Tag Archives: Duke Basketball Recruiting News

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Jabari Parker: Grace Under Fire

6'8" Jabari Parker, Photo by Andrew Slater

After winning the National Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior, leading Simeon High School to a third consecutive Illinois state title and being named by Sports Illustrated as the best high school basketball player since LeBron James, 6'8" Jabari Parker embarked on the last leg of the EYBL in Hayward, California, a town his father, Sonny Parker, lived in for two years while he was a member of the Golden State Warriors. This was part of the last go round on the AAU circuit for arguably the most scrutinized high school basketball player of the burgeoning social media age.

As part of the Nike EYBL for the Mac Irvin Fire, Jabari played in thirteen games this year, including six on the most recent leg, highlighted by a matchup against the Texas Titans, featuring 6'9" forward Julius Randle. Parker, who has been more assertive and vocal on his final summer campaign, has led the Fire in both points and rebounds, averaging over fourteen points and seven rebounds, while always focusing on team basketball, a staple of his beloved Boston Celtics and a rarity in AAU basketball. After finishing with a 14-6 record in the Nike EYBL, the Chicago-based AAU team qualified to compete in next month's Peach Jam in North Augusta, South Carolina.

Gatorade Player of the Year Jabari Parker, Photo by Andrew Slater

This coming week, Jabari is scheduled to participate in the  NBPA Top 100 Camp, which is now run by John Lucas, a former Golden State Warrior teammate of Sonny Parker for three seasons. The rising senior wing is the marquee player scheduled to attend, but will limit media access, so as to regain a semblance of normalcy to his teenage life. Following the event, the ambitious Parker will head to Colorado Springs, Colorado to try out formally for the USA Basketball 17U team, which hopes to earn a gold medal at the FIBA U17 World Championship For Men in Kaunas, Lithuania this July. Last summer, Jabari led the United States to a gold medal at the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Mexico, averaging over fifteen points and six rebounds in twenty-one minutes per international contest. For his efforts, USA Basketball named Jabari Parker the USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year in 2011.

Following a hard fought recent game, the always gracious Jabari "J.P." Parker spoke with me about the upcoming USA Basketball role, his recent Sports Illustrated profile, the sanctuary of playing basketball in a church gym, and dealing with the exhausting scrutiny.

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What did you think of the Sports Illustrated article? Did you think it was a fair portrayal?

Yeah, I thought it was fair. I thought he did a fair job.

 

I thought it conveyed the Jabari Parker that I've encountered. How long did he work on it?

He worked on it for about three months, but mostly during the playoffs. He tried to follow me around Chicago a little bit.

 

Did you know that you were going to be the cover?

Oh, no, I didn't.

 

Are you happy with the way it came out?

I was for like the first four or five days, but then it just became too much.

 People's expectations?

Yeah, it became, like, well, you're not LeBron. 

That's what I wondered or thought might happen. I noticed some people in the stands making idiotic comments.

Yeah, I mean, I never asked for it.

Did they mention that they were going to compare you to LeBron?

No, they didn't. It's just a lot to try to live up to. I mean they didn't just compare to an NBA player. They compared to the MVP of the whole league.

Sure, it's impossible to live up to those expectations.

Yeah, I mean I've just got to play my game and help my team. Just focus on that.

 

How do you feel about your Mac Irvin team right now? You've added a point guard from California (Marcus Lovett, Jr.). Jahlil (Okafor) has stepped up. Do you feel good about your team's chances heading into the Peach Jam in July?

Yeah, I think that we're starting to gel. We're trying to work Marcus in. The team is starting to come together and I think we have a good shot at the Peach Jam. 

 You and Jahlil mentioned the last time that you wanted to win the Peach Jam in memory of Mac Irvin.

Yes, definitely. That's our goal.

You've also got, most importantly, the USA team trials coming up. I've seen Coach Showalter at several events. Are you guaranteed a position this year?

Oh, no, I've got to make the team. I'm excited about the opportunity and the chance to play for the team and represent the country. It's something much bigger than all of us. A tremendous opportunity

 

Have they talked to you about what roles or responsibilities that you might play or have on this team?

Well, I think it'll be pretty much the same role as the last time. I've got to be a leader and a scorer and help with our defense and rebounding on the wings. I'll do whatever the coaches ask.

 

Who are the toughest guys for you to score on? Is it the smaller, but more athletic guys or the taller guys?

