Tag Archives: Tyler Thornton

Duke Basketball

Andre Dawkins erupts for 36 points at the N.C. Pro Am

Andrae Dawkins dropped 36 while his teammate and opponent last evening Seth Curry. Curry ended the game with 27 and got the win. Photo Rick Crank for BDN, pixbyrix.com

DURHAM, N.C. - On a steamy summer night the N.C. Pro Am continued but no shows from North Carolina and N.C. State disappointed some for anticipated match ups would not take place.  Well, that is if you are a Heel or Pack faithful for the Blue Devils turned out in force.  On a night when the defense mirrored the NBA All Star game seven Blue Devils were in action and three of them scored 20 plus points.  And two of the Devils would go head to head in the evenings most entertaining game

Kyrie Irving wasted little time in wowing the crowd by daring the defenders to stay with him using cross over dribbles and stutter steps to free up his shot or set up a dish to a teammate.  Irving hung in the air for one showboat assist which brought the crowd to their feet, but it was a catch while hanging in mid air and a tomahawk dunk that really had the place rocking.  Irving ended the evening with 22 points and 7 assists.  Irving was scheduled to go against N.C. State freshman Ryan Harrow who failed to show due to prior obligations.

While Tyler Thornton did not score a point, he played solid on ball defense and his shadowing frustrated opponents into mistakes or an uninvited elbow push off.  Thornton dished 3 assists and played a solid overall game.

But the third Team Hendricks Dukie, Josh Hairston impressed as well where he scored 18 points, his tournament high.  Four of his baskets came off either Irving or Thornton assists and he was comfortable in the paint while floating out to hit turnaround jumpers.

Hendrick's won the game by a 110-96 margin and they will play again this coming Tuesday.

In the night cap Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry put on a show.  The two teammates traded baskets early on, smiling at each other as if to say top that as the game progressed. 

"I came out and hit my first couple of shots and then a three from the corner and I was really feeling it after that," said Dawkins who would end the game with a dazzling 36 point effort. 

"I see him do it every day, so it's no surprise for me," said Curry who sat out last season after transferring from Liberty.

Curry nailed a trio of three point shots to start the game setting the bar high but Andre was the first to draw blood with a three of his own.

"He hit the first one and said, "What are you going to do,?" it was fun and good competition.  With two great shooters it was fun to go back and forth, stated Curry.

"Yeah, we were keeping tabs the whole game to see who had more points but he is playing the distributor for his team and didn't put up as many shots as I did playing the two spot for my team," said Dawkins who for a while could not miss.

Curry replied by saying, "He got the points  but I got the win."  He continued, "Last year we were on each others team in practice a lot so we got to know each others game and we try to make each other better."

If last night was any indication of the future, when Curry and Dawkins are both on a roll it will bode quite well for the Blue Devils.

BDN Sidebar -Ryan Kelly chipped in 9 points and played a solid overall game but with former Wolfpack and current Los Angeles Laker Josh Powell [31 points] joining Team Jamison his D-One team fell 101-95 which evened things up after Kelly led them to a win with 31 last week.

Miles Plumlee added 10 points to the victors and had a vicious behind the head dunk.  He was also on the end of Dawkins best assist of the night where he caught a behind the back pass for a dunk on the break.

Rodney Rodgers got a warm reception as he took to mid court in a wheel chair after his tragic accident.  The former Durham Hillside and Wake Forest star spoke of his foundation.

The games will continue next Tuesday with tip off of the first contest scheduled for around 6:00.  Be prepared to walk a distance due to parking issues and keep in mind that the doors will be shut down upon capacity. Admission is free.

For more Pro Am thoughts check out the BDN Premium message board where we report live and be sure to sign up for our twitter page for the best updates available. Be sure to check out our live updates from the recruiting trail where BDN's Andre Slater is in Las Vegas checking out all the action as Coach K, Collins and James scout the nations top prospects.

Duke Basketball

N.C. Pro Am – Thornton is efficient in his short stint

Duke freshman Tyler Thornton surveys the court at the N.C. Pro Am - photo Rick Crank/BDN

DURHAM, N.C - Three Duke Blue Devils took to the court at the N.C. Pro Am on Tuesday evening on the campus of  N.C. Central University.  This was the first appearance  for Andre Dawkins and Ryan Kelly fresh off the national championship and the two scored 10 points apiece while their team lost by 8 points.  True freshman Tyler Thornton added 8 points.

