Pictured here is Rasheed Sulaimon and you can hear the latest on the future Blue Devil by joining BDN Premium, our extended subscription service. A ton of interviews and information awaits you inside! BDN Photo
LOS ANGELES - Duke started off hot with their 2012 recruiting class in February, picking up two five star commitments in Rasheed Sulaimon and Alex Murphy all in a week’s span. Since then, Alex has graduated early and is now coming to Duke with the 2011 class leaving Rasheed as the sole 2012 commit. Rasheed showed off great defense this past weekend at the Nike EYBL in Los Angeles despite hurting his ankle after a made 3 point shot. He displayed a quality shooting touch as well as a solid handle that allowed him to get to the basket on more than one occasion. BDN was able to catch up briefly with the 2012 commit and pick his brain on a few things.
BDN: Can you describe the play that you hurt your ankle?
RS: Oh, well, L.J (L.J Rose, 2012 guard) drove and kicked the ball out to me because the guy helped, and two people rushed at me but I still could get the shot off, so I just elevated and I stroked it, and when I came down my foot landed on Archie Goodwin’s foot and my ankle kind of twisted and I heard a pop.
Ouch, that hurts my ankle just hearing about it. You went back in for a little bit and got some good run in.
Yea you know I don’t think it’s severe, it was just in the moment, it hurts a lot now but I think it’ll be good.
Well it was good you were able to get back in and test it out.
Yea, yea. So right now it’s [private] swelled up a little bit on me and it’s kind of paining me right now but I’ll be fine, I’m just going to ice it down and take some Advil and I’ll be ready for the next game.
Now you mentioned Archie earlier (Archie Goodwin, 2012 wing), what’s it like to play against him?
Me and him are actually really good friends so we’ve been talking about this matchup for awhile. He’s just a very explosive player ya know. Out on the open court he can finish above the rim, he’s very strong going both ways, so you know it was a real challenge. But I just kind of read his moves and relied on my help to help me out if he got past me.
I noticed you were on him a lot and were really locking him down, but once you left with the injury he got kind of wide eyed and figured he could start attacking the hoop now.
(laughs) Yea yea!
Something a little different here: When you’re bringing the ball down the court tell me what you’re looking for, what’s going through your mind?
Well when I’m coming down the court honestly I’m looking for weak spots in the defense ya know. I’m looking at where I can attack or where I can make the pass to get someone or myself an open look. If they’re playing zone you try and swing the ball very quickly to try and get an open look and maybe attack the middle. And when they are on man you try and look for the gaps so you can get the ball there and shoot from the gaps. I’m just always looking for the weaknesses in the defenses.
You’ve got a big matchup later today against Rodney Purvis and CP3. I know you’re close with Rodney, have you spoken with him about the matchup?
Oh yea man, same thing with Archie. We both knew we were going to play each other when we got down here so we texted a lot back and forth and talked about this game. He hurt his ankle before L.A so I was just telling him to get ready for L.A. and I got a text back from him telling me to be ready for L.A too. Ya know it’ll be real fun, going against Rodney he’s a great player, great finisher and real strong so I’m really looking forward to it.
He’s got a young teammate named Theo Pinson, have you ever played against him?
Na I haven’t, but I’ve definitely heard of him. One of my teammates Justin Jackson was talking about him cause he’s rated really high. He’ll probably get to match up against him.
Will you be attending any camps after this event?
Yea I’ll be going to the NBA Top 100 Camp, the Deron Williams Skills Academy, and the Lebron James Skills Academy.
I always see you talking to some of the 2012 recruits, have you had a chance to talk to Tony Parker this weekend?
Oh yea, I’ve texted him and seen him here quite a bit. I still talk to him about it. From the looks of it Duke still has a good chance and they are on his list. I’m just going to keep pushing it and messaging him about Duke so he’ll keep thinking about it and hopefully he’ll make that move.
Last question here: What’s your role like on Houston Hoops? I know you’ve got a lot of talented guards so are they asking you to be a scorer more or a facilitator? Both?
Well yea since we have such great guards in myself, L.J Rose, and J-Mychal Reese, the scoring is kind of spread out. Ya know anyone of us can score and we have some other players that can score as well so my role is just to bring energy, lock up the best perimeter guy on the opposite team and to score when it’s there. I try to do that every game to try and help us win.
Thanks for your time. Good luck the rest of the summer.
Andrew Wiggins and Theo Pinson are two future Duke Basketball Prospects - BDN Photo, Lance King
For many, Memorial Day Weekend is a time of remembrance, family, friends, and grilling. But for recruiting junkies this is a time to catch the top prospects in the nation battle it out. For the second straight year Nike ran its new EYBL, Elite Youth Basketball League. The league hosts three sessions starting in Hampton, VA at the Boo Williams Sports complex in early April, Dallas, TX at the Fieldhouse USA in late April, and the last leg, before the finals, was held in Los Angeles, CA at the HAX this past weekend. The culminating event after the three regular season events will be the Nike Peach Jam held in North Augusta, SC from July 12-15th. The top 24 teams will be invited to battle it out for the EYBL Championship as well as a contract from Nike.
