Tag Archives: Cassius Stanley

What Could Have Been and What Was for Duke Basketball

The dust has finally settled on the 2019-20 basketball season and it is now time to reflect on what could have been. As some in the media, I took the trip up to Greensboro for the ACC Tournament and took my seat at courtside as I watched the unusual situation unfold.

It was surreal seeing just the bands from Clemson and Florida State making noise where no fans were in the stands. There were cheerleaders, essential coliseum personnel, some media members, and television crews as Clemson and Florida State took to the court to warm up.

Duke and N.C. State was to have played next, so I was dug in with my laptop ready to cover something like we had never witnessed. I was wondering which parent might make a name for themselves in support of their team for those who stood out would be getting plenty of camera time.

For a brief moment, it appeared the games would go on, but there was a problem, you see. That being something called the Coronavirus and it was at the forefront of everyone's mind, even fanatical fanbases desperate for life to go on as normal.

I could not help but think Duke did not get a good draw in the tournament. The Blue Devils would have likely gotten past the Wolfpack, but it would not have been easy. The draw came from finishing fourth in the standings and it was hard not to think about the collapse in Winston Salem, for a win against a so-so Wake Forest team would have put the Duke in the top spot.

There was also a late-season loss by a two points at Virginia which was costly as well, These two games kept Duke from winning the regular season.

So, when it became evident that the long-awaited ACC Tournament return to Greensboro was about to be canceled there was still not ample enough evidence that the season would end. I mean, no season had since the inception of the NCAA Tournament.

As it became clear that we had seen the last dribble of the ball this past season, you could not help but wonder many things. As Florida State was awarded the ACC Tournament Championship trophy in a way that was highly awkward, it just felt like Duke should have been there.

Yes, one could argue they stole a win at Chapel Hill over North Carolina but had Mike Krzyzewski known the season would end as it did, perhaps he would have coached a little differently.

While this may seem a controversial statement, some coaches are looking to teach lessons during the season. I am not saying Duke did not want to win those close or critical losses, but I am saying the staff never thought the win over North Carolina in Cameron Indoor Stadium would be the last game the team would play.

Some may have seen Duke collapsing a bit after the losses to Virginia and Wake Forest in the regular season, but I saw it as ongoing lessons for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. And I think this team was better built for the tournament than some think.

We will never know for sure how things may have fared, but the team had a solid year with some memorable wins. They owned a win over Kansas the nation's top-ranked team and they had a veteran point guard in Tre Jones ready to go for what would have been the sixth national championship.

Perhaps the Blue Devils would have hoisted the ACC Championship Trophy had the games been played, but the Seminoles had a much easier road to do so. So I am thinking the team was better built for the NCAA's and like many, I wanted to see how it played out.

Duke showed they could be caught off guard in some losses this past season, but the Blue Devils could have beaten any team on a given day. Trust me, it is all about matchups in the big tournament and so we will never know how things would fare, but the feeling here is that Duke would have gained some more wins and been a tough out for anyone they faced.

Duke had a good locker room this past season. Their players represented the brotherhood well. They were a likable bunch of young men where each brought something to the table.

Since my last article, Duke has seen Tre Jones, Vernon Carey Jr., and Cassius Stanley all enter the NBA Draft. It was fun watching those players.

Tre Jones returned to Duke to win a title. It is painful for many he never got that chance. But people will fondly remember what he and his brother Tyus, did for the program.

Vernon Carey Jr. was evidence that Duke does develop big men and he had a stellar season. He is a very underrated player going into the draft and will likely land with a winning team per source.

Cassius Stanley showed off some serious athleticism which will help him achieve his goals at the next level. Duke proved they do as well with west coast talent as any other part of the country.

Duke also says goodbye to Javin DeLaurier, Jack White, and Justin Robinson. These three young men as all destined for some great things in life.

So, if you haven't guessed yet, this is me closing the door on the 2019-20 season. It was not easy to do so for many reasons, but anyone reading this article likely lives for the basketball season and when it is cut short, there is a part of us seemingly missing,

While many are still dealing with the outbreak which has forever changed our lives, we still covet the constant success that has defined Duke Basketball.

A popular tagline is that "Duke Basketball Never Stops." While that statement has been challenged, it is clear to see via social media that the Brotherhood is still active.

