Tag Archives: Mitch McGary

Duke Basketball

The Clash in Cameron will feature Mitch McGary and Jabari Parker

On December the 17th in Durham, North Carolina, Bleid Sports will bring some of the nations top high school basketball players to Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first annual "Clash in Cameron."  The event will bring the likes of Duke prospects Jabari Parker and Mitch McGary to town as well as other big time players. There will be an abundance of talent on display and we'll list some of the stars to watch for in our next article but for now, let's take a look at what the event is about.

I got to know Matthew Moyer, the head of basketball operations at Bleid Sports recently and we had a shared interest and I liked what he was doing for the kids and schools with the event.  I have become a proud sponsor but please note that I have nothing to do with actual event planning or who is invited. "The "Clash at Cameron" grew so fast that Jamaul Alexander at NCCU was able to work it out to add the tremendous facility at his school. Both of these institutions have been such a blessing to work with. I don't know that I've met nicer people to work with," said Moyer.

Mitch McGary-BDN Photo

Another sponsor has come aboard as well, the Jerry Stackhouse group which puts on the N.C. Pro Am.  As you know BDN has worked closely with them during their summer event and we look forward to doing the same for the coming games. We'll have a lot more information on the event in the coming days and we'll keep you in the loop, so check back in with BDN for breaking news.  Moyer was kind enough to list the three basic principles of the that drive their effort -

The "Clash at Cameron" was developed with three basic principles in mind:

1. We want to offer student-athletes the opportunity to play at a venue that they may not otherwise have the chance to play in.

2. Our showcases are fundraisers for all of he schools involved. Each school gets 150 tickets to sell to their friends, families, and supporters. They keep all of the money from their ticket sales. We also print Gameday programs for each of our showcases. each school gets to sell 4 full pages and their team page. They may sell that "real estate" for whatever they would like. Again, they keep 100% of the money raised by selling those pages. We also offer several other fund raising opportunities for each school. We have quite a few schools across the country that are already exceeding $4000.00 in money raised for their school.

3. We are a Christian base organization. We stand firm in the belief that we offer players and coaches the chance to play in a very clean, well organized event that promotes good sportsmanship and fellowship with their fellow competitors.

Jabari Parker - BDN Photo

More from Matthew - Once we added the NCCU facility we decided to add some extra elements to the event. Nathan Faulk, the boys coach at South View high school, asked me to put together a coaches round-table meeting. So we did. We are now bringing in Reggie Rankin from ESPN and former Boston Celtic Dee Brown to host our coaches meeting on Friday, December 16th at the Chancellors dining room at NCCU at 5:30 P.M.  We are also having a featured game on Friday the 16th at NCCU between Body of Christ Academy from Durham and La Lumiere from Indiana. That game will be followed by a 3 point shooting and slam dunk contest.

On Saturday, December 17th the games begin at 8:30 A.M. at Cameron Indoor Stadium and NCCU. There will be 8 games at NCCU and 9 games in Cameron.

Clash in Cameron Schedule

8  Mitchell vs. Fayetteville 71st boys

9:30 Mitchell vs. Hoggard girls

11  South View vs. Eugene Ashley girls

12:30  Northwood vs. Charlotte Christian

2  Concord vs. Wilmington Hoggard

3:30  South View vs. Eugene Ashely boys

5  Kinston vs. Charlotte Christian girls

6:30 Raleigh Millbrook vs. Brewster Academy (Mitch McGary)

8  Kinston vs. United Faith Christian Academy

9:30 Huntington Prep vs. Simeon (Jabari Parker

 

NCCU

Friday 12/16:

Raleigh's Finest Academy vs. Christian Faith Center Academy

Arlington Country Day vs. La Lumiere

--Contests-- (dunk contest, etc)

North Gwinnett vs. Upper Room

Saturday at NCCU

9:30  Anson vs. Farmville Girls

11:00  Northwood v. Concord Girls

12:30  Anson vs. Farmville Boys

2:00  Body of Christ H.S. vs. Shiloh

3:30  Rocky Mount Prep vs. Christian Faith

5:00  Quality Ed. vs. La Lumiere

6:30  Arlington vs. Whitney Young (Okafor)

8:00  Raleigh's Finest vs. Body of Christ Prep

9:30  Mt. Zion vs. Kestrel

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Nation for breaking news leading up to the event and check back with us for more event information.

