Tag Archives: Miles Plumlee

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One on One with future Dukie Mason Plumlee

The following is a question and answer session with Duke commitment Mason Plumlee which took place after his teams victory.  Plumlee discusses his match up with Ryan Kelly, his brother Miles and

Plumlee slams one of two consecutive dunks down - copyright BDN Premium Photos
Plumlee slams one of two consecutive dunks down - copyright BDN Premium Photos

Marshall, his teams play, his spectacular dunks in his first Glaxo game, what the Duke coaches have him working on, his love for the Triangle area and much more in this exclusive one on one interview.

Let's back up to the Chic-Fil-A tournament where your team faced Ravenscroft.  A lot of people wanted to make that game out to be Mason Plumlee vs Ryan Kelly, both of you Duke commitments.  Were you more pumped up for that game than normal?

I was more-so because Ravenscroft was a team ... they were undefeated, we were undefeated and we just wanted to make our mark as a team.  Of course people try to hype up individual stuff.  We talked about it as a team ad decided we are going into every game as a team.  It's not us against them.  We had a game where one team had a kid that was going to a school that didn't offer Reggie, but we still attacked them as a team and not individual match ups. [private]

What's it like to have Duke Assistant Coaches Wojo and Collins watching you?

It feels good just to see them at the game.  It makes you want to play well, that for sure (smiling).  It's good to have them here.

I see that your parents are here and your younger brother plays along with you.  Are you finding a little time to relax with them during this time?

Yeah.  I've been with Miles the last couple of days.  We're getting to know Durham a little bit.  I like it down here.

What has Miles told you about his freshman season at Duke?

He just said it was a lot of work.  He's glad he went to Christ School because it's prepared him for college as best it could be.  But he said college is a whole other animal in terms of his studies.  He's in Engineering

That's biting off a lot as a freshman ...

Yeah, he just says it's tough to balance school and basketball.  He loves it at Duke.  That's never been questioned.

You seem to have added more to your game.  What was going through your head when you threw down that reverse dunk?

(laughing)  Maybe not in this game but when you play against so many athletes and stuff where people try to block your dunk from behind, if you go under the rim you still get the dunk in.  I probably didn't need to do it, but whats wrong with something different?

The crowd loved it ...

Yeah (smiling)

Has the staff told you to work on anything in particular?  What have they said to you?

Coach K saw me in my final game of the Chic-Fil-A and he wants me to play with my back to the basket and get a better feel down there.  "Get my behind on the block," he says, so (smiling)

Are you having a good time in high school or are you anxious to get to the next level ...

I'm loving every second of it in high school.  I love my team, I love my coaches and I want to enjoy every second.  I'm looking forward to Duke, but I just want to live in the moment.

Tell me a little bit about Marshall.  Whats going on with him these days?

He's trying to live the day, but he's been working hard.  He hasn't come into his own completely which is obvious.  But he always plays hard getting rebounds and blocking some shots.  He'll just keep getting better.

Do you guys ever work out together?  What routines are you going through to build yourself up?

There are a couple of people on the team who are always working on their game.  It's obvious who wants to get better and we work hard in high school.  We go hard in practice, but outside of that we are always in the weight room or doing skills stuff.

Coach Gaines admitted to me that you guys were looking ahead to that Oak Hill game a little bit.  What are your thoughts on that?

I was upset after the game last year because we lost by three.  If I remember right I missed three free throws in the second half.  So, it's just one of those games ... we only had two losses last year and that's one of those games we shouldn't have lost.

So, how are your parents liking the area?

They like it.  They moved down for the week.  Where we are from ... it's kind of boring.  I'm trying to talk them into moving down here, but only if they can.  I love it here.  We did some last minute Christmas shopping ... it's a nice area.

Are you looking forward to the challenge against Kinston and UNC commitment Reggie Bullock?

It's going to be a good challenge and we are looking forwad to competing and hopefully winning this tournament.  That's our goal.