I am a glass half full type. So, I think we will see the Blue Devils soon enough and the staff is hard at work even from home preparing for another season. Heck, they are recruiting for much more than next season, so it is time to start talking about that and in the coming days, Blue Devil Nation will start to cover what is to come next in our own way,

So, let us remember that amazing putback by Wendell Moore Jr. one last time But it is time to make some new memories and move on.

A Dozen Feel-Good Takeaways From Duke’s Win

With the exception of an unfortunate injury to Cassius Stanley as he was warming up, yesterday was a total feel-good day for the Duke Blue Devils.

The Return of Zion Williamson

The former Duke standout has taken the world by storm and is now an attraction wherever he turns up. Williamson had participated in the NBA Rising Star game the night before wowing fans with his play. He went out of his way to make it to Duke in time to catch part of the game and when he entered necks were bending. Williamson was also able to see Mike Buckmire collect a late-game basket and it was clear that tickled him. Williamson went to the Duke locker room after the win and hung out with players but he did not address the media, not wanting to take the focus off the team. He spoke with the aforementioned Cassius Stanley who was not able to play in the locker room.

The Return of Tyus "Stones" Jones

A national champion was in Cameron yesterday. Tyus Jones came back to sit with his mom Debbie who is recovering after a health scare. The two were able to see Tre who is having a banner season for the Blue Devils. Tyus spoke with some in the media and it was clear he was there for his brother He also told me they would be able to spend some time together that evening.

D-E-F-E-N-S-E

It is fair to say that Notre Dame guards Rex Pfluger and T,J, Gibbs will not soon forget the Blue Devils defense on them. They were both held scoreless. The Duke defense was stellar in pushing the Irish off the three-point stripe which is their bread and butter strength. In fact, the Irish were held to a season-low made three's. Duke also scored 19 points off forced Notre Dame turnovers and their thing is ball protection.

Matthew Hurt is Playing his Best Ball of Late

At times this season, Matthew Hurt has struggled to adjust to the physicality of the college game. He has turned a corner of late and his 12 points and 9 rebounds were somewhat lost in a game where so many players had success. There was a play in the first half when Irish star John Moody was guarding Hurt and banging on him hard. Hurt backed him down despite the no calls and connected on a mid-range shot. If Hurt continues to hit the boards as he did yesterday and grows his inside game to go with his three-point shot, we will be talking about him a lot moving forward.

Goldwired

The most pleasant surprise this season is the play of Jordan Goldwire. He flat out shut down Irish guards. His offense is getting better and he was working with Duke assistant Chris Carrawell two hours before the game started. The one play where he was relentless on defense, gained a steal and connected on a drive on the other end was a crowd-pleaser. He will be further tested by a guard-heavy Wolfpack team next.

Big Vern Shows Off

Vernon Carey Jr took over in the first half against the Irish. He took it to John Mooney and showed he was at times unstoppable when he gets intense. Carey has been a difference-maker for Duke this season and he is the best big man in the league. Once Duke took a commanding lead, Carey's numbers dropped off, but he made a definite statement in the game,

Tre Jones

Make no mistake, the keys to the machine are owned by Tre Jones. His play continued to be top-notch on both sides of the ball as his brother and mom looked on. His steady play gives Duke two player of the year candidates. Duke is 33-4 when he scores in double-digits.

Duke Won Their 7th Straight Game

The Blue Devils are playing as well as any team in the nation as they won their seventh consecutive game. Duke is likely to move up in the rankings but a very hungry N.C. State team awaits them next. Duke rolled the Irish and never looked back once that started. The smashing of the Irish was a near-perfect performance.

The Win Puts Duke in 1st Place

The Blue Devils moved into sole possession of 1st place in the ACC with their blowout win over Notre Dame. Louisville stumbled at Clemson earlier in the day and that allowed for Duke to take a half-game lead in the standings.

Quinn Cook Return

The Los Angeles Lakers Quinn Cook was the other part of the 2015 National Champion backcourt to return from the NBA All Star break to take in a game. Always popular, the Crazies could not manage to get him to sit with them. He conversed a bit with mentor Nolan Smith on the bench once the game was in control. Cook had to head out shortly after with big Duke win to get back to business.