This year there was a bevy of Duke prospects at hand in L.A including the likes of Jabari Parker, Tony Parker, Alex Poythress, Rodney Purvis, Theo Pinson, Rasheed Sulaimon (verbal commit), Andrew Wiggins, and Nerlens Noel. Let’s see what went on with them this weekend.
I know it was [private] early morning but it’s hard to forget your basketball jersey at the hotel isn’t it? Well there was a little mishap with Tony Parker and his jersey. Tony had forgotten his jersey at the hotel and unfortunately it was not brought back in time for him to play in his first game vs. Playground Elite (WI). With Tony out this meant Alex Poythress was the main attraction. Alex went 5-8 from the field for 12pts and 5rebounds. He also had 2 blocks. Alex put on a nice display of athleticism with a beautiful baseline reverse layup. He has the type of frame that NBA GM’s drool over. At already 6’8 it is clear that his upper body still has room to fill out, and when it does watch out! Alex is seemingly known for his three point shot, however, that is not all this talent can do. Alex displays a great slashing ability and has been on the connecting end of several big time alley oops that will surely come to a YouTube channel near you. His most impressive attribute in my opinion is how seemingly effortless he makes his put backs look. At this point though, it is clear his handle will need improvement but that can come with time and repetition. His defense can use more consistent intensity, but again, this is not a worry as it can be coached and drilled into him, and AAU ball isn’t exactly a clinic for defense. In his night game Alex went for only 9pts on 4-7 shooting but had 8rebounds including 2 offensive.
Tony Parker finally got around to getting his jersey for the Georgia Stars second game of the night vs. a solid New Jersey Playaz team. Tony put on one of his better displays this game putting up 17pts and 6 rebounds on an efficient 8-12 from the field and 1-3 from the line. Using his wide frame Tony parked himself in the paint and didn’t move, which should be a delight to hear for many Duke fans. Tony shows lots of comfort with his back to the basket often backing his man down before displaying an extremely quick spin move to mini hook shot. Tony also has no problem dropping a 5-8ft fade away jumper that is a joy to see go in. There was a little bit of controversy in this game between Tony and his coach but I assure Duke fans there is no worry with this. In his game against Alabama Challenge Tony was consistently fed the ball in the post. The Georgia Stars would work the ball around the arc while Tony would flash in the post from side to side. In this game Tony displayed some quality vision by passing inside to his teammates on many occasions. Unfortunately not many of his teammates hit the shots but the passes were there from Tony. Parker put up 19pts and 8 rebounds on another solid 8-14 shooting performance while also going 3-5 from the line. He continued to display his comfort in the post as well as a solid face up game. In catching up with Tony after the game he knows that his post game is solid but that adding a respectable face up game is essential in his development.
We’ve discussed one Parker, now let’s move onto another one, Jabari Parker. Regarded as a top two prospect in the 2013 class, Jabari displayed a plethora of moves this weekend. One of his best attributes is his knowledge of the game at such a young age which has no doubt been strengthened by his father’s tutelage. Jabari displays great instinct in when to give the ball up. He often made plays this weekend which eventually led his team to an easy bucket. In his game vs. All Ohio Red, Jabari put up 16pts and 7 rebounds on 8-19 shooting from the field but went 0-3 from the line. Jabari also had 4 blocks in this game which speaks well of his defense, something he really enjoys doing. While not a freak athlete at this point, he more than holds his own against the competition in that regard. What makes him special is how seemingly smooth he looks on the court gliding around. In his match up against BABC, Jabari put up 12pts and 6 rebounds on an efficient 5-6 shooting from the field. He also added 3 assists. One thing is for sure, Jabari Parker is a future pro right now and if Duke is so fortunate to land the Chicago product then we will be in great hands with him.
Let’s move onto one of the more impressive defenders not only in the EYBL but in the entire country, Nerlens Noel. Sporting a classic high top fade and pogo stick type frame, Noel is exactly the type of athletic defender every division one school is coveting. In his matchup against the Charlotte Royals he put up 13pts and 8 rebounds on 5-6 shooting from the field and 3-3 from the charity stripe. As far as his defense goes, he had 4 blocked and altered countless others. Noels length and athleticism gave fits inside to the opposition which clearly got frustrated all weekend. He has an incredibly quick second jump similar to Shawn Marion which allows to get up quickly again for the rebound or blocking/altering another shot. Most of his points this weekend came off of put backs and moves from about 10ft and in.