Thanks for your time.

Thank you! [/private]

Duke Basketball

Duke Assistant Coach Chris Collins talks Duke Basketball

Singler and Scheyer were really good against Purdue ...

I think they were quietly looking forward to seeing how they stacked up with Hummel and Moore.  Both of those kids are very confident players with what they can do and they're unbelievable competitors - they fight for everything.

Duke Assistant Coach Chris Collins instructs freshman Mile Plumlee in practice.
Duke Assistant Coach Chris Collins instructs freshman Mile Plumlee in practice.

We did actually.  When we recruited Kyle he was one of the best players in America.  He's now made another big jump and has become an elite player.  Jon has always had that warriors mentality.  Now that his body is catching up with his mind he's able to put it all together.  I've always thought he was an underrated player.  People who follow the game or coaches follow the game know what kind of value he has.

The team will have a big break after the Michigan game.  As a staff what will you focus on at that time?

During the exam break you have to keep your conditioning up.  You've got to try to keep getting better.  It gives you a little bit of a break to let your body rest.  We've had eight games early on which takes a big toll on your body.  We're going to continue to take the long view with this team.  It's a long season and we're a long ways from March.  We have to continue to do what we can to get better not only for the rest of the season, but for the ACC.

Elliot seems to be pushing it a bit ...

I think with both of our freshmen, Elliot and Miles, we think both of them are going to be outstanding players.  What you are seeing with them is that they are on a team that's loaded with great veteran leadership and players.  It kind of reminds me a little bit of the olden days when I was in school in the late eighties and early nineties you can in a learned contributing while getting better as the season went along trying to improve upon your role.  Both of those guys have great attitudes.  We have high hopes for both of them.  It's kind of just when it clicks.  They have great role models with the upper classmen on this team and their attitudes have been great.  We've just got to continue to stress to them it's a process.

Gerald has been struggling a little bit on the offensive end ...

I think with Gerald has been a little off.  When you are a good scorer and things aren't going as good for you, the best thing you can do is concentrate on other areas of the game.  He rebounded well against Purdue, got some steals and really put his stamp on the game.  If he can continue to do the things he did against Purdue, when his offense comes you are going to have a real dynamic player.

How is Greg coming along?

Greg's coming along well.  Nolan got in foul trouble against Purdue but Greg came in and did well.  That's the great thing about having two capable point guards.  He ran our team and made a big basket late in the game with a lay up.

You grew up loving the NBA and are a hoops aficionado probably watching every game that's on the air when at home ... do you find time for other things?

I am probably going to get kicked out of the house by my wife and kids.  I have such a passion for basketball.  My earliest memories as a kid were going into the locker rooms after games and being around it and watching it ...  I've been a junkie my whole life.  Now, being able to play with my son, go out in the yard with him and shoot around is great.

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Duke Basketball

Deep roster will compete to support a solid core

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Duke returns a solid core of players from last year's 28-6 squad. Kyle Singler, a 6-8 220 power forward, was the ACC Rookie of the Year and 3rd Team All-ACC. Versatile 6-4 wing Gerald Henderson had a breakout sophomore season. Jon Scheyer was invaluable as Duke's Sixth Man playing the third most minutes and was the team's fourth leading scorer. Greg Paulus recovered from the injuries that plagued him as a sophomore, displayed a deadly 3-point shooting ability, and earned 3rd Team All-ACC honors.

The challenge for the coaching staff this season will be managing the five or six players required to support the solid core of Singler, Henderson, Scheyer, and Paulus. Which players emerge and secure spots in the rotation is a question which will be answered during intense practice sessions throughout the season. With 12 scholarship players healthy and available to compete, Duke is deeper and more experienced than they have been in recent seasons.

