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BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Getting to Know 2012 Prospect Joel James

BDN Photo

Let's face it, 6-10 centers that can play are hot commodities these days and 2012's Joel James fits the bill.  James is from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and he has garnered  lot of interest with his play of late.  Schools like Duke are checking out the post prospect and will give him a look-see in July.  James said that Duke has been in contact as well as the neighbors down the road UNC, but they're not alone.  James current list of schools is long and judging from what he said in the latest BDN Video interview, he is nowhere near naming five teams. [private]

Discuss this video on the BDN Premium Message Board. [/private]

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Brannen Greene Sets a June Visit to Duke

BDN Photo, Andrew Slater

In early May, BDN Recruiting Analyst Andrew Slater, told you that Brannen Greene was setting up a visit to Duke.  In our usual follow up interview, a BDN Premium standard  practice others have now borrowed, Greene tells us that visit is set.  Our west coast recruiting correspondent Varand Kachadouri has all the latest as BDN continues to set the pace on AAU Basketball scene coverage.  - Mark Watson

A name that has popped up on Duke’s radar recently is 2013 wing prospect Brannen Greene of Forsyth, Georgia. The 6’6 wing prospect did not attend the L.A session of the Nike EYBL, but did compete at the Pangos All American camp. The once Southern Kings player says he will now be playing with the Atlanta Celtics. BDN got a chance to catch up with the Duke prospect last weekend, here’s what he had to say.

BDN: We didn’t see you last weekend at the EYBL, what happened with that?

BG: Well the head of our program, Morris Gordon, got into a little bit of trouble and he got removed from the head position and he lost his job and everything. So now there was a new head and everything was just all crazy and stuff. So I just decided to take that weekend off.

Tell me a little bit about Mary Persons High School.

BG: Well it’s about 15 minutes north of Macon, Georgia, about 45 minutes south of Atlanta. It’s kind of in the suburbs, it’s a real nice country school that’s big on academics.

I had read that you stated [private] when you moved up to the 16’s and 17’s there was chemistry issues, naturally. How did you guys as a team solve that?

BG: Well last year I was 15 and played up with the 16’s so I knew most of those guys from last year, but it was a change when I moved up last year. I only played with the 16’s for two games and then moved up. It took me about two games to get use to the 17’s and I was fine. I just needed to get use to how they played.

How do you balance school and sports at the same time? It must be tough.

BG: Well my dad and my mom both push me. My mom is a school teacher at the school (Mary Persons HS), and my dad is big on academics, he always is saying “school first, school first”, so I always do my school work first and then find a way to work out every day.

Where on the court do you like to get the ball most?

BG: I like getting the ball on the right wing. That’s where I feel most comfortable.

What’s your first thought when you get the ball there?

BG: First I will square up and see what I got, if the man’s back then I’ll shoot. If he’s not, I’ll probably use footwork like the jab step or something like that to find a way to get around him.

his is still a ways away but have you ever given any thought about a major in school? Or a favorite subject?

BG: Yea I really like journalism.

What are you looking to take away from a camp like this?

BG: Just whatever the camp instructors say, I mean they are obviously here for a reason and the people who are speaking have obviously accomplished something. I just want to make new relationships with players, get to meet them and get to know them. Just really enjoy the experience out in California. Enjoy the competition and just take what I can and learn and develop.

Is this your first trip out to California?

BG: Yea it is, I really like it a lot out here.

Do you have any routines that you like to do before games?

BG: Not really any routines. I like to take naps before games if I can. I’ll listen to some music.

Anyone specific in terms of music? Who’s on your iPod right now?

BG: If you took my iPod right now you’d probably find old school Tupac, Lil’ Wayne, Drake, and probably Big Shyne.

You talked about meeting new people at the camp. Who are you close with on the AAU circuit?

BG: I’d probably say Matt Jones from the Texas Titans, Archie Goodwin from the Arkansas Wings Elite, Isaiah Lewis who plays for the Albany City Rocks, and definitely Chris Walker, we use to play together, we are really cool. We talk all time.

Have you confirmed any upcoming visits yet?

BG: I’ll be visiting Duke from June 25th to probably the 29th. I have a visit with Alabama coming up soon too, Georgia Tech as well.