In the preceding game, Team Stackhouse held off a game Team 212  on their way to a 4 point overtime win.  A packed facility saw Harrison Barnes display his various skills scoring 31 points while his teammates Reggie Bullock added 21 and 20 points.   In coming freshman point guard Kendall Marshall took in the action from the sidelines as his teammates took the majority of the shots.

While the Tar Heels played the entire game, that was far from the case in the third game, the most disjointed game of the evening.  Kelly was the exception, playing much of the game if for no other reason than his team had just one other guy over 6-4.  Kelly looks thicker than last season and it is obvious that he has worked on gaining weight in the off season.  I had Kelly at 8 rebounds unofficially. 

Kelly struggled from the free throw stripe and his shot wasn't as accurate as I have seen, but he showed nice athletic moves polishing off two dunks on successive offensive possessions and moved well with the ball, always looking for open teammates.  He couldn't  help but wear down playing so many minutes inside.

It was quite a different story for Andre Dawkins who opened the game with a strong one handed throw down dunk and a three point shot.  After starting the game, Dawkins was then benched until the fourth quarter.  Here is the culprit, his team had 13 players on the bench.  Yep, that's right 18 players on the team.

A bulked up Ryan Kelly drives the ball upcourt - Rick Crank/BDN Photo

Of those 18 players, several off them were in way over their heads and the Team Navy coach seemingly wanted to play all of them which prevented any hope of victory or good basketball.  Dawkins move better with the ball in hands and showed that he continually gets better athletically.

Then there was Tyler Thornton, who to me, was the most impressive of the group despite maybe one quarter of play.  Thornton's efficiency was evident where he was 3 of 3 from the floor, dishing 3 assists.  He was the best guard on the court when in the game, playing under control, looking for his teammates.  In short, he played smart.  All of that went to the wayside when players from the bench came in and jacked up ridiculous one on one shots which cheapened the game in terms of competitiveness.

Thornton moves well with the ball and is quicker than many realize.  He is more than capable of earning a little burn in his first season at Duke despite the tremendous depth on the roster.  In short, there will be a role for Thornton.  One of his perceived weaknesses was his three point shot, but BDN has told you in the past that he has been working on that part of his game.

The true freshman showed the ability to catch and shoot nailing one three from the corner barely moving the net.  In fact he hit both of his shots beyond the stripe. 

Most of the Blue Devils will play in the event, but Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith have been working on their skills at the LeBron James Skills Academy where both college and high school players participate.  The much anticipated debut of Kyrie Irving will likely come next week where he joins Kyle Singler on his team.

Interestingly, the Duke players are scattered about on the teams, while Team Stackhouse has been dubbed Team Tar Heel by the fans.  N.C. State fans got a chance to see their incoming class last evening where Ryan Harrow took to the court for the first time as well.

The event continues on Thursday evening and the games start at 6:00.  Admission is absolutely free, but be prepared to walk a good ways to get in due to construction which cut out an entire parking lot.  Crowds have been outstanding to date and at times were approaching capacity.  Once the event settles in and the players appear on a more consistent basis that crowd may well push a record. 

Duke fans can only hope that they see more of their players like the efficient Tyler Thornton.  And the reason fans turn out is to see the local schools kids play.  My understanding is that the issue of playing time for the better players will be addressed, but in fairness, this only happened in the third contest. 

Be sure to check the N.C. Pro Am out for it is good free entertainment in a friendly atmosphere.

Follow Blue Devil Nation on twitter and get updates from the N.C. Pro Am and Adidas Nationa ad the LeBron James Skills Academy.  Go to the right sidebar on the front page and join us.

Duke Basketball, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Hairston, Irving, Thornton named Gatorade Players of the Year

Josh Hairston, Tyler Thornton Gatorade Players of the Year
Josh Hairston and Tyler Thornton named Gatorade Players of the Year in their state - copyright BDN Photo

The 2010 Duke Recruiting class currently consists of three players and all were named Gatorade players of the year in their state.  Josh Hairston [6-8 forward] was voted the top player in Maryland.  Hairston transferred to Montrosse Christian Academy from Courtland HS in Virginia and enjoyed a very successful year.

Kyrie Irving was named the top player in the state of New Jersey where he played for St. Patrick's and he of course will run the point guard spot at Duke next season.  Irving was also named to the McDonald's All American team.

Tyler Thornton [6-2 guard] led his Gonzaga Prep school to the title and was named Gatorade player of the year District of Columbia.

Blue Devil Nation congratulates the three incoming Blue Devils for their success on the hardwood this season.