The first question is how improved will Nolan Smith be as a sophomore? He tallied 5.9 points in 14.7 minutes per game as a freshman and displayed flashes of greatness at times. In a key victory, on the road at Maryland, on January 27th, he scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds in twenty minutes of action. His highest scoring game of the year was on February 17th when he dropped 21 points on Wake Forest. Unfortunately that was in a losing effort. Smith was slowed, down the stretch, by a hyper extended knee so his season statistics under represent his actual contribution on the court.

Duke is going to need Smith to be a consistent performer this season especially on defense. With defensive stopper DeMarcus Nelson lost to graduation, Smith is the likely candidate to draw the assignment of guarding the opponent's best perimeter player. With solid freshman to sophomore season improvement a la Gerald Henderson, Smith could emerge as a star for the Blue Devils. Smith is currently slated to be Duke’s starting point guard. In recent comments, Coach Mike Krzyzewski stated, “Right now, Nolan would be a starter.” With Smith in the starting line-up, it appears Greg Paulus will take over the Sixth Man role occupied by Jon Scheyer last season.

Next, is Miles Plumlee a viable option to fill the starting post player position? He has been especially impressive in early practice and the exhibition game against Virginia Union, a game in which he started, played 16 minutes, scored 14 points, and grabbed seven rebounds. With Plumlee slated to break into the starting line-up, it appears Duke is set to address their post presence short-comings of a year ago. Coach Krzyzewski on Plumlee, after the Virginia Union game: “Good hands, good feet, a shot blocker, runs and it’s just a matter of him getting experience. He’s got a great feel for the game. He’s a very good athlete.”

A center-by-committee of Miles Plumlee, Brian Zoubek, and Lance Thomas is a definite possibility. After the Blue-White game, Coach Krzyzewski praised Lance Thomas for his defensive pressure. “When he’s in the game we need to pick up our pressure in the full court, because defensively he’s outstanding. You have to give him the opportunity to use those talents when he is in there.” Brian Zoubek has put up impressive numbers in limited minutes: five points and six rebounds in just 12 minutes against Virginia Union; 10 points and three rebounds in the Blue-White game. It appears all three players will get minutes and the opportunity to shine. Over the long haul of the season, their combined efforts should develop into a situation where the whole is greater than the sum of the individual pieces.

Before proceeding any further, it must be stated that Duke, like every other team, must avoid the injury bug. The past two seasons have been negatively impacted by injuries. Paulus broke his foot on the first day of practice in 2006, Zoubek broke his foot twice last season, Thomas suffered from a respiratory infection, Henderson hurt his wrist, the flu bug struck hard with inconvenient timing, and who knows what other minor injuries never leaked to the press. A healthy 2008-2009 season would be a nice change.

Finally, who will emerge to take over and secure spots as the ninth and tenth men in the rotation? Dave McClure, Elliot Williams, Marty Pocius, and Olek Czyz will be fighting for playing time as role players off the bench. All four of these players should have an opportunity to contribute early in the season, but when the ACC season starts competition for playing time will stiffen and it is not unrealistic to expect Coach Krzyzewski to shrink the rotation to ten players. Fifth year senior Dave McClure has the advantage of understanding the system, red shirt junior Marty Pocius is healthy and coming off a summer spent playing with the Lithuania National Team, and freshman Elliot Williams is extremely athletic. “I think he could be one of our better on-ball defenders,” Coach Krzyzewski said. Freshman Olek Czyz is a natural athlete and a guy who will be looking to make an impact when given the opportunity.

Duke is in good shape to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. The team has a solid core and a talented supporting cast. By avoiding the injury bug, having a ball or two bounce the right way, and improving as the season unfolds, a trip to Detroit and the Final Four is a realistic expectation for this edition of the Duke Blue Devils.[/private]

Duke Basketball

50 Minutes to Success

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The success of the 2008 - 2009 Duke basketball season will be dependent upon 50 minutes. That is 50 minutes per game as in 40 minutes per game at the Center position and 10 minutes per game at the Power Forward position. Duke is solid on the perimeter and perimeter players will pace the team with an emphasis on pressure defense, transition basketball, and 3-point shooting. If the front court can consistently contribute with points, solid interior defense, rebounding, and shot blocking, this Duke team has the potential to be special.

