I think we can finally put to rest the notion that Coach K’s time and effort for Team U.S.A. is “hurting” Duke. Don’t you agree?
Welcome Austin Rivers, the No. 1 rated high school player.
Who is Rivers (Like I really have to answer this question for any Duke fan, but I will anyway)?
Offensively, there is nothing Doc Rivers’ kid can’t do. He can shoot from almost 30-feet away and his mid-range game will be unheard of for a incoming freshman. He’s wicked quick, with a NBA-ready dribble-drive. He can play either point or two-guard, but if we are to assume that Kyrie Irving goes pro after one year, Seth Curry should have control of the point in 2011. With Nolan Smith’s departure, the shooting guard spot belongs to Rivers (sorry Dawkins).
If you want to find one weakness, word on the street is that Rivers favors his right. It’s not like he can’t go left, but he’s probably never really been challenged to at the high school & summer league level. This will change in college, so expect him to work on it throughout his senior year.
Getting Austin Rivers isn’t truly shocking. Once he de-committed from Florida, all the experts had pegged Duke. However, it was a bit surprising (and nice) that he simply cancelled trips to both Kansas and North Carolina. As a Duke fan, this had to feel especially sweet, after Roy Williams robbed Harrison Barnes last summer.
With the addition of Rivers, Duke clearly has the No. 1 or No. 2 class in 2011. The other solid group belongs to Coach Calipari and Kentucky.
On top of Austin Rivers, Duke now has (SF-4) Michael Gbinije, (C-11) Tyler Adams, and (C-5) Marshall Plumlee.
Some have speculated that the Duke coaching staff may be done recruiting in 2011. I suspect otherwise.
We know that Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith graduate, so they’re done after this year. Like we said before, Kyrie Irving could easily be one and done (especially if the Blue Devils can repeat). What about Mason Plumlee? Obviously I’m doing a lot of projecting (which has gotten me in trouble in the past), but he’s projected to be a middle of the pack first-round pick next year. Would he stay on another year, especially with the opportunity to play along side both brothers? Maybe.
As best as I can tell, Duke still has (PG-3) Quinn Cook and (PF-1) Quincy Miller. Both will be in town for “Countdown To Craziness,” so that’s a good sign.
Showing posts with label Recruiting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recruiting. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Austin Rivers
If you somehow haven't heard of him yet . . this is Austin Rivers, Doc's kid. He's absolutely nasty . . his crossover going left rivals Allen Iverson's . .
He is now the #1 player in the class of 2011 on multiple recruiting lists, and he's down to 4 schools: Duke, UNC, Florida, Kansas
He is now the #1 player in the class of 2011 on multiple recruiting lists, and he's down to 4 schools: Duke, UNC, Florida, Kansas
Sunday, July 4, 2010
FIBA Americas U18 Tournament
Read this article at Sports Illustrated
by Luke Winn
The U.S. assembled a deeply talented roster for this event, but the three guards coach Jeff Capel relied on to carry the team were Duke-bound Kyrie Irving, Marquette-bound Vander Blue, and high school senior-to-be Austin Rivers, the son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers. Each player offered glimpses of his college potential.
• Rivers should just reclassify and jump to college now. The 6-foot-3 guard was the most lethal perimeter scorer in the entire tournament, and on Tuesday he set a new U.S. record for points in a FIBA U18 event, dropping 35 on Team Canada (on 9-of-12 long-range shooting). Rivers is a killer three-point shooter off the dribble, using a crossover/step-back combo to create space for his shot or get into the lane, where he's a fluid finisher. On numerous occasions, he reminded me of a Davidson-era Stephen Curry.
Doc Rivers follows his sons' hoops careers so actively that on at least 11 Celtics off-days this season, he jumped on a private jet following practice, flew to Florida for Austin's games, and then back to Boston the same night. The proud father was a mainstay in the stands at St. Mary's University, even on the day it was announced he was returning to the Celtics for another year. As a career 32.8 percent three-point shooter in the NBA, he would not take credit for Austin's form.
"If I had taught him how to shoot, he wouldn't be able to shoot." Doc said. "Austin developed his own little shot and style, and I remember looking at it three years ago and saying, 'It goes in -- I'm not touching it.'"
Austin has honed his shot in the gym at Rollins College, near the Rivers' home in Winter Park, Fla. The coach there, Tom Klusman, lets Rivers use the gym for training each evening, but alas, Rivers will not be playing for Rollins. By the end of the summer he might be ranked the No. 1 overall player in the Class of 2011. So where will he go to school?
