Coach K will be in home with Austin Rivers tonight - BDN Photo
Coach Mike Krzyzewski and assistant coach Chris Collins will head to Florida later today where they'll have their in home visit with the River family. They are there of course for the services of Austin Rivers a prospect they have pursued since he opened his recruitment back up. Rivers is one of the consensus top three players in his class. His abilities on the court would fit well in the Duke system which allows freedom to their guards to create and make plays. Rivers will visit Duke during Countdown to Craziness on October 15th where he will join several other prospects to take in the Duke atmosphere. Rivers is the son of Boston Celtics coach and former Atlanta Hawk standout Glenn "Doc" Rivers.
Duke set to visit Rivers in home on Monday and more happenings from the recruiting trail are part of BDN Premiums latest update - BDN Photo
Just recently, we posted our latest hoops team and recruiting report, but even more information is coming in. Let's start it off with talk of Austin Rivers. who recently had an in home visit with Roy Williams and North Carolina. The Blue Devils get there turn this Tuesday when Krzyzewski and Chris Collins will head south.
Once they arrive in Florida Duke [private] hopes to start wrapping his recruitment up. And yes, Austin will visit the UNC campus for certain. We have no idea how the in home visit went with the Tar Heels but I can tell you that I still feel just fine with where Duke is at this point and time.
The Rivers camp has never sent anything other than good vibes Duke's way and it is not unusual for him to want to take a couple of visits. I feel Rivers already knows where he wants to go but is simply going through the process due to what happened with his brothers choice of schools.
The Duke coaches had as much contact as is allowed with Rivers all the way through to Istanbul. And as I told you, the action would sart in the Rivers camp only after Kryzewski returned stateside.
I think a key here is that Duke will get their visit after UNC's. This one could be over as early as late October. Austin and his Dad Doc know exactly what Duke wants.
There has been talk of Myck Kabongo but he seems to be happy with Kansas. Duke could not and would not contact him and could only show interest if he were to re-open his recruitment. There sole focus is on Cook at this time.
That means Quinn Cook joins Austin Rivers as the final two targets with offers. While a lot of people didn't seem to know Cook held an offer, I can tell you that Kryzyzewski made it official in late July. Duke is turning up the heat with Cook and I'm getting some good vibes with other information I heard which I cannot share at this time. I can say that Nolan Smith is turning up the chatter with someone he is obviously very close to.
Despite what Savon Goodman said, Duke is still more interested in Amile Jefferson but they will keep an eye on both. Jefferson needs to put on some muscle and Goodmans outside shot is a work in progress.
In the class of 2012 only Shabazz Muhammad and Alex Murphy have offers. In short, Duke is in the proverbial evaluation stage with several players and one of those is RasheedSulaimon. We hinted a while back that interest is picking up here and as you read in our last update Nate James dropped in on him recently and took in L.J. Rose as well. We will not know Duke's full interest in Rose until Cook makes his decision.
Our last update let you know that Wojo was on the recruiting trail but we now know that list included J.P. Tokoto. Duke still likes this kid and will hang in there with him. We already told you he checked out Muhammad
Chris Spatola was also allowed to be out on thee road [three at any open period per NCAA rules] also checked out Grant Jarrett, a talented kid they will evaluate. and local sensation Rodney Purvis.
The Blue Devils still like Kaleb Tarczewski a lot and he will definitely be at the forefront in the future.
The football team will host a ton of prospects this weekend as well and we are putting something together on that and will have it up by Friday.
Finally, here is the list for Countdown to Craziness at this time - Austin Rivers, Michael Gbinije, Rodney Purvis, Amile Jefferson, Marshall Plumlee, Tony Parker and Rasheed Sulaimon. [/private]
VENICE BEACH - From the concrete jungle of New York to the sunny beaches of L.A, the Boost Mobile Elite 24 concluded the summers AAU schedule with an All-Star game in Venice Beach. While we didn’t have Billy Hoyle and Sidney Deane running the courts, we did have the top 24 high school prospects in the nation.
The event kicked off Wednesday with a Midnight Run at the Hanger Athletic Xchange, also known as the HAX. Starring in the game were the elite high school prospects along with some of the youngest talent the NBA has to offer. Reigning Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans teamed up with DeMar DeRozan, Brandon Jennings, Bobby Brown and recent #1 draft pick John Wall to take on the youngsters. While the game was full of crossovers and fadeaways, one in particular has gotten fans across the internet buzzing. Austin Rivers, the 6’4 guard from Winter Park High School in Florida, crossed up recent #1 draft pick John Wall and took it straight to the basket for a lay in. Regardless of the big play, the pros dominated most of the games they played in.