Greene setting a visit to Duke [/private]

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Julius Randle Follow Up Interview

LOS ANGELES - Speed, athleticism, size, strength, and basketball IQ. Usually college coaches fight tooth and nail over a prospect that may have 2 or 3 of these attributes, in hopes of landing the next big thing, but when they find one that possesses all of these qualities they are sure to fall head over heels in love with him. Julius Randle has all of these attributes and it shows when he’s on the court. The 6’8 combo forward from Plano, Texas has been showing fans on the AAU circuit why most scouting services have him ranked so high. Possessing a quality inside game and the ability to step outside and attack the hoop, Randle has the ability to dominate games. BDN got a chance to chat briefly with the Texas Titans lefty.

BDN: How is the [private] ankle treating you? You hurt it a few events ago I believe.

JR: It’s feeling great. I’m a lot more explosive right now it’s just been great for me.

How does your role change from your high school team, Prestonwood Christian Academy, to your role in AAU with Texas Titans?

It doesn’t really differ that much, I just do my thing! (laughs)

You seem to do it well

Yes sir! (laughs)

Are you more comfortable on the inside or outside at this point?

I’d say equal really. It just depends on who is guarding me.

So with a smaller guy you’ll go inside..

Yes sir I’ll definitely take him inside.

I notice you really love to use the glass a lot. Have you tried focusing on that?

It’s just naturally really. Not really a practice thing. It’s just touch basically.

Talk to me a little bit about your teammate Matt Jones (2013 SG)?

It’s just amazing to play with him. Over the years he went from shooting in the corner, to where now he basically does everything on the court for us. He’s developed tremendously over the years and now he’s turned himself into a great player.

How do you find being vocal on the defensive end..

Oh yea definitely. Communication is real big you need to talk to your teammates. Talking to your teammates helps you out tremendously.

You have a lot of interest from many schools, specifically the ACC. Recently Duke added Coach Jeff Capel, what’s that relationship like?

Oh yea, Coach Capel is just a great guy, a tremendous guy. He’s just a tremendous coach. He did well with players in the past and it’s exciting to have a relationship with him.

How does he approach you when you talk? As a coach, a friend, a father figure?

He talks to me like a big brother.

I notice he has a very youthful personality.

Oh yea definitely.

Thanks for your time, Julius.

No problem. [/private]

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

BDN catches up with Rasheed Sulaimon in L.A.

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.

Thanks a lot. [/private]

Duke Football

Duke Prospect Micheal Summers hopes to decide in June

As the spring recruiting season begins to wrap up and the summer camp circuit lies ahead, college football recruiting is heating up across the country. Duke is no exception, as the Blue Devil coaching staff has been touring the country evaluating prospects over the past several weeks. As their recruiting net widens, the staff has remained focused on their initial recruiting targets, including a top athlete from the talent-rich state of Georgia. BDN last spoke with Micheal Summers, a 6'1" 190 pound prospect from Statesboro, in March, shortly after he had received his first verbal scholarship offer from Duke. As would be expected for a prospect with his athleticism, Summers' recruitment has picked up this spring, and he gave BDN an update.

BDN: How have things been going for you this spring?

We just wrapped up spring football last Thursday. It went great, getting back into the rhythm of things, just working on hitting the hole more explosive, working on my pad level, and catching the ball a lot more.

BDN: Which coaches have stopped by your practices this spring?

I got the chance to talk with Pittsburgh, Georgia, Florida, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Duke, Kent State, and Vanderbilt.

BDN: Which schools have you had the most contact with this spring?

I've been in contact with Pitt, Florida, Georgia Tech, Duke, Kent State, and Louisville, so just about all of them.

BDN: Have you taken any recent visits or do you have any visits planned?

Yes, I plan on visiting. I plan on going back to Duke, I plan on going to Florida, I plan on going to Pittsburgh, and Middle Tennessee.

BDN: Do you have any plans for camps this summer?

As of now, not right now.

BDN: Where would you say you are in your recruiting process right now?

Right now, I'm still working my options, but Duke is my favorite. They're my number one right now. I really like Duke. I'm not really set on which school I'm going to yet, I'm keeping my options open, but Duke is my favorite right now.

BDN: When we last spoke, you mentioned hoping to make your decision sometime before the end of the summer. Do you have a better idea for when you want to commit now?

I want to make my decision by the end of June.

BDN: Is there anything else you want college football fans to know about you?

I'm working out with a personal trainer, a lot of speed and agility work, trying to work on my stride and being more explosive, working on my turnover.

BDN: Well it definitely sounds like your hard work is paying off. Thanks a lot, Mike, and best of luck.

Alright, thanks.

