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BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

In Depth Duke Basketball Team and Recruiting Update

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]

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Football

BDN’s Football Friday!

It’s Friday afternoon, which can only mean one thing – Football Friday! This week, we take a look at Duke’s 2011 ACC opponents spring practices along with some recruiting updates. [private]

It's a long one this week, so I won't distract you with any witty opening filler. Let's get right to it.

Matt Daniels named to Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List

Duke DB Matt Daniels strikes a pose for BDN Photo

That’s a mouthful of an accomplishment. Interestingly, there were 11 candidates from the ACC, more than any other conference. Daniels is a player that I’ve enjoyed watching develop over his four years in Durham, and I always feel like he has another level we still haven’t seen. Hopefully, this will be the year that he reaches that level and helps to turn around the Duke defensive unit. As one of the most versatile players on defense, his playmaking ability will be key to the Blue Devils’ success in 2011.

Scouting the ACC spring practices

With lots of transitions occurring on the sidelines and under center around the ACC this year, it may be a good opportunity for the Blue Devils to pull off a few upsets. Several teams will wrap up their 2011 spring practice this weekend with their spring games, so be sure to tune in to the ESPN family of networks to scout out some of Duke’s 2011 opponents (ESPN – you can email me for the address to mail my endorsement check). So sit back and enjoy a cold one while we take a whirlwind tour around the ACC. Oh wait, you’re still at work, so grab a cup of coffee instead? Anyway, here are some of the headlines from Duke’s 2011 ACC opponents this spring:

Boston College: the Eagles will be Duke’s first ACC opponent this fall, which may be a good thing for the Blue Devils. BC will return nearly all of their offensive starters, who will be operating under a new coordinator in Kevin Rogers. The emphasis so far this spring appears to be on the passing game, which has been inconsistent so far this spring. In the first scrimmage of the spring, Chase Rettig was on the same page with his receivers, and the BC offense finished with 5 touchdowns. In their second scrimmage, however, the defense had their way with the new offense, finishing with 4 interceptions and 4 sacks. BC will be a tough opponent, as we saw last year in Wallace Wade Stadium, mostly due to Montel Harris on the ground, and Luke Kuechly on defense. If Rettig and his receivers can develop consistency, BC will be a dangerous team for the entire ACC.

Florida State: most expect the Seminoles to be at the top of the ACC in 2011, and you can see for yourself on Saturday at 4PM on ESPN3. This team will go as far as QB E.J. Manuel can take them, and the indications this spring are pretty good. Manuel is the athletic signal-caller that has given the Blue Devils trouble in recent years. Perhaps the biggest question for the Seminoles will be their offensive line, where they will have to replace 2 starters and had 4 players out for spring practice. Overall, the Seminoles lost only 3 starters each on offense and defense, and the expectations are high in Tallahassee.

Wake Forest: the Deacs’ will hold their spring game on Saturday at 1 PM. After a disappointing 2010, Wake Forest loses 8 starters. Tanner Price is the unquestioned starter on offense and will be backed up by Ted Stachitas. Both players gave the Blue Devils trouble last year in a  54-48 loss in Winston-Salem. Much like the Blue Devils, the Deacs struggled mightily on defense last year, and Coach Jim Grobe has been pleased with the defensive intensity this spring. The running game will be led by Josh Harris and Brandon Pendergrass, but questions remain in the kicking game for Wake Forest. The expectation is for this team to be improved from a season ago, but in order for that to happen, they will have to show more consistency this fall than they have this spring.

Virginia Tech: the Hokies lose perhaps the most of any Duke opponent in 2011, but in Blacksburg, they reload, not rebuild. The defending ACC champs lose QB Tyrod Taylor along with RB Ryan Williams and RB Darren Evans to the NFL, leaving the Hokies’ offense in the hands of redshirt-sophomore Logan Thomas and junior tailback David Wilson. There have been rave reviews this spring for Wilson (even though he's missed several practices due to track), who is working under first year running back coach Shane Beamer (yes, Frank’s son), after long-time assistant Billy Hite retired. The VT defense also has questions as they replace 5 starters from 2010, but the Blue Devils will have to keep the ball away from returning CB Jayron Hosley, who led the country with 9 interceptions and 17 defended passes in 2010.

Miami: lots of changes in Coral Gables this spring under new head coach Al Golden. The Hurricanes will hold their spring game on Saturday at 3 PM, and questions still remain heading into the fall. The coaching staff has been openly disappointed in the intensity and conditioning of many of the Miami players this spring, and Golden has left the depth chart up for grabs this spring. That includes quarterback, where Jacory Harris and Stephen Morris are battling for the starting job, though Spencer Whippel was the starter heading into the spring. We’ll get to see lots more from the Hurricanes, as they’ve struck a deal with ESPNU to air a series of All-Access shows this spring.

Virginia: the Wahoos wrapped up spring practice last week with nearly as many questions as answers. It’s a complete toss-up at quarterback, where the updated depth chart lists Michael Rocco and Ross Matheney in the “first group” and Michael Strauss and David Watford in the “second group.” In short, no one has established themselves as the leader of this offense this spring, and that has to be a concern for a team that loses 19 lettermen, including 5 starters. After a shootout in Wallace Wade Stadium last year, the Blue Devils will be glad to hear that QB Marc Verica and RB Keith Payne are among the starters lost. The Cavaliers’ defense should be improved from a year ago as they enter their second year in the 4-3 scheme, and will be anchored in the secondary by CB Chase Minnifield, who finished 2010 with 6 interceptions. Offensively, it’s tough to evaluate a team with 4 inexperienced potential starters at QB.