 

Duke Basketball

Watzone’s Duke Basketball Notebook – Duke-UNC Alumni Game & Tantilizing Nuggets

Let's get it started in here! Cameron Indoor Stadium is the place to be Saturday as the Duke Basketball team opens the season against defending Division II National Champion Bellarmine.

Duke-UNC Alumni Game in the works

I have no details other than it is scheduled to take place on November 17th.  With the NBA lockout, this could be a loaded and fun even and we'll have more details in the near future, so stay tuned.

Who is Bellarmine?

Duke takes on Bellarmine in it's exhibition opener this Saturday at 7:00 in Cameron Indoor Stadium.  For those of you unfamiliar with the school located in Kentucky, they are the defending Division II National Champions.  In fact, they are the pre season favorite to repeat and are ranked number one by Sporting News.  They have two first team Division II All Americans in Jeremy Kendle and Jermey Hobbs and a couple of new players have been added to an already talented cast.  Coach K is going to schedule the best teams possible to prepare his team.

Have you noticed yet?

Duke opens the season with a very talented Belmont team who won 30 games a season ago and they return everybody who counts.  This will be a tough test for the younger Blue Devils in that they are a well disciplined team.  The game is schedule to tip off at 9:05 EST on Friday November 11th.  But have you noticed that Duke has another game on Saturday versus Presbyterian at 4:30?  That's one heck of a quick turnaround!  Both games will be televised by ESPNU and every Duke game this season is televised on some network as always.

Rotation

I had a lot of questions on my Monday Musing article where I said the two Plumlee brothers, Kelly, Curry and Rivers would start.  What I meant to say were these are the five best players on this seasons team.  Andre Dawkins is right there and he may be in the lineup this week.  The key will be seeing which freshman can step up and provide depth for Duke will play a lot of them this season.

Speaking of freshman

Will there ever be a freshman that breaks Chis Duhons' record of 2.85-1 assist-turnover ratio? How about 51 dunks in their first season, a record held by Josh McRoberts?  Heck, how about Mike Gminki's 3.3 per blocks game when he was still 17 years old to start off his first year?  Johnny Dawkins is atop the list averaging 18.1 ppg as a frosh.  Bobby Hurley had 9, 10 assists games in his first year as well.  Now, we'll see where Austin Rivers makes his impact.

Michael or mom ... what's up?

There have been few players as troubled as Michael Beasley.  Now he is suing Curtis Malone, a man that reached out to him, took him off the streets if you will and allowed him to live in his home for five years.  Five years.  So, we are to think that Curtis Malone would allow him to stay in his home and mentor him for five years just to get hooks in place?  Please.  What a farce but it will be a newspapers dream to drag this one all over the place.  There is a long piece in the Washington Post and then there is this From Yahoo Sports.

Tony Parker

The big man from Georgia will be on the Duke campus with his family this weekend.  Duke and Coach K have stayed the course with Tony and it could well pay off.  Parker is a key prospect for the Blue Devils and one they stayed true to turning other big name prospect away to court him.  Maybe, their faith will pay off with an eventual verbal.

Mitch McGary

In case you have been out of the country and missed it, Mitch McGary will choose between Duke, Florida and Michgan next week.

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

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]

Duke Basketball

BDN Monday Musings – Football is on a roll, Basketball season is upon us, recruiting news

In this week's Monday Musings column I speak of the Blue Devils going to 3-2 on the gridiron entering the bye week.  And then there is basketball as the season is here once again.  We also share a couple of links with concerns to two big hoops recruits in Mitch McGary and Shabazz Muhammad and then talk of the character of the players in both basketball and football.

Duke Football goes into the bye week 3-2

The Blue Devils were quite resilient coming back 10 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat Florida International on the road.  The last few minutes of the game featured a forced fumble and recovery, followed by a six yard romp into the end zone.  The Blue Devils defense would then bend again, only to tighten up in the red zone where they took over on downs and allowed the offense to run out the clock.  Going into the bye week on a three game winning streak should help this young football team as they continue to gain confidence in their abilities.  If Duke played Richmond tomorrow, they'd win by three touchdowns.  Thankfully, Duke has opened up the offense since then and it is paying off.  Wins is what the program needs and Cutcliffe is starting to deliver them.  The remainder of the schedule is tough, but with a few breaks, maybe, just maybe ... okay, let's take it one game at a time.  For exclusive post game interviews, check out our coverage from Miami.

Basketball is upon us!