The only verbal commitment Duke had at the EYBL was 2012 guard Rasheed Sulaimon. Rasheed hurt his ankle in his game against Arkansas Wings Elite. Before his injury he was matched up with 2012’s Archie Goodwin, often regarded as one of the better players and athletes in his class. Rasheed has become a big time defender and he proved it in the 19 minutes he played that game. He held Archie to 3-12 shooting, and quite frankly some of those buckets came after Rasheed had left the game with injury. The play in which the injury occurred was a 3pt shot from the wing which he hit, but on his way down he landed awkwardly on his ankle and stated he had heard a pop. Fortunately he was able to come back in and show that it wasn’t too severe. Impressive to say the least, considering many players may have considered shutting it down for at least the day as to not risk anything further. His handle has proven to be much more advanced than I had originally anticipated, clearly showing he is improving in this area. His lateral quickness allows him to really stay in front of his defender. Combine that with a low defensive stance that would make Coach K extremely proud and you’ve got one good looking future defender. At this point Rasheed is showing to be a very solid shooter from beyond the arc as well as a bit of a mid-range game. As he adds strength he will be able to follow through and finish with contact when he gets to the rim. His best offensive game came against MoKan Elite where he put up 17pts, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, and 1 steal on a solid 7-14 shooting.
At one point it was thought that 2012 guard Rodney Purvis would never leave the state for college. That is until he had committed to Louisville due to an incredible relationship with now former Louisville assistant Tim Fuller. Once Fuller left Louisville, it was thought Rodney would decommit, and sure enough he eventually did. Before he had committed to Louisville, the North Carolina product had Duke very high on his list, and now, post decommitment, it seems Duke is right back up there. Rodney displayed some very nice dribble penetration this weekend that either led to a bucket or a kick out to a teammate. He had multiple And 1 situations all throughout the weekend which speaks well of his strength at this age as he finished well through contact. Rodney also showed some quality effort as I saw him dive for multiple loose balls, a quality any team certainly would enjoy. He attempted many pull up jumpers from about the 18ft mark which unfortunately were inconsistent. With time and practice he should improve on that aspect of his game. Rodney also showed some quality defense this weekend. He is very quick going both north and south but also going east to west. From a scoring perspective, his best offensive game came in his last, against the Jackson Tigers. Rodney put up 18pts, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists on 7-16 shooting from the field and 3-6 from the line. He consistently put up between 15 and 18 points all weekend long. As Andrew mentioned it seems as if at this point it is a N.C State/Duke race, though we all know how fluid recruiting is. In speaking with him this weekend I asked if he would be leaving Upper Room Academy since it seems to be only going through the junior year. He told me that he is planning on staying because they are supposed to soon add a senior year.
It may be a ways from now but Theo Pinson and Andrew Wiggins have firmly placed themselves at the top of everyone’s 2014 list. The two athletic guards displayed flashes this weekend that shows why everyone is so high on the two freshman. As far as this tournament goes, neither guard put up ridiculous numbers. Against the Arkansas Wings Elite, Theo put up 17pts and 4 rebounds on 7-11 shooting from the field and 3-5 from the line. Andrew had his best offensive game against Boo Williams when he put up 13pts on 3-12 shooting from the field and 7-10 from the free throw line. Both players showed off superb athleticism this weekend as well as flashes of what is to come in the future. As freshman, it is a testament to their poise that their coaches have trusted them enough to put them on the big stage. Both players showed confidence in taking their shots and not being nervous in such a setting. I spoke with one of the CIA Bounce staff after their game and he spoke very highly of Andrew Wiggins. I had asked how it was working with him and he could not have been more complimentary of him. He stated that he’s really just a kid at this point who isn’t fully aware of the onslaught of media that is in his future, but that to this point he has handled it with maturity beyond his years. He also said that the game has already at this point really slowed down for Andrew, which is extremely vital to his early development. Simply put, these two players look to have big time futures.
The game of the weekend was easily CP3 vs. Houston Hoops, so good that I felt it deserved its own paragraph. This game hosted 5 top 50 guys including Rasheed Sulaimon, L.J Rose, J-Mychal Reese, Rodney Purvis, and Theo Pinson. The crowd was big time for this highly anticipated match up. The bounce of the ball and squeak of the sneakers was overshadowed by the playful banter between families of both teams. This game meant something to these players and families, and both teams showed it. While Rodney put up 17 points, it did not come easy. The experienced trio of J-Mychal Reese, Rasheed Sulaimon, and L.J Rose made it very difficult for Rodney to penetrate to the hoop. Instead he was forced to shoot much more than he probably liked and had to earn his points at the line where he went for an impressive 7-8. Despite a hobbled ankle, Rasheed continued to play overall stellar defense against CP3. At halftime the game was 30-28 Houston Hoops. The second half had a flurry of traded baskets keeping a quick and exciting pace. The crowd grew even more ruckus as the game was within a few points. In the end a very solid Houston Hoops team pulled out the victory 63-58. Rasheed ended up with 14pts and 3 rebounds on 3-9 shooting from the field and 7-9 from the line. Rasheed continuously attacked the hoop getting past quick defenders. He hit a few clutch free throws to ensure his team the win.
