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BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Marcus Lee talks recruiting with BDN

Marcus Lee, a rising senior out of Deer Valley (CA), has blasted onto the scene over the last six months, establishing himself as one of the top big men in the class of 2013. Boasting a 7’1.5” wingspan, the wiry 6'9" Lee uses that length well to protect the paint.  Driving much of the attention has been Lee's excellent summer on the hardwood.

Marcus never imagined he would receive the attention he has, even as his game has blossomed. He is extremely gracious for all the help his brother Brian has given him in the recruiting process. For Marcus, Brian has been the rock that he has needed to help him navigate the challenging recruiting process.

Lee recently arranged his final official visits, and is expected to make an official visit to Duke on October 27.

The bouncy big man was gracious enough to give BDN some time to discuss his recent trip to UCLA, his impressions of Coach K, and his relationship with his brother, among other topics.

BlueDevilNation: Being a west coast guy, it must be an honor to represent the west side out here in the Elite 24.

Marcus Lee: Oh yeah.  It was a great honor once I got the invite. It was just a real add-on to summer.  The summer was great.

BDN: Do you feel you had a good summer and played as well as possible?

ML: Yeah, I think I had a real great summer this year, and yeah, I tried as hard as possible and just tried to [private] get it done this year.

BDN: Your recruitment really blew up this summer.  Did you ever imagine all of this?

ML: (laughing) Uh, no, I never imagined all of this. It all came as a big surprise once it all started.

BDN: You had a chance to visit UCLA recently.  Can you go over that trip?

ML: It was a pretty great visit. The gym that’s about to open will be crazy.

BDN: Pauley Pavilion?

ML: Yeah, yeah.

BDN: There’s a perception about kids leaving the west coast.  Do you feel you fall under that at all?

ML: No, not at all. I feel like I’m able, I feel like I’m a chameleon and can adapt to wherever I go.

BDN: As with most recruits, their families hope to be able to watch them when they play.  Will it be important for yours to be able to attend the games?

ML: Yeah, it’ll be very important. It’s great to have your family and friends there to support you.

BDN: Do you feel like it’s a deciding factor?

ML: Uh, I don’t know yet. (laughs)  We’ll see when we get there.

BDN: You’ve set a bunch of your in-home visits recently.  Have you had a chance to set up the Duke one yet?

ML: Umm, I don’t think so.

Brian Lee: No, we haven’t set it yet.

BDN: You were at the Lebron camp this summer and got to see the USA National team practice.  Can you describe that experience?

ML: Yeah, it was great.  We watched them scrimmage and it wasn’t like high school. They were going after each other like they were playing a real game.

BDN: Going back to Duke, do they have a pitch they’re selling you?

ML: No, they don’t really have a pitch.  It’s just us talking together, trying to learn more about each other.

BDN: Were you able to keep in contact with Coach K while he was in London?

ML: Yeah, a little bit. We talked in an out. Probably mostly through text messages because it was harder to call.

BDN: You said recently that he’s really energetic.  Could you describe that?

ML: Just in his voice you can hear it.  You can hear that he’s excited about basketball, he’s excited about the team. He just has that passion.  He’s always excited.

BDN: How would you describe how he approaches you? Is it more like a friend or a teacher, or a coach?

ML: He approaches me as a teacher. I see him as a real great teacher that I can learn from.

BDN: Tell me about your relationship with your brother. Obviously he’s a major influence in your life.

ML: He’s the brain of everything. He gets me here on time, he figures everything out. He’s also my consultant. He’ll talk to me throughout the year and . . .

BDN: Keeps you level-headed?

ML: YES! He does everything.

BDN: What are you hoping to see when you go on your visits?

ML: Something to catch my eye. I don’t really know what it is, but I just know once I see it something will tell me to go here.

BDN: Is family atmosphere important for you?

ML: Yes, family atmosphere is extremely important.

BDN: Will you be staying at Deer Valley this year?

ML: Yeah, I’m staying at Deer Valley.