Hoops casts a huge shadow over the Duke Campus year round and in less than two weeks I will attend media day at Duke which opens the season for our full throttle coverage.  A few days after that, it's off to ACC Operation Basketball in Charlotte.  We got a glimpse of the Blue Devils early on during the Friendship Games, but we'll have to wait and see how Coach Krzyzewski has decided to use his team.  Duke in no way showed their hand on the trip and it's always fun to see what Coach comes up with in that he always uses his team's strengths to their benefit.

Countdown to Craziness

Tickets are sold out for this yearly event and if you're a Duke fan this is an experience that should be on your bucket list.  The evening is a celebration of the Duke Basketball program that features much more than play on the court.  The dunk contests are always fun, but the video skits are also a riot.  Then there are the introductions of each player to the roar of hoop-starved Duke fans and of course, Coach K addresses the Crazies.  It's a royal blue rush of an evening that is sure to leave you flushed with energy.  And a hint to those who don't have tickets, look for some released at the last moment, and most people outside seem to get in.  In short, come on out and you will probably get in.

Mitch McGary and Shabazz Muhammad

Here are two links, the first being a diary offering from Mitch McGary where he shares the latest on his recruitment.  After a read, you will realize that Duke is battling Michigan for his services.  But before many freak out, my suggestion is to let it play out.  Unfortunately, McGary addresses the rumor about a silent verbal to Duke.  Thanks to some irresponsible twitter types, this bad rumor spread like wildfire.  It's more of a testament to listen to people that have been around for a long time and have a track record.  While I'm at it, I hope fan bases realize they can hurt recruiting efforts with over the top contact to these young men.  And here is the latest interview from Shabazz Muhammad from my pals at a UCLA site.

Captains Ryan Kelly and Miles Plumlee

During last seasons untimely loss to Arizona, I spoke with Doreen Kelly about her son, Ryan.  She referred to Ryan as wine in that he gets better with age. Well, she is on to something for Kelly is looking like he's ready to make the leap to possibly being a star this season.  His work ethic and willingness to do what it takes for the team to win made him a perfect choice for captain.  And then there is Miles Plumlee, a senior poised to have a monster final season.  Plumlee will show off his physical maturity this season and I can see games where he will be the rock for a young team.  I'm excited and happy for both of these young men for earning the honor.  And I almost forgot, Miles senior day game will be the last game of the regular season verus North Carolina in Cameron.

True Blue Character

As most of you know, I cover the Duke beat both in basketball and football.  I can tell you from experience that the kids in both programs possess high character and that is something to be celebrated.   It's a whole lot easier to root your guys on when you know they are truly good young men.  This also speaks to the way both programs recruit, so if you're a young prospect that wants to come to Duke, you know what they're looking for.

Next up, Florida State

The Noles will roll into Wallace Wade Stadium in two weeks eager to put two early season losses behind them.  It's always a show when the big programs come to town and this game will be a good measuring stick for Duke.  With a week more to prepare, Duke could come up with a few new wrinkles and they will most certainly need them against this team.  But they also need a good turnout.  After winning three straight games, fans hanging on the fence or laying on the couch need to turnout.  This is a young team that played their hearts out lately and they deserve some noise.  Besides, it is the day after Countdown for Craziness, so why not make the trek to Durham for a Duke double header!

Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Duke Basketball Recruiting Updates

Duke hopes to have Matt Jones and Julius Randle come to Countdown to Craziness

The Duke University Men's Basketball staff has been and is currently still on the recruiting trail and there are lots of updates on Blue Devil Nation Premium, our subscription based service.  Come on inside and discuss the latest happenings and be made well aware who is receiving those visits and how they are going.  It's a great time to join BDN Premium! We want you to be a part of the most Dukecentric subscription site on the planet.  And not to worry, we will still have plenty of free stuff for all!  Go Duke!