As far as other players that impressed me this weekend there were three. Houston Hoops’ Justin Jackson, a 2014 prospect, showed a nice soft touch around the rim for such a young player. Justin is a 6’5 wing prospect from Bryan, Texas. Secondly I was extremely impressed with Tony Parker and Alex Poythress’ teammate Marcus Hunt, a 6’5 215lbs 2012 prospect. Marcus displayed a great ability to attack the hoop and often finished through contact. He has a strong frame for his age which helps against smaller guards. The third prospect which impressed me was Jahlil Okafor of Mac Irvin Fire. The 2014 prospect is 6’10 and 255lbs and showed a lot of quality flashes for a young freshman. He is a big body down low that many coaches will surely observe over the next few years. His teammate and Duke prospect Jabari Parker spoke very highly of Jahlil even calling him the best freshman in the country. [/private]
Alex Poythress is playing at the Nike EYBL in Los Angeles this weekend. BDN Photo
BDN Premium has Andrew Slater and Varand Khacadouri covering the Nike EYBL event in Los Angeles this weekend and their reports are coming in via the message board and our twitter site. We'll have player interviews coming this week and much more including some members take on the prospects.
In fact, one of our knowledgeable members, Caleb has shared his early take on the kids and here they are while we await more reports from California.
Here are some thoughts and comments from what I saw this weekend -
Julius Randle: From what I saw he's the player I most like from the class of 2013. He looks to be a legit 6'-9" from looking at him. He is strong with the basketball and aggressive. Likes to use the glass alot when shooting in and around the paint. He has a good feel for the game and attacks the basket hard. He handles the ball well...but would be a serious matchup problem at the four. He was double teamed a lot by defenses yet still scored strong when I watched. When you watch him play it's hard to believe he is class of 2013! Very mature game.
Jabari Parker: Really [private] good all around player. Very smooth. Understands the game at a high level. Not super quick or fast but he is athletic. Fundamentally sound...gets team- mates involved well. Not as big or strong as Randle...more of a 3/2. His game reminds me of a slightly less explosive Grant Hill. I think with added strength he will be a special player. Very un-selfish. He is a very pleasant kid. Duke would be fortunate to get Jabari.
Nerlen Noels: I hope that Duke really goes after this kid. He blocks shots like he is on a pogo stick! He can go up down and then back up again really quick. I saw him block shots with both right and left hand. He can block jump-shots! He's just so long and makes you change your shot when driving to the hoop. On offense he plays within himself and doesn't force much. With time his offensive game will improve. He is not a liability at all on offense and he does display some touch around the basket. He does need some added strength. He will be a wiry, strong type of athlete.
Tony Parker: I like Tony. I hope Duke gets him. He really grew on me this weekend. Varand described his game well. He has good footwork...especially this strong low post spin move that he uses well to score with. He's definitely a power forward/college center. He seems to be a legitimate 6-8+ but the days of 270lbs are over. Some are saying he hasn't been playing well of late...if that is the case, he may be adjusting to playing at a lighter weight. Regardless, he played well this weekend. He plays best when he's getting the ball. He is a good kid...I repeat he is a good kid.
Alex Poythress: Effortless leaper. Long and athletic. Offensively he is a 4/3... defensively he could probably guard the 2 and 3 very effectively. Could develop into a passing lane nightmare. He had a two handed dunk where he literally glided through the air without much effort and with plenty of hang time. It would be hard not to take this kid if he wanted to commit. Seems to be tight with Tony Parker. Another really good kid.
Theo Pinson: Very gifted but young. When it's all said and done he'll be a great one. Displayed a nice shooting touch out to 3. His handle is good. He can dribble with both hands. He was active around the basket at times but definitely needs more strength to finish inside. The game I saw him play was against Houston Hoops, (Rasheed's team). It was probably a little tough for Theo to shine against such a talented trio of elite level Houston Hoop guards...led by Rasheed. Theo's dad is really cool and level headed. He mentioned that the experience of playing in such a high level game would only help Theo get better. Lots of up-side.
Rodney Purvis: I think we're all fairly familiar with Rodney's game. He is strong and really has the look of a player. Very confident player and he traded baskets with Rasheed a couple of times. I think Varand mentioned that he deferred a little too much during crunch time against Houston Hoops but he will be big time. He is a legit 6-3 and he can take it to the hole strong. After the game against Houston Hoops which was easily the best and most competitive game that I saw, Rodney was very nice and forthcoming with answering questions and picture taking. I would really like to land him.
Rasheed Suilamon: He has the tools to be great. In what was probably the best game of the weekend (Houston Hoops vs. CP3) he was the best player. His handle is legit. He can lose a defender with his cross-over and changing of speeds. Once he gets past his defender he attacks the basket hard. With added strength he will finish more consistently. He can knock down the deep three or pull up for his jumper off the dribble. He's an energy player who can defend well. His personality is magnetic...I really like him and predict he will be one of my all-time favorite's when he leaves Duke. He will represent Duke very well.
Thanks again to Andrew and Varand for a great weekend! [/private]
Top notch coverage of the main Duke recruiting targets awaits you - join BDN Premium and judge for yourself the quality input. Pictured Julius Randle
If you are not a member of Blue Devil Nation Premium, now is a great time to join for our Nike EYBL live coverage begins on Friday. As many of you know, the Tournament of Champions features no main Duke prospects at this time, but at the Nike EYBL in California?
BDN Recruiting Analyst Andrew Slater and our west coast correspondent Varand Khachadouri will both cover the loaded event. You will get first hand reviews and live updates on our members only message board from the events start to finish.