Georgia Tech: the Yellow Jackets are yet another ACC team who will be breaking in a new QB in 2011, as Tevin Washington takes over for Josh Nesbitt. The Blue Devils saw plenty of Washington in 2010 in their 30-20 loss in Atlanta. This spring, head coach Paul Johnson has been disappointed in the play of his offensive line, which returns three starters from a year ago. In addition to Nesbitt, the Jackets’ triple-option offense will have to replace Anthony Allen at B-back, but return Roddy Jones and Orwin Smith at A-back. Defensively, GT will have to replace 6 starters, but they do return all 3 starters up front in Al Groh’s 3-4 scheme. The front three will have to be the strength of this defense, and it has impressed the coaching staff this spring.

North Carolina: if you thought Bieber fever was annoying, wait until you meet the Tar Heels with Renner fever. Bryn Renner inherits the starting job at quarterback, and impressed the Tar Heel faithful with a 9/13, 123 yard performance in their spring game. The highlight was a 43-yard pass to Erik Highsmith, something UNC saw far less often during the T.J. Yates era. After a tumultuous 2010 and an ongoing NCAA investigation, the Tar Heels will have several new faces on both sides of the ball in 2011. Five starters depart on both offense and defense, which means that the few returning starters, such as senior DE Quinton Coples and senior TB Ryan Houston will have to shoulder (no pun intended) much of the load on defense and offense, respectively. Despite suffering a broken scapula in the spring game, head coach Butch Davis expects Houston to be an every-down back for the Tar Heels this fall.

 

Spring evaluation period starts today

Ok, I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted after that tour of the ACC. That took some serious work, and I didn’t even talk about NC State, Clemson, or Maryland. Anyway, recruiting gets back into full gear today, as the spring evaluation period opens up. So what does that actually mean? The Duke staff has 168 evaluation days to use between now and May 31. An evaluation day is a day spent in evaluation of a prospect's athletic and/or academic ability. The staff is limited to 1 athletic evaluation and 1 academic evaluation per prospect during this time. So whom will the staff be visiting? Let’s take a look at the offers out there by position.

Bilal Marshall is the first 2012 QB with a Duke offer

Quarterbacks: we’ll start with the glamour position, and one that Duke has built into a strength for 2011 with Sean Renfree, Brandon Connette, and Anthony Boone. Miami’s Bilal Marshall remains the only quarterback prospect with a Duke offer, and we’ll check back in with him soon to get an update on his recruitment. There are 19 other QBs on the board, highlighted by names like Bart Houston, Casey Cochran, and Matt Johnson.

Running backs: Duke remains committed to taking at least one or two running backs in the class of 2012, and they’ve extended 7 offers with 17 other prospects under evaluation. Keith Marshall is at the top of every school’s list, but he’s joined by Todd Gurley, Dami Ayoola, Dondre Brown, Dontonio Jordan, Jay Jay McCullough, and Nick Tompkins as prospects with verbal offers.

Wide receivers: with Donovan Varner and Conner Vernon now upperclassmen, the Blue Devils will look to reload at receiver in the class of 2012. Seven receivers have verbal offers, which include Nelson Agholor, Jared Crump, Desmond Frye, P.J. Harris, Justin Johnson, Max McCaffrey, and Darius Powe. Twelve other receivers are on the Blue Devils’ list of 2012 prospects.

Tight ends: the Blue Devils’ got on the board early with a commitment from Erich Schneider, but remain in pursuit of top TEs Dan Beilinson, Kent Taylor, and Evan Baylis.

Linemen: as would be expected, linemen make up the majority of verbal scholarship offers to date. On the offensive line, Duke is looking to add a few top prospects and has extended 11 offers to players like Patrick DeStefano, Mark Harrell, D.J. Humphries, Andrew Jelks, Eric Olson, and Max Tuerk. The emphasis, however, is the defensive line, where Duke has extended 17 verbal offers to players like Allen Jackson (committed), Korren Kirven, D.J. Reader, Jordan Watkins, and Carlos Wray. In addition to the prospects with offers, Duke has over 40 other linemen on their recruiting board.

Linebackers: Duke is going hard after two linebackers in particular early in Keilin Rayner and Deion Williams. There are several others under evaluation, but the Blue Devils remain in good shape with those two players.

Secondary: the defensive secondary is another position of emphasis in the class of 2012, and the Blue Devils have extended offers to 13 prospects at cornerback and safety. In addition to players like Michael Summers, Albert Reid, Ron Geohaghan, and Dwayne Norman, the staff is evaluating another 15 prospects.

We’ll be back

Lots of recruiting coverage coming this week as the staff hits the recruiting trail and we tag along for the ride. No idea what we’ll talk about next week, so you’ll just have to come back to find out. As always, feel free to join in the discussion on our message board if you need a football fix before next Friday. WE ARE DUKE.