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

BDN goes one on one with Duke prospect Mitch McGary

Mitch McGary, Mark Watson BDN Photo

Over the last few months no one has blown up more than Brewster Academy big man Mitch McGary. McGary, who was sporting quite the tan from his recent trip to Florida, has jumped up in many rankings as a top 5 player in the country. Unfortunately for Mitch an injured ankle hampered him for much of the week here in L.A, but he still managed to be a part of two of the more memorable moments this week. On Friday night McGary gave every Derrick Williams fan a new poster as the #2 overall pick in this year’s NBA draft threw down a dunk of epic proportions on . Fast forward to Saturday’s warm up before the Elite 24 game at Venice Beach, McGary went up for a routine dunk, hung on the rim slightly and eventually shattered the backboard glass resulting in cuts on his neck, hands and left shoulder. He was all smiles about it though. There did not seem to be any intention to break the glass on Mitch’s end, it just happened to be one of those rare freak moments in basketball, but hey, everyone loves seeing the glass shatter. Mitch gave up a few minutes of his time to chat with BDN on his time at the Elite 24. (Note - BDN Premium is running a membership special this week where you will get the best discount of the year.  Go to the join page and take advantage of 15% off a yearly membership.)

BDN: Is this your first trip out to L.A?

MM: Pretty much. I was here when I was about 9 or 10.

BDN: How was the [private] Midnight Run on Friday night?

MM: Well I got dunked. (laughs)

BDN: No big deal, anyone who tries to play defense has it happen.

MM: True true.

BDN: You seem like you’re hobbling a bit, what happened there?

MM: I got a bummed ankle, I sprained it about three weeks ago. It’s still not the same. I can’t really move that well on it yet. I think it’s just a high ankle sprain, it’ll be alright in a month or so.

BDN: You think you’ll give it a go on Saturday?

MM: Oh definitely. You have to. That’s what I came out here to do!

BDN: How was it playing with the pro’s?

MM: It was pretty cool. It was exhilarating because you don’t usually get to do that so I was excited to play against them. And of course I got dunked on by Derrick Williams (laughs). Pretty bad but I’m being a good sport about it and accept it. I get dunked on all the time.

BDN: What was the most difficult aspect of playing with the pro’s?

MM: Probably going up against their athleticism. I mean they are a lot more developed than us. Just going up against them is another level, the intensity too.

BDN: What was the trip to Florida like?

MM: It was good. The coaches there are pretty chill I liked them a lot. The campus is beautiful and some of the facilities and stuff like that. I’ll probably go down there for an official just to get more of a feel of the school and stuff. The girls are pretty hot.

BDN: You seem to have gotten a pretty good tan.

MM: (laughs) Yea I went down to the Keyes for about 4-5 days.

BDN: You’ll be visiting UNC and Duke basically back to back. Will one be an official and the other unofficial? Or will both be official?

MM: Both will be official visits.

BDN: What does Duke have planned for you when you get there?

MM: Well the 9th, I think that’s a Friday, I guess I’m going to Coach K’s house for dinner with the team and stuff like that and hang out with the guys. I know some of them like the Plumlees and I know of some of the guys. I know Austin Rivers is there.

BDN: How are you approached by Coach K? Has he said things you want to hear? 

MM: I mean every coach tells you what you want to hear. I prefer coaches that actually say the stuff that is the truth and..

BDN: More beneficial to you?

MM: Yea. I like to know what I have to do to play. I know whatever school I choose I’m not gonna go there and be a 30 minute+ player a game unless I work at it. I don’t deserve that just going in there.

BDN: Do you feel you’ll make a decision in the early or late period?

MM: Probably this winter before the season starts, or maybe I’ll wait until the normal signing period I’m not sure.

BDN: There’s been a lot of NBA chatter lately about you. Have you given this any thought?

MM: Not really, it’s in the back of my head. I didn’t know it was even possible until I..

BDN: Someone had brought it up the other day and it just blew up.

MM: Yea it blows out of proportion. People start talking and saying I said certain things. I haven’t talked to anybody about it, you’re the first person I’ve talked to about it. My coaches have talked about it. I’m just going to play it by ear and continue to get better..

BDN: Something sort of just in the back of your mind? Not a major focus?
MM: Yea not at all. I mean I want to go to college and get a four year degree, that’s one of my major goals.

BDN: Do you have a favorite class?
MM: Math is one of my favorite classes, I want to get a finance degree.

BDN: Have you been working on anything this summer with regards to offense or defense?
MM: I really haven’t been doing much this summer I’ve just been playing a lot..

BDN: Not much time to actually refine your skills..

MM: Yea pretty much.

BDN: What do you feel is the next step in advancing your game?

MM: Once my ankle heals up probably defense and some lateral stuff but that’s just for my body and stuff like that. I gotta work on my body a lot more. But more or less my mid-range jumper. My forms a little funky right now, I’m just trying to figure it out and go back to how I use to shoot.

BDN: Much appreciated, Mitch.
MM: Thanks a lot. [/private]