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PG Prospect Josiah Turner is Open to Duke

Photo courtesy SacBee

The Oakland Soldiers AAU team has four big time college prospects and one of them is point guard Josiah Turner.  Turner [6-3, 195 PG Class of 2011 Sacramento, CA] is very aggressive with the ball and gets after it hard.  College coaches are getting after Turner hard as well for there was no shortage of head men watching Turner during this past weeks Nike Peach Jam, now known as the Nike EYBL.

Duke has added Turner to their watch list and BDN caught up with point guard prospect recently for a Q & A session where he discussed a recnet call from the Blue Devils and more -

This is the first time I've seen you play and in the two games I beamed into, the one thing I come away with is that you are aggressive.

Yes.  I'm an aggressive point guard that can get into the lane and to the rim when I want.  I'm a pass first point guard looking for the open man.  I play defense and I'm bigger than most guards, so that's what I have over them at this time.

What is your go-to move?

My go to move is my hesitation.  Hesitation.  I'll take them [private] out or in to get to the basket.

What are you like off the court?

I like to joke around a lot, I play video games, workout.

Do you consider yourself a leader?

Yeah, I try to be a leader on this team, that's what I try to do.

Which schools have been the most aggressive with you to date?

UCLA, UConn, Kansas, Wake Forest, Oregon, St. John's and uh, that's about it.

You're a west coast guy.  Would there be a problem moving east?

No it's not a problem, not a problem at all to move east.

Where did you learn your basketball skills?

I've been playing since I was four or five and always had a ball in my hand.

Do you pattern your game after anyone in the pro or college game?

I look at Gilbert Arenas.  I like his play and Chris Paul's play, that's about it.

I'm from the ACC area and heard that Duke most recently called you.

Yeah, they called me like two nights ago. 

Who did you talk to?

Nate James

How did the chat go?

Oh, it went good.  They were talking about how they haven't seen me yet.  But the head coach saw me at the LeBron James camp and they are here at the Peach Jam as well.

Coach K?

Yes, Coach K.  There somebody I'd really be interested in.  I like Duke and they're one of the top programs, so of course I'm interested.

The coaching staff and how good of a relationship I have with them.  How the offense is set up and how they play and that's about it.

Who will help you with your eventual decision on where you'll play your college ball?

My mom, just my mom.  And my Dad, they are both huge in my life, especially my mom.

Where will your team go from here?

We're going to Vegas for the Fab 48 and then we're going to L.A.

Did you enjoy the Peach Jam?

I like it and like coming east because there is more competition.

What area of your game needs improvement?

My off the ball defense.  I turn my head a lot where defenders can sneak behind me.  So, I need work there.

Did you have a dream school growing up?

Not really.  It was Kansas when I was real young, but I don't really have one.

Thanks for your time.

Yeah, thank you. [/private]

More of Watzone’s Monday Musings

Monday Musings likes to salute the people behind the scenes, like these two lovely cheerleaders.

The Duke Blue Devils continue to reap the rewards of being crowned national champions.  The team will go to the White House to meet with President Obama soon and some of the players helped with the Jon Scheyer Foundation's May Madness Gaming event this past Saturday in Cameron Indoor Stadium.  Kryzyzewski and Duke's National Championship is the gift that keeps on giving in so many ways.

As you know by now, recruiting never stops and the men's basketball staff is mapping out their plans for the coming summer months.  The Duke staff are not allowed to attend events in May due to NCAA rules.  Speaking of rules, the NCAA will decide the future of camps soon, so stay tuned for that.  The consensus is that they will not allow events like The Tournament of Champions to be played on major college courts and or in venues.  This would drastically change the landscape and many of the current tournaments could soon be a thing of the past.

Speaking of events, BDN's Andrew Slater took in some action at the Spiece Field House event in Fort Wayne, Indiana this past weekend and he will soon be reporting on what he saw with interviews and a analysis for BDN Premium members.  The coverage will likely start some time tomorrow so check back in with BDN as we remain the most active Duke subscription site on the circuit.