BDN: OK, just because there had been rumors in the past.

ML: (laughs) No, I’m repping Deer Valley until I die.

BDN: Do you feel like you have to be more vocal or is that something that comes naturally to you?

ML: I don’t believe I can get any more vocal than I already am. I don’t think anybody can get more vocal than me. It’s just the way I am. It just happens naturally. I don’t know where it comes from.

BDN: Do you feel there`s a difference between your role in AAU and high school?

ML: There really isn’t a difference.  It’s just that in high school I have to make sure everybody is on the same page, whereas on AAU, I already know for sure they’re on the same page.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Marcus.

ML: All right.  Thank you. [/private]

Duke Basketball, Duke Football, Monday Musings

Random Thoughts from the Duke Beat

BDN wishes Austin Rivers a Happy Birthday! He will always be remembered for his buzzer-beating three point shot over the extended arm of Tyler Zeller and Duke archrival North Carolina.  Heart Breaker.

“Let’s do this,” said diving maestro Nick McCrory, who grew up in Chapel Hill but attends Duke, and he now owns a Bronze Medal from the XXX Olympics. Do you think Chapel Hill is happy losing one of their own to Duke of all places? Congrats Nick!

Also in diving:  Congrats to Abby Johnston, who won a Silver medal. I wonder if the Duke Stores and the Duck Shop are printing up "Duke Divers Rule" t-shirts.

Fencing National Champion Becca Ward of Duke was named ACC Female Athlete of the Year. Ward got my vote, as did linebacker Luke Kuechly of Boston College for Male Athlete of the Year.

Also electorally speaking, the ballot I cast at the ACC Kickoff event for the projected ACC football standings matched the final results in balloting. Of course, these projected standings are rarely on the money come year's end.

While we're talking pigskin, Duke opens fall practice for the 2012 season this coming Monday.  Positions to watch in the pre-season? The middle of the defense and the wideouts, where guys will need to step up and fast.

All eyes will be on the seniors as well. Can QB Sean Renfree bring his game full circle this season? Local Durham product Desmond Scott has been taking snaps at wideout, yet he is also the last Duke running back to rush for more than 100 yards. Good thing the Blue Devils seem deep in the offensive backfield.

Back to hoops:  So, if Shane Battier is playing congas for Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band in a performance, can we get an encore at a local club in Durham? One can wish.

The Duke Women's Basketball team is preparing for its European tour.  They will spend the first few days in Paris. Life is tough. Actually, it may not be all quiche lorraine and boeuf bourguignon for the ladies, as their days of wine and roses will be limited somewhat due to injuries to Chloe Wells (leg), Richa Jackson (knee), Elizabeth Williams (leg), Amber Henson (knee), Katie Heckman (questionable - knee). #BuildingDepth

Yes, Duke will have two pre-season top 10 basketball teams this coming year.  Maybe even top 5.

Back in London, even while substituting liberally, Team USA rolled past overmatched Tunisia. In games like this, motivation and focus are challenges for the staff.  If anyone can keep our team locked in, it's Coach K.

Speaking of Coach K, you just know his work with the NBA's best really hurts recruiting. If you really fall for that, I have a coupon for half off the purchase of London Bridge.

How do we know Duke assistant coaches are all over the nation's top prospects while K, Collins and Wojo (not a law firm) are in the United Kingdom? Because BDN Premium continues to be out there on the beat with them. Join today and find out who Nate James and Jeff Capel have been watching.

Quinn Cook and Marshall Plumlee took a break from the N.C. Pro-Am to play in the Four Nations Cup tournament in Tunisia, of all places. Cook was named to the All Cup team but Plumee was his saucer. It was good experience for both young players.

Alex Murphy got some serious burn recently too. The redshirt freshman was one of two "go-to" guys for the Finnish National Team in the recent U-20 European Championship tournament.  The team had little depth, so Murphy played big minutes and really showed off his scoring abilities despite being double-teamed for much of the way.

