There will be little rest for the Duke staff as this week marks the beginning of a busy time split between the pro's and the nations top prospects.  Coach Krzyzewski and Chris Collins will head to Las Vegas to where they'll be joined by Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith.  The reason is that Team USA is putting together and entirely new roster made up mainly of up and coming players.  With no help from the Dream Team, Krzyzewski will seek to form new bonds of chemistry in his on going effort to aid USA Basketball.  But the staff will also be out during the last leg of the recruiting trail where three major tournaments start in Las Vegas this week.  BDN's Andrew Slater will be on the scene to bring you tidbits as they happen and his unique style has made him a hit with our members.  The following week, it will be down to Orlando for the Showcase and AAU Nationals.  Needless to say, it's quite the busy time for the men's hoops staff.

It's no secret that some Alabama fans are purchasing season tickets for just one single game in Wallace Wade Stadium on September 18th.  Mark my words that this will be the toughest ticket to get in recent memory and rest assured the scalpers are lying in wait for what could be a big pay day.  Speaking of season tickets, the numbers are already better this season which is a testament to keeping big games at home.  Earlier discussions had the game possibly being played in Birmingham or Atlanta, but Cutcliffe fought to keep the game in Durham, not only for the program, but for the fans

I will head to Greensboro on Sunday for ACC Operation Football which kicks off the 2010-11 season.  I've said for a long time now that the four best teams will be in the Coastal Division and it is no fun trying to pick the order in which they will finish.  I could make a case for Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Miami and Georgia Tech.  It'll not be easy to place the Tar Heels who are in the midst of an NCAA investigation yet they return more experience than pretty much anybody in the nation. 

Congrats to J.J. Redickwho cashed in with the Orlando Magic who met the Chicago Bull's offer.  Same goes for Carlos Boozer who will man the paint in the Windy City this season.  And to think, those two could have formeda tandem with Luol Deng.

Lots of buzz for Duke's Michael Gbinije, a class of 2011 commitment.  Gbinije enjoyed a solid tournament as he led his Team Takeover team to the Nike EYBL Challenge.  This kid has constantly improved from the first time I saw him play three years ago.  A voice close to the program said he would play right away with Duke and that he did everything well.  I concur.

Just a reminder that our N.C. Pro Am coverage will continue this week where games are played on the campus of N.C. Central University in Durham and admission is free.