For you recruitniks [not a real word butr appropriate]  it's also worth noting that Nike has already started to roll with changes in their camp sessions.  The most recent Boo Williams event was coined Nike EYBL Development camp and teams now play an even amount of games.  In the past, the teams played to meet in a championship game.  The verdict is still pending on whether or not people like the changes.

The Duke Football coaches have been out on the road as well and they'll now sit down to see which kids warrant an offer.  Duke most recently signed an interior lineman in

You may have noticed that BDN's Patrick Cacchio has been interviewing football prospects and he will continue to serve in that role.  He concentrated on the offensive line prospects the past couple of weeks and we'll switch gears to some skilled positions in the near future.  BDN is dedicated in covering Duke Football as many of you already know, but we've amped up our recruiting coverage and for now, all of the articles are free.  So, be sure to tell your friends that BDN is the place for football and we are certain our coverage of prospects will be just as good as our infamous basketball offerings.

I had a friend say the other day that he knew I had been busy going out on the road to cover an AAU event after following the team every step of the way to the national championship.   "You must be glad to have some free time now," he said.  I wish!  BDN stays busy all year round with recruiting and we constantly strive to come up with off season articles of interest.  We cover the Duke beat and more and by more we are the only subscription site to offer a ton of free articles to the Blue Devil Nation.  In short, check in often in the coming months or you'll be missing a lot.

You may have noticed a bit of slow coverage of late, well, we had a lot of our key people in transit on way or the other and every now and then I try to sneak a couple of days in.  The trouble with that is it never fails that something happens when I let my guard down, so not a lot of rest for the weary.

In closing this weeks Monday Musings, I want to thank the Blue Devil Nation for their support.  You guys make us constantly want to improve our coverage and we are always open to suggestions provided they are grounded in reality;)

Duke Basketball Recruiting Update – the weekend visitors

BDN Premium breaks down the weekend and recruiting

Durham, N.C. - This weekend marked the first time Kyrie Irving had been to a game at Duke this season and what he saw made him want to stay.  Irving will be here soon enough, July to be exact as will his future teammate Josh Hairston who also attended the Blue Devils blowout win over North Carolina.

But there were others in attendance and we will discuss those kids in our latest lengthy BDN Premium Duke Basketball Recruiting Update.  As you know, Austin Rivers [private] was unable to make the trip in that his team advanced to the championship game in Florida.  I still feel great about Rivers and Duke.

Another Duke target Qincy Miller went to Kentucky instead of making the trip to Durham.  While Duke still holds interest in the talented forward, they will continue to recruit others for many reasons.  One is that Quincy is quite the internet personality and two, a lot of people are involved with Millers recruitment, two names which you should figure out.  Now, I'm not talking other teams here, for we know who they are.  I'm talking individuals with lot's of pull.  As I stated in an earlier update, Miller changed a whole lot from the first time I talked with him to now.  He is enjoying the limelight and at times seems aloof, but that's probably just a kid enjoying himself.  Anyway, Duke is definitely still interested but Quincy has to show that back.  Make no mistake, Duke is still on his list but if there is a team to beat it is Kentucky.  This one will go on for a good while, so prepare to ride the waves.

Kyrie Irving looked as if he were ready to suit up this weekend

I will reiterate that Carrick Felix is all but in save the formalities of admissions which should be no problem.  Felix is a character kid that excels in the class room.  In short, he's not your everyday garden variety JUCO.  Felix is athletic enough to make an impact in a role position the day he steps on campus.  While this is the first JUCO that will be taken under Krzyzewski, you will eventually see Felix has great character and ability.  I would imagine something will happen here shortly.  FWIW, Duke's only other JUCO was Cameron Hall a center out of Canada.

Duke still has interest in Justin Anderson [Class of  2012 6-5 combo guard, Montrosse Christian] but this is at the evaluation stage.  As talented as he is, there are some holes in Anderson's game and Duke will watch to see how he progresses in several areas.  He will get some looks come spring.

