Blue Devil Nation video catches up to Quinn Cook, the true freshman point guard for Duke University. Coach Krzyzewski said that he was healthy and ready to go during today's press conference.
BDN goes one on one with Duke Freshman Quinn Cook
Tag Archives: Mark Watson
Monday Musings – Duke Basketball & Football, Cheerleader of the week
Well it certainly is an exciting time of year for Duke fans with the football team riding a three game winning streak and the basketball team set to kick off practice. A lot of us in the media joke about taking vitamins this time of year in that the hours can be brutal with both basketball and football kicking it into high gear at the same time. Then, you have to add recruiting to the picture, for us, anyhow. So, yes, a test of true endurance is coming up and I can only hope I am rested enough to deal with it. Of course, there are a lot of worse things to be doing than being court-side for Countdown to Craziness or the sidelines for the Florida State game, so I'll make due.
Basketball is here!
Let's face it, Duke is a Goliath to many for the program is college basketball royalty and breaths the rare air of constant contention for championships. While most are awaiting Countdown to Craziness, the coverage begins in earnest on Wednesday, when Duke holds their annual media day. BDN will of course be on the scene to bring you information as it happens in that we are hands on with our unique and faithful coverage.
Countdown to Craziness
Man, can you believe that Countdown to Craziness is this Friday? It doesn't seem like that long ago when Nolan Smith came off the court in Greensboro, meeting Coach K in mid air for a hug after Duke won yet another ACC Championship. For those who have never been to the event, it's a religious experience for the fans with rabid Cameron Crazies rocking the house. And you see the freshman in their uniforms for the first time and simply gain our first look at this seasons team. It's off the charts from a fan perspective with skits, dunk contests and just flat out fun! It's always interesting to see what songs each player chooses to come out to as the lights are dimmed and spotlights glow. This years event will be broadcast online at ESPN3 but there is nothing like being there in person! The festivities start early on outside, so make a day of it by getting there early and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of all things Duke. For the record, many want to know which recruits will visit. The answer to that question is Matt Jones and Rasheed Sulaimon. Most all the juniors Duke is recruiting will have duties with Team USA, thus causing a conflict in scheduling. Rumors blew up that Tony Parker would be in, but as of today, that is not the case. But of course, Parker remains a player that Coach K and the Duke Family dearly want in Durham.
And then .....
Support the football team the next day as they take on Florida State, a team that was picked by everybody to win the ACC in the pre season, not to mention being ranked #5 in the country. This will be one angry group as they are coming off three straight losses including one to Wake Forest last week. The Deacs took it right at the Seminoles and that is what you have to do, be aggressive and play to win. Still, I hate facing a team that has gone as far to ban twitter among it's players yesterday, for you can bet we get their best shot. But this is a young Duke Football team with talent, so if they can match the intensity and play four full quarters of football, they will be in this game. Our football coverage will continue tomorrow after Coach Cut's press conference. A reminder, we tweet as he speaks, so tune into to our popular twitter home a little after noon and check out his comments. Folks, BDN has become the place for recruiting and team information due to the hard work of Patrick Cacchio with some assists from the rest of our staff. Patrick was in Miami to cover the big win over FIU, bringing you video interviews after the contest, And that is something not even the TV stations to claim. We are dedicated to covering Duke Football and this site is #Dukegang friendly.
Sean Renfree is the key
Sean Renfree is seeing the field better than at any time of his career in my opinion. The coaches have turned him loose allowing him to stay in when in the red zone and his confidence has soared during that time. Renfree is the key to the Blue Devils success, so if he gets protection, he will make Duke a tough out during a brutal stretch of games that remain on the schedule.
I think Seth Curry will blow up this season
The biggest question for Duke Basketball is where will points come from this season. With Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler and Kyrie Irving long gone, it is up to a lot of Blue Devils to step up to the plate for the opportunity is at hand. I said in early summer that I thought Curry will make that leap this season and I still feel that way as the season approaches. Curry is a scorer and he's gone through the Duke system enough to flourish in it this season. I look for Curry to be first team All-ACC at seasons end.
Cheerleader of the week
We like to salute the team behind the team and we're speaking of Duke Cheerleaders and the Blue Devil himself. Folks have kept asking me to start Cheerleader of the Week back up, a Monday Musings tradition, so we did.
