Tag Archives: Ryan Kelly

Mason Plumlee, Kyle Singler and Miles Plumlee - copyright BDN Photo

The 2009 NC Pro Am kicked off tonight at North Carolina Central and Duke was represented by the Plumlee brothers, Kyle Singler and Ryan Kelly. Players from all over the state compete in the event. Those players could be in high school, college, retired or the pro's. For instance, the Charlotte Bobcat's Sean May played tonight and Jerry Stackhouse and others will hit the floor before the event is over.

Ryan Kelly played in the first game and his team squeaked out a win in double overtime. Kelly ended the night with 14 points. Kelly set a lot of high picks, but he seldom got the ball back on the roll. He had one key block to help send the game to overtime. There was one sequence where Kelly had his shot blocked but recovered the ball to put in a jump shot. On the next possession, Kelly threw down a dunk.

In a bit of irony, Mason Plumlee faced off against brother Miles Plumlee and his teammate Kyle Singler. Much like last year, the refs seemed to have quick whistles on the Dukies, with all three collecting nine combined fouls in the first nine minutes of the game. Most of those calls came late or from perceived contact.

The refs let the teams play in the second half and that made for an entertaining game where the lead exchanged hands several times. Singler was his usual steady self in that he did pretty much everything on his way to 14 points. As our premium members know, Singler will now head to the LeBron James Skills Academy to finish out the week.

His teammate Miles Plumlee scored 6 points and showed a good handle with the ball. Both Singler and [Miles] Plumlee had a bushel of rebounds in the contest. They were also assisted by ex-UNC star Jawad Williams who scored 18 second half points, but despite their efforts, they came up short.

On the other hand, Mason Plumlee showed that he will be a force this season by leading his winning team in scoring with 16 points, several of those coming on solid dunks. There was one play where a driving guard bounced the ball high and Mason ran behind him on that break to catch it for a dunk which drew a good crowd response. He later threw down another reverse dunk as the PA announcer said, "Mason Plumlee has arrived and is in the house." But the dunk which brought the most oohs from the fans was when he went down the baseline and crammed an authoritative power dunk on his brother.

The action will continue and if you are in the Triangle area, admission is absolutely free. Here is the web site for more details -Link to NC Pro Am

We'll discuss the Duke players more thoroughly on the BDNP Message Board.

The Right Stuff

June 2, 2009 Bob Green

kelly-iv2 Incoming freshman Ryan Kelly arrives at Duke with very good credentials. Most recently, he won the three point shooting contest at the 2009 McDonald’s All-American game. Being a 6′10″ forward with the ability to stretch defenses with a reliable jumper is definitely a plus. As a high school senior, Kelly led Ravenscroft to the NCISAA Championship game where the Ravens lost to Mason Plumlee and Christ School. Kelly scored 14 points in the game and was named to the All-State team. Last summer, as a member of the U18 National Team, Kelly started all five games averaging 8.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in helping the USA win the Silver Medal in Formosa, Argentina.

Timing could be perfect for Kelly as Duke will be short on guards this coming season forcing Coach Krzyzewski to play a larger line-up. Common speculation is Kyle Singler will be spending significant time at small forward, which will open the opportunity for Ryan Kelly to earn playing time in the power forward slot. Due to his perimeter skills, it is possible Kelly could see some minutes at small forward.

Kelly is often compared to former Blue Devil great Mike Dunleavy. Dunleavy averaged 9.1 points in 24 minutes per game as a freshman. Similar stats from Kelly would go a long way in boosting front court scoring for Duke. Over the past three seasons, front court scoring has been one dimensional for the Blue Devils. In 2007, Josh McRoberts averaged 13 ppg with Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek contributing 4 ppg and 3.1 ppg respectively. In 2008, Kyle Singler averaged 13.3 ppg with Thomas and Zoubek chipping in 4.3 and 3.8. It was the same in 2009 as Singler averaged 16.5 with Thomas and Zoubek adding 5.3 and 4.1.

In 2009-10, Ryan Kelly represents a potential legitimate second scoring option in the front court alongside Kyle Singler. In a past BDN article, Tom Konchalski, editor of High School Basketball Insider Report, described Kelly, “Ryan has so much more fluidity to his game…He’s got nearly a perfect skill set for a guy 6 9…He’s a step out four man, who has very good skills.” In a BDN interview last December, Mark Watson asked Ryan if the Duke staff had told Kelly to work on any part of his game. Kelly responded, “Yeah…continue to work on my defense. They want me to be able to guard smaller players out front.”