And who will you hear about? Let's start with the Georgia duo of Tony Parker and Alex Poythress, two front court players at the top of the Blue Devils wish list. Our staff will also follow Jabari Parker and Julius Randle, two absolute studs.
They will also check out the talented CIA Bounce team with Andrew Wiggins and a young upstart named Theo Pinson. And of course, covering Pinson means you will hear from another hot name on the Duke recruiting radar, PG Rodney Purvis.
Heck, I am just scratching the surface with names ... Nerlens Noel, Brannen Greene, Trent Williams and others will be checked out as well. And of course, the interviews then start rolling in all next week and beyond. And if you haven't seen one of our interviews of late, let's just say they are about as concise as one can get, averaging almost 2000 words each.
Summer time balling and covering the grass roots circuit is our time of year, a strength of this site, but we are more than that.
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Houston Hoops standout, Rasheed Sulaimon - BDN Photo, Mark Watson
In February, junior 6'3" Rasheed Sulaimon became the second commitment for Duke in the 2012 class. The Houston-area product helped lead his Strake Jesuit squad to a 26-4 record, before getting upset by one point to Lamar in the second round of the Texas playoffs. For the season, the high-scoring guard with an improving defensive reputation averaged over twenty-one points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals for the Crusaders.
An articulate, personable and religious young man, Sulaimon has tried to help recruit Shabazz Muhammad and Tony Parker to the Blue Devils and is friendly with Rodney Purvis. Last year, his young Houston Hoops team struggled in Nike's inaugural EYBL . This year, Sulaimon, has helped lead his Houston Hoops squad to a 9-1 record and averaged thirteen points through the first ten games played at Boo Williams and in Dallas.
Recently, he spoke with Blue Devil Nation.
How do you feel you've played so far?
I feel I've played pretty well. We've had some pretty close games, but our team has persevered. We won and 3-1 right now here, so, overall, it's been a good weekend.
You guys went undefeated at Boo Williams.
Yeah, yeah.
Can you compare this with last year where you struggled a bit last year because you guys were so young?
You know, last year, we were young. We were coming into something that was new and, you know, we kind of struggled. We kind of relied on our talent. We didn't play as a team and our work kind of suffered because of that. This year, we knew what we were going into it, prepared better, playing like a team. We're playing great defense and the record is showing it.
Did the experience of being thrown into the fire, so to speak, pay a lot of dividends for you this year?
Yeah, I think so. I think it helped us grow and mature faster than even we wanted to. So, you know, putting us in that situation made us grow a lot faster.
Rasheed talks about recruiting for Duke, his improved defense and much more in the rest of this interview. This is the fouth interview in four days, so join BDN Premium for full site access and then take a look at what Nerlens Noel, Juilus Randle and Theo Pinson had to say. Then talk about the latest on the BDN Premium message board. Check out BDN Premium, you'll be glad you did! We dare to compare our Duke-centric experience with any other service. [private]
Can you talk about what you felt last year versus what you're feeling right now?
Last year, you know, it was kind of frustrating.
Was it was mentally difficult?
Yeah, yeah, but you know this year we're trying not to get down on ourselves and, you know, we unfortunately just had our first loss.
Yeah, I was there. I thought I was a curse. I need to get out of here.
(laughs) No, no. We've just got to keep going out there and proving it and trusting ourselves.
You guys, especially the three of you, have really good chemistry out there.
Yeah, yeah, we do.
Individually, what are you hoping to accomplish this summer?
I'm just trying to work on getting stronger and getting quicker.
Your defense is a lot stronger this year.
Yeah, yeah, that's one thing I really strive for. I've been trying to work on my lateral quickness and everything like that. You know, at Duke, we really have to focus on defense. That's one thing I'm really trying to improve on. Just trying to get prepared as best I can.
In terms of your body, what are you trying to work on this summer? You're obviously in great shape, but are you trying to get bigger? Are you trying to get leaner? You mentioned the lateral quickness.
Yeah, yeah, I'm just trying to get quicker and stronger and, like you said, not only just putting on more weight, but trying to get stronger.
Lean muscle?
Yeah, exactly. Lean muscle. That's one thing I'm really focused on right now.
In terms of shooting, where do you feel comfortable right now?
I feel pretty comfortable doing everything..off-the-dribble, off-the-catch. I just try to keep working on that and stay in the gym.
You're working on your mid-range?
Yeah, my mid-range and I just continue to stay in tune with that.
What has the staff asked you to work on, if anything?
Basically, the same things we've been talking about. You know, continue to get stronger, continue to get quicker, continue to play hard on both ends. Just stay in tune and continue to work out.
Now for next year, in high school, what are your goals for next season? Maybe making the McDonald's All-American game and winning a state title? What are some things?
Yeah, those are some really high goals that I'm trying. You know, like you said, the All-American games and, I think, most importantly, from a team aspect, I want to win a state championship.
How did you guys finish up this year?
This year, we finished #1 in the Houston 5A, but, you know, we kind of got upset in the second round.