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BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Shabazz Muhammad Interview – “Im looking forward to going down there again”

Bazz throws on down in Wilson Rec Center - BDN Photo

One of the nations most coveted recruiting prospects, Shabazz Muhammad, is currently in the midst of his high school teams playoff run.  Muhammad is one of the Blue Devils top priorities in the class of 2012 but to gain his services they must contend with Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA for his services.

Muhammad can play above the rim and his athleticism blended with his understanding of the game makes him a prize catch.  The question is where will he play his collegiate career?

Blue Devil Nation Premium spoke with Muhammad about his season and the recruiting process gaining the latest news on the front in this in depth interview.

I hope all has been well for you of late and that you are having success as your high school basketball season is winding down.

Everything is going great.  The playoffs are going really good.  We've played three games and beat everybody by a very good amount, so everything is going great and we are really comfortable moving forward in the playoffs. The teams we've played are the ones we'll see in the finals, so we are taking care of business there.

The last time we talked you had a fairly long list of schools.  Has it changed any since that time?

It's pretty much the same.  I don't have any order or a top three or five, just a lot of schools currently in the mix.

Let me see if I get this right ... Texas, UCLA Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina? [private]

Uh, UNLV and UCLA.

I understand that UCLA has been making a big push at you of late, is that true?

Yes, they have been.  I really like them.  Coach Howland is a great coach, he has coached a lot of good players and has done a good job.  I always watch them on TV and follow them from home and that's really a program I look at.

What about Duke?

Yeah, I've been talking to Coach K.  I talked with him last week.  He's a very prestigious coach as everybody knows.  He just loves his players up and down.  He's a great coach and I talked to their assistants -- Coach Wojo, he's a great guy and he helped with USA so he had a lot of experience training those guys and it's a great atmosphere there and I'm looking forward to going down there again.

When you say going down there again, when might you visit?

No visit planned yet, but they'll probably be one soon planned for Duke.

What about Kentucky?  The last time we talked you said you haven't visited yet.  Is that still the case?

No I haven't been yet but I really want to get down there.  We really want to visit but haven't found the time yet, so I want to go down there.  The dribble drive offense is pretty  much at your hand, so you can make a lot of decisions.  I think it's a very good program and they allow a lot of freedom.  Calipari is a very good coach, he's a players coach.

What about North Carolina?

I watched them yesterday [UNC-Boston College game] and Williams is a good coach.  They've got some good coaches with a lot of experience.  I talk to a lot of the players and get feedback from them and they really enjoy themselves at Chapel Hill, so it is a good opportunity for me to be recruited by them and all these schools.

You're Phenomballa on twitter and social networking is a big thing these days.  Do you strike up friendships with players at other schools?

Oh yeah.  I have a lot of friends with the guys in college.  Like with Duke, Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving.  North Carolina?  John Henson, Kendall Marshall, Reggie Bullock and Harrison Barnes ... a lot of guys.  I want to get to know some of the players because those guys are there and I can get feedback on the school.

Any changes in the key factors with concern to your impending decision?

First look at the style of play, then my relationship with the coach and how my parents feel about me going there.  I will just look at a school, concentrate and make the right choice for me.

Now, you have a little brother who is a pretty good baller himself.  What kind of advice do you give him?

I do give him advice.  He is kind of struggling on the varsity level, so I give him a lot of advice and he eats it up, so at the end of the day he's going to be fine.

You told me one time that you decision could come down to the gun or final lap if you will.  Has that changed?  Will you take you five official visits or ...

I will make a decision when I feel comfortable.  I just want to make the right choice, not too early in order to make the right choice for me and my family.

Do players have something to do with the decision?  Do you  look at the rosters and at who is coming in,  is there and or who is leaving?

Of course, I want to play with really good players, so I look at that.  I want to win a national championship wherever I go, sot that's what that is.

Shabazz, suppose a person came along and they had never seen you play.  How would you describe your game in your own words?

I  play inside and out.  I shoot the mid range jumper, go to the hole, slash and I'll try to dunk on you.  I'm always by the rim, get a lot of offensive and defensive rebounds and try to be a match up issue for my opponent.

When did you first learn that you had mad basketball skills and when did you know basketball would become a huge part of your life?

Probably in my ninth grad year in the summer.  I just really started to improve my game and I was growing a lot getting stronger, so that's when I knew.

I see where ESPN currently has you ranked number one at your position and five overall.  Is that something you pay attention to and if so are you the kind of guy that says at the end of it all I want to top those lists?

Absolutely.  They always have those big guys ahead of the guards.  But when it comes time to go to the NBA, some of those big guys are always a bust, but those guards always end up as guys playing years in the league and that gives me motivation and I'll work to be number one.

Of the schools you've visited thus far, which one has been the most impressive?

Um. [pause] Probably Duke and the atmosphere there which made you really want to be in the game and playing.

Have you seen game with UCLA, North Carolina and such?

I've been to UNC, but haven't been to Texas yet.  I really like UNC's arena too, it's a very big atmosphere.  When I went ot late night with Roy, it was a really good experience and I enjoyed myself a lot.

Describe yourself as a person?

Very talkative guy, funny, I can take things seriously and then mess around, left handed, love to play basketball, play X-Box, and hang out with friends.

