "mainstream" media, and this was certainly the case with regard to the perceptions of this young man. I can tell you first hand that Rivers is a good kid, polite and professional when need be, but also not afraid to speak his mind. He is the type of kid that would settle differences with a game of one-on-one; the only thing wrong with that is how unfair it would be to just about any opponent he would face.
Austin leaves Duke having provided the program and its fans with one of the most thrilling and unforgettable moments in Duke's long and glorious history when his buzzer-beater to beat UNC hit nothing but the bottom of the net. While Rivers will certainly have to adjust to the physicality of the NBA game, he has been a big success at every level, and this one will be no different.
The news came Saturday evening that Rodney Hood, a coveted transfer from Mississippi State, would be attending Duke. In our latest BDN Premium update we discuss his addition for our members, and one of the things we share is that he will be on campus this Wednesday. Hood's addition changes the landscape of Duke's recruiting, and we discuss that as well in the Duke Basketball Team and Recruiting Update. Hood was a player BDN was on early when he was on the AAU circuit, when he let us know that he had always liked the Blue Devils growing up. Hood will be allowed to practice with the team this year, and should be a part of the N.C. Pro-Am, where fans will get a firsthand view of his game.
We are a mere two months away from kickoff on the gridiron, and the Blue Devils face a bear of a task in the opener, as Florida International comes to Wallace Wade returning 18 starters from back-to-back bowl teams. There is no doubt that this game, even though it's the opener, is vital to the Devils' hopes of a run at a bowl themselves. If a season opener could ever be "must win" for Duke, this would be the year. We'll be talking more football starting this month as Cut surveys his team. Make plans now to support Duke Football by buying season tickets and check out the new "Cut's Corner."
USA Basketball is about to take center stage as well, and Coach K and company will keep Duke in the headlines in their effort to bring another gold medal home from London. BDN has always supported and covered Team USA's efforts, and this season will be no different.
In our latest update, Blue Devil Nation Premium recaps what has happened recently on the recruiting trail and gives you an idea of what to expect next.
It wasn't that long ago that many were writing the Blue Devils off after being shocked by Lehigh in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. For several weeks after the upset, there was only criticism. But three months have now passed, and the dark skies have cleared considerably, as Duke has added several key pieces for the future in incoming freshman Amile Jefferson and transfer Rodney Hood.
Amile Jefferson has arrived on campus. He will spend plenty of time in the weight room, for there is a big leap from high school ball to the high major college game, and Amile needs to get stronger in order to contribute in a big way. Jefferson will have the luxury to play behind Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly in his first season while learning the ropes, but the coaches will give him every opportunity to play when he is ready.
The Duke Men's Basketball staff continued its recent momentum on the recruiting trail, landing coveted Mississippi State transfer Rodney Hood this weekend. Hood is right around [private] 6'8" and is long, lean and athletic. He is an outside/in player, meaning his game is geared towards the perimeter; he likes to get touches just beyond the free throw stripe, from which he is comfortable taking it to the hoop or popping the mid-range J. His ability to knock down those mid-range jump shots draws bigger players away from the hoop, keeps the opposing defense honest, and opens up things for his teammates. Hood is also a good defender and likes to get after it by using his length to his advantage. While he did not dominate the SEC as a freshman, Rodney was a very steady force on a veteran team.
Hood's game has changed little since I saw him on the AAU trail, with the exception of some natural physical growth. But his frame can still use some muscle, and that is what Duke Strength and Conditioning Coach Will Stephens will focus on as Rodney sits out his transfer season at Duke. One of the things that impressed Hood on his visit was the Duke facilities, which are NBA-quality, and frankly a far cry from what he was used to in Starkeville. Sources also say he liked the structure of the team and its organization, something that he found lacking at MSU.
For the record, we here at BDN never wavered from the position that Hood was a Duke lean, and by now you guys should know how to interpret my cryptic messages enough to have figured this one out.
Rodney will be on campus this coming Wednesday, July 4th, and he will participate in the N.C. Pro-Am. We'll head over to that event provided we can stand the ridiculous heat.
Freshman Rasheed Sulaimon is already on campus and getting accustomed to his surroundings. He is hanging with the guys, including Nolan Smith who is in town. Quinn Cook arrived today as well, and he is ready to hit the ground running after spending a lot of time with Nolan in Portland. Tyler Thornton and JoshHairston will be back around the 4th of July as well, and all should play in the Pro-Am. Seth Curry played in the opening night of the event and played well. He and some teammates even picked up Sulaimon at RDU yesterday.