BDN Premium Articles

High School Hoops 2010 Edition No. 9

Here is another edition of High School Hoops for Blue Devil Nation premium members. This edition takes a look at Duke’s three 2010 committed players: Kyrie Irving, Josh Hairston, and Tyler Thornton; as well as the other players Duke is looking at in the Class of 2010 and beyond. [private]

Kyrie Irving: St. Patrick has advanced to the Championship Game in the Union County Tournament in what could be their last game. Kyrie Irving scored 13 points as the Celtics defeated Union 64-47. St. Patrick will face Plainfield for the championship. Here is some video of the action.

St. Patrick has been banned from participating in the State Tournament due to Coach Kevin Boyle being present during open gym workouts prior to the official start of practice. St. Patrick has filed a civil lawsuit in federal court and a hearing will be held on Monday at 9 am.

Josh Hairston: Montrose Christian ended a losing streak with a 62-56 win over Fork Union. Hairston scored 20 points in the game. Hairston is averaging 17 points per game for the Mustangs and he is currently Second Team in the All-Met Watch.

Tyler Thornton: Thornton is averaging 15 points a game for the 22-6 Eagles. On Friday, February 26, O’Connell defeated Gonzaga 67-55. On Wednesday, February 24, Gonzaga defeated McNamara 62-58. Thornton scored 19 points in the victory.

Trey Zeigler: Zeigler fouled out in regulation but first he scored 27 points to go with 10 rebounds as Mt. Pleasant defeated Bay City Central 73-68 in overtime. The Oilers have now won 13 games in a row.

Marshall Plumlee: Christ School is 35-1 and will play Charlotte Christian for the NCISAA Championship on Saturday night. The Greenies defeated Wesleyan Christian Academy 81-40 in the Quarter-Finals and Forsyth Country Day 67-64 in the Semi-Finals.

Charlotte Christian defeated Ravenscroft to advance to the Championship Game.

Austin Rivers: Winter Park defeated Edgewater 70-59 in the Florida 6A Regional Semi-Finals. Edgewater employed a Box and 1 defense designed to stop Austin Rivers and held him to 11 points but it wasn’t enough to stop the Wildcats from advancing to the Regional Finals. Brett Comer stepped up and scored 23 points. Here is some game video.

In the Quarter-Finals, Rivers scored 41 points in front of a crowd of 1,200 fans including Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski as Winter Park defeated Winter Springs 83-60.

J.P. Tokoto: Menomonee Falls completed the regular season 14-0 in the Greater Metro Conference with an 80-64 defeat of Brookfield Central on Thursday February 25. J.P. Tokoto scored 23 points.

Menomonee Falls defeated Wauwatosa East 67-46 as Tokoto scored a game-high 18 points. The win clinched the Greater Metro Conference title and earned the Indians’ a first round bye in the upcoming state tournament. Menomonee Falls is the #2 seed in Sectional #5.

On Monday, February 22, Tokoto scored 27 points as Menomonee Falls defeated Homestead 74-71.

Finally, here is an article from the Raleigh News & Observer on Kendall Marshall that I’m including in this update in the spirit of the great Chinese Philosopher Sun Tzu whose sage advice was to keep your friends close but your enemies closer. Taking into account all the Larry Drew II rumors about a possible transfer, Marshall could be given the keys to Roy Williams’ broken down jalopy as a freshman.

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BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

High School Hoops 2010 Edition No. 8

ky8-300x254This edition of High School Hoops 2010 includes a Holiday Tournament action wrap up and coverage of teams recommencing their normal game schedules. There are updates on committed Duke players Tyler Thornton, Josh Hairston, and Kyrie Irving as well as information on prospects Roscoe Smith, Austin Rivers, and J.P. Tokoto. [private]

Kyrie Irving: St. Patrick traveled to beautiful sunny San Diego (I love that city) to participate in the MaxPreps Holiday Classic and Irving came away as the Most Valuable Player as St. Patrick won the National Division with a 66 – 43 victory over Newark Memorial (CA).

In earlier games, the Celtics defeated Ironwood Ridge (AZ) 83 – 35 and Centennial (CA).

This ESPN article has been linked on message boards all over the Internet so most everyone has already seen it but here it is again for anyone who hasn’t already read this exciting statement:

“Irving will be the best point guard prospect heading to Duke since Jason Williams laced them up for the Blue Devils.”

How sweet does that sound?

Josh Hairston: On Saturday evening, Montrose Christian defeated St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes 79 – 50. There is no news on individual performances prior to Blue Devil Nation going to press with this article, but there is a great post from Studlee10 on the Premium Message Board describing the action.