Everybody Contributed

We have mentioned some of the players which played well for Duke, but yesterday had a lot of good performances. Javin DeLaurier logged good minutes and he is playing well of late. Alex O'Connell had a team-high 4 steals to go with his 12 points for a super effort. Joey Baker scored 8 points in 14 minutes as well. And Justin Robinson and Mike Buckmire scored in late-game minutes.

Cassius Stanley Will Be Fine

I have no idea how a manager scratched Cassius Stanley's eye in the pre-game warm-ups. I do know he hated missing the game with former players back. As I said in opening this was one of the few negative moments. But the silver lining is he will be ready to go when Duke travels to N.C. State and that is good news and a way to close the feel-good dozen.

Cassius Stanley Can Ball

Perhaps the number given to Cassius Stanley's was a hint that he could play. The California freshman who led Duke in scoring with 19 points against Colorado State dons number two for the Blue Devils.

A quick look at Blue Devils past shows that some good players have worn #2 over the years. A season ago the number belonged to Cam Reddish and Gary Trent Jr. before that. You can trace the number back to two national champions in Quinn Cook and Nolan Smith as well.

Whether the number assigned to Stanley has anything to do with his ability or not, after just two games he's shown he is more than capable of handling a starting nod on the 2019-20 Blue Devils.

The Los Angeles native has had immediate success on the court this season. Stanley was wonderfully efficient in the Duke win over Colorado State. The self-proclaimed LeBron James and Lakers fan, went 8-11 from the field for his 19 points,

But Stanley is more than just instant offense. A quick look at the box score shows he grabbed a team-high 7 rebounds and added a blocked shot for good measure in 25 minutes of play.

His play was noticed by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski who lauded his newcomer during his post game press conference. The long-time Duke leader called Stanley's two opening games outstanding -- high praise indeed.

Duke won a defensive slug-fest against Kansas and Stanley scored 13 points in that game on 5 of 6 shooting. He also played 30 minutes, the second-most on the team.

You can already see that Krzyzewski wants Stanley on the court. And the reason for that is his efficiency. One of the most telling stats was the fact Stanley committed 4 turnovers against Kansas only to cut that down to zero in the win over the Rams.

Stanley has the potential to be a solid on-ball defender as well. He gets his hands on the ball and has stayed with his man in the 2-0 Duke start to the season.

It's also clear that Stanley likes to run the court and his two baskets against Kansas on the break were game-changing. Despite the early success, Stanley is still learning the Duke system and getting better as a player.

We have yet to see the finished product with concern to Stanley. But it is clear that he will play a vital roll on this year's team. The one thing which is evident early on is that Cassius Stanley can ball. And that is great news for this year's Duke team.

Duke Adds Three to Hoops Class

Vernon Carey, USABB

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke Basketball Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski announced the addition of three student-athletes to the Blue Devils’ incoming class, as the program closes in on the nation’s No. 1-ranked class.

Vernon Carey Jr.Matthew Hurt and Cassius Stanley will enter the Duke program for the 2019-20 season, and join Wendell Moore and Rejean “Boogie” Ellis, who were signed during the early signing period in November.

With the addition of Carey, Hurt and Stanley, the Blue Devils jumped to No. 1 in ESPN’s 2019 class rankings. Should Duke finish at No. 1, it would mark the third consecutive season, and fifth time in the last six years, that Coach K landed ESPN’s top-ranked class.

Vernon Carey Jr. – 6-10 – 275 – Center – Southwest Ranches, Fla. – University School

  • Five-star center
  • Ranked as the No. 5 overall player in the ESPN 100 and the No. 3 center
  • Top-ranked player in Florida
  • Two-time USA Basketball gold medalist for the 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup.
  • Averaged 21.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game his senior year at the University School
  • 2019 McDonald’s All-American and played in the Jordan Brand Classic
  • 2018 MaxPreps Player of the Year as a junior
  • As a junior in 2017-18, averaged 26.1 points and 10.4 rebounds to help his high school team to a 36-2 record, a 5A state title, the City of Palms Classic title and the final game of the GEICO High School Nationals.
  • Chose Duke over ACC North Carolina, Miami, Michigan State and Kentucky

Matthew Hurt – 6-8 – 214 – Forward – Rochester, Minn. – John Marshall High School