The Blue Devils are still high on J.P. Tokoto [Class of 2012 6-5 WF Menomonee, WI] as well and despite waht you hear about him being a Carolina lock, this one may take some turns along the way.  In a way, I would rather people say North Carolina is his if offered.  He will get an offer from them, but there is a jam at his position if you do the homework.

Duke will also continue to be state friendly.  What I mean by that is the Blue Devils will continue to check out local talent and just ask Duke Football Coach David Cutcliffe about how fruitful this can be.  Enter kids like T.J. Warren will be invited to attend games as will others along the way in an effort to maintain relations..   Keep in mind that Miller, Bello and Marshall Plumlee are N.C. kids as well.  BDN will be attending the Telep's camp and we will focus on the local talent at the end of this month.

A new name to keep an eye on is Tyler Adams , a hulking 6-9, 255 pound prospect from Brandon, Mississippi.  He was unable to make the game but was invited.  he is a physical presence that already has a college level body.  Adams is in the class of 2011.

There is no doubt that Josh Hairston is getting bigger as he ages.  Not huge, just maturing and filling out his body.  Hairston, of course was front and center for the game and cheering hard and often.  No word as to why Tyler Thornton didn't make it.

As for Kyrie Irving, well, he had a blast.  He was the first one to jump off the bench when Duke took a 9-3 lead over North Carolina in the opening minutes and he was obviously liking what he saw.  From all reports close to the situation, he can't wait to get to Durham and may be here earlier than July.  Irving had a close friend with him on the visit and he has already tweeted about his experiences.

One big kid there this weekend was Michael Haynes, who made his second game.  As it turns out, former Duke player Sean Dockery is his neighbor in his home town of Chicago.  Not only that, Dockery is acting as a mentor of sorts.  Haynes now plays in Martinsville, Virginia and his game is that of a physical presence.  He is tough on the blocks and in the paint and is the type of player Duke would like to close out the class of 2010 with. For that to happen, he will have to meet Duke's academic requirements.

Gbinije and Muhammad share a moment in Cameron

Then there was the second visit from Michael Gbinije [Class of 2011 6-6 WF Benedictine, Va} from the class of 2011.  From all reports, he is accessing the opportunity at Duke and the word is his parents like the situation a lot.  It would not suprise me to see Duke close on him soon, but we'll see.  I have seen Gbinijie play several times and here is how I see his game.  He will not jump off the page at you athletically bt is a good athlete.  He is always steady and plays withing his capabilities.  He loves garbage buckets and plays taller than his height.  He has a good mid range shot and a decent handle and passes does everything pretty well.  He is a very quiet kid on and off the court.

I am pretty certain Marshall Plumlee did not attend, but I did not confirm that.  It is interesting that Indiana let Roshown McLeod go yesterday.  We'll see what effect this has on Plumlee who is high on Indiana and Duke.

We'll close in saying that Shabazz Muhamed [Class of 2012 6-4 WF Bishop Gorman, LV, Nev}was at the game as well.  The talented Las Vegas prospect took in Duke and North Carolina over the weekend.  It's very early in the process on this one for both the aforementioned schools, so we'll see how this one develops.

That's it for now, but we will likely add some other updates on the message board.  One last note, the team let go of the weekends big game this afternoon and their sole focus is on getting better between now and Friday where they face the winner of the Boston College-Virginia game. [/private]

Watzone’s Monday Musings – Football, Barnes decision, hoops tips off for real

Harrison Barnes calls for the ball during the NBAPA Top 100 Camp
Harrison Barnes calls for the ball during the NBAPA Top 100 Camp

Well, if you have followed this or any other Duke site closely, you know that the nation's top rated prospect Harrison Barnes will make his collegiate choice this Friday.  In this week's Monday Musings we take a look at his pending decision, Duke Football and the start of the regular basketball season -

Devils no match for Tar Heels - Make no mistake that Duke Football has been a pleasant surprise this season, but losing to your rival is always painful.  Despite paltry offensive production, Duke was in the game in the fourth quarter against UNC and a couple of better thrown passes and a stop or two late in the game and Duke could have stole a win.