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

The Latest from Duke Prospect Tony Parker

In a class that's being hailed for the depth and quality of its bigs, 6'9" Tony Parker of Lithonia, Georgia is one of the top best. His game is based off of a mix of strength, skill, and soft hands. This past year, Parker led Miller Grove to a third consecutive Class AAAA state title, scoring 21 points and grabbing 22 rebounds in the championship game. Parker is noticeably more lean, silencing some who felt that his conditioning was his primary weakness. This past weekend, Tony averaged over 13 points and 8 rebounds per game at Nike's session two of EYBL in Dallas. Following a 20 point, 11 rebound performance in a come-from-behind overtime win against the New York Gauchos, Parker spoke with Blue Devil Nation.

Can you talk about this game?

It was a tough game. The Gauchos played hard. They scrap the hell of you. They got real good play out of their guards. They've got really good guards. They've got great coaching. Great coaching's gonna take you a long way.

He (Billy Singleton) coached at St. John's.

Yeah. So, they've got great coaching, good guards, and play really, really hard. They're a hard team to beat.

How do you feel you've played so far against AAU competition? We'll start with that.

I've got to play harder and work on my shot, but other than that, (In depth interview ahead ... [private] I'm satisfied with my play.

Can you talk about the Milton game? I was talking with Evan Nolte (a Milton forward) and getting his perspective. What can you tell me about that game?

We had to run with them. We had to hit them in the mouth. No team had really hit them in the mouth, but we tried to do that.

He said they came in overly cocky.

We decided to hit them in the mouth. Whether they were humble or not, we were going to keep fighting. We got a big lead on them and made it hard on them to score.

Was that at your place or his?

It was at a neutral site, but it was right down the street from their house. 

So they had the crowd behind them?

Yeah.

And people have talked about how you're in much better shape right now and have better conditioning.

I've been working with my conditioning coach. We've been getting in there every day and working hard.  Man hard and just pushing myself.

Pushing work ethic?

Yeah, pushing my work ethics and getting in the weight room a lot.

You must do a lot of cardio as well.

Yeah, we do a lot of cardio, a lot of jump-roping, a lot of laddering, and just stuff to get me slimmed down. We're working it.

Do you do that locally or do you go somewhere else for training?

Yeah, locally. It's like right next to my school. 

Oh that's good. People are always interested in the latest in your recruitment. What's going on with that?

Texas and Kansas have really picked it up.  They've done a really good job. They're two great schools and I'm really interested in what they have to say. Those are two new names.

Well, that's good for you. What are some other schools?

Duke, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgetown, and that's some more schools. I really gotta narrow it down.

I should probably ask you about that now. What's your timeline for when you would like to cut down on your list and ultimately decide on it?

I think I'm going to narrow it down pretty soon and really focus on where I want to go and have the confidence to pick a program.

How many would you like to narrow it down to? Five or ten?

Ten, probably.

And then you're going to do the five official visits ultimately?

Yeah, I'll do the five official visits. 

How do you like playing with Alex (Poythress)?

Alex is a great player. He's really athletic. He helps you a lot in all aspects of the game. He can block shots, he's got wings. I love playing with him. He's really fun.

He said he was your roommate, too.

Yeah, he is and we have a lot of fun.

Tell the audience a little something positive about each of those teams you just mentioned.

Duke, of course, it's got great basketball history. The way they play and how hard they play. You get a great education. North Carolina, you've got a great basketball history and you look at all the players that get into the pros. Just the success that they've had in the past.  And now they've got players playing off of that with their pride and all. Kansas, you know, they always have a tough team. It seems they always get knocked out early, but they have a good team. They're always in the top five, you know.  Texas, they had a great team. They always have great teams, but they might not have had a year that they expected. I think that they'll come back strong and, you know, Georgia and Georgia Tech, they're good schools.

I remember your father was from Missouri.

Yeah, and everybody there is pushing for me to go to Kansas. My family's pushing me to go to Kansas.

Oh, are they?
(laughs)

Did you mention Georgetown? Are they still in it?

Yeah, they're still in it. It's a good school and they have a good basketball history.

And did you mention Ohio State?

Yeah, that's one of the schools that I really like. They really play their bigs. It's a great all-around school.

I just wanted you to say something positive about each of your teams. Who are some of the guys that you are friends with on the circuit that may not be on your team?

Me and DeJuan Coleman are pretty close. L.J. Rose, Kyle Anderson, and (Dashawn) Suber. So yeah, I know a lot of guys on the circuit from playing against each other.