What is in your game console right now?

Call of Duty, that's pretty much all I play.  I sometimes play on line with other prospects and players.

That would be pretty cool to watch.  Thanks for your time Shabazz, and best of luck in the playoffs.

Okay, no problem.  Thank you.

We approached Shabazz as Sports Nation and not Blue Devil Nation to get untainted answers.  I now feel it is clear that this one could go on for a good while, but he did say he'd pull the trigger if he got that feel.  It is also clear that there are four players in this, being Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA.  Shabazz seems to like large arenas and he has yet to visit Kentucky for a game but if he does, they are impressive up that way.  Discuss this interview on the BDN Premium message board.  If you are a premium member and not yet on the message board, contact us under FAQ on the main page. [/private]

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Football

Football Friday returns for round two

DL Carlos Wray says that Duke has stood out to him early.

Football Friday is back for its second week and BDN’s Patrick Cacchio offers up a brief introduction to Duke Football recruiting. Join Blue Devil Nation Premium today to get an inside look at Duke athletics and become a part of our growing community. [private]

We did it! We all survived another week and we’re back for our second installment of Football Friday. Somehow, enough of you read this column last week that they're letting me write it again. It’s all thanks to you, our members, with your emails, your PMs, your tweets, and your Facebooking. And as a big thank you to you, we’ll give you what you want this week – recruiting updates.

Kudos and other random thoughts

I figure I’ll get the simple stuff out of the way first each week. Duke had 13 players named to the ACC All-Academic team, more than twice any other ACC school. In fact, add together any other two ACC schools and you’re still not even close. Virginia and North Carolina? 5 players combined. The 2 Techs? 9 players combined. The Duke players who were recognized are some of the team’s stars on the field - almost all of them are starters. Obviously, having the smartest players doesn’t translate into wins on the field, but academic excellence is an important part of Duke culture, and it’s great to see that as Duke football becomes more competitive, we’re not forgetting our roots (cough, tarheels, cough). Congratulations to all of the well-deserving student-athletes.

I feel obligated to get on my soapbox for a minute and talk about what happened at Toomer’s Corner in Auburn. It’s a great reminder for all of us that our individual actions (and tweets/Facebook posts) reflect on our fan base as a whole. A proud tradition at Auburn has been forever tarnished by one severely misguided Crimson Tide fan. The bottom line is that all of us as fans need to do a better job of cheering for our own team and respecting our opponents, as difficult as that can sometimes be.

Football recruiting 101

For those who have heard Coach Cutcliffe and his staff talk about recruiting, much of the rest of this article may be review, but bear with us, there are big names at the end.

I’m going to go out on a ledge here and assume that if you’re a BDN member, you follow Duke basketball recruiting pretty closely. And why wouldn’t you? All you have to do is find a ranking of the top 25 or so prospects in a given class, read one of Mark’s magnificent basketball updates (or should it be magnificent Mark’s basketball updates?), check out highlights on YouTube, and you’re pretty much a Duke basketball recruiting insider, right? That doesn’t work so well for football. ESPN lists over 15,000 prospects in the class of 2011, and already has about 10,000 prospects in the class of 2012. Unfortunately, Duke cannot just target the top 25 or so from the rankings, since they have to fill out a roster with 85 scholarships. So somehow, we have to sort through all of those football prospects to find our future Blue Devils. I should have asked for more cell phone minutes for Christmas.

Luckily, the list gets broken down several ways. First, each member of the Duke coaching staff serves as the recruiting coordinator for a geographic area. For example, as you might expect, Matt Lubick is the lead recruiter for most of the west coast. Then, within a region, there are only a certain number of FBS-caliber athletes, which can be determined by evaluating game film and transcripts (or paying for a scouting service).  At Duke, the next step is probably the most restrictive, and that’s whether or not the student will qualify academically for admission to Duke. The staff will then focus their recruiting efforts on this remaining group of core prospects. Obviously, hundreds of hours of work go into the evaluation process alone, but luckily for us, we don’t have to really start following all of this until Duke starts recruiting a prospect to see if there's a mutual interest. I won't be needing those cell phone minutes after all!

A word on in-state recruiting

Duke was the first to offer Tarboro RB Todd Gurley

Ok, a couple hundred words. A common misconception/criticism seems to be that Coach Cutcliffe and his staff are almost exclusively focusing their recruiting efforts on North Carolina prospects and failing to “leverage the Duke brand” at a national level. This is simply not true, and the numbers prove it. Duke’s current roster has about two dozen players from North Carolina, which is by far the least among the 4 North Carolina ACC schools. The Duke staff has placed an emphasis on in-state recruiting, but it’s by no means exclusive.

There are two primary benefits to Duke’s emphasis on North Carolina and surrounding areas. First, prospects within driving distance of Durham are the easiest to get on campus for unofficial visits, which allow prospects to build relationships with the coaching staff and grow comfortable with the Duke campus. The Duke staff places a lot of stock in the ability to get to know a player at a personal level, and the best way to do that is to have as much face-to-face contact as the NCAA allows. Second, it’s important to a lot of players and their parents that they go to school close to home. This may be more significant for athletes than the average college student, as it is usually important for the player’s family to be able to watch him play on Saturdays. Most college football rosters are made up of a significant number of in-state recruits, and this probably has a lot to do with it.