That response provides a nice segue to discussing defense. Duke is known for their pressure man-to-man defense and to earn playing time players must be able to defend “Duke style.” While Kelly has impressive offensive skills, the question on informed minds is can Kelly play ACC level defense as a freshman? Is he strong enough to defend power forwards? Does he possess the lateral quickness to defend on the wing?

The answers to those questions will determine how much time Ryan Kelly spends on the court this coming season. The Blue Devils need front court scoring and Ryan Kelly has the potential to score points, but it will be his defensive abilities that earn him the opportunity to show the Cameron Crazies he has the right stuff.

Duke Basketball

Getting to the Point (and the Post)!

May 22, 2009 Bob Green

scheyer-ii After Duke's Sweet 16 loss to Villanova, on March 27, Coach Krzyzweski was asked, "Does this in any way make you more eager to find a post player who can really score?" He answered, "And a point. And we feel -- it's not like we haven't tried to find them. A couple of them have gone to other schools right at the last second. We were like a three-headed monster on offense. And it carried us a long way, but it couldn't -- they played a lot of five against three tonight."

The Blue Devils may end up with a top rated point guard but it will not be from the Class of 2009. Eric Bledsoe and John Wall have signed with Kentucky, while Darius Smith decided to head East to Connecticut. Those three point guards all had Duke on their list, but the Blue Devils have most likely finished up their recruiting for this year and did not bring in a point guard to complement 6'11 Mason Plumlee and 6'9" Ryan Kelly two McDonald's All-Americans who will potentially provide Coach Krzyzewski considerable depth in the front court. The recruiting focus now shifts to 2010.

For this coming season, point guard duties will remain with Senior Jon Scheyer, a 6'5" wing guard, and Junior Nolan Smith, a 6'3" combo guard. While neither Scheyer nor Smith is a true point guard, both players bring point guard skills onto the court. When the two play together those skills combine to create a point guard who, while not spectacular, is certainly solid.

Jon Scheyer protects the basketball which results in a minimal number of turnovers. After Scheyer led Duke to the ACC Championship and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, Kyle Singler commented, "He makes plays for himself and others. That spot for us, when Jon has been there, has been huge for us." For the season, Scheyer recorded a 1.8:1 assists to turnover ratio, while averaging 14.9 points per game. Defensively, Scheyer is a tremendous off-the-ball defender who led Duke with 1.6 steals per game.

Nolan Smith's key skills are on-the-ball defense and the ability to finish at the rim. When he is healthy, Smith is a player who makes Duke a stronger team. Staying healthy has been a bit of a challenge for Smith over his first two seasons as a Blue Devil. He missed three games, late this past regular season, after suffering a concussion and bruised ribs in a game at Maryland. As a freshman, Smith was slowed down the stretch after hyper-extending his knee. With Duke being thin in the backcourt this coming season, it is imperative Smith avoid any significant injuries such as the concussion as well as the nagging little problems of his freshman year.

Last season, the three headed monster Coach Krzyzewski alluded to was: Kyle Singler, Gerald Henderson, and Jon Scheyer. The three combined to average 47.9 points per game which represents 72 percent of the team’s points. With Gerald Henderson gone to the NBA, Coach Krzyzewski will be looking for a couple of players to step up their consistency on offense. Nolan Smith, who averaged 8.4 points per game last season, is a likely candidate as is Elliot Williams, who averaged 4.2 points.

As a freshman, Williams came on strong, after being inserted into the starting line-up, averaging 7.3 points over the last 12 games. Williams brings exceptional athleticism onto the court and has the ability to play pressure defense. He needs to develop a consistent jump shot and must improve on his woeful free throw percentage, but Blue Devil fans should look for Williams to be a significant factor in the rotation from day one especially if he makes the type of freshman-to-sophomore improvements prevalent in the college game.

Coach Krzyzewski will only have three guards at his disposal next year so look for Kyle Singler to spend major minutes at small forward. Duke will have to play a larger line-up out of necessity and the competition for playing time should be fierce. Seniors Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek have started 62 and 21 games respectively during their first three seasons in Durham. They have the advantage of understanding Coach Krzyzewski’s defensive system and will be looking to have breakout senior seasons. Neither player has proven to be a consistent offensive option but both have their niche. Thomas is a versatile defender who is valuable in a fast tempo contest, while Zoubek is an extremely talented passer out of the high post. Zoubek made 82.8 percent of his free throw attempts as a junior.

Sophomore Miles Plumlee and freshmen Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly will be intent on taking away playing time from the two experienced seniors. Miles Plumlee looked lost on the court at times during his freshman season but also showed flashes of talent. He is mobile and should benefit from the standard freshman-to-sophomore improvement. His brother, Mason Plumlee is a player many analysts believe has the ability to make an immediate impact. Time will tell. Ryan Kelly is a wiry outside-in player with 3-point range. Kelly won the 3-point shooting contest at this year’s McDonald’s All-American game.