• Rivers appears to like Duke -- a lot. He was once committed to Florida, but is now viewed as heavily leaning toward the Blue Devils. Strong evidence of that: When he emerged from the U.S. locker room after Wednesday's win over Brazil, in which he scored 19 points, he was wearing his gold medal over a Duke 2009-10 national champions T-shirt. And he was wearing a pair of official Duke shorts. He said not to read too much into it, but how can you not?
I asked Irving if he had any influence over Rivers' wardrobe, given how well they played off of each other this week, and the prospect of them comprising the most lethal college backcourt in 2011-12. "Honestly?" Irving said. "Those are [Rivers'] shorts, those are his choice to wear them. That's all him."
• Irving, whom I'd only seen in all-star game settings prior to this, was such an effective leader in crunch time against Brazil -- igniting a U.S. rally and finishing with 25 points and 10 rebounds -- that I don't think he'll have much of a learning curve at Duke. As Florida recruit Patric Young, Irving's co-captain, said, "He's just a natural-born point guard." After getting firsthand looks at new Blue Devils Irving and Seth Curry (at CP3 Elite camp) over a three-week span, I'm even more confident that Duke -- and not Michigan State or Purdue -- is the right pick for preseason No. 1.
• Blue is a four-star recruit who came into the FIBA tourney with less name-recognition than Irving, and a four-star (rather than five) rating. But it became clear rather quickly that Blue is an elite combo guard. He's an explosive wing player with a slashing ability and a slick pull-up jumper, and he's great a jumping passing lanes on D and getting out in transition. As I tweeted earlier in the week, I can't remember the last time my home state of Wisconsin produced a hoops athlete of his caliber -- and I can understand why there was such controversy in the state over him switching his commitment from Wisconsin to Marquette. The Golden Eagles will have a future pro in their backcourt this season.
•The extensive backcourt minutes played by the Irving-Rivers-Blue crew -- as well as Illinois-bound Jereme Richmond -- meant that the lone player with college experience on the roster, Washington's Abdul Gaddy, was mostly left on the bench. He saw only four minutes of action against Brazil in the title game. Prior to the tournament, Gaddy had talked about using the FIBA experience as a way to get his "swagger" back after a disappointing freshman year with Washington. He came to UW as a five-star point guard, but averaged just 3.9 points (on 15.0 percent long-range shooting) and 2.3 assists last season. I'll have more on Gaddy next week; he certainly still has potential to be a good college point guard once he finds a way to regain the free-and-easy style that made him so effective in high school, but I don't think he had the opportunity to get his swag back in San Antonio.
• Richmond's length and defensive tenacity were such assets that Capel used the Waukegan, Ill., product to contain Brazil's brilliant point guard, Raul Neto, when neither Irving, Blue, Rivers or Gaddy could keep Neto out of the lane late in the gold medal game. At 6-7, Richmond is so versatile that I saw him defend four different positions during the tournament. He also has a crazy streak (staring down his man, talking trash, complaining to refs), though, that might needed to be reined in at Illinois in order for him to blossom into a team leader and Big Ten star.
by Luke Winn
The U.S. assembled a deeply talented roster for this event, but the three guards coach Jeff Capel relied on to carry the team were Duke-bound Kyrie Irving, Marquette-bound Vander Blue, and high school senior-to-be Austin Rivers, the son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers. Each player offered glimpses of his college potential.
• Rivers should just reclassify and jump to college now. The 6-foot-3 guard was the most lethal perimeter scorer in the entire tournament, and on Tuesday he set a new U.S. record for points in a FIBA U18 event, dropping 35 on Team Canada (on 9-of-12 long-range shooting). Rivers is a killer three-point shooter off the dribble, using a crossover/step-back combo to create space for his shot or get into the lane, where he's a fluid finisher. On numerous occasions, he reminded me of a Davidson-era Stephen Curry.
Doc Rivers follows his sons' hoops careers so actively that on at least 11 Celtics off-days this season, he jumped on a private jet following practice, flew to Florida for Austin's games, and then back to Boston the same night. The proud father was a mainstay in the stands at St. Mary's University, even on the day it was announced he was returning to the Celtics for another year. As a career 32.8 percent three-point shooter in the NBA, he would not take credit for Austin's form.
"If I had taught him how to shoot, he wouldn't be able to shoot." Doc said. "Austin developed his own little shot and style, and I remember looking at it three years ago and saying, 'It goes in -- I'm not touching it.'"
Austin has honed his shot in the gym at Rollins College, near the Rivers' home in Winter Park, Fla. The coach there, Tom Klusman, lets Rivers use the gym for training each evening, but alas, Rivers will not be playing for Rollins. By the end of the summer he might be ranked the No. 1 overall player in the Class of 2011. So where will he go to school?