Breaking down the 2012 board

The Duke staff maintains a recruiting board of a few hundred prospects. Each prospect is evaluated individually by the entire coaching staff and a collective decision is made whether to offer that prospect a scholarship or to evaluate again at a later time in the recruiting cycle. For the class of 2012, there are already well over 100 prospects on Duke’s board, and roughly a third of them have received verbal scholarship offers to date. In addition to the board, there are several hundred other prospects that Duke will invite for unofficial visits to Junior Days, summer camps, and games during the fall as part of their ongoing evaluation process. Keep in mind that just by taking a quick look at Duke’s current roster, it’s easy to see that there won’t be many scholarships available in 2012 (think 15, give or take a few).

So how does the board breakdown? Since I mentioned the in-state emphasis, let’s start there. Duke is currently evaluating or has offered about 30 players from North Carolina, and roughly another 30 players from neighboring states. There are also over a dozen prospects from Florida and Ohio, and another dozen from California and Colorado as well.

Position-wise, Duke has clear needs at QB, RB, and DL in 2012. As such, there are 18 quarterbacks already on the board, 10 running backs (4 with offers), and 16 defensive linemen (8 with offers). The offensive line is a position that is best built by signing a few prospects in each class, and Coach Matt Luke has done a great job getting in early with top prospects. Duke has already offered 10 offensive linemen, all of whom are highly-coveted by programs around the country. Obviously, there are a handful of players that have been offered at other positions, but for now, we’ll just focus on the key areas of need.

Bilal Marshall is the first 2012 QB with a Duke offer

Top targets

QB: Right now, Bilal Marshall is the only quarterback with a Duke offer. Coach Cutcliffe, known as a QB guru for his work with the Mannings, tends to keep his quarterback recruiting close to the vest, but we know that most of the top high school quarterbacks in the country are on his list (Gunner Kiel, Zeke Pike, Bart Houston, Casey Cochran). Even though Marshall seems to be at the top for now, we know that Duke has also been involved with Ian Fisher from Maryland, and that Bart Houston will visit this weekend. Several other top quarterbacks are giving Duke a serious look and it seems safe to say at this point that Duke has a good chance of landing an elite quarterback in this class, though it's too early to say which one.

RB: Keith Marshall is a perfect example of why it’s important for Duke to build its relationships and reputation in-state. Many consider the speedy prospect out of Raleigh’s Millbrook High School to be the top running back in the class of 2012, and Duke was among the first to offer him. It’s too early to tell where his recruitment will go, but he’ll have his pick of schools from around the country and Duke remains in the mix. Another top in-state RB is Todd Gurley, who took in Duke’s win over North Carolina in Cameron Indoor Stadium last week. At this stage in the process, Duke is in good shape with Gurley and will be a major player in his recruitment.

DL: Vince Oghobaase was probably the last elite defensive line prospect to commit to Duke, but early indications are that Duke will land one in 2012. Early on, Duke is in good shape with Carlos Wray, D.J. Reader, Matt Godin, and Allen Jackson. All four look to be solid 4- or 5-star caliber prospects and have all made visits to Durham and came away impressed.

LB: This is another area of need and Duke is in good shape early with two top prospects in Preston Durham and Keilin Rayner.

2011 preview next week

In case you didn’t know, Duke’s schedule was released this week, spring practice kicked off Wednesday, and Duke hosts its second Junior Day this weekend. Oops, probably should have written about those this week, but I had to give you guys what you wanted. I guess we’ll tackle those issues next week. Again, I have to give you a reason to keep coming back (as if my wit and charm aren't enough). Best of luck making it through another week. Until then, WE ARE DUKE.

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BDN Premium Interview – Prospect Alex Murphy talks Duke, Hoops and Recruiting

Alex Murphy - copyright BDN Photo

Two years ago, Alex Murphy was a reserve forward for St. Mark's of Southborough, Massachusetts. Now, he's the focal point of one of New England's best prep school teams and one of the most coveted wings in the country. Recently, the Rhode Island native visited Duke for their game against Maryland with his dad, Jay, the former Boston College star and NBA forward. After a recent game against Life Center Academy (NJ) at the Hoop Hall Classic, Murphy recounted his recent visit to Duke and discussed what he wants to improve upon before playing college basketball, his transition of necessity to the power forward position for St. Mark's, his relationship with Quinn Cook, and how he's improved since the summer.

Alex, can you talk about facing LaQuinton Ross and what he did to you guys in the first half?

Yeah, I know LaQuinton real well. We played in the Elite 24 together and I know him from seeing him around the circuits. He obviously played a great game and hurt us in the first half. He hit a lot of threes. He's a good player and he's going to get his own, but I think we did a better job in the second half of containing him and staying front of him.

You guys started to hit threes in the final quarter, gained momentum, and took the lead briefly near the end, but what happened on that final possession? What was the design of the play?

I don't really know what happened. I just, kind of, lost my footing and slipped. Like you said, we hit some threes down the stretch, and we actually went up two with just a couple of minutes left so..When Nick (Stauskas) hit that three, I thought we had the game right there, but, unfortunately, things turned and they hit a couple of shots in the last minute to [private]regain the lead and ultimately the game. Credit to them.