Kyle Singler will play 30 minutes per game at Power Forward, but the other 10 minutes per game will be up for grabs. All 40 minutes of playing time at Center are available. There are five players competing for those 50 minutes: Lance Thomas (6-8, 220), Brian Zoubek (7-1, 260), Dave McClure (6-6, 200), Olek Czyz (6-7 240), and Miles Plumlee (6-10, 230). The competition for playing time should be fierce.

Last season, front court players, Lance Thomas, Brian Zoubek, Taylor King, and Dave McClure combined to contribute 14.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 47.6 minutes per game. Starting Power Forward Kyle Singler averaged 13.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and .7 blocks in 28.6 minutes per game.  All together, Duke's front court contributed 27.9 points, 16.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in 76.2 minutes per game.

In contrast, out in Lawrence, Darrell Arthur, Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaun, and Cole Aldrich combined for 33.9 points, 19.9 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks in 75 minutes per game for national champion Kansas.  Over in Chapel Hill, Tyler Hansbrough, Deon Thompson, and Alex Stepheson combined for 35.3 points, 19.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in 68.9 minutes per game.

This season's team must achieve more production, from those approximately 50 minutes of playing time, to complement Kyle Singler's efforts. The key to success is having consistent production across all five positions. For the last two years, Duke has at times played four on five on the offensive end of the court. For the first two years of their careers, Lance Thomas (63 games) has averaged 4.15 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game, while Brian Zoubek (57 games) has averaged 3.45 points and 2.8 rebounds in 8.9 minutes per game. Rising Senior Dave McClure's numbers are 2.4 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per game over 88 games.

The efforts of the aforementioned three players have been hampered by injury and sickness. Brian Zoubek has had surgery on his foot twice, Dave McClure has undergone surgery on both knees, and Lance Thomas has suffered from severe ankle sprains and a respiratory infection. If they can achieve and maintain good health, these three veterans have the potential to be much improved this season.

Two new front court players will suit up for the Blue Devils this season. Miles Plumlee and Olek Czyz are arriving in Durham as the # 40 and # 92 ranked players, respectively, in the Class of 2008, according to Scout.com. Plumlee, at 6-10 230, is noted to be a skilled player on both ends of the court, while Olek Czyz, 6-7 240, is a raw talent with very good athleticism including a 40" vertical. Adjusting to Duke's defensive scheme will be the major obstacle to playing time for these two freshmen. If they can learn to play Duke Defense, they should challenge their upper class teammates for playing time.  Unquestionably, they will add depth to Duke's front court.

With five players competing for those 50 minutes of available playing time, Duke is in good shape to see more points, rebounds, and blocked shots produced. With added production to a team that averaged 83.2 points per game and achieved a 28-6 record last season, the Duke Blue Devils will achieve much more success in the 2008 - 2009 season.[/private]

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Plumlee talks of his official visit, brother Miles and the future

Blue Devil Nation Premium had a chat with Mason Plumlee about his official visit to Duke this past weekend.  He speaks of his brother Miles, his play over the summer with Team USA, his chat with Coach K and his upcoming high school season.

As a member, you have full access and much more awaits you inside.  You will read the very latest from Josh Hairston, Andre Dawkins, and Tyler Thornton.  Be one of the first to read Thornton's thoughts on his commitment.  Get vital updates on Boynton, Kelly, Smith and Knight and find out who else the Devils are looking at.

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One could certainly make the argument that when Mason Plumlee committed to Duke, it was like a shot in the arm to the program.  Before his verbal, two top rated prospects never made it on campus, choosing to play elsewhere.   While some fans worried with the usual message board doom and gloom, Plumlee became a cornerstone of sorts and the future of Duke Basketball is shining bright.