Tyler Thornton: Gonzaga defeated Rice (N.Y.) 67 – 55. Rice was coming off their 55 – 54 Championship performance over Kinston at the GSK Invitational. Gonzaga defeated Kinston 84 – 64 in Honolulu on December 22.

Roscoe Smith: Oak Hill Academy traveled to Portland to compete at the Les Schwab Invitational. In their first game, Smith recorded a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds as Oak Hill defeated Sunset 94 – 66.

Oak Hill took care of Oregon City 80 – 67 in the second round. Smith was limited to six points and three rebounds in the game.

In the semi-finals, Smith recorded his second double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds as Oak Hill defeated Westview 72 – 58.

Westchester (CA) defeated Oak Hill 52 – 47 in the Championship Game. Smith finished with six points and seven rebounds.

Austin Rivers: Winter Park traveled to Birmingham, Alabama to participate in the T-Mobile Invitational. In the first round, Butler (AL) defeated Winter Park 60 – 58. In the consolation game, Winter Park defeated Kentwood (WA) 72- 52. Kentwood is Josh Smith’s school, but Smith did not participate due to being injured.

Winter Park is sitting at the top of the Orlando Sentinel’s Super 16 rankings.

J.P. Tokoto: It was a rough two days for Menomonee Falls at the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Shootout at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee. On day one, Menomonee Falls fell to Arrowhead 67 – 66 in overtime, and on day two, they fell to Catholic Memorial 68 – 63. Tokoto delivered a good individual stat line in both games but he struggled from the free throw line.

Against Catholic Memorial, Tokoto scored 23 points with 17 rebounds, three blocked shots, and five steals, but went 3 – 11 from the free throw line. In the overtime loss to Arrowhead, Tokoto scored 18 points.

Menomonee Falls is now 6-3 on the season with J.P. Tokoto averaging 18.2 points per game.

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BDN Premium Articles

BDN Premium – Duke Basketball Team and Recruiting Update

Austin Rivers set to make a play - BDN Photo
Austin Rivers set to make a move - BDN Photo

As many of you are aware, the Duke Men's Basketball staff has been very active on the road of late, but they will now take a break to spend time with their families.  Just about all of the Blue Devils players are at home with their families for the Holiday season.  We will be covering a few kids live after Christmas and I will have more on that later.  Let's just say that BDN will be back in the groove in a major way in the coming year and our coverage will be better than ever.

Many of you have asked if there is anything new going on and the answer is [private] not much.  We'll start with Austin Rivers who you can see on ESPNU tonight against one of the best teams in the country.  Rivers dropped 45 points and, as we told you months ago now, he will concentrate on his high school season.  Rivers continues to say he is a Florida Gator, and that is technically true.  However, Rivers is quick to tell you that Duke is recruiting him and that he likes the fact that Coach K has taken an interest in him.  Rivers will take a visit to Duke this season after the new year if all works out.  I continue to feel very good about Duke's chances of landing Rivers - far too many reasons to list, but it's not over until it's over.  The Rivers family will watch and see how UF and Duke fare this season and see how Austin fits in.  It's no secret that Rivers has stayed in close touch with Kyrie and Andre among others.  Krzyzewski loves what Rivers brings to the table and he has been front and center for Rivers games since the AAU Nationals in Orlando, Florida.  Krzyzewski and Collins attended Rivers' game last week. The staff will follow him closely, staying in touch as often as the NCAA rules allow.  This one will go to Spring or after the season.

As many of you know, one of my pet peeves is the unsubstantiated rumors that make message boards go crazy.  It's one of the reasons I spend little time on my own board these days.  The latest one says that Duke has stopped recruiting Roscoe Smith, which is false.  I have been telling you for a good while that Duke has been trying to arrange an on-campus visit and that remains true today.  UConn is the chief competition and probably the leader at this time.  It's been hard for Duke to proceed, for they need to make sure Smith can qualify.  There is no secret that it is easier to qualify for UConn than Duke.  My understanding is that Krzyzewski likes Smith's potential and he did catch one of his games over the break.  So, there is a wait and see approach with concerns to Smith and the picture should become clear in the next month or two.  Nobody would have put Smith and Duke together early last summer, but Nate James hit the road running and developed a good relationship with the prospect.

Rocky Mount's Tashawn Mabry and his family sat behind the Duke bench for a game recently and Duke is in the evaluation or get to know stage with Mabry.  I was scheduled to check him out during the Glaxo Tournament, but Rocky Mount could not work out the logistics to be there.  Mabry was one of the most underrated players in the country but his star is rising this season.