Bobby Hurley tweeted this yesterday:  "Proud 2 watch the "Fab Five" perform & bring home the gold! Who would have thought that the "Fab Five" could it get it done."   See! I am not the only one who tweets how I feel on occasion. For those who missed it, the shot was directed towards the Michigan Wolverines' "Fab Five" of the early 1990's.

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

The Running Man: An Interview With Austin Nichols

6'9" Duke Recruit Austin Nichols, Photo by Andrew Slater

For a self-described "goofy kid," 6'9" Austin Nichols of Memphis has a serious game. Blessed with a 7'2" wingspan, he is one of the most skilled big men in high school basketball, and has demonstrated the ability and desire to get out and run the floor.

On a senior-laden Briarcrest Christian team, the junior averaged over eighteen points and nearly ten rebounds, while leading the city of Memphis in shooting for a second consecutive year. Nichols, who has added twenty-two pounds (he is now up to 202 pounds) since last year, was named Tennessee's Mr. Basketball.

Nichols and fellow Duke recruit Robert Hubbs III, an ultra-athletic shooting guard from Dyer County in Tennessee, have been forming a nice one-two punch on the AAU circuit for M33M this year . They will be playing in Minneapolis and Las Vegas later this month.

Last summer, Austin attended Duke's camp, and began a relationship with the Duke coaches. Before being introduced to Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, Nichols first spoke with Associate Head Coach Chris Collins and later Coach Steve Wojciechowski. Coach K came and watched both Nichols and Hubbs play. In April, Austin became the first player this spring to be offered a scholarship by Duke.

In June, Nichols trained in the high altitude of Colorado Springs, Colorado for the United States U-18 team that eventually competed for the FIBA Americas Championship in Sao Sebastio do Paraiso, Brazil. He was one of the fourteen finalists, playing alongside incoming Duke freshman Rasheed Sulaimon and fellow Duke recruit Julius Randle.

This month, Austin has been busy competing in the LeBron James Skills Academy in Las Vegas, NV and the Reebok Breakout in Philadelphia, PA before he rejoins his friend Hubbs for AAU competition around the country.

While his twin sister will be a freshman at the University of Tennessee and his oldest sister will graduate in August from the University of Memphis, where his mother is an alumnus, Austin Nichols, who has a 3.4 GPA at Briarcrest and a strong Christian faith, plans on cutting down on his extensive list of college suitors in about six weeks. Recently, Nichols, who has the deep Tennesseean voice of a young country music singer, spoke with me about a variety of topics, including playing alongside Hubbs and Randle, his improved overall game, and his faith.

 