Speaking of social media ...
If you are not following Blue Devil Nation tweets, you should be! We throw out a lot of information about recruiting, the teams and more. It all started a few years back when we started tweeting from press row in Cameron and that carried into the National Championship game where we sent out real time stats and what was going on that the TV cameras were missing. Sitting directly behind Coach K gave us a lot of insight even though I did duck when they were in the team huddle for I felt like I was seeing something I shouldn't, LOL. It was a fabulous experience and I loved sharing the moments with Duke fans. We share some recruiting information on twitter as well, but must save the best of that for out members, who help make BDN happen. In fact, if you like what we do, the best way to support us is to become a member. We also have Facebook open group which is of course called Blue Devil Nation and we welcome you there as well. It is set up for your participation.
Contests are a hit!
We love when fans take part in our twitter contests which have been a hit since their inception long ago. Every week of the football season you can predict the score of the Duke Football game and that goes for all men's basketball games as well. You win a trial membership to our premium section and get your name in twitter lights if you win, so head on over and get your picks in this week.
Cha, cha, cha,cha, cha, changes ...
Okay, that probably ticked off David Bowie in that it was a bit lame. We spoke of site changes a good while back and they are still coming. Since that time, BDN has been in talks with others as well about going under their flag. We have yet to make a decision on what we'll do but I must admit it is hard altering something I've built from scratch as it continues to grow in popularity. We feel this is a unique site that has brought fans as close to the programs as one can get and we'll not alter that without a lot of thought. We have a lot of passion for Duke Athletics here and that is one thing you can rest assured will continue. Thanks to all of you for making this place what it is today by following us. We hit the road running with our original blog which became an overnight success and we continue to refine and try and make the site better. We have built tremendous relationships which we cherish greatly for many of them are true and legitimate sources as well as friends. When BDN says something, it is generally taken as gospel and we are proud that we have always dealt with the facts. We have been and will continue to be the most hands on Duke site out there, thanks to the great staff we've assembled.
Stay tuned!
By late Wednesday afternoon, the Nation will go nuts with coverage #DukeStyle.
Blue Devils visit Parker, McGary on the agenda as well in our latest update
Just yesterday, Coach Mike Krzyzewski visited 6-9 Tony Parker, one of the Blue Devils long time targets. Krzyzewski has been pro active with Parker for better than a year now and he's leaving no doubt that he is and has been a prime target, Parker has some of the best hands you'll see on a big man and he of course, eats up a lot of space in the paint. He has the opportunity to follow in the foot steps of similar past Duke alumni in Carlos Boozer, Shelden Williams and Elton Brand, all of whom are still balling in the NBA.
Today, Krzyzewski and company continue their trek when he will drop in on Brewster Academies Mitch McGary. The young budding star is another player the Blue Devils staff covets and one whom they are making sure knows their desire to see him rocking rims in Cameron Indoor Stadium. While some are saying that McGary is a Michigan lean, he said himself in the recent Jason Jordan's ESPN Blog that he didn't really know where he wanted to go yet. We tend to believe him and why not? McGary is not a kid that has been deceptive in his recruiting process to date and he is a young man with several schools making a hard play at him.
The Blue Devils will not be finished with the McGary visit. Three other key prospects are on the agenda. [private] Duke will also drop in on Nerlens Noel, the human fly swatter of a defender that is close to reclassifying. Had the Blue Devils been aware of that possibility, which maybe they were late like everyone else, you would have seen them more active. Coach Wojo visited Noel last week and Coach K will take a look at him today. Noel is the best defender I've seem come down the pike in quite a while, altering games and or should I say shots all by himself, getting into the heads of his opponent.
On Wednesday, Coach K will head west to see the nations top rated prospect in Shabazz Muhammad. I have told you all along that the Blue Devils would hang in this one until the end and that has payed off. Duke has a legitimate chance of landing Muhammad at the midnight hour and this is because of the relationship that has developed between Krzyzewski and the star prospect. UCLA is right there two and I personally feel it might come down to these two schools. Still, never count out Kentucky for they have time and time again sold kids on their, pardon the pun, one year program. Muhammad is a one and done kind of player and all involved know that. UCLA once selling him that he could be "the man," in Hollywood, now has to alter that a little bit with Kyle Anderson in the fold. Most feel Muhammad would like to play with Anderson but there are a few who feel he might not. Only time will tell on this one and be patient for this one will go on until the very last minute.
