Tag Archives: Cole Anthony

Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Duke Basketball Recruiting Update (Public)

The Duke Men's Basketball staff is once again on the recruiting trail in full force as the open period begins.  The Blue Devils have been active with many players of late, extending new offers and setting a list for future prospects while trying to close on current ones.

The staff is busy in more ways than one.  With the Canadian trip fast approaching, this is a time when everyone must take their vitamins.  A demanding schedule means time management, yet that seems to be something a Mike Krzyzewski led program thrives on.

Duke is fortunate to have four assistant  coaches, if you count Nolan Smith that have all won national championships.  That knowledge combined with individual experiences offers them communication skills and knowing what kind of team they need to build for future success.

So far, Duke has yet to land a single player for next seasons class, but it is just a matter of time.  Duke is not hurt in the least by players waiting in that they can see firsthand starting in August of how they blend high school players into roles with the team.

With the one and done rule in effect, Duke is still looking at young men who can jump straight to the league.  The Blue Devils also realize that current players on the team will play a role in who comes next if they turn pro early.

That makes for a mixed bag in how to fill the roster, but it is an envious situation for the program.  Duke has zeroed in on several players, so we now have a good idea who will possibly fill the 2019-2020 roster.

It makes sense that Duke could lose all of their starters for a second year in a row, if the team has success and especially if they are lucky enough to win it all.  Many things play a role in when the best time for some players to go pro is at hand.   Others are destined to go already despite not dribbling a ball in an actual game in Duke uniform.

Duke will spend a lot of time in the many tournaments in Las Vegas this week.  While there, they will try to close on some guys in this class while hanging in with others who will make late or next Fall decisions.

Among the players which have standing offers are Cole Anthony (PSA Cardinals/Nike) who is hands down the best guard in his class and the son of former UNLV standout, Greg Anthony.  Anthony is on the cover of the latest Slam magazine and sure to garner more hype but he will not pick a team until the Fall of 2019 when all the fallout has occurred.

A player who will make an earlier selection which holds an offer is Bryan Antoine (Team Rio/Under Armor).  The shooting guard has long had Duke at the top of his list and will visit campus on September the 29th.  It helps that he is friends with current Duke freshman Joey Baker who continues to help the staff recruit.  He is also a very likable player on the shoe camp circuit who may players want to play with.

Vernon Carey (E1T1/Nike) has long been near the top of the high school rated players.  He is top three on every list and he has included Duke in his final teams.  Carey will visit Duke during Countdown to Craziness in October and he will likely have some company in the stands at that time.  Duke has been all in on Carey for some time now and he will be a center of focus for them this week.

Another player Duke is heavily recruiting is Wendell Moore (CP-3/Nike).  Duke most recently visited Greensboro to see him play where they had multiple staff members at all of his games.  Moore is their wing of choice but he is being heavily recruited by other schools as well.  He will visit the Duke campus on September the 21st and through the weekend.

A player Coach K loves for his non stop motor is big man Isaiah Stewart (City Rocks/Nike).  Stewart is the real deal and he is slated to visit Duke for the UNC game in Cameron but those plans could be changed and he may visit earlier.  Duke is considered one of the leaders for this young man and they've seen enough.  And it is good they've seen enough for Stewart has elected to sit out this week and will another Duke target in guard, Josiah James.  Duke has been on the 6-6 PG for a while now and they will likely seek a visit in the coming months.  The  guard situation is a bit more complicated which I speak openly about on the message board for members.  In fact, I go into much more than just the general list in this article for Blue Devil Nation members.  There will be an extended update tomorrow which goes into more details on the targets and new offers which will go out soon. So, consider joining Blue Devil Nation Premium where you can currently get two years for the price of one during our BOGO special.

Okay, back to subject at hand.  Duke loves Matthew Hurt (D-1 Minnesota).  Coach K himself is running front on this one and that is a good thing for Kansas and others covet this talented player and Self was able to recently coach him.    Duke will check him out this week and our members know the details from past updates.  Hurt is a Duke kind of player and one they will push for until the end.  It won't be an easy road for his service in that it is so competitive but it would be a rewarding one and a great match.

Say hello to Nico Mannion (West Coast Elite/Under Armor).  Okay, so you knew about him from past updates, but he has recently reclassified to the class of 2019 and Duke has an offer out and will scout him even heavier in the coming week.  For those who do not know, Mannion is a USA PG which is the kind of player a Krzyzewski coached team covets in that he loves those who have represented the country.  Of course, Mannion was not originally from the US which you can see in past updates, but he will continue his ascent to his dreams at a college in 2019-2020.

Duke has also done more than kick the wheels on Armando Bacot who was very impressive with his team in Nike play.  Duke wants three front court players and that could include him if two aforementioned players look elsewhere, so there remains consistent contact.

I expect we'll see another front court player offered once the evaluation period ends, if not two.  Duke has and will scout Jaden McDaniels, Jaiden Delaire and Drew Timme.  They also have some names in place if things get tight with Moore.