You've been on a nice run this year, winning Mr. Basketball and being a part of USA Basketball.
I mean, I definitely worked hard for it. It’s a dream come true, especially to become a part of USA Basketball. Even though I got cut, it was a great experience in Colorado and I had fun and everything like that. I met some new guys. And then winning Mr. Basketball, that was a great experience.
It’s the highest honor in your state.
 Oh, yeah. I was just excited and I worked hard to get it and I realized I want to work harder to get another one.
What was it like when you received the Duke offer? You were the first guy that they offered this spring.
 Yeah, I talked to Coach K two or three times before he offered and I was shocked, just shocked. It was April. I started talking to Coach Collins first and then I started talking to Coach Wojo and then I finally started talking to Coach K and he offered in early April. 
What was your initial reaction like?
 I really didn’t believe it at first. It really hit me about a day or two later. 
[private]
Coach K had seen you play a few times at that point?
 Yeah, well, I went to their camp the summer before. They saw me there and then, yeah, over the early summer, he saw me a couple of times. 
I watched you a few times last year on the AAU circuit. In your opinion, what would you say you’ve improved on most over the past  year?
 Getting stronger, improving my jump-shot, keep running the floor, I think my offensive rebounding has improved. 
You look a little stronger as well, I must say.  Or at least bulked up from last year.
Yeah, I was 180 last year, I’m now up to 202.
What would you like to be? What’s the next step for you in terms of weight and size?
I’d like to get all the way up to 220 by Christmas. 
Oh, wow. 
Yeah, I think it’s going to be hard, but I think I can do it, adding lean muscle. 
For the majority of the audience who has never seen you play, what would you say are your strengths and weaknesses?
My strengths are I have long arms, I can run the floor. Man, my weaknesses are probably my jumpshooting.
Oh, really? You think that is your major weakness?
Yeah, I can hit that 15-footer, but my 3-pointer really needs a lot of work. 
Oh, you’d like to move your range out even further?
Yeah,  I would. I just don’t feel as comfortable that far out.
By the way, do you view yourself as a 4-3? What position do you view yourself as?
Usually as a 3-4, sometimes even a 5, depending on the match-up or the line-up in the game.
With your twin sister at Tennessee, how will that affect your decision?
She’s going to be a freshman at Tennessee this year. I’m actually about 3 minutes older than her. She got held back, I mean, I got held back in 7th grade.
I assume it was purely for athletic reasons, right?
Oh, yeah, yeah. Absolutely, that’s right. And she, I mean, we always talk. We’re really close, so whatever she thinks that I might be interested in.
Does it give Tennessee a competitive advantage?
No, not really. She is there for me, regardless of what I decide.
Does she play basketball at all?
Oh, yeah, she played until 6th grade.
I was just curious about your various connections. By the way, who do you try to model your game after? You have, sort of, a unique one. 
 I’d have to say Dirk (Nowitzki) and then secondarily, I’d have to say Pau Gasol.
 So, you like to model your game after sort of tall, relatively athletic guys who have the versatility to step out and shoot it?
Oh, yeah, yeah, definitely, those are my type.
What about the pull of Memphis? 
Great coaching staff.
Great recruiters.
Yeah, they definitely are. 
Your mother went to Memphis as well, as I recall.
Yes, she went to the University of Memphis. She didn’t play basketball, but she was I think part of a band.
 Well, that counts for something. She’s bringing spirit.
(laughs) Yeah, thanks. She wants me to go to Memphis, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. She‘ll support me. They’re really aggressive at recruiting me. I have to see. I’m neutral right now.
I was reading that you were planning on cutting down on your list relatively soon. What would you like to get it to and what is the mindset behind it? Is it to try to cut the list to a more manageable number?
 Probably in a month and a half. I’m not really sure how low I’m going to cut it to, but yes, to make it more manageable. 
By the way, are you a pretty good student?
Yeah, I’m pretty good. A’s and B’s. I’ve got about a 3.4 GPA. 
That’s about double most guys here.
(laughs)
Well, that’s at Briarcrest Christian, where Leslie McDonald went. Speaking of Leslie McDonald, has he tried to influence you about North Carolina?
 Yeah, about four weeks before school was out, he came by the school, he came to talk to me about going to North Carolina. Well, not just going to North Carolina, but being a college player. He was kind of getting me ready for it, waking me up early, telling me you had to get ready to go to practice, and just setting my mind right.
Do you think you have a good work ethic?
Yeah, I tend to think so. I get in the gym pretty constantly. 
Well, for the most part, you have to to maintain at this level. What about public versus private? Will that be an issue for you when picking a college? You obviously go to a private school right now, but I didn’t know if that was an issue. Will size be a factor as well?
 Well, actually, I went to a public school until 7th grade, so no, I can’t say, not really. 
So, it doesn’t really matter to you, per se?
 No, it doesn’t really matter.
This really varies from player to player, depending upon the level of competition or talent they face and what the level of talent they're accustomed to playing with, but how would you compare your high school basketball versus AAU? How does the competition compare as well?
High school versus AAU ball? Well, AAU ball is definitely faster. School ball is definitely slowed down a little bit more.
What style of play do you prefer?
Fast, loose, let’s push the ball. I like to run, I think it’s an advantage I have. I like to push the pace.
You shot about 67% from the field this year in high school. How did you remain so efficient? Was it you were primarily playing inside? 
Yeah, I led the city of Memphis two years in a row in field goal percentage, but I really don’t know how I do it. It sort of just happens.
Having seen you play the last few days, I know how. Can you give a quick scouting report on Robert Hubbs?
