[private]The Glaxo Smith Kline Invitational has afforded Duke fans their first opportunity to see 2009 commitment Mason Plumlee play in the Triangle since last seasons State Championships.  Plumlee didn't disappoint, prompting one recruiting guru to exclaim, "Mason is the real deal, Duke has got a good one in him.  He can do it all."

Plumlee is the younger brother of current Duke player Miles Plumlee, yet he was the first to cast his lot to wear the royal blue.  He plays for Christ School of Arden, the defending state champion and a team that is now a traditional North Carolina power.

Plumlee pretty much had his way in his teams 70-45 win over Apex Middle Creek during their tournament opener.  Plumlee tallied 18 points going 9 of 11 from the field.  He added 7 rebounds and 2 blocks to his total as well.

"He continues to do what he should.  He plays like a high school All American should play," said Christ School Coach David Gaines.

Plumlee showed off his ball handling ability and was a force on the boards while altering shots.  He threw down a reverse slam dunk as the first half ended and had two consecutive dunks prior to that. 

"We just did what we needed to do.  I think it all starts with our rebounding.  We have great defenders and when they can put that much pressure on the perimeter and we get some easy baskets offensively, it makes things come together much quicker," said Plumlee when talking of his teams win.

Plumlees numbers may seem a bit low to some, but one must consider that his team features seven Division I prospects or commitments and they can go very deep.  How deep?  Well, they played ten players in the first half against Middle Creek.

"He is a little too unselfish for me.  I would like to see him dominate more, but I think Mason has a feel for the game and wants to get others involved maybe a little bit too much," said Gaines.  He then touched on the aforementioned depth. "Mason Lakeems' (Jackson, South Carolina commitment)statistics are misleading.  They are averaging about 16 points a game, but both would rather pass it than shoot it."

Plumlees team will face Rocky Mount led by UNC commitment Reggie Bullock on Monday evening as the Glaxo Invitational continues in Raleigh.  "Kinston is going to be the most disciplined well coached team that we've played.  "Reggie Bullock is a tremendous player and they do things the way we do things.  That's (game) is going to be more of a chess match," said Gaines when asked of Rocky Mount.

Blue Devil Nation Premium subscribers can get a more detailed scouting analysis and a one on one question and answer session with Mason Plumlee  Members also have access to the premium only message boards, where we blog live from the event.  Next up is a Ryan Kelly game story in our free section and a Ryan Kelly interview for members.[/private]