When Mason visited the Duke campus during the courting process, his brother Miles (Duke 08) tagged along.  Nobody knew at that time Stanford would lose their coach and gain former Duke Assistant Johnny Dawkins.  It ended up working out well for Duke in that Miles had seen Mason's recruitment up close and personal.  This prompted him to sign once he was released.

Mason Plumlee has become an important recruit for other reasons besides the later addition of his brother.  He's the prototypical Duke big man in that he is versatile.  I have been able to view about 12 of his games since Duke first showed interest.   His strengths include the ability to pass and put the ball on the floor extremely well for an player with a 6-10 frame.  With his ability to hit the boards, take up room in the lane, a nice and still developing offensive game and you have a player that is sure to contribute.

Plumlee finally made his official visit to Durham in a weekend that became a recruiting bonanza. "The official went real well.  Just to get over to Duke again was nice," said Plumlee.

"It was the first time I got to see [private] my family - everybody but my sister."  His little sister had to stay home for school.  Education is a big thing in the Plumlee family as is evidenced by their sons solid work in the classroom.

When asked about the highlights of his visit, he said, "Just seeing Miles and Coach K of course."  I then asked him what Miles had to say.  "He just really likes it in all ways.  He said there is a lot of work to it.  He just told me how glad he was that he decided to go there.  It was fun just hanging out with him and other (Elliot Williams) freshman."

I asked him if K and company was showing their usual love of family during his visit.  "Yes, definitely.  My parents were there and Miles and I were able to spend time with them."  In a recent talk with his parents, both told me how hard their sons would work and it was obvious of their love for each of them.

"We played a lot of pick up games on Friday and Saturday.  They mixed up the teams pretty well.  On Saturday, the three 2010 kids came and we played a lot.  Jon Scheyer impressed me the most of the current players - I was able to play with him."

Plumlee mentioned that he talked to Coach K on Friday.  "We talked about how I didn't play so good the second half of the summer and some things to work on and some minor goals for this year.  We talked a lot about Miles too."

Mason started off playing well for the USA U-17 team this summer, but he admitted he was disheartened that his playing time suddenly diminished during the last couple of games.

"This summer was both good and bad and that made me realize there were a lot of things I wanted to work on.  There was definitely a difference in my play during the early spring and Vegas.  I just felt like I didn't play as hard as I needed to at times."

In talking to his Dad I found out that Mason had flown into the United States from South America and then hopped on a flight to Vegas for the final AAU tournaments.  Perhaps this had something to do with fatigue, but when I asked him of it,  Mason would in no way make any excuses, stating there were none.

Mason is very excited about his upcoming high school season where he will lead the defending state champions Christ School for another run.  "I think we have a really good chance at defending our title," said Plumlee.

After our chat I pondered young Plumlee's answers and I can tell you that he was very frustrated at his lack of time on Team USA.  I then took the time to look at the box scores and it made even less sense to me why his time diminished in that his numbers were solid early on.  Then something dawned on me.

Davidson Coach Bob McKillop was in charge and a player Duke has recently offered, Ryan Kelly, was starting while Mason was coming off the bench.  As recruitniks, many of you might remember that McKillop was going hard after Kelly at that time.  While it may be nothing more than happenstance, I still found it a bit interesting that Kelly ended up starting after the first couple of games.

Mason did talk of Kelly, mentioning that he realized that Duke needed more than a couple of bigs, and stated he hopes Kelly comes to Duke.  The two played against each other several times in the AAU circuit and there was one match up during the TOC which was classic.  Kelly had a great first half, while Plumlee struggled.  Things changed in the second half where Plumlee led his team to a comeback win, thoroughly controlling the game.  (report from that game will be place on the message board)

In closing, I see a young man that has been a bit riled and he wants to constantly get better.  He is going through daily drills and working hard in the weight room.   He seems determined to prove that the late season swoon was an anomaly.  The most impressive thing about Mason is his desire to do the right thing and not complain in some tough situations. [/private]

Duke Basketball

Blue Devils continue play in the NC Pro Am

As I stated in my last Pro Am report, more stars would start to come out during the final weeks.  The mere addition of JJ Hickson, gave winless E-Net another force down low to go with Josh Powell which carried them to a 71-46 win over the RDU Barnstormers.