That's tough. I think it depends, but I guess the smaller guys. The taller guys try to block my shot, but I can usually dribble right past them. It's tougher with the small guys. I can shoot over them, but it's also harder to dribble around them. I'm not sure. Sometimes, the tall guys can be tough too.

 

In terms of recruiting, do you have any visits lined up? Has there been any major change in your recruitment?

No, it's pretty much the same. I'm planning on taking my official visits in the fall and deciding during the early period. I'm going to try to cut down on my list this summer, but, no, there's no major changes. Same thing pretty much

 

Do you think or intend on playing with other great players in college? Does it matter to you who the program that you ultimately select is will be bringing in or already has on the roster?  

Yeah, I definitely plan on playing with other great players. I'm just not sure which ones. I'm going to be thinking about which players that I'd like to go to college with over the summer. Hopefully, we'll be able to go to college together next year.

 

As you know, there are some guys that would prefer to showcase themselves for a year. For whatever reason, some would prefer not to share the spotlight.

Yeah, but I'd like to play with other great teammates and try to win a Championship. That's the goal. I'm not worried about sharing the spotlight.

I know you've already played with some talented guys on the USA Basketball team, Simeon, and Mac Irvin, but I thought I should formally ask you, since some have brought it up or wondered.

Yeah, sure.

 

One intriguing image or thing that I got out of that article was the image of you playing and learning in a church gym with not exactly perfect rims and a painting of Jesus monitoring you on the walls.

Yeah, we would always play there because my area of Chicago wasn't always great and so it was and is a safe place to go and learn and practice basketball.

It was frankly something that I could relate to. When I was about your age or maybe a little younger, my priest in New York gave me the keys to the gym to just shoot and practice.  It also had one bent rim, but it was kind of a sanctuary from some of the violence or problems at that time.  

Yeah, sure, it's just great to have a place to go and get away from some of the problems and just work. It's been great for me and my family.

Are you actually from the Hyde Park section of Chicago or do you just go over there?

No, I'm actually from the South Shore. We just go over there.

 

Do you find it any different or even easier not playing in front of the college coaches?

I don't find much of a difference because I've gotten pretty used to them by now. It really doesn't phase me too much. I just try to concentrate on the game and not worry about anything else.

 

Some guys prefer it playing in front of friends and family, while others prefer no distractions. How do you find it, playing in front of your parents and a lot of your mother's family?

It's good. I'm glad that my dad could watch me play and give me advice, if I need it. It's great to be able to feel the love and support of my cousins too. They're all very supportive and I appreciate them coming out.

It was amazing to see them all with the t-shirts with your Sports Illustrated picture on them. You've had a lot of family support.

Yeah, definitely. 

This area must also bring back a lot of good memories of the NBA for your dad.

Yeah, I think he just wishes that he had more time to look around, but he loved it.

 

I'm not sure if this is correctly attributed to you, but I thought that I saw somewhere that you said the attention "sucks." Is that correct? Is that how you feel about it?

Well, it can be a lot or too much. There's just a lot of attention and it can be too much. Sometimes, I'd just like to be a kid, you know.

I'm sorry about this. Believe me, the last thing that I want to be is a problem for you.

Oh, no, I mean you're no problem, but I mean, sometimes, other people can be and it sometimes feels like it never stops. It's just a lot to take in and live up to. It can get frustrating.

 

Has going through this final season of AAU basketball and camps been at all emotional for you?

Yeah, it's begun to hit me. I've been doing this since, well, for a long time. I find myself, at times, going, you know, this is the last time that you'll be doing this event or going here. It feels kind of weird to think sometimes that it'll all be over pretty soon. I'm going to miss some of these guys. 

 

Thanks a lot, Jabari, for your time and, once again, I hope I wasn't a problem.

(laughs) Oh, sure, don't worry. You've never been a problem.

Good luck.

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Anthony “Cat” Barber continues to impress at NBAPA Camp

One of the more impressive players during the morning session of the NBAPA Top 100 Camp was Anthony "Cat" Barber, who tallied 16 points in his opener.  The consensus among talent evaluators is that he has been improving his already lofty stock.  Here is an interview with the budding star: [private]

More to come - [/private]

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Checking In With Marcus Lee

6'9" Marcus Lee, Photo by Andrew Slater

 

There are certain moments in life where, based upon your actions, your life changes. For 6'9" Marcus Lee of Antioch, California, his performances with his California Supreme team at the EYBL in Minnesota potentially changed the course of his life. After the event, scholarship offers flooded in from programs across the country.  His brother, Bryan, a former basketball standout at Grand Canyon University, and a recruiter for Google, has been the primary filter for Marcus's calls. One of the schools that immediately contacted Marcus following the EYBL event was Duke University.