Yeah, I'm not sure people realize just how much you run into other players on the circuit.

Yeah, definitely.

How did you like the All-American game in Houston?

It was a great experience and an all-out good game. They had a really good set-up for us. It was definitely an event worth watching on TV and stuff.  They were first-class guys. It was a great game for juniors. 

I thought that was a brilliant idea that hadn't been done yet.

Oh yeah. It was a great idea.

What are your goals for the summer?

Just keep working on my all-around game and keep working on my weight. Just keep playing hard.

Physically, what do you want to accomplish this summer?

I'll probably try to drop a couple of pounds this summer and then put it back on for the season. It's just an on-going process.

Exactly, you want to lose the fat, but you don't want to lose the muscle that you've already gained. How do you balance that?

I've got to be really disciplined, that's the thing. And not taking anything for granted.

Are you eating differently?

Yeah, I have to eat differently. I've been eating a lot of greens, you've got to. A lot of greens. (laughs)

I don't think most players realize until their first year of college just how important diet is to their games.

Yeah, right. Yeah. Right, right. My strength and conditioning guy is really good.  He actually played for the Cowboys.

Yeah?

Yeah, he's one of those really crazy football guys.

I remember you saying last year that a ton of guys in your area are big football guys and kept encouraging you to play.

Yeah, but he's not. He's a really good guy and he always has my back calling me after games and this guy will get up in the morning at 5 or maybe 6 and he'll do no-hand back-flips.

Oh, wow. How old is he?

He's 35 or maybe 37, so he's good, man. He's the best you can have. He's really calming.

How did you two meet?

I think we met in 8th grade and so I was playing with the Southern Kings.

Right, right, that's what Nolte was saying.

Yeah, we played together.  He kept working me out, but he left early. He said, "I can't do this, you're terrible" and then he came back and he kept pushing me and pushing me. Finally, it started to click with me and we started to have success this last year.  He told me I had to drop it and then tone it. 

It's great that you had access to him. What are your goals for your next high school season?

Win a fourth straight championship.

I wanted to be sure and get a picture of that shirt (has picture of 3 Georgia state high school championship trophies on it).

Yes, sure. It was a great experience playing with these guys. I've played with some great players and we've got to get another one. We're always hungry for more. We've got to get another one. Southwest DeKalb, they're really going to be good next year. We've got to be tougher and we're going to be ready to take it on. 

Who are some coaches, either assistant coaches or head coaches, that you really have a good relationship with?

I think Rob Lanier is really cool. The coach from Ohio State with glasses, I can't remember his name now. Oh, it's Jeff Boals. Yeah, he and Nate James I talk to a lot. Just different coaches, like Billy Donovan is really cool.  Mark Fox is. I have a nickname for him- I call him "Baldy." 

(laughs) How does he like that one?

(laughs) He thinks it's funny.

Have you taken any visits lately or do you have any plans?

I think I'm going to take a lot of visits soon. I've got to start visiting these schools and then later I'm going to know which ones I'm going to take for my five.

Is it really tough with AAU to get to these schools? You're away almost every weekend.

Yeah, it is. I've talked to Jared Sullinger, so I've got to get down there soon. I've got to go to Ohio State and get a feel for it.  You know, just have fun with the process.

Yeah, yeah..and you said you were going to do the officials anyway. What are you ideally looking for in a program?

Just a program that uses its bigs and plays hard.  My mom loves education and so that's big for me.  I need to look for an all-around school, but....

Are you a pretty good student or at least a solid one?

Yeah, I'm pretty solid.

And since I follow you on it, can you talk about Twitter? It seems like a pretty good way to build your audience.

Yeah, I love Twitter. I try to have fun with it. Not really broadcast my personal life, I feel like that's my business. You try to share as much as you can.

Who's the best big that you've played so far?

I haven't really matched up with anyone really, really big yet, but we've got Bounce tomorrow. I've got to match up with Anthony Bennett.

And then they've got that 7'5" kid, Sim.

Yeah, 2012 is the class of bigs

You guys play against BABC yet?

Yeah, we did.

How did you guys do against them?

We did pretty well against them, but those guys are really, really good. They're very well coached.

Their coach (Leo Papile) works for the Celtics

Yeah, he does? The Atlanta Celtics?

No, no, the Boston Celtics.

Oh really?

Indeed. Thanks a lot for your time, Tony, and good luck tomorrow.

Thanks. No problem. [/private]