  • Five-star recruit
  • Ranked No. 10 overall in the ESPN 100 and the No. 2 power forward
  • Top-ranked player in Minnesota
  • 2019 McDonald’s All-American
  • Averaged 37.4 points and 12.4 rebounds per game as a senior
  • Earned Associated Press Player of the Year for the state of Minnesota
  • Finished with 3,550 career points and 1,451 career rebounds at John Marshall
  • Continues a recent trend of Duke players from the state of Minnesota with brothers Tyus and Tre Jones (Apple Valley) and Gary Trent Jr., who played at Apple Valley HS before transferring to Prolific Prep in California
  • Chose Duke over North Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas

Cassius Stanley – 6-5 – 185 – Guard – Los Angeles, Calif. – Sierra Canyon High School

  • Four-star recruit
  • Ranked No. 29 overall in the ESPN 100 and the No. 6 shooting guard
  • Averaged 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game for Nike’s 17U EBYL team this past season
  • Played in the Jordan Brand Classic
  • Led Sierra Canyon to the California Open Division Championship his senior year, scoring 20 points and recording seven rebounds in the championship contest
  • Recorded a team-best 17.7 points, grabbed 6.9 rebounds and registered 2.9 assists per game his senior year
  • Named 2019 Daily News Player of the Year and CIF Open Division Player of the Year, which is considered the highest level of high school basketball in the state of California
  • Second Duke player in three seasons from Sierra Canyon High, joining 2018 consensus first-team All-American and ACC Player of the Year Marvin Bagley III
  • Chose Duke over Kansas, Oregon and UCLA

Cassius Stanley Joins the Duke Brotherhood (Updated)

Cassius Stanley Photo - LA Times

The Duke Blue Devils solidify their 2019-20 recruiting class with highly ranked shooting guard Cassius Stanley giving the program the nations top-rated class.

Stanley chose Duke over Kansas, Oregon and UCLA.

His announcement came at his Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth, California.

The newest Blue Devil averaged 17.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in 2018-19 for a star-studded team.

Stanley joins fellow Californian, Boogie Ellis, Matthew Hurt, Vernon Carey Jr., and Wendell Moore Jr.

An elite athlete, Stanley hopes to be an immediate factor early at Duke, where three starters are NBA bound.

Standing at 6-5 with solid length and he is aggressive on the offensive end driving the ball downcourt while also being a willing defender.

Stanley is a little older than some freshman so that has allowed him to develop physically as well.  He will look to gain a more consistent outside shot at Duke while getting stronger.

His high school is 22 miles from the Hollywood Walk of Fame, so there is little chance Stanley will be star-struck at Duke.

Several former NBA players send their kids to Sierra Canyon including Scottie Pippen,  Duane "Pearl" Washington, Kenyon Martin to name a few.

His high school alum list includes kids from Berry Gordy. Sean Combs, Kevin Hart, the Jenner's and Jamie Fox to name a few.  Elite level kids attend the school system near Los Angeles from kindergarten through high school.

Another recent Duke product from Sierra Valley was none other than Marvin Bagley III.

So, Stanley is more than a little accustomed to stars being around, so that should help him fit in with a program full of them and the stands always having somebody famous nearby.

His Dad, Jerome, was a successful sports agent who broke down some barriers along the way,  He represented the likes of Baron Davis and Keyshaun Johnson.

Stanley once worked out with Oklahoma City standout Paul George.

It will be fin for Duke fans to watch the athletic Stanley add polish to his game while in Durham.  There is no reason he should not push for immediate playing time if he puts in the work.

Stanley added Duke to his list in early August and visited the school the weekend after that news came out.  It was obviously a good visit.

Duke assistant coaches Nate James and Chris Carrawell took lead roles in the recruiting process recognizing the talent Stanley possessed.

 

“It was a lot of pressure,” said Stanley after his decision. “Initially I had three schools, UCLA, Kansas and Oregon. Coach Alford got fired and around the same time Duke slid in. I was skeptical at first because I wanted to stay loyal to the programs that were recruiting me earlier, but I felt Duke had the best to offer.”

The Blue Devils wanted to add a shooting guard to this class and more backcourt help, so the addition of Stanley afford them backcourt depth.