Another reporter: Two years ago, your brother, Erik, was going through the recruiting process. Now you are. How did that prepare you for what you're going through right now?

It's helped me a lot. Just, sort of, sitting in the backseat and watching him go through the whole thing. It definitely helped and he's been great, you know, if I ever need any help or if I ever have any questions about the whole thing, he's been there for me.

Same reporter: You came here two years ago and now you have a bigger role on the team. What's changed in two years?

Well, like you said, my role has changed in two years. I'm a bigger part of the team, but it's just a great event to be at and it's a lot of fun. I'm just glad we got to come here.

Do you have any timetable for your decision?

No, I don't have any real time set yet.

Can you talk about the great experience of playing in showcase events like this or the City of Palms? The competition, the exposure, the travel and camaraderie..

Yeah, yeah, yeah, It's a great thing both individually and for your team as well. The competition you face is obviously top-notch. So, you've gotta be ready to go from the jump. The guys you're facing every game are going to be good. We didn't show well today, but, like you said, it's a great opportunity.

What do you think you've improved upon the most since the summer, in terms of skill development? Anything in particular?

Yeah, I think I've improved on a lot. There are stretches during the high school season where you can really work on things like skill development. As you know, it's a lot different than AAU..

You guys are playing a ton of games. Realistically, more than a hundred games over a few months.

Yeah, yeah, exactly, we're playing almost every day. Two to three times a day. Teams can't scout you. There's a lot more freelancing. Not as much defense. The caliber of player is maybe a little better. Guys can't key in on you as much. High school's definitely a lot different. I'm playing a different position here now so that's been a work in progress.

You're playing the four a lot more here. On the Playaz and even last year at Saint Mark's, you played primarily the three with some spot minutes at the four, right?

Yeah, yeah, which is a little different than I played in the past..absolutely

Do you like the switch?

Um, well, I mean I guess if I had my preference, I'd like to be on the wing. I think that's more of my..

Natural position?

Yeah, it's more of my natural position, but I mean playing the four here I mean if it's something I've gotta do for my team, I've gotta do it.

In the time you have left in high school, what are the things you'd like to work on most to prepare you for the next level?

I feel like I've got to get a bit stronger. Add some muscle. I need to work on my body. Work on my agility. Get faster. I need to be able to deal with the speed or quickness in the game at the next level. It's obviously played a lot faster and the guys I'll be guarding are much faster and more skilled. So, I have to be able to match them. Those are things that immediately jump out at me. I guess I really just need to improve all around.

Do you have any visits upcoming? I know you went to Duke recently and you're supposed to head over to BC soon.

Yeah, I just went to Duke and it was a really good visit.

What did you see and do there?

Well, I mean obviously it's a great school and I've been down there before, but this was my first time there seeing a game. It was great and the atmosphere was intense. Like I said, it was a lot of fun, but, in terms of upcoming visits, I don't have any others really planned.

Did you have time to do a tour of the campus?

Not really, we went through like the pre-game all Sunday with the team and I saw the team prepare and workout and stuff. It was a night game and we actually had to head out early Monday morning to avoid the storm.

I was talking with Quinn Cook and I asked him who he was recruiting. He said he was busy recruiting three guys: you, Shabazz Muhammad, and Tony Parker. He said you three are the ones he's concentrating on.

(laughs hard) Yeah, yeah, yeah, Quinn's been really nice. He's a great kid.

Yeah, he is. He was so disappointed in the loss.

Yeah, I know. Well, same with us right now.

I know I feel like the Kiss of Death showing up outside of locker rooms.

(laughs) Yeah, no, but Quinn's a great kid obviously and I know him from Adidas Nations,

DC Assault and New England Playaz.

Yeah, absolutely, and we're in contact all of the time. He's pushing Duke hard.

How has your season gone so far? Other than today..

Yeah, other than today, it's going well. I think there's a lot of things that we can improve on and we really have to improve on in order to go from being a good team to a great team.

I like your pickup of Nick (Stauskas). I think he adds a new dimension to your team and can help you create space.

Yeah, he does. He definitely does. He forces teams to not be able to pack it in against Kaleb or just key on me. He gives us a third scorer. Like I said, though, we've still got a lot of things that we need to work on. We're improving, but today exposed some things we need to concentrate on.

Well, today from the second quarter on you guys played more cohesively as a unit, contained Ross, and scrapped to get back in the game. It was really just that first quarter where LaQuinton went nuts. He had about 21 in just over the first quarter.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I blame that on myself. I don't think I gave him enough credit or respect for being able to consistently knock down those three-pointers. I should've guarded him more tightly or recognized it quicker. It put us in such a deficit so quickly.

It was such a freak or an abnormal quarter. As the person sitting next to me said, he hasn't shot that well from outside since he was a freshman.

Like I said, he can really play and I knew that, but I guess I wasn't ready enough.

In terms of New England, are you guys the prohibitive favorite in your league this season?

Well, there's a newly formed league this year and so there's a lot better or, at least, there are lot of good teams in our league this year. Tilton is really good.

Nerlens Noel is a very good prospect.