Who was the bad guy?
Oh, you know, Lamar High School. We were ranked ahead of them and they ended up getting us by one, so that was disappointing. But you know, I think that will help us this year. We'll learn from that experience and we'll go further next year.
In the past, you went to school with the Harrison twins, Andrew and Aaron. Do you guys still have a relationship?
Oh, yeah, yeah. We're still pretty cool. We see each other at AAU events. Yeah, yeah.
In terms of recruiting for Duke, Quinn was saying he was going after Shabazz Muhammad, Alex Murphy, and Tony Parker. Who are you going after, if anybody?
(laughs) Yeah, I'm going after Shabazz and Tony Parker, too. It's really those two that I'm concentrating on.
So, those are your two as well? Double-teaming?
(laughs) Yeah, yeah.
In terms of what position they want you to play, what's been said so far?
It's really all up to the coaches, but they feel that I can play really all three positions. On offense, they feel like I have the versatility to play the one and the two.
I've watched you a lot, but I've never spoken to you. Which do you feel more comfortable playing?
You know, in AAU, I'm more comfortable playing off of the ball because of L.J. and, you know, in high school, I play more of the one. I can play both positions, so it really doesn't matter to me.
Are you going to be playing any big high school tournaments this year?
Oh, yeah, we're going to a high school one in North Carolina. I think it's in Durham. We're going to another one in Sacramento. Just try to play out there against some really good talent.
Academically, you have a reputation for being a very good student. Do you take pride in that?
Yeah, yeah. My parents have always been pushing me and my siblings to always take academics seriously. In my household, if you didn't get good grades, you couldn't play basketball, so that was always important to me.
That's unusual.
Yeah, yeah. That's another reason that I picked Duke. They've got great academics and I know that they'll always be looking to push me. It just felt like a great fit.
Now, you also go to a Jesuit school, like I did. Those guys don't play around.
(laughs) Yeah, yeah, they don't.
What would you like the audience to know about you off of the court? Maybe you can touch on your family?
Yeah, I'm a very family-oriented guy. I'm pretty strong in my faith. I have three older sisters, an older brother, and a younger sister.
There are six of you?
Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, there are six of us.
And I'm sure they're all proud of you.
Oh, yeah, they're all very proud.
Are they all in the Houston area?
Yeah, they all live in the Houston area, but one of my older sisters is in the army.
Now, have you thought about entering the military after you're done with basketball?
(laughs) Oh, no, no. Not at all.
What are some things you'd be interested in doing after basketball?
I'm really interested in getting into business. So, when I go to Duke, that's one thing that I'd really like to study.
Economics?
Yeah, yeah..economics.
I was an economics major, too.
Oh, you were?
What do you feel are your strengths and weaknesses?
I really feel like my strength right now is my shot. I feel really comfortable shooting. If I get the ball, I feel pretty confident that I can knock it down right now. I feel like my defense is one of my strengths as well right now. I feel like I can really get up onto the opponents and force them to do something that they don't want to do. As far as weaknesses, I feel that I can improve on my ball-handling more and getting stronger and finishing at the rack. Getting "and ones."
You draw a lot of contact.
Absolutely, one of my main goals right now is to get stronger so that when I draw contact, I can still go through it and finish at the free throw line.
In terms of free throw shooting, how good of a free throw shooter do you feel you are right now? I guess it's around 80%?
Yeah, I shot around 82% this year. (laughs)
Wow, pretty close. Therefore, when you draw contact and you're able to finish through it, you're able to rack up points Kyrie Irving-style, getting "and one" after "and one."
(laughs) Yeah, that's the hope.
Who's been the most difficult player for you to defend so far?
That's a tough one. I don't know that there was a player that was tough to guard, but, as a team, was California Supreme. They had a couple of guards that could combine to really hurt you. They're very effective as far as scoring points.
What do you think of the rise of Texas as far as basketball on the national level?
Well, you know, Texas is known for being a football state, but, you know, we're trying to prove that we're just as good at basketball as well. There are a lot of athletes in Texas and, you know, there are a lot of guys that are unknown nationally that are pretty good.
Maybe you could mention some names for the audience to check out.
Wannah Bail.
Oh, sure, the forward.
Yeah, it's just very competitive down here in Texas.
In terms of a position, what do you feel you are naturally? Or are you just a player?
I like to classify myself as combo guard. I feel comfortable with that.
So you really like that label? Some guys want to be viewed as one or the other.
Yeah.
Have you watched Tony play at all this week?
Actually, I haven't been able to. I haven't had a chance because of the schedule.
I caught a few of his games. He played well at times. Who do you try to model your game after? Is there any one guy?
I wouldn't say there's really one guy, but the guy that I like to watch a lot of tape on are Michael and Kobe.
I know, on Twitter, you're always mentioning about Kobe.
Yeah, those are my guys. I like to watch tape to see how Kobe scores and how he moves around without the ball.
I noticed in this game, for example, you stole one of his moves when you came around the elbow screen and then hit a baseline jump shot.
Yeah, yeah. I tried. (laughs)
Well, he's an excellent guy to model your game after.