Ryan Kelly has fully recovered from his injury and Mason Plumlee is looking stronger than ever. Both benefited from their time at the Amare Stoudemire Camp, and they have both been working on adding new shots to their offensive arsenals.
Alex Murphy is stuffing the stat sheet for Finland's National Team this summer. The staff has been very impressed with his play and progress since he's arrived over a year ago.
Mike Krzyzewski and the staff circled the wagons after the Lehigh loss and decided they wanted more athleticism and toughness, and I believe they are on the road to reshaping future rosters in that way. But don't get caught looking ahead, for they are more than a little excited about this season's team, especially because Coach loves flying just under the radar on the national scene. The staff feels this year's team will be able to defend the perimeter better and is excited about using the length ofMurphy on the outside along with Sulaimon, Thornton, Curry and Cook. One thing does seem odd though: Murphy and Marshall Plumlee have a year in the program under their belts, and seem like old-timers compared to Sulaimon and Jefferson. Yet all four of them will be getting their first real minutes when the Blue Devils tip off the season.
The coaching staff is very happy with their recent recruiting successes, but there will be no rest at all. After spending some time with their respective families, Mike Krzyzewski, ChrisCollins and Steve Wojciechowski will head to Las Vegas on the 4th to work with the national team. So while they will only see the new kids on campus in passing, there are no worries, for Nate James and Jeff Capel will break them in before going back to hitting the recruiting trail hard themselves.
So where does Duke stand now with other recruits? Which direction will they go in? First of all, the staff can now afford to be a bit fluid in its approach, meaning the strategy can most certainly change depending on how some dominoes fall, but for now, let me share how I feel things are shaping up. These are educated guesses.
The top targets are always the most talented and that means Jabari Parker and Julius Randle. However, the addition of Hood makes Randle, who is more of a banger, the top priority. Duke is all-in on Randle and they've made good inroads through Krzyzewski making regular calls, with Capel taking the lead assistant role. Duke will of course face the Tar Heels until the end on this one, and they too have gone all-in. Some would even say that Randle may tip the balance of power in the rivalry. But keep in mind that UNC has other offers out and a bevy of bigs on their roster, while Duke can make him realize he is their man, and there are no others. When I say "no others" for Duke, I mean the Devils are not pushing hard with a lot of other big men at this time, but of course that could change. Randle has reshaped his body in the off-season, but what a lot of people do not know is that it was Mike Krzyzewski who made a suggestion for this to happen. If we're not the leader for Randle, we're certainly one of the leaders.
Meanwhile, Parker has been flirting a lot with Michigan State, but with a player of his stature, Duke will most certainly hang around.
Duke will also remain hot on Semi Ojeleye and quite frankly, I think he is the Blue Devils' to lose, and they feel he is as enamored with them as they are with him. The bottom line is the kid is a perfect fit. This situation looks good, and it may only be a matter of time before he pulls the trigger -- and it may even come soon.
Austin Nichols is a Duke-type big that would replace the loss of Ryan Kelly, so they are on him and could turn up the heat a bit more in the coming months. Nichols is being hit up hard by other schools too, but Duke remains in decent shape. The Devils are also still interested in Nichols's AAU teammate, shooting guard Robert Hubbs.
The picture is a little less clear past these two. Al Freeman has faded a bit but remains a possibility. Duke could chase another big man, but are not doing so now. We are completely out of the picture with scoring point guard Anthony "Cat" Barber, who was never formally offered.
The Blue Devils still have interest in Ish Wainright and Marcus Lee as well. I still think it may be hard to pry Lee away from the west coast, and the need for Wainright could diminish should Ojeleye pull the trigger for Duke.
Everything is still good with 2013 commit Matt Jones, although I can hear many of you getting worried about us being too loaded at that shooting guard spot. Well, we are. But it will play out -- as it always does. I'll be discussing this later.
As for players beyond the class of 2013, we'll cover that the next go-round.
To summarize, there is an overall positive feel around the program right now. Recruiting is in a good place. Duke and Coach K will remain in the limelight all summer, as Team USA goes for gold in London. We'll cover several more recruiting events this summer and the Pro-Am, and we continue to work behind the scenes on site changes, including a facelift.
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