 Oh, he’s a great player. He can run, he can jump, he can shoot the ball. He’s a great ball-handler. He’s just a great player overall. He’s been great to play with.
Back to you, what about your defense? You obviously take pride in it. You’ve been a good shot-blocker in the past and I know you put up some good numbers in high school. Also, how much do you attribute that to your length?
Well, in school ball, I average about four or five blocked shots a game. 
Well, you’ve got the length or wingspan.
Yeah, I’ve got the length and when I’m guarding a defender out, I try to use my length to keep them at a distance. I don’t try to play right up on them and they don’t quite realize my length and jumping ability. Some guys find it pretty frustrating.
On this year’s Briarcrest team, will you take on more of a leadership role? Do you think of yourself as a natural leader?
Yeah, well, on the high school team, I’ve been one of the youngest kids. Like last year, we had six or eight seniors on the team, so I didn’t have an opportunity to be a leader, but this year, I’m definitely going to take the role. I’m definitely going to take the role.
What about Faith? I was reading in several of the accounts that that was an important issue for you. It’s not something that I usually get into, but it came up Jabari Parker as well. Is it an important issue for you and will it factor into making your college decision?
Yeah, well, definitely when I make my decision for college, I’m definitely going to go with a coach that walks through Christ. That’s why I go to a Christian school, to be close to Christ. My parents are both Christian. 
 I always wonder. There are some guys that say it and there some guys that walk that life. It’s a difficult period in your life. 
 Yes, it is. 
In terms of visits, I know you’ve gone on a couple locally. Do you have any planned? 
Yeah, I mean, I may go on a couple in August. August 1st is the first day I can get back on the road, but I’m not sure yet though.
In terms of a basketball or a football school, will that factor into your decision at all? Some of the schools on your list are known more-so for their football programs. Does that matter to you at all?
No, it really doesn’t matter. It’s along the public-private lines.
In your mind, what would you like to improve upon to be “college ready”?
I definitely would like to add muscle. I’m not sure what weight. I’d like to improve my ball-handling and my shooting. Those are primarily the three things.
Can you tell the audience about your family and yourself away from the court?
Well, personally, I’m just a goofy kid off of the court. Like I said, I walk through Christ. I go to church. I’m just goofy, I’m just a regular kid, I guess.
What about your family? Are you close-knit?
Oh, yeah, definitely. We’re definitely close. I mean, especially with my twin sister, I can tell her just about everything.
Is it just the two of you or do you have any other siblings?
I have an older sister. She’s a senior at Memphis. She’s about to graduate in August.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Do any of the guys on Team USA try to recruit you, would you say? It’s certainly an interesting dynamic. 
Well, first of all, Coach Donovan was there. He’s trying to recruit me.
No, actually, what I meant was more along the lines of the players. Guys like Nate Britt or Rasheed Sulaimon. 
Oh, okay, well, I wouldn’t say they really recruited me, but they talked with me about it. I mean, they’re good guys and everything. I met them and we talked, but I would just say they gave me positives about each of the schools. 
In an article about you and USA Basketball, it indicated that you had taken yourself out of the competition at the very end. Is that true and, if so, why did you do it? What was your mindset behind it?
The way I was playing, I don’t think I could play that way in Brazil. So I thought it would be better for me to drop out and let someone else take that spot. 
I guess that was selfless of you.
Yeah, well, hopefully. It’s just what I felt at the time.
Who do you turn to for guidance in big decisions?
Definitely my parents and my sister.
Your older one?
Actually, both of them. When we have time in August, we’re going to sit down and pray about it.
What are your overall thoughts on your performance at the LeBron James camp?
LeBron has definitely been a great camp. I’ve learned a lot. They have great teachers. 
What are your goals for next year?
Well, since it’s my last year, I’d like to just have some fun.
And win a state title, I would think.
Oh, yes, definitely.
Who are some guys that you are closest to on the circuit?
Jabari Bird is one, Robert Hubbs, and probably third would be Stevie Clark.
By the way, what is Hubbs like off of the court?
Oh, he’s cool. He’s real nice. You’d like to deal with him. 
Thanks, I haven’t talked to him.
He’s a real cool dude. You’d like him.
The next one is something that I was thinking about when I was coming in here. As you may have heard, they basically wiped out four AAU directors. In terms of AAU ball, how do you protect yourself against others that may have ulterior motives in helping you and helping your game? Do you ever think about stuff like that? What’s your mindset with that?
Yeah, I definitely thought about that. I just have to play my game.
I’m sure you’ve had people try to come at you and get into your life. 
It happens.
But you’ve been able to keep them out?
I have so far, yeah. I just try to keep my circle tight. I don’t know what to say.
All right, can you talk about keeping your circle tight?
Oh, yeah, one of my good friends Jarnell Stokes told me on the USA trip all about that. He told me that I had to keep my circle tight. He said you don’t know who’s watching you and who’s trying to come at you.
I think that’s very important.
Yeah, that’s the way I feel too. It’s definitely going to be my family and I don’t know much from there. 
And lastly, about Julius Randle, can you give the audience a scouting report about him and what was it like to play along side him?
 He’s like a 6’9” point guard. He’s huge, he can get in the lane whenever he wants to. He’s a great player. He can shoot it, he can dribble, he can do whatever. I love playing with him. He makes me better every single time. He raises your game. 
Who would you say is the best player you’ve had to guard so far or hardest guy to guard?
Probably Julius Randle or..no, it’s definitely Julius Randle. 
[/private]
Duke Football