Seven weeks later, Marcus is now scheduled to travel to Charlottesville, Virginia to participate in the NBPA Top 100 Camp. As the sixth-leading shot-blocker in the EYBL, Lee was instrumental in forging California Supreme's 16-4 record, which helped the team qualify for next month's Peach Jam in South Carolina.

Duke Recruit Marcus Lee, Photo by Andrew SlaterRecently, I spoke with Marcus about, among other things, that life-changing weekend in Minnesota, about speaking with Coach Mike Krzyzewski, as well as Bryan's reaction to the newfound interest in his younger brother.

 

 

 

 

What was your initial reaction when offers started coming in from all around the country?

I was pretty surprised. I thought I was just sort of settling in and then...

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Did it change your life, to a degree?

Yeah, it did. Yeah, it changed everything. It changed it to the point where after school I was having a lot of phone calls coming in and I just don't have any more free time. (laughs)

 Do you like it?

Yeah, I love it! I mean I sometimes get headaches, but it's all worth it. It's been great.

 

What are you trying to gain or learn from your visits?

How they do stuff around each campus..I really want to talk to people. I feel that I've got a lot of questions for people. 

 

What does your brother think about all of this fuss? I remember that he was, in some ways, your guiding light.

Yeah, yeah, he's just trying to keep everything away from me… so far. 

Does he handle everything, for the most part?

Yeah, he handles pretty much everything. He tries to be supportive.

 

What was it like in the match-up with Jahlil Okafor? He's another recruit that I've spoken to a lot.

I thought it was great. He's really one of the toughest kids I've gone against. He's a really big kid, very fundamentally sound. It was a lot of fun.

 

One of the schools that has shown interest in you so far is UCLA. What do you know about them?

I want to find out more about them. I know a little bit about them because they're roughly in my area. I think I'd like to take a look around. I mean, I've always had a good relationship with them. 

 

When they offered you, was it pretty exciting?

My brother called me and he said that they're going to call you to probably offer you and then I got a call and it was just amazing.

 

You're sort of known for your shot-blocking. Out of curiosity, who are the hardest guys for you to try to defend?

 Probably one of the bigger or, like, stronger types. Like guarding all these top big men in the EYBL is like, man, I mean, they get the ball, and I get pounded. I try to block their shots and defend them, but a lot of them are tough.

 

Can you talk a little bit about San Diego State? (other reporter)

San Diego State is always in my ear. They're always really, like, a nice program. I just would like to learn more about them, but they're really nice though.

 

Do you think it would be hard to leave the West Coast?

I'm not sure. I don't think so. 

Have you thought about starting to pare it down?

I think about it a little bit, but I really feel that I should just stay open right now. So far, I have no idea what I'd like to narrow it down to..maybe a little later I will.

 

How do you feel you and your team are playing right now? Do you feel, in some ways, that this is, for lack of a better phrase, the best Marcus Lee that we have seen?

Yeah, this is probably the best Marcus. (laughs)

 Sorry to force you into the third person. I didn't want you to become a diva wide receiver or a boxer just yet..

(laughs) Yeah, in terms of the team, I think we try to separate ourselves by being a very family-like setting. Other teams, they seem to want to compete against themselves and other teams. We try to help each other out..that's our whole goal in this.

That's unusual.

Yeah, yeah. I'm sure you noticed that.

 

How is it playing in front of your family? Is it a different dynamic?

 It's probably the hardest thing. 

 Oh, really, it's actually harder?

 Oh, yeah, much, much harder. I feel like I have to meet much higher expectations when they're here. 

 I remember that you mentioned during a prior interview with me that your brother was your role model in basketball, not necessarily a current pro or college basketball player. I know that he was a Division II All-American. 

 Yeah, when he came into college, he was more of a scorer. He tried to focus on that.

 Was he generally a different type of player than you?

 Yeah, he's exactly the same. He would always try to do the little things to help the team win, things that might not show up in a box score. He got a lot of joy out of basketball. 

 Well, you seem to get a lot of joy out of playing basketball and life. What would you say is your favorite part about playing basketball? It seems like you like to run and block shots.

 Yeah, I love to block shots. They get so happy thinking that they're going to lay it in and I come by and just… swat! I just love doing the little things. I love winning and just being part of a team.