The players which Duke may get early from our last update has not changed.  BDN will cover that again tomorrow along with the new players which are becoming fixtures for the future.

 

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Several Prospects Earning Coaches Attention at Nike Peach Jam

Isaiah Stewart

The Duke staff continues their quest to build next seasons recruiting class during today's Nike Peach Jam.

The staff visited UA (Under Armor) before coming to the Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C.   While there, they took in top target Bryan Antoine.

As I stated in past updates there is good reason to think that Duke can close on him with only the timeline being in question.  He is great friends and talking to players who are considering making the Durham campus their home.  He is also friends with Joey Baker who continues to recruit while at Duke.

Duke and Coach K also took in the play of PG Nico Manion which they will recruit heavily moving forward.  His teammate Josh Green has their attention as well.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski  and Duke Assistants Nate James, Chris Carrawell and Jon Scheyer are all making the rounds at the Peach Jam.  They have been zeroing in on their main targets which includes Vernon Carey Jr.

Duke also took in the play of Josiah James which we spoke of in the last update.  Duke continues to recruit Cole Anthony which plays a role in how things will play out (see update before camps on message board.)

Coach K himself was front and center for Anthony and there is no let up in his recruitment despite some comments some are blowing up.  Duke is still firmly on his list and that has been made clear.

Duke has not exactly moved on from RJ Hampton but he has not had a lot of attention yet. Scheyer took in Jaden McDaniels fame.

Duke is also looking at 2020 and other players which is standard for this late in the season as they make future lists.

The staff will be out shortly and were able to get some good rest in due to scheduling where their prospects play at noon and beyond.

Several former Duke players have stopped by to talk to Coach K including Rodney Hood.

 

 

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The Latest with Cole Anthony

Cole Anthony has been the talk of the Nike EYBL circuit in that he's the hottest player going.  He is a sure-fire one and done player at the next level who shows off his pedigree.   That, of course, comes from being the son of Greg Anthony; a former UNLV standout.

He spends a lot of time in the gym and it shows in his game which is pretty complete.  He is an efficient passer and scorer who uses his quickness to get to loose balls and rebounds.

Anthony is ahead of the curve on defense as well where he is a demon in the passing lanes.  He understands that defense leads to offense, so he plays it with the same energy he does on the offensive end.

A very quick first step allows him to break down the defense and get to the rim quickly.  Once teams focus on that he goes to his pull back or pull up jumpers where he has both mid and three-point range.

I caught up to Anthony recently but do not expect any comments on Duke who has made him a priority.  Anthony will talk about his game but not the recruiting process.  That practice started long ago when media types were led to frustration about three years ago.

One may think, he is kidding when saying he does not think about schools yet.  But I can assure you he seems to genuinely have tunnel vision.  In fact, his Dad has said he will not choose a school until next spring.

That means he will make his collegiate choice after next basketball season.  As that time creeps up, the hype will surely come as well and it will make for a fever pitch for fans watching his decision.

While the competition for him will surely be among the major blue bloods of he college basketball universe; there is reason to think Duke will be in the thick of it or named to a final list of schools in time.

The Blue Devils staff will continue to stay in close touch even though we will hear little of that in the coming year.  In other words, I suspect the shroud of mystery from his camp to continue save his final list of schools.

Anthony is currently in Colorado Springs, where he hopes to make Team USA.  He will likely attend a Nike Skills Camp.  His PSA Nike team finished the year 8-8 which will likely get them into the Peach Jam.

Talk a little bit about your ascent in the rankings.  You're a guy who wants to be number one, right?

My confidence starts from staying in the gym.  And every time I get in the gym, I get a little more confident.  I know how hard I'm working, so there is no reason I shouldn't be number one.

How would you describe your game in your own words?

I would say I'm an all around two-way player where my goal is to play good defense while getting my offense at the same time.

Your Dad says you are competitive...

It's a blessing.  I wasn't always on the best team when I was younger, so I've always had to go as hard as I can which is something I have been blessed with.

Do you still compete with him?

Not really anymore.  He can't compete with me in most aspects.  He's getting pretty old.  I think he just turned 50, so he's out of his prime now.

You seem to take pride in defense and getting things started there.

Well on defense, go for the steal which can create a fastbreak opportunity..  That is the second easy way to score besides a free throw.

Intensity seems to be part of your game.

I know being a smaller guard and competing with all these guys bigger and ranked ahead of me, I have to bring that intensity with me. I always play with a sense of urgency.  Ever since I stepped in here as a freshman,

What are your plans for the rest of the summer or upcoming days?

Well, I have a shot at making the USA Basketball team and leave tomorrow.  And then I get ready for school getting some of my work done for next year, so I thank all my teachers for that.  So, hopefully, I will make the team.  It would be an honor to represent my country like that.  So, I am going to give it every ounce of energy to make the team.