One thing to keep in mind is that Duke will be careful who they offer and they will not just throw one out there for anyone who they don't think can contribute.  I must admit that project players like Boateng or Czyz rarely work out, for the learning curve is behind other kids.  Duke has, however, had success with role player types going all the way back to Brian Davis and Marty Clark for but two examples.

Brace yourself for a ride with two prospects.  Quincy Miller attended the Duke Elite Camp and he, indeed, likes the Devils as does a key member of his family.  Miller is a good interview in person and he has a great personality, but the recruiting game seems to get fun for these kids as they go along and anything they say until they are a rising senior should be taken with a grain of salt.  The longer this one goes on, the more familiar it will seem, meaning a little stress.  Still, Duke is right there for Miller at this time and there is a strong foundation with concerns to relations with the coaching staff.  I will be catching one of Miller's games soon and we will eventually talk with him.

Then there is JP Tokoto who loved the Duke Elite Camp but he grew up a UNC fan.  Tokoto sent signals that he may commit early, but that changed in a matter of days and he is now scheduled to visit UNC for the Duke game.  The Heels are coming on strong and will offer him as a junior.  Whether Duke decides to look elsewhere or pull back remains to be seen.  But they will surely send some feelers out there to gauge his interest.  If he is like PJ Hairston and the debacle Harrison Barnes, maybe Duke should broaden their options.  It's hard to imagine Duke wanting to go down to the wire again while other talented kids might be a better option.  Tokoto's stepfather likes Duke, but he also likes UNC.  This one promises to be, as I mentioned, stressful over time.

Duke has been keeping tabs on Trey Ziegler for a long time now and they are still checking him out, seeing him play recently.  There haven't been enough developments to take this much further at this time.

Duke will continue to watch Marshall Plumlee and Christ School as the new year comes in as well.

As for Brad Beal, he just had his mind set on Florida and he was simply unable to make visits due to family reasons. As things started looking good with Rivers, Duke pulled back on the reins with the talented Beal.

Let's talk about Olek Czyz for a minute.  The transfer is on good terms and he has already talked with Nevada but is looking elsewhere.  Czyz was rated in the top twenty players in his class by Clark Francis in perhaps one of the clearest cases of gurus rating players too high after a single AAU event.  Czyz, always a dunking machine, simply never got the rest of his game together.  He worked hard over the summer, but when given a chance he would miss assignments, causing a chink in the armor when he was on the court.  Duke will not miss Czyz and to make a lot out of the transfers of late is overreacting a bit.  Many never consider that kids may struggle in the classroom as well as the hardwood.  In short, Czyz leaves in good standing and simply wants to go to a school where he can start.  We wish him luck.

The staff is happy with this year's team and feel like they are in a good place for this time of the season.  Duke is now ranked seventh in both polls and their team defense has been a pleasant surprise.  Look for Duke to continue to play the bigs that produce while on the court.  Expect more development with Mason in the new year and Kelly has positioned himself with hard work to contribute more.  Duke is looking for consistency down low.

If Jon Scheyer continues his play he will push for not only All ACC honors but ACC POY and maybe even All American.  The staff is not worried about him wearing down, saying he is young and in the best shape of his life.

Some good news is that at this time the Duke feels Kyle Singler will return for his senior season.  Singler is enjoying the college life and it may be in his best interest to return in what could be a magical senior campaign.

Back to future Dukies, the staff is pleased with the development of Josh Hairston who is going against tougher comp this season.  The same holds true for Tyler Thornton.  We'll check in with both of these guys after Christmas and or the holidays.

Nate James checked out 7-1  Aziz Ndiaye JUCO from Southern Idaho.  Word is that this kid is a beast.  He also took in Carrick Felix, a 6-6 swing who is swift afoot.

When there is some real news or changes I will let you know without you having to ask daily if anything is different.  We'll talk to the kids and bring you our famous interviews, but until there are legitimate developments BDN decided not to bug these kids until after the holidays.  After all, they are all playing in tournaments galore and no matter what site you visit, they are saying nothing you haven't heard here a long time ago.  Sometimes, things are just a little slow and we have been facing that after Barnes' recruitment.  So hang in there and you will see what separates us from the rest as time goes on.   You have to keep in mind that Duke is in the midst of the season and sometimes it's good to enjoy the current team instead of always worrying about the future.  Okay, I will admit that only works for a awhile 😉  Happy Holidays to the Blue Devil Nation! [/private]