When I was talking to Jahlil, he was amazed at your speed. He had never seen you play before. He was amazed at your speed going up and down the court for a fellow big guy. That was his take on you. What was it like when you received the Duke offer? What was your reaction?

Well, my brother put Coach K's number in my phone. I wasn't sure if it was a joke, but then I got out of school and I was going through my phone and I saw Coach K's number coming up and I was, like, whoa, and then I was just sitting there and there was just a voicemail from Coach K and I, like, had to call him right back.

What did he say when you finally spoke to him? 

Oh, he was extremely excited. He had a whole bunch of enthusiasm in his voice. 

For those in the audience who haven't gone through that experience, what did he say?

He was just, like, well, he told me that I was, like, an amazing player. He was just, like, he wanted to, like, work me out and get me better.

 

What did he appreciate about you most?

He liked that I was so happy out there on the court and my energy.

They like high energy guys.

Yeah, I think that's what they liked about me most.

Thanks a lot, Marcus.

Oh, sure thing, man.

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Duke Basketball Recruiting News

NBAPA Top 100 High School Camp Rosters

The annual NBAPA Top 100 High School Camp will take place June 14th through June 16th in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the event -- which is closed to the public --  will feature several Duke prospects.   In addition to the on-court action, this camp offers prospects the opportunity to learn from former NBA players on a wide range of issues they'll face as their careers progress.  BDN plans on being there as usual to once again cover one of our favorite events of the summer.  Here is a roster of the participants, which includes Jabari Parker, Marcus Lee, Semi Ojeleye, Ish Wainright, and many other high school stars:

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National Recruiting Focus – Stanley Johnson one of the best in 2014

 

Hoops Report pic

Mater Dei High School in Southern California has produced a lot of great players over the years and Stanley Johnson, class of 2014, fits that mold.  BDN caught up to Johnson during the Pangos All American Camp this past weekend and got his thoughts on the recruiting process. [private]

More to come ... [/private]

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Pango’s All American Camp Recap – The Duke Perspective

Long Beach, CA - For the tenth year in a row the Pangos All American Camp was put on in California. Considered by some to be the official start of the summer AAU season, kids from all across the country spent three days competing and trying to show everyone what they were made of. This year the event was back at Cabrillo High School.

The event started off Friday night with former college and NBA coach Dave Miller firing up the kids with his no nonsense, no sugar-coating speech. Miller, the former coach of NBA point guard Chris Paul, spoke to the kids about being intense as well as not worrying about the rankings. He described former camp alumni Chandler Parsons and Landry Fields as players who no one knew about but are now earning a living in the NBA. Miller’s candid approach was very refreshing to hear and the players seemed to respond.

As is usual for the Pangos event, multiple recruiting analysts and even former NBA player Reggie Theus spoke to the kids. This recruiting roundtable is to give the kids a sense of reality and to teach them a bit of responsibility.  Dave Telep gave the kids a great speech about the current NCAA transfer rate which he stated was at about 40%. He challenged the campers to not hide from adversity and simply transfer to a different school, but to instead take it head on. (for more on the Duke prospecte, subscribe to BDN Premium) [private]

Perhaps my favorite speaker was former NBA player Reggie Theus. Reggie was at the camp to watch his son Reggie Theus Jr play. Theus spoke on the passion that players play with and to use that passion in their everyday lives. He challenged them to do everything with intensity and heart. He ended his speech with a flashback anecdote about his rookie year in the league. He described his first game guarding George ‘Iceman’ Gervin and how the Iceman was a true pro. He explained to the campers that Gervin didn’t talk trash when he started taking it to him and that true pro’s don’t need to talk trash, they simply let their game talk for them.

While there weren’t many Duke prospects there were some that Duke has contacted and likely will look at in the near future.

Cliff Alexander: This was the first opportunity to see the 6’9 2014 Chicago big man and he did not disappoint. Cliff ran the floor as well as any big at the camp and seemed to constantly put forth that energy you wish to see from a big man. As most camp settings go the guards do not always pass to the big men, but that didn’t stop Big C (he has this tattooed on his right shoulder) from hustling and getting put backs in. When a guard did dump it off to him in the post he knew exactly what to do with it. Cliff showed the instincts to keep the ball up high and go straight up for dunks, eliminating any pesky guards from reaching in and stripping it away from him. He showed off a beautiful spin move across the baseline in which the defender had no chance of stopping and went straight up for a easy flush. Alexander also showed off a bit of range as he knocked down back to back 20 footers from the right baseline. Overall it was easy to see why he is considered to be one of the better big men in his class.