• Rivers appears to like Duke -- a lot. He was once committed to Florida, but is now viewed as heavily leaning toward the Blue Devils. Strong evidence of that: When he emerged from the U.S. locker room after Wednesday's win over Brazil, in which he scored 19 points, he was wearing his gold medal over a Duke 2009-10 national champions T-shirt. And he was wearing a pair of official Duke shorts. He said not to read too much into it, but how can you not?
I asked Irving if he had any influence over Rivers' wardrobe, given how well they played off of each other this week, and the prospect of them comprising the most lethal college backcourt in 2011-12. "Honestly?" Irving said. "Those are [Rivers'] shorts, those are his choice to wear them. That's all him."
• Irving, whom I'd only seen in all-star game settings prior to this, was such an effective leader in crunch time against Brazil -- igniting a U.S. rally and finishing with 25 points and 10 rebounds -- that I don't think he'll have much of a learning curve at Duke. As Florida recruit Patric Young, Irving's co-captain, said, "He's just a natural-born point guard." After getting firsthand looks at new Blue Devils Irving and Seth Curry (at CP3 Elite camp) over a three-week span, I'm even more confident that Duke -- and not Michigan State or Purdue -- is the right pick for preseason No. 1.
• Blue is a four-star recruit who came into the FIBA tourney with less name-recognition than Irving, and a four-star (rather than five) rating. But it became clear rather quickly that Blue is an elite combo guard. He's an explosive wing player with a slashing ability and a slick pull-up jumper, and he's great a jumping passing lanes on D and getting out in transition. As I tweeted earlier in the week, I can't remember the last time my home state of Wisconsin produced a hoops athlete of his caliber -- and I can understand why there was such controversy in the state over him switching his commitment from Wisconsin to Marquette. The Golden Eagles will have a future pro in their backcourt this season.
•The extensive backcourt minutes played by the Irving-Rivers-Blue crew -- as well as Illinois-bound Jereme Richmond -- meant that the lone player with college experience on the roster, Washington's Abdul Gaddy, was mostly left on the bench. He saw only four minutes of action against Brazil in the title game. Prior to the tournament, Gaddy had talked about using the FIBA experience as a way to get his "swagger" back after a disappointing freshman year with Washington. He came to UW as a five-star point guard, but averaged just 3.9 points (on 15.0 percent long-range shooting) and 2.3 assists last season. I'll have more on Gaddy next week; he certainly still has potential to be a good college point guard once he finds a way to regain the free-and-easy style that made him so effective in high school, but I don't think he had the opportunity to get his swag back in San Antonio.
• Richmond's length and defensive tenacity were such assets that Capel used the Waukegan, Ill., product to contain Brazil's brilliant point guard, Raul Neto, when neither Irving, Blue, Rivers or Gaddy could keep Neto out of the lane late in the gold medal game. At 6-7, Richmond is so versatile that I saw him defend four different positions during the tournament. He also has a crazy streak (staring down his man, talking trash, complaining to refs), though, that might needed to be reined in at Illinois in order for him to blossom into a team leader and Big Ten star.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Lorenzo Brown and Ryan Harrow
I am by no means an NC State fan, but I have to admit . . their recruits have some nasty mixtapes. Last time on the blog, I posted some ridiculous footage of CJ Leslie being absurdly athletic, dunking on everyone. Here are his 2 freshman teammates for next year: Lorenzo Brown and Ryan Harrow. brown has a sweet crossover and can really get up high and finish with authority. Harrow has absolutely sick handles and will soon be a star point guard. State has a senior PG in Javier Gonzalez, but he's going to have to come off the bench because Harrow is seriously talented. If my team was in the ACC and not named Duke, I'd be very scared of NC State this year.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Top Recruiting Classes of 2010
Read this article on Bleacher Report
Now that the vast majority of the highly rated senior prospects have committed to a school, it's time to take a look at which colleges got the best recruiting hauls. Many of the same names are back in the picture. John Calipari, Roy Williams, Tom Izzo, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, and Thad Matta all made big splashes with this year's class, but many newcomers have entered the picture as well. Memphis' Jon Pastner and NC State's Sidney Lowe came through big for their schools on the recruiting trail.
Lets look at the top 10 classes, but first here are some schools with great classes coming in, but just missed the cut for the top 10:
Florida
#13 F Patric Young
#35 G/F Casey Prather
F Cody Larson
F Will Yeguette
G Scottie Wilbekin
Missouri
#24 F Tony Mitchell
#42 G Phil Pressey
G/F Ricky Kreklow
F Kadeem Green
F Ricardo Ratliff
G Matt Pressey
Wake Forest
#49 G JT Terrell
#60 F Travis McKie
#64 C Carson Desrosiers
F Melvin Tabb
G Tony Chennault
Illinois
#23 G/