They're deep. Cushing is good. Saint Andrew's has some very good players. They're playing here. So, I wouldn't say we're the prohibitive favorite because there are a lot of good teams, but I will say that, as long as we keep improving, that we've got a good chance or good opportunity to win the Championship.

Thanks a lot, Alex.

Sure, no problem. [/private]

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In Depth Interview with Shabazz Muhammad “Coach K lets you have freedom”

SPRINGFIELD, MA - Shabazz Muhammad is a physicaly gifted, 6'6" left-handed junior guard from Las Vegas' Bishop Gorman HS, where he has led the Gaels to back-to-back Nevada State Championships. Yesterday, he faced his toughest competition of the season in Springfield, Massachusetts at the tenth annual Hoop Hall Classic, as he squared off against 6'7" small forward Mike Gilchrist, a future Kentucky Wildcat, and the St. Patrick's Celtics of New Jersey.

Muhammad faced constant ball pressure from 6'3" Dexter Gordon, a very promising Western Kentucky signee, with nearly automatic double-teams every time he touched the ball from the Celtics. Shabazz struggled in the first half (2 for 7 shooting) against their pressure and three quick fouls helped limit him to an abnormally low five points in the first half, but halftime adjustments, including refocusing his mind, utilizing his size and strength advantage over their respective guards, and inflicting his athleticism and aggression on their decision to guard him closely, caused the southpaw to erupt for twenty-three second half points and ignite a Gaels comeback that ultimately was too late. The New Jersey Catholic school team, this year's likely mythical national champion, prevailed 79-63 in front of a national audience on ESPNU and a packed crowd at the birthplace of basketball.

Following the game, Shabazz spoke with Blue Devil Nation about his game against St. Patrick's, what he's looking for in a college program, his immediate impressions from Saturday's trip to Duke University for their game against Virginia, Quinn Cook, and why three schools stand out right now to him.

Let's start off with tonight's matchup with Saint Patrick's. Can you talk about the game in general and the defenses that they threw at you?

Sure, well, first of all, obviously, we played a great team in St. Pat's.

Is this the best team you've seen so far this year?

Yes, definitely, this is the best and I'd have to say by far too. As good an intensity as Saint Pat's brought to the game, we tried to match it and, at first, we just didn't. In the first half, they just beat us on the boards and outmatched us. We've just got to get back to work quickly. We can't accept that.

What second-half adjustments did you make personally? It seemed as though you were far more aggressive against their pressure after the half and you played with, well, more poised aggression. What, if anything, did you see differently?

Yeah, in the first half, I was just kind of pressing, but then I tried to slow the game down in the second half mentally. I tried to wait out my options in the second half and also get my teammates more involved.

Can you talk about the recent visits you've taken?

Yeah, I just took a visit to Duke. It was a nice experience for me, you know[private], talking to Coach K and going into Cameron Indoor.

And have you dealt with UCLA recently as well?

Yeah, I've just been talking with Ben Howland and those guys.

And at Duke you were talking with Coach K primarily?

Well, I was talking with Coach K and Coach Wojo. It was a great time for me there.

What was it like facing off against Mike Gilchrist today?

Oh, it was great going against Mike. He's a tremendous player. He's number one in the country as you saw out there tonight. He's doing really good and he just plays hard all the time. I tried to match his intensity and, you know, he's going to be a great player.

Were you incredibly frustrated with being foul trouble early on? You picked up your third on that drive to the left baseline.

Absolutely, when you're in foul trouble, you have to be frustrated. I just had to get my mind together and then focus clearly in the second half.

Shabazz Muhammad

You started driving a lot more in the second half. Was that to build a comfort level?

Oh, yeah, because in the first half they were kind of pressing up on me. So, in the second half, I just went right at it and took them to the basket. When they changed, I weighed my options and saw what I had to work with.

What do you think you've improved on most since August?

I think it's been my jump shot. I've been really working on that.

Still at Impact Academy?

I haven't been there in awhile, but I plan on going back there this summer to get working.

What did you see Dexter Gordon trying to do to you?

I think he was just trying to press up on me in the first half and go after my handle. In the second half, I just decided I'm going to have to blow past him. I was trying to dribble too much, I think, in the first half. You can't dribble when somebody is pressing up on you. I think I made the right adjustments.

You then tried to take him and Chris Martin (son of former Georgetown Hoya, Bill Martin) down low in the second half as well and get fed on the low left box.

Oh, yeah, that's the good thing about being a 6'6" guard. Other guards are shorter and, so, you can take them inside and really use it against them. Then, if they're around my size, you can take them outside and also use your strength.

How has it been to play with Rashad this year?

Oh, yeah, my brother, well, he's doing really good this year. He's trying to get it together. This was a very hard game for him obviously, but I think he's getting it together.

How did you plan to go after or play Michael Gilchrist.

Well, we all really watched him. We had tape on him and so we all tried to watch him so that we'd be okay with different match-ups. He's just a great player.

When you come to a tournament or showcase like this or City of Palms, do you consciously enter the game or event with a different mentality than a regular season matchup against a league opponent? If so, what do you do differently?

Oh, yeah, absolutely, these guys are way, way better than the guys we usually play back in Nevada so we've got to make that big adjustment. We've got to play intensely right from the start.

In terms of the pre-game at here or the City of Palms, how are you preparing yourself? Watching those guys? Psyching yourself up? Focusing your energy?