The second day of the event offered a training and combine session followed by a scrimmage. Conducting the training session was current Denver Nuggets strength and conditioning coach, Steve Hess. Now, if you’ve never met the guy, all you need to know is he is one of the most intense people you will have ever met. While most players struggled with the core exercises, one particularly stood out, 2011 point guard Myck Kabongo. Ending the combine session was Brandon Jennings discussing his struggles to get to where he is, as well as reminding the players to keep an open mind when it comes to signing a shoe deal. While no one completely dominated the scrimmage, there were a few standout players. 2012 prospect Shabazz Muhammad did show off some of his strong inside moves. The talented wing-forward grabbed multiple rebounds inside showing off his strength, which lead to easy put backs. The other standout was 2011 Findlay Prep point guard Myck Kabongo. Myck displayed his advanced dribbling skills and excellent court vision often making passes you wouldn’t think possible.
The third day offered the skills and dunk competition. 2011 guard Brad Beal of Chaminade College Prep School in St. Louis, Missouri, won the skills competition over Oak Hill point guard Quinn Cook. The dunk competition featured 8 contestants including Deuce Bello, Jahii Carson, Amir Garrett, Nick Johnson, LeBryan Nash, Norman Powell, Gabe York and Stephen Maxwell. Deuce Bello edged out local prospect Stephen Maxwell in the finals, although his most impressive dunk was in the second round when he teamed up with fellow Westchester Day player, Quincy Miller. Quincy, seated under the net, bounced the ball and Bello completed a full windmill over Miller to bring the Venice Beach crowd to their feet.
Concluding the Boost Mobile Elite 24 event was the All-Star game on Saturday. Clear and sunny skies offered the perfect weather for an outdoor basketball game. While the crowd on Friday was much more laid-back, Saturday’s crowd created a much better atmosphere. There was a certain buzz in the air throughout the game. The game offered a typical All-Star feel, big dunks and little to no defense, except in the final minute. Kyle Wiltjer, who committed to Kentucky at halftime, was the games leading scorer with 20. In the end, The Raymond Lewis East Squad beat The Marques Jackson West squad 131-128.
Stay tuned for more interviews with Duke recruiting targets which will be feature this week in BDN Premium, your inside source for on the spot coverage Duke Athletics.
VENICE BEACH - According to BDN correspondent Varand Khachadauri, Austin Rivers will visit Duke and UNC in October. There is more going on behind the scenes at the Boost Mobile Elite 24 event in California and our guy will be in the thick of things all week long. Already, BDN has secured interviews with top prospects Rivers and Murphy and we have also chatted with a young man who may open his recruitment back up. For reports on all the action, join BDN Premium and visit our members only message board for tidbits and stay tuned for the interviews.
Austin Rivers talks with BDN's Mark Watson at the Nike Peach Jam - photo BDN
Austin Rivers was the morning's high scorer with 29 points during the first day of the Nike EYBL Peach Jam in Augusta, South Carolina, Recent diary entries brought about a lot of questions and Duke and UNC fans wanted answers. Well, BDN wasted little time in acquiring them right away. Check out the following lengthy interview and stay tuned to BDN for real time updates on our premium members message board. With Andrew Slater's in depth Shabazz Muhammad interview and now this one, BDN is quite simply the place to be for the best coverage out there. Check out our trial offer which last just 24 more hours or go ahead and get the best value by joining for a year. Check out our coverage of the prospects you want the hear from and our in person analysis of the events. After all, you have to get out here and see the prospects to be able to talk about them, right?
So, what is your list of schools?
Duke, North Carolina, Florida, Kansas and Kentucky. Those are the five I had and those are the ones here watching me right now.
You decided to push your decision back ...
Basically I just want to see how people do this year at the schools I'm looking at. I'm just going to wait for the college season to start and watch a little bit of the ball and after a couple of weeks or so, make my decision. I feel like it is important to me to just wait a little bit longer. I'm looking for playing time and want to come in and impact the team. I want to play for a team that goes up and down and attack.
Have you talked with UNC lately?
I talked to [private] Roy Williams a couple of times but it's been a couple of months since he called but when I was playing for Team USA I was out of touch.
You mentioned Harrison Barnes and Kyrie Irving in your latest diary entry, can you speak of those two?
Well, I'm friends with Harrison Barnes but we don't talk on the phone or anything like that. I'm real good friends with Kyrie but not because he goes to Duke. I've been playing with him at these camps from the start, so I have developed a good relationship there. I'm also friends with Kendall Marshall and my best friends are Marshall, Kobongo and Irving.
Your Dad said you would slow down in the AAU tournaments and take in the Showcase but not the AAU Nationals.
Yeah, just the Nike Showcase. I just felt like I needed a break and just want to get stronger but after being in LA and with Team USA for 13 days and here ... that should be enough for the summer.
So, there really isn't a timetable. Will you just make a decision when it feels right?
Basically, yeah. When it comes to mind and I feel like it and know that this is the school for me I will make the decision.
Do you plan to take a visit to UNC?
I do plan on taking a visit North Carolina in late August right before school starts because I haven't been up there and later on that year we'll see if they get another visit. I might then go to Kentucky.