Out of those five frontcourt options, someone needs to step up and establish themselves as a consistent offensive threat. As Coach Krzyzewski stated in March, Duke played a lot of three on five last year and the lack of an interior offensive threat hurt the team. Zoubek and both the Plumlees have the size to be an impact post player what remains to be seen is if they can develop the game to get the job done. Thomas and Kelly are players who need to provide minutes at power forward so Singler can play on the wing. Sophomore Olek Czyz is a wild card and could compete for playing time at power forward due to his leaping ability and strength, or see duty on the wing due to the lack of backcourt players.

Singler, Scheyer, Smith, and Williams will be the core of next year’s rotation. The question is who will be players five, six, and seven? The answer will be interesting but Duke Fans will have to wait until next year and ACC games in January before knowing the answer. In the meantime, it is only late spring and a whole summer of starting line-up and minutes per game speculation lies in front of us not to mention summer pick-up game reports. I’ll see you all on the message boards!

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Mason Plumlee chats up the Blue Devil Nation

March 5, 2009 Mark Watson

Blue Devil Nation Premium caught up with Mason Plumlee who just helped lead his Christ School team to their third consecutive state championship. The following is an in depth and exclusive interview where he talks of that game. He also touches on playing against and with Ryan Kelly, his brothers Miles and Marshall Plumlee, the upcoming all star games and his plans for the future. Enjoy the interview -

Your Christ School team won another state championship game. Can you tell me about the game?

Plumlee throws down a dunk in the title game

It was great. It was probably the most fulfilling out of the three (CS has won three consecutive state titles). It was the expectation all year for us and anything less than winning would have been a disappointment. There were a lot of mixed emotions but it was a relief. But it was more happiness than anything.

Have you thought about the fact that your high school career is over and that after some All Star games, you'll next dribble the ball in Durham?

[private] In terms of getting ready for Duke I am, but I want to enjoy the last semester with my teammates and the people I have been here with for three years. I'm just trying to enjoy the rest of the year here.

Can you look back and reflect on your Christ School experiences?

I've learned a ton of stuff on and off the court, but it's more just the people I've been with and the players I've been able to play with made it more fun and such an enjoyable experience.

When you first moved from Indiana to North Carolina, did you see yourself being as successful as you are today?

I really didn't . Especially my first year. I thought we had a really good team that wasn't expected to win the state. I could have never imagined we'd have won three championships in three years which is pretty awesome.

How often do you talk to Miles?

I talked to him after we won the state tournament. He was happy for us and congratulated us and everything.

What has Miles had to say about his experience at Duke thus far?

He just said there are ups and downs and that it's not always easy but overall he enjoys it.

You were named to the prestigious McDonald's All American team. While growing up, did you think you would attain that status?

Yeah, it would be easy to say now that's what I wanted but I didn't ... the first time I decided it was something I wanted to reach was when I went to watch the 2005 game in South Bend, Indiana. I think Josh McRoberts got the MVP in that game and that was the first time I saw one, so ...

Will it be odd not to go right into AAU ball this summer?

Yeah. It is kind of weird because I love AAU and I will miss it. Like you said earlier, I have got the McDonald's, the Jordan game and the Nike Hoop Summit, so I will be a little busy.

Tell me a little more about the Hoop Summit ...

It will be played April 18th and we'll go out there 3 or 4 days. It's in Portland. John Wall is on our team who Duke is recruiting.

When the McDonald's committee selects you, the Jordan and so on. How do they contact you? Or how do you find out you've been selected to play in those games?

Well, the McDonald's stuff came in the mail and once that happened a couple of people who are voters called me or called my coach. I think Bob Gibbons called my AAU coach. Then like the Jordan Classic, the Nike guy called my Dad and said I was invited. Then I got something in the mail later. The Hoop Summit? They called my coach.

Back to the championship game for a minute. You went up against your future teammate Ryan Kelly and beat those guys twice this year. Were they a little tougher this time out?

Yeah. I think they tried to slow it down a lot more and were more ready for us. I mean, the first ... we kind of knew as a team going in we weren't going to beat them by thirty plus again. We just played our game and came out on top.

What are the differences you see between Ryan Kelly's game and your game?

Well! I figure he's a pretty good shooter. I think we are more similar than different. I don't know ... on his team he has to do the majority of the scoring. I've been fortunate to play with people like Lakeem Jackson, Reggie and a little bit more of a balanced team.