Yeah, yeah, he is.
He's got that killer mentality.
He's got that killer instinct and everything like that. A scoring mentality too.
What was the experience like playing in the All-American game in Houston a few weeks ago? I thought it was a great idea to incorporate juniors into the game.
It was a great experience, you know, going to the place during the Final Four weekend. Meeting a lot of guys that you see a lot, but you never really talk to them, so it was great. A chance to interact with them, and everything like that. I developed a lot of relationships. It was great. The game was great. It was great on and off of the court.
Who are some guys around the country that you're friends with the people might not realize?
I'm pretty good friends with Myles Davis and Kyle Anderson. Yeah, from the Playaz. Rodney Purvis is another one. A lot of guys.
Obviously, you're very close with L.J. (Rose) and (J-Mychal) Mike (Reese). What kind of advantage does having that well-earned chemistry, through all of the years of playing together, give you on the AAU circuit?
It's a definite advantage because we've been playing together since we were in second grade. We already have that chemistry. We know where we like to score. We know where each other is without even seeing them, but it really becomes just a feel thing. Coming from the high school, we're just able to instantly gel, whereas other teams take time. And we're always together, so it's definitely an advantage. We don't need to find one another, we already know where we are.
Who are some other back courts that have really impressed you guys?
Oh, the Alabama Challenge is pretty good. They had some pretty good guards. And California Supreme, with Max Guercy and Katin Reinhardt. They're a pretty good pair.
I appreciate this very much.
Yeah, yeah. No problem.
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Duke will face a lot of key questions this off season and we bring you the skinny on several key issues - BDN Photo by Lance King
The Duke Blue Devils will head to China this summer and BDN Premium has some details of interest for our members. We also take a look at the latest on the basketball recruiting front, and we break down several key issues and questions the team will face in the coming months in our latest team and recruiting update.
The season just ended but it won't be long before a bevy of freshman prospects become true Blue Devils. Duke will have all of the freshmen come in early in order to get acclimated with campus life. While the [private] times may vary for each player, Marshall Plumlee, Alex Murphy, Austin Rivers, Michael Gbinije, Quin Cook and maybe another young man will all be on campus no later than mid-June.
Getting on campus early has always been a good thing for kids in order to play pick up ball and participate in local events like the NC Pro Am at N.C. Central University. This year however, will carry extra off season significance in that the men's team will be heading to China and Dubai where they are expected to play either four or five games.
Talk about timely! Coach Krzyzewski and his staff saw this season coming and planned this long before any of us could have possibly realized the positive ramifications it would have on a young, reloading team. You see, Duke will be able to hold ten full throttle practices at their discretion before the trip takes place. With 13-14 players expected at those sessions, Duke will have a jump on the process of building team chemistry.
And there are many off season questions to be answered. One we've brought up before is, who will run the PG position for the 2011-12 team?Quin Cook has all the tools but must adjust to the system and blend with the core returnees. Tyler Thornton is tough as nails, played against Cook on many occasions in high school and he will certainly not roll over and give the position up to the freshman. Then there is the possibility of Seth Curry getting time at the point in that it would be his position at the next level. That would also allow for more firepower and combinations on the court. And don't think for one second that Austin Rivers will not be handling the ball or have it in his hands during key moments on the offensive end.
Another key question is who will be the captain(s) of this team? This question has puzzled some in the off season for there is no one name that simply jumps out at you when pondering the roster. Can Seth become more vocal? Will a Plumlee take a lead role? How about the outgoing Josh Hairston? Many questions lay in wait and that is why the summer excursion will be so vital to next year's team. Few "rah-rah" guys are on the team but it is not unusual for Duke to have quiet leaders, just look back at Kyle Singler. A name we think might surface is junior Ryan Kelly in that he is a low maintenance, hard working player who does what he is told, but we'll see and it will be fun to watch it all shake out. "There is no timetable in naming Captains. We want to see who steps up and accepts that role," stated a source as close to the team as one gets.
Some other questions answered will be what kind of offense will the Duke staff settle on this season? Will they press more? Will they run their offense through three or more players? Can Austin Rivers be the go to guy as a freshman? Will Mason Plumlee have the breakout season everybody thinks he can? Will the ball go into him more? Will Duke get out and run? Can Duke develop more than the usual 7 or 8 players for the rotation with a deep team? Will Miles step up as the lone senior? The questions are endless and each will take on a life of its own.
Another key issue that many on our board and others talk about is who will redshirt? First of all, a poster on the board asked how many redshirts can a team have and the answer to that is as many as they want each season. "There is no limit on # of redshirts you can have. The only limit is the 13 scholarships we are allowed to give. Right now, there is no definite plan to redshirt anyone. We want all of our guys to come in competing for spots and those decisions would not need to be made until next fall before our 1st game," a source told BDN. That means there are no set plans to redshirt Marshall Plumlee or say Alex Murphy. Duke will allow and expect players to compete at their highest level and then they'll take a look at their roster, season needs and depth at various positions. And be sure to pay attention to the last part of the quote which stated it will be later rather than sooner before we know of the Blue Devils definite plans.