Stanley Johnson: By now I’ve had a chance to see Stanley a few times and he continued to bring that same defense that he was heralded for. The 6’6 Mater Dei wing has a solid frame for his age and displays some nice bounce as well. Reviewing one of Andrew’s earlier articles with him he had stated he felt his shooting and ball handling was a weakness of his. While he isn’t a deadly sniper his jumper was pretty smooth and he dropped it fairly consistently this weekend. He stated in my video interview with him that he had been working hard on it and it seemed to show. He also showed off an ability to get into the lane and attack the basket. Johnson seemed to be everywhere on the court and always playing hard defense on his man.

Wayne Selden: I was fortunate enough to see Wayne a few times last summer at the Nike EYBL in Los Angeles so it was intriguing to see how he had improved since last summer. He seemed to be slightly bigger than I remember last summer. Selden was listed at 6’5 and he looks pretty close to that listing. Wayne is very powerfully built and that alone allows him to bulldoze his way through defenders that stand in his way. Defenders had a difficult time dealing with his relentless attacking of the rim. Wayne threw down a few nice dunks showing off his power and leaping ability. Selden also put on display his shooting ability this weekend. He showed off a very smooth stroke from deep as well as some mid range game. One aspect of his game that I was surprised to see was his passing ability. He fired off numerous pin point passes over the weekend that would make some viewers light up in surprise. Andrew had stated to me that Wayne wanted to expand his game some and play point guard. While I’m not sure if he could run a team fulltime, he certainly could have a decent portion of the offense run through him with his playmaking ability. At this point he’s such a talented guard that he’s going to attract some attention, creating the possibility for open teammates to get easy looks. It was very easy to see why he is considered one of the best in 2014.

Isaiah Briscoe: Known as ‘Boogie’ on the courts, the 2015 freshman played extremely well this weekend. This was my first chance at seeing him but I was fortunate enough to catch about 3 games from the Newark, New Jersey native. The cousin of former Duke guard, and current NBA Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving, Briscoe seems to play the game with almost an older players mindset. He plays with extreme composure for such a young player. He is also built like a prospect that might be in his junior or senior year of high school. Briscoe was all over the court playing some defense as well as showing off his driving ability and shooting ability. He made some nice passes this weekend but unfortunately his teammates were unable to connect at times. Briscoe definitely looks the part of a top 2015 player and at this point there’s no reason to see him slowing down. He was very impressive this weekend and Duke fans would be happy to see him follow in his cousins footsteps.

Chris McCullough: The 2014 Bronx native was very active this weekend. Andrew introduced his game to me this weekend and I came away fairly impressed. Listed at about 6’10 the big man has some nice length for his size. At this point he’s on the thinner side but you can see his frame is built to add some weight. McCullough had some very nice put backs this weekend and was active up and down the court. He showed some driving ability from outside but I’m not sure that will be his game down the road. However, it did show the talent that he possesses at such a young age. Once he puts one more weight McCullough should be difficult to handle.

There were two PG’s that were supposed to be at the event that supposedly had Duke as dream schools. As Andrew had mentioned on the board 2014 PG Parker Jackson-Cartwright was one of them but he would likely end up picking Arizona. Unfortunately Parker was not at the event. The other was 2014 Las Vegas prospect Shaquille Carr. I was told that Carr’s dream school was Duke but wanted to confirm it. I spoke with him briefly and he lit up when I asked him if he had any dream schools. It was refreshing to see a prospect be so honest. He told me that Duke was always his dream school and that he would probably commit on the spot if offered. I asked Carr what he liked about Duke so much and he stated it was the offense that Coach Krzyzewski ran. He enjoyed how much freedom and responsibility the guards were given. Carr said he considered himself a floor general and that his strength was getting to the rim. I caught him on a few occasions and he showed an ability to drive and dish off to the man down low. He also was able to thread the needle on a few occasions this weekend. He’s currently considered anywhere from a three to four star prospect. Regardless, it was refreshing to see a player be so honest and show love for Duke this weekend.

Miscellaneous Notes:

    2015 prospect Stephen Zimmerman was supposed to be in attendance but was not.
    Allerik Freeman also did not attend as apparently he had been missing too much school due to various basketball events.
    Former Duke great Johnny Dawkins was briefly in attendance to watch his son Aubrey.
    Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown also was in attendance briefly to watch his son Elijah Brown.
    Findlay Prep coach Mike Peck was in attendance likely catch his player Christian Wood. [/private]