The Blue Devils will drop in on Julius Randle as well, a kid that they feel can like Parker, take on the role of a paint eater. Randle is a stud bull in the paint, unafraid of any comer. During the summer circuit, he more often than not took it to older opponents as a Texas Titan where he plays with Matt Jones, another Duke prospect coming to Countdown to Craziness. It's pretty awesome that Randle and Jabari Parker are seriously considering Duke and as I have said before, I feel Duke is in good shape with Parker and for that matter Randle.
Just a reminder to members - (This message in no way applies to all, for we have some great members here) We have had some problems with people taking information from here and putting it in free forums. Firstly, there are some things sensitive enough that the staff itself doesn't want it out in public forums and if it gets there it can hinder their work. Second, you entered a binding contract when signing up agreeing that you would not cut and paste or share our information in other forums. We want to take you at your word and hope it means something when you check the box. We don't allow others premium info in our forum in that it is about ethics for us. If you are one that has been guilty of the above, if we catch you, we will take action which could be a simple ban from this site or more if necessary. It shouldn't come to down to that. We don't expect you to not share info with your brother or something, we just ask that you be considerate in understanding that we work hard to bring you news and it keeps this site alive. The more that gets out there, the less I will say. That's just the way it is for we are about the health of Duke first and the money second. But it takes money for us to hit the trail like we do, so members are vital to our efforts. We have never claimed to know it all, but we do feel we are ahead of the curve more often than not with our offerings. I mean nobody has an Andrew Slater out there and you have to admit he's good at what he does, the best in my book. And Patrick has made this the place to be for football coverage and we expect that side of the site to continue to grow as people come to realize how hands on we are with the program. We have dreams of making this site even better and these are dreams I fully expect to come true, so stick with us and you'll be glad you did. On a positive closing note - - thanks for your support in that we truly appreciate you following Team BDN. We love serving Duke fans and hope to continue to do so forever. [/private]
2014 Stud, Jahlil Okafor picks up Duke offer – Updated
The Duke Basketball staff is on the road as you learned in out latest recruiting update and BDN has confirmed that an official offer was made to Jahlil Okafor, a 6-9 sophomore center who plays for Whiney Young High School in Chicago, Illinois.
Blue Devil Nation Recruiting Analyst Andrew Slater gives you the low down on Jahlil Okafor below and if you like what you read, you will love how informed Blue Devil Nation Premium is. What are you waiting for? Join in on the fun as a member now!
“For of those to whom much is given, much is required”
-President John F. Kennedy
Jahlil Okafor is a 6’10″ rising sophomore from the North Side of Chicago. In the Gold Medal game of the 16U FIBA Americas, the fifteen year-old was perfect from the floor and finished with eighteen points and fourteen rebounds against Argentina. This was the culmination of months of preparation. Okafor had spent countless hours refining his low-post skills and shedding some baby fat in order to be able to both make the final cut and ultimately contribute to the USA 16s team.
Although one of the youngest members of the team, Jahlil wound up finishing second on the team in rebounds (9.2 rpg) and third in points (14.6 ppg), while leading the team in shooting, both free throw (82.6%) and field goal (71%). His Mac Irvin teammate and friend, FIBA Americas MVP Jabari Parker, was on hand to celebrate the moment with him on the court in Mexico.
Okafor had a solid freshman year on the varsity team at Whitney Young, a magnet school that is the alma mater of First Lady Michelle Obama, the NBA veteran Quentin Richardson, and the directors of the Matrix, the Wachowski brothers. Jahlil was reportedly offered a scholarship to DePaul as an eighth grader at Rosemont Elementary School by their former interim coach, Tracy Webster. Since then, Okafor, a passionate Bulls fan, has received college scholarship offers from high-major programs across the country.