Was there any type of rivalry that developed between you guys? I mean you both signed at Duke and that kind of thing. Did that add a little something extra when you guys met?

Yeah, I guess. From the outside looking in, it's kind of like that. But for us it was just our team against theirs. The most important thing was a championship.

Do you think you can play alongside Kelly?

Yeah.

Do you see Miles as a more inside oriented guy next season?

I've played with Miles my whole life and he can do a lot more than just play inside. I think with me coming in next year and Ryan and having more depth inside, he'll be able to go inside-out more. Right now, he is just down on the block.

Let's talk just a second about your younger brother Marshall. Do you think that Duke may recruit him?

Well, I don't know, it'll be interesting. Of course, as his brother I hope they do. I hope he improves his game enough to where they will recruit him. He's got a long way to go, just like I do before I get to Duke next year. I hope that we can all stay together like we did here at Christ School and hope Marshall keeps improving. He's working really hard. If he just grows into his body I think he'll be pretty good.

Do you know where Marshall will play his AAU ball for this summer?

Yeah, he's going to play for Indiana Elite. He'll go to the Carolina Challenge. I know AAU will be different this year because they have an open period in the Spring. I think the tournaments are more regional up until July.

How long do you have left in high school?

We have until May which will not be that long.

You guys take a pretty good academic load and study a lot ...

We have study hall every week night from Sunday to Thursday which lasts from 7:30 to 9:15.

Good deal, that'll help prepare you for college. When you finish school will you go to Indiana to be with your parents ... Durham ... where will you be hanging out?

I will go home for the first month or so to be home with my family and work out there. I will go to Duke for the second session of summer school which I think starts July 1st.

Thanks for your time and good luck with the All Star games. Enjoy yourself, stay healthy and be a kid.

I will. Thanks Mr. Watson.

Thank You. [/private]

Duke Basketball, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

High School Hoops Edition No. 12

February 28, 2009 Bob Green

mason-plumlee Mason Plumlee scored 19 points as Christ School won their third straight NCISAA Championship with a 62-54 victory over Ryan Kelly and Ravenscroft.

Plumlee and Kelly led their teams to the championship game. On Thursday, in the quarterfinals, Kelly scored 20 points as Ravenscroft defeated Wesleyan Christian Academy 59-36. Plumlee recorded a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds as Christ School defeated Charlotte Latin School 44-31.

In the semi-finals, Kelly recorded a 24 points and 12 rebounds double-double as Ravenscroft defeated Greensboro Day 57-45. Kelly also had five blocks in the contest. Mason Plumlee blocked eight shots and dished out five assists as Christ School defeated Charlotte Christian 59-47.

Andre Dawkins recorded his 2,000th career point as Atlantic Shores improved to 28-1 by defeating Denbigh Baptist 73-21 in the Metro Conference quarterfinals on Thursday. Dawkins scored 17 points in the game. In the semi-finals on Friday, Dawkins scored 30 points as Atlantic Shores defeated Hampton Christian 89-42.

Harrison Barnes scored 17 points as Ames Little Cyclones defeated Des Moines Lincoln 73-46 in sub-state semi-final action on Friday night.

Eric Bledsoe scored 17 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had five assists as Parker High School defeated LeFlore 52-39 in the Alabama 5A state semi-finals. The Championship Game is currently underway in Birmingham.

Josh Smith scored 18 points in a losing effort as Kentridge defeated Kentwood 51-41 in the West Central 4A District tournament. Smith averaged 24.3 points per game for Kentwood this season.

Duke Basketball, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Ravenscroft (Kelly) faces Christ School (Plumlee) for the State Championship game

February 28, 2009 Mark Watson

Two 2009 Duke commitments Ryan Kelly of Ravenscroft and Mason Plumlee of Christ School will attempt to lead their schools to a State Championship on

Saturday afternoon. The game starts at 4:00 and is played at Charlotte Latin High School in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The defending champions, Christ School, who are coached by David Gaines, have played in five out of the last six title games. They will be a prohibitive favorite in that they have seven top notch college prospects on their roster. Of course, they walloped the Ravens 76-45 in an early season game in the Chic-Fil-A Classic.

Ravenscroft is coached by former Duke player Kevin Billerman who has led his

team to the state title game three times in his nine years of coaching the team. Billerman's team leans heavily on Kelly, who is asked to do it all. It would be wise for them to slow the tempo of the game.

Kelly and Plumlee have faced off several times, but one of the best showdowns was in last season Tournament of Champions AAU event. Kelly showed a variety of offensive moves and had his way in the first half for D-One Sports, but Plumlee reached down and controlled the second half to lead his Indiana Elite team team to the win.