Conner Vernon Named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List

Duke WR Conner Vernon scores his 1st of 2 TDs against Tulane last year -BDN Photo

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke senior wide receiver Conner Vernon has been named to the 49-member Biletnikoff Award Watch List. The Biletnikoff Award is presented annually by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation to the most outstanding wide receiver in college football.

A senior from Miami, Fla., Vernon is the nation's active leader in pass receptions (198) and receiving yards (2,675) and enters the 2012 season with a streak of 35 consecutive games with at least one catch. Last year, he caught 73 passes for 956 yards and six touchdowns to become the first player in ACC history with multiple seasons of 70-plus receptions.

Vernon will open his final season in Durham within reach of the ACC's all-time records for receptions and receiving yards, currently standing 33 catches shy of Clemson's Aaron Kelly's league standard of 232 and 841 yards away from the conference yardage mark of 3,517 held by Florida State's Peter Warrick.

Vernon is one of eight representatives from the ACC on the list, joining Jheranie Boyd (North Carolina), Michael Campanaro (Wake Forest), Marcus Davis (Virginia Tech), Willie Haulstead (Florida State), Erik Highsmith (North Carolina), DeAndre Hopkins (Clemson) and Allen Hurns (Miami (Fla.)).

Previous winners of the award include Bobby Engram (1994; Penn State), Terry Glenn (1995; Ohio State), Marcus Harris (Wyoming; 1996), Randy Moss (Marshall; 1997), Troy Edwards (Louisiana Tech; 1998), Troy Walters (Stanford; 1999), Antonio Bryant (Pittsburgh; 2000), Josh Reed (LSU; 2001), Charles Rogers (Michigan State; 2002), Larry Fitzgerald (Pittsburgh; 2003), Braylon Edwards (Michigan; 2004), Mike Hass (Oregon State; 2005), Calvin Johnson (Georgia Tech; 2006), Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech; 2007 & 2008), Golden Tate (Notre Dame; 2009) and Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State, 2010 & 2011).

The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc., (TQC Foundation), the creator and sponsor of the Biletnikoff Award (presented annually to the nation's outstanding college football receiver), is an independent, charitable organization ... for more visit GoDuke.com