The Barnstormers feature three Dukies in Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and incoming freshman Olek Czyz.  Singler got little help from Czyz in defending Powell and Hickson, which shows that work lies ahead for one of the most popular players in the tournament.  Czyz did drain a three and positioned himself better on the court than on Tuesday.  And he of course had a sweeping one handed dunk which brought about many looking at one another as if to say, did you see that?

Still, for all the tremendous athleticism Czyz possesses, his defense is a work in progress.  Czyz plays hard all the time and is in excellent game shape and Coach K will certainly tweak his game to a desired effect.  Czyz finished the evening with 15 points.

Kyle Singler (12 points) was steady, but tired after working overtime on the glass which took a toll on his shot.  I mean, he never comes out of the game and I have yet to see any other player not get a little rest in the event.  Unfortunately, some sloppy guard play which accounted for four straight turnovers at one point, helped send the Barnstormers to their second loss.

Nolan Smith came off the bench for the Barnstormers and had a stretch in the first half which I have yet to see anyone recognize.  I mean all he did was wreck havoc in the passing lanes, slash to the rim on his ways to 13 consecutive points.  That's right, 13 straight points!  The second half was a different story for Smith who scored but 2 points giving him a total of 15.  Smith struggled from the free throw stripe and this was a classic case of a tale of two half's.

Another Duke freshman, Elliot Williams played on the winning team and he would on some occasions match up with Nolan.  Williams cored just 11 points tonight but continued to show the ability to make his team better with his passing.  The fact that he can take his man off the dribble, allowed him to draw multiple defenders which allowed him to make the pass to a teammate for the open shot, if not a dunk.  One thing is certain, that being Williams has the ability to contribute in a big way as a freshman.

One thing about sitting as close as I do to the action is that you see a lot more than just the game.  Nolan is still not 100% and favored his knee down the stretch.  While I normally do not talk of how the games are called, I must admit that this one was sloppy.  Hey, no homer-ism though!  The entire body of games on this night were called in an inconsistent manner, in my opinion.

In fact, the first game had a controversial foul on tournament sponsor Jerry Stackhouse (11 points) as less than second was left on the clock.  Miles Plumlee would later be called for an iffy foul with 3.2 seconds on the clock with his team up a single digit.  Ironically, he fouled a soon to be teammate that he was playing against on this night.  Lance Thomas missed hit one of two and the game went to overtime.

Thomas played a bigger role in the extra period, flushing a hard dunk and connecting on two free throws at a critical juncture of the game.  Thomas moved well and played good position defense scoring his tournament high of 17 points. 

This was the first time I got to see Miles Plumlee (10 points) and he showed me that he is pretty good with his decision making and that he plays hard.  He drew UNC freshman Ed Davis (16 points) and had to play a lot of help defense which would leave a man open where teammate's didn't shift.  He plays smart and has indeed gained some weight to a body that is still a work in progress.  I look forward to seeing him more.

In the end Stacks Regulators  team remained undefeated, but they got help from two obvious makeup calls which somewhat tainted the game for this fan.  It was a really tight game that was full of intensity down the stretch and it should have been decided by the players and not the whistle.

Despite the lackluster officiating on this night, there was still great entertainment value in that the event is absolutely free and the crowd was the the biggest yet.  They will throw the rock up again this coming Tuesday and if you are a Triangle resident, there is little reason not to go.  Read other reviews and in depth analysis on the BDN Premium Message Board by becoming a member.

Standings Link

Photos - (1) Miles Plumlee and Ed Davis, (2) Kyle Singler*, (3) Elliot Williams*, Olek Czyz*

*Rick Crank (All Photos on BDN are original unless otherwise marked and they are copyrighted.  IOW, no reproductions without prior permission)