Absolutely, we were watching them, but you've got to just focus and go from there.

Now, next week, you'll be matching up with Findlay.

Yen, they're obviously a great team too and I'm going to go watch them and we'll be practicing hard for them this week.

You clearly know Winston (Sheppard) very well. He's one of your best friends and an AAU teammate.

Oh, yeah, I know Winston (laughs) and all those guys very well. It's going to be a great game for us to play in and show that we've improved and for folks to come out and watch.

Was Gilchrist the toughest defender you've faced and, if so, what makes him such a tough defender?

Oh, yeah, he is. I think it's that he just plays each play so hard. He never relents or takes a possession off. His intensity and, I think, his effort or work ethic out there is the difference. He never stops or relents. Other guys do or they burn out quicker.

Evan Daniels: Was that your first game on television?

No, well, it was my first high school game on TV, but I played in that Elite 24 game on TV. I wasn't nervous. I think I just needed to make the adjustments earlier.

ED: How is the recruiting process going?

It's going good. I just visited Duke. Coach K is always a great guy. Talking to Coach Wojo and even talking to some of the players, guys like Kyrie and Nolan. Just talking with all of those guys was a great experience for me.

ED: Was that your first time to Duke?

No, it was my second time.

It seems like you're taking a lot of visits lately. Are there any other ones to know?

I've got one to Kentucky set up. The whole thing with the visits is that I want to make sure I'm making the right choice when it comes down to it.

How close are you, I'm sorry, to a decision?

Probably next year, but you know probably whenever the time feels right, that's when I'll make the decision.

ED: I know you said you had a top three of Duke and who were the other ones?

Oh, Duke, UCLA, and Kentucky, but I didn't mean to say "top three" necessarily. It's just that those three are standing out the most to me right now. They're the ones that are staying in the most contact and pursuing me the hardest right now. That's what I meant. I'll stick with that. The North Carolinas and Louisvilles are definitely not out of it.

What have those three done differently? Are they just on you harder?

I think that's so. That's fair. Just calling and constantly monitoring and checking in with me and my dad. I appreciate it a lot and they're very good about communicating with us.

ED: Now, what about visiting Louisville? I know at one point you were supposed to.

Oh, I already did actually.

ED: What about Carolina? Talk to me about those guys. What do you like about them?

Roy Williams is a great guy and a good coach. Talking to their players, getting feedback on how to play the game. It was a great experience.

ED: Do you see yourself taking another trip back there?

Probably, yeah, I think I am. I mean I've taken two visits there and you can never take too many visits. I'm just trying to do the best I can. I don't have any dates yet. But I'll just have to decide with my dad.

ED: What's keeping them from being in the top three level?

I just think a little bit of communication issues. I'm talking to them, but, with those other three schools, I'm hearing from them all of the time. They're definitely not out though. It's just..

What'll be some of the primary factors in your decision?

The primary factors in my decision? Not location, but just where I fit in and I'll talk to the coaches and the style of play will be a big factor in my decision.

What about the desire to play with other players you feel comfortable with? Does it matter to you? People talk about it all the time, but sometimes it's not a big deal.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. You want to play with other great players or at least guys that care about winning.

Are there any particular players, either in your class or older than you that appeal to you, or that you've thought about playing with?

Well, I mean I've talked to Kyrie and those guys and then today I talked with Mike out on the court.

Yeah, I noticed that.

(Laughing) Yeah, that's my boy, but I'm just talking to guys because I want to play for and win a National Championship. That's what it's about. That's why and what you work for.

So, it's fair to say, winning is very important to you?

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

I just wanted to make absolutely certain that you were quoted correctly about the three schools that were after you hardest. He didn't misquote you or anything? Not Evan, but the other guy, um, Jason.

Yeah, yeah, no, he quoted me correctly, but those are not just the top three. He just wanted to know who was after me hardest.

Yeah, I just wanted to make that absolutely clear with you that you weren't misquoted. Thanks. I happened to speak with Quinn Cook the other day after his game and he said that he was recruiting three guys: you, Alex Murphy, and Tony Parker.

Oh, yeah, Quinn and I talk. He's a great player.

He's a very nice kid too.

Oh, yeah, he is and, as a player, he gets his teammates involved. He's a true point guard. I like him and I like to play with him. We played out at the Boost Mobile 24 game and Adidas Nations. He's a fun guy to be with.

If you could just touch on your trip to Duke a little bit more and what Kyrie and Nolan were talking to you about?

Oh, sure, they were just talking with me about how Coach K lets you have freedom and they were absolutely correct. I was watching it with my own two eyes and they were absolutely correct. They let Nolan have the ball and, since his guy wasn't pressuring him, he just let him take it to him at will. He lets his stars play and, when they make mistakes, he says keep playing and so I mean I like that about them. He's a really good basketball coach and he's a really dedicated coach and he wants to win a lot.

One last thing, is Gilchrist the hardest player you've faced so far?

Yeah, he is because he's got size and now skill combined with amazing intensity. He's going to be a great player for Kentucky and do very well down there.

He'll fit in well in their dribble-drive offense. Thanks a lot for your time, Shabazz.

Oh, yeah, of course, absolutely. Anytime. [/private]