It's really tough to see any positives from the 19-6 loss to the team eight miles down the road.  On the way to the game, the Duke buses came in just behind me on US 15-501 and got stalled in traffic.  The irony is that Duke's offense stalled as well just over two hours later and the hopes of going to 4-1 in the conference were suddenly gone.

It does't get any easier for Duke Football - After getting beat up in the game, Duke must regroup in order to face the nation's seventh ranked team in the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.  Last season, Duke's offense looked just as bad against the Jacket's front, so all eyes will be looking to see if they can move the ball.  Georgia Tech Coach Paul Johnson turned down the Duke job despite being offered more money, but Duke got the right fit in David Cutcliffe.  Still, there is no secret that Johnson has little respect for the Duke program and that he will turn his wishbone loose in an effort to squash Duke's hopes of a post season invitation.

 

Kelly makes one of just a few catches this past Saturday - BDNP
Kelly makes one of just a few catches this past Saturday - BDNP

The basketball season officially gets under way - The countdown to tip off ends this Friday as the Duke Men's Basketball team will open their season against UNC-Greensboro in Cameron Indoor Stadium.  This is without a doubt one of the most curious teams Krzyzewski has had in his thirty years.  There is little guard depth, yet lots of front court bodies to work with and yes, take it to the bank, you'll see some zone defense this season.

Duke will be led by senior Jon Scheyer and All American selection, junior Kyle Singler this season.  But it's the production they receive elsewhere that will be watched.  You can certainly depend on Nolan Smith to have his best season in a Duke uniform, but there are some questions as to who will be fourth, fifth and sixth offensive options.

Harrison Barnes set to make his collegiate choice - BDN has been following the Harrison Barnes recruitment closer than any other Duke site on the Internet.  We were there from the start when Barnes first received his offer shortly after the 2008 NBAPA Top 100 Camp.  This past season alone our staff has seen Harrison Barnes play in 23 games, so we have more than just a little grip on what he can do.

All this week, we'll recap Barnes past and bring it up to the day of his decision.  We'll kick it all off with a detailed scouting report and will of course re-visit our many interviews we've had with Barnes.  Our premium boards have been hopping and rumors about his recruitment are a dime a dozen.

So, stay tuned to BDN for the latest on Barnes and the best analysis available.

BDN talks with former Duke great Bobby Hurley in this audio interview

Hurley and his assistants led his team to the title during the recent Coach K Academy
Hurley and his assistants led his team to the title during the recent Coach K Academy

It's always good to see former Duke All American Bobby Hurley for he brings back nothing but great memories from his playing days at Duke University.  Hurley remains the NCAA's All Time Assist leader to this day and he of course quarterbacked Duke to back to back national championships in 1991 and 1992 and participated three final fours and three national championship games.

His roots at basketball crazy St. Anthony's in New Jersey are worn on his sleeve where he is quick to talk about his Dad Bob and his brother, Danny.  Hurley was a first team All American as a senior in 1993 and was named to numerous AA teams during his successful career.  He still holds the Blue Devils single game assist record and his jersey number 11 hangs in the rafters of Cameron Indoor Stadium.

It's worth noting that Hurley was named the Final Four MVP in 92 and that he was the 7th pick in the NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings.  Hurley's pro career was cut short after a car hit his automobile after a Kings practice.  Hurley's knee injury kept him from doing the things he is accustomed  to on the court and his fabulous career on the court came to an end shortly thereafter.

Hurley know lives in Florida where he enjoys raising his sons and partaking in horse racing.  The following audio interview was conducted by Brian Strickland of the Herald Sun and myself with a few other questions from others towards the end.  We hope you enjoy hearing from this ACC legend as much as we did during our chat.  For more interviews with former players and Duke basketball prospects, join our subscription service Blue Devil Nation Premium.

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