Will you vist Duke as well on that trip?
Probably, because they are eight miles apart and it's the right thing to do. I went to Duke a couple of months back but not North Carolina, so this will be like a double header.
Does it upset you that some coaches are not here to watch you from the five schools you mentioned?
I don't like them less or more because of this. I like them and I hope they feel the same way because I am interested in them.
What is it like playing in front of coaches?
I try to block it and not try to change my game when they are here. I'm just trying to win
Do you like it when coaches come to watch you?
Yeah, it shows that they are interested in me and that they want to recruit me. I don't know who was here today.
The Duke coaches were the only ones here.
Really? I like that Coach K was here to see me.
A while back people considered Duke to be the favorite. Some are saying that has changed and that you have cooled a bit on them.
I have an interest in a lot of schools right now. I have the best relationship with Florida and Duke because I have been recruited by them the longest, but Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas are in the picture and I am not favoring anybody right now. I really haven't even talked to my father about it and he doesn't even know. I really don't know where I am going yet. Right after AAU starts that's when I will sit down with my family and coach and figure out whats best for me.
Do internet rumors bug you?
I just laugh at people who tell me like I am going overseas to play and stuff like that. The internet really confuses people sometimes.
Your parents are here to support you ...
Yeah they do a lot to support me, especially my mom. She is the person that keeps the family together and my Dad really keeps busy with his job.
So, mom is the rock?
Yeah, shes the rock, the man of the hours really.
You mentioned relationships with other coaches, would you like to build more of them?
Yes, yes. I would like to build relationships with Coach Calipari and Coach Self.
You do not seem as dependent on your outside shot in game one like you have in the past.
Yeah, I've tried to mix it up a little bit. I have a really good right hand floater and a left hand floater, I've been working on that. You will see me use that throughout the tournament.
Which school has been recruiting you aggressively in the past two months?
Duke is the most aggressiveness. We have a good relationship that is building and we talk once a month and have a good conversation of about 45 minutes or better. They really show that they care. North Carolina sends me a lot of letters that Roy Williams writes and stuff like that, so it's all good.
When did you first hear from UNC?
Three and a half or four months ago when I first talked to North Carolina, at the end of my school year. I talked with Coach Williams after the initial contact.
In your diary you mention Kyrie possibly turning pro early and it seems as if that was a major concern. Is it?
Yes, to be a championship team I want to have some good players. Kyrie is that good and he may go to the pros after one year but how will it affect me? It wouldn't keep me from going to Duke. They are always going to have good players and they are building their program and they will be ranked number one this year so we'll see how they do. Duke will always be in the spotlight.
And what of those banana yellow Nikes?
Yeah, they're terrible. They sent us a fluorescent pair. What can you do? [/private]
USA Basketball has been Gold this summer. Gold as in winning the Gold Medal at the FIBA U17 World Championship in Hamburg, Germany, and at the FIBA Americas U18 tournament which was held in San Antonio, TX.
The USA U17 team went a perfect 8-0 in Hamburg wrapping up the Gold Medal, on July 11th, with a convincing 111-80 victory over Poland who finished the tournament with a 7-1 record and the Silver Medal. Canada defeated Lithuania, 83-81, in the Bronze Medal game.
USA advanced to the Gold Medal game by defeating Canada, 103-83, in the semi-finals, and Australia, 105-70, in the quarter-finals. Team USA won their eight games by an average margin of 34 points. They defeated Argentina, Lithuania, China, Egypt, and Serbia in preliminary round play.
Brad Beal, who has verbally committed to play college basketball at Florida, and James McAdoo, who has verbally committed to North Carolina, were named to the All-Tournament team. Beal was the team's leading scorer averaging 18.25 points per game. McAdoo averaged 14.5 points and led the team in rebounding with 7.9 per game. Point guard Quinn Cook led the tournament in assists with 7.4 per game.
By winning the FIBA Americas U18 tournament in San Antonio, the USA was one of four teams to qualify to compete in next year's U19 World Championship, which will be held in Latvia. USA U18 team won the Gold Medal with a hard fought 81-78 victory over Brazil, on June 30th, to finish the competition with a perfect 5-0 record. Quincy Miller hit a decisive 3-point shot late in the game to seal the come from behind victory for Team USA. Canada defeated Argentina, 86-83, to win the Bronze Medal.
They qualified for the championship game by defeating Canada 122-89 in the semi-finals. In the preliminary round, USA defeated the U.S. Virgin Islands, 131-63; Mexico, 114-38; and Argentina, 88-67.
Austin Rivers led the team in scoring with 20.2 points per game. Quincy Miller (14), Kyrie Irving (13.8), and Jereme Richmond (10.8) also averaged in double figures. Miller was the team's leading rebounder with 9.2 per game, while Irving led the team in assists with 4.2 per game. Miller and Rivers are undecided on their college destination, while Richmond will play at Illinois and Irving at Duke.
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