In late May, the decision was made to advance the fifteen year-old Jahlil to Mac Irvin’s 17U team in order to give more of a post presence for Nike’s EYBL wing in Los Angeles. Like a duck taking to water, he was a natural in his game against the physical 6’8″ senior Elijah Macon and All-Ohio Red. His advanced footwork, size, and developing low-post game have helped him hold his own against significantly older players at the LeBron James Skills Academy and the Peach Jam.
After losing his mother in the third grade, the focused and gregarious big man has been raised by his father Chukwudi “Chuck” Okafor and helped out by his aunt, Dr. Chinyere Okafor-Conley, an assistant principal at Penn Elementary School in Chicago. Education is a major point of emphasis in the family and was the primary factor in Jahlil’s decision to select the academically challenging school, Whitney Young.
For more, join BDN Premium for full site access.
Monday Musings – Football, Hoops and more
Good Morning Blue Devil Nation! Monday Musings has returned as have I after a few days of vacation which helped recharge my batteries. As it turns out I left the Triangle just before the earthquake and then Wilmington, North Carolina before the hurricane but I now must face the storm ahead.
The coming storm is not necessarily a bad one mind you for I am talking about wall to wall coverage of Duke Football and Basketball which begins this week and ends around April before I recharge again for recruiting. It's time for football and Duke takes on Richmond at 7:00 in Wallace Wade Stadium this Saturday.
Duke opens with Richmond
Duke has dropped two consecutive games to the Spiders and that has left a bad taste in the mouths of fans. Richmond is not a game you schedule when you want a gimme and they come in 7.5 underdogs according to Vegas Insider. While it is true they lost their coach this past week due to a DUI, teams sometimes rally during times of adversity.
The Blue Devils simply need to win. They are an ACC school and this is the first season we'll see all of Coach David Cutcliffes players since his arrival. Coach Cut has been able to redshirt kids, something that hasn't happened in the past at Duke unless there was an injury. As a program, Duke has made some much needed facility improvements, but the improvement most care about is on the field itself each Saturday afternoon or evening.
Basketball team returns
Duke went 4-0 during their China-Dubai trip but reading too much into anything is a mistake. The games in China were disjointed due to officiating and that never allowed for a game flow. In short, the experience itself was a big deal in that these trips grow young men off the court. Duke has yet to harness team chemistry but they got an idea of what it will take for that to come about. Duke ran a total of three offensive sets, so to think you have an idea of what the offense will look like could prove inaccurate. In fact, Duke held back a lot during the trip and the staff will sit down and break down film before deciding how they'll attack on offense this season.
Visits being set
The Blue Devils are in the process of setting up visits from their key basketball prospects and we'll be taking a look at those in our Premium section.
BDN Premium represented at the Elite 24
If you have followed Blue Devil Nation over the years, it is clear that we cover the recruiting trail like no other site. It's one of our calling cards in our premium section. This past week we covered the Elite 24 in Venice Beach, California where live updates from the four days appeared on our private (members only) message board. This week, we'll hear from Duke prospects and verbals and we'll start it off with a Rasheed Sulaimon interview.
BDN Premium Special, one week left!
We are currently running a special for new members of BDN Premium and this is the last week to save. A yearly membership is an all time low 85.00, 15% off our regular price and the other rates are discounted as well. Just go to the join page to see the prices and come on in for full site access. You'll be glad you did.
Changes are coming!
We've been flirting a bit with networks but have yet to make a decision on anything as of today. I can assure you that even if we remain independent [and we're more than okay with that] that site changes are in the works. Blue Devil Nation has set a new standard for other Duke sites to follow with our coverage and in turn made all of them better. Our ideas will continue to set the pace due to the best staff of any Duke site. Others can copy our ideas, format and style but they will never duplicate the genuine passion this site has for Duke Athletics.
BDN talks with Quinn Cook about his injury
Blue Devil Nation Video is red hot! Here is a one on one interview with Quinn Cook where he discusses the nagging knee injury and the love he has for his teammates and Duke. Cook is of course upset, but realizes that he needs to make sure the knee is good to go to avoid other injuries due to compensation. I have followed Cook since his sophomore season. In fact, BDN was the first Duke site to interview Cook. He's a great kid, that is loved by his teammates and you can bet that he will return to the court as soon as he can.
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