I have already stated that Duke will have ten practices before games but that is just part of the good news for team development. Once Duke hits the road their is no limit to the amount of practices they can have. That's right! Duke can work the heck out of the guys and that will bode well come the early season in that it gives the staff a good idea of what they have to work with.
While pondering the journey ahead, it dawned on me that this would likely limit the amount of players that would participate in the N.C. Pro Am, the summer event we cover from end to end at NCCU. I asked about it and was told they were uncertain how many players would participate in the event but that their time would be cut shorter than in the past. In short, expect some Duke players to participate in some of the games but at this time no firm plans have been made one way or another.
Who will wear #0? I don't know. In fact, Duke doesn't even know what numbers the freshmen will wear yet. I can, however, tell you that the numbers will be assigned before Duke heads to China.
Rasheed Sulaimon agreed to do a diary on the coming AAU and high school season for BDN. He is working on his first entry.
What is up with DeAndre Daniels? All I can say is that the process of dotting the I's and crossing the T's is taking place. Daniels has in no way cooled on Duke, but he is taking his time and the staff is okay with that. Several teams have turned up the heat of late, so there is fierce competition, but until I hear otherwise, I still feel Duke is right where they are supposed to be at this point in time.
What is up with recruiting in general? Not a lot of major changes since my last update on the subject. The coaches cannot get out there again until the July period is over, meaning no open gyms, events and such. But we can get out there and we will for you know you can count on BDN Premium to go to most of the major events, as well as covering the guys from a regional perspective. In fact, the irrepressible Andrew Slater is in the "D" known as Dallas for the Nike EYBL this weekend and you all know what that means! In-depth interviews and superior board updates are Slater traits. Quite often when one thinks of BDN, they come up with Watzone, a long time nickname I have had although I have never really gone by it. I have been asked if it were italian, wat-zon-ne before but the best one was whether it was code for "what-zone." Anyhow, we have been introducing some new faces and we have plenty more to come but the staff will not zero in on those names until they can get out and see them in person. Shabazz Muhammad and Tony Parker top the list still but others are being watched, evaluated and studied and we'll let you know who the real prospects are and give you in person views. Andrew and myself see the kids in person playing several games, mingle with sources and such. Not to brag, but BDN has a pretty good one-two punch team not to mention tuned in posters and contributors. Add in our regional guys like Varand Kachadouri and others and you have the most unique premium site out there.
BDN Football Recruiting coverage needs more hype! Those of you who follow football know just how good of a job true Dukie Patrick Cacchio does with his tremendously informative Football Friday articles. It hasn't taken long for this site to set itself up as a true player in football recruiting and I will stack our dedication up there with anyone. Spread the word that if you want to be a Duke Football Insider, this has fast become the place to be.
Changes and such. The season was overwhelming enough but then recruiting kicked in with little or no break. I have mentioned that a few folks have inquired about bringing BDN in under their flag but as of now we have chosen to remain the best independent site out there. Talks are ongoing but slow for we care about how content is presented and want to make sure if we ever join a group it is for the right reasons and it shares in our vision of bringing about the most intense, home-centric fan experience one can have. I would also like to address site changes which are still in the works. Our staff has had a hard time getting together on this due to unexpected events. Susan Rego who holds the ship together will be headed for a long three week vacation in the coming days but once she is back and settled in, we will be tweaking the site and finally bringing you the database for prospects we've long promised. I can assure you that a lot of thought has and will go into positive changes, making the site not just better but more user-friendly. I am open to suggestions and you can e-mail me any thoughts concerning the site at watzonebdp@gmail.com. Look for one change in the next week or so if all goes as planned where we have partnered with Duke Athletics.
Lastly, thanks for being a member of BDN Premium. I feel BDN is bringing you the perfect balance of youth and wisdom these days. Both Andrew and Patrick are in the under 30 club and they are true go-getters. I bring experience from being around the program even before Coach K came in. We have all forged genuine relations with top notch sources to bring you accurate, straightforward information you can bank on. The site is steady as ever and the future is promising and we are glad you are a part of it. Keep in mind that any member who refers new members of one year still gets their choice of Duke memorabilia or extended time on their membership. We will clarify the program when changes come about. Thanks for reading and Go Duke!
Note - I am sorry to address this but must ... Copy and pasting or sharing this article in any form without prior consent is a breach of the user agreement. BDN reserves the right to ban any member who openly and willingly breaks rules set forth without refund as stated in the user agreement. This is not a widespread problem, but we have had trouble with discussion on our private message board being shared in other forums and articles in their entirety. And a warning for those certain few with an ax to grind or some who may have been banned from BDN, we take slanderous statements seriously around here. That kind of behavior is clearly a breach of the agreement you check when joining the site. We ask that you please abide by the rules agreed upon. In closing, we in no way advocate getting in board wars with members of other sites. Please bear in mind that actions of our members reflect on the site as a whole and there will be no further discussion of other sites on our message board in a negative way. We are taking the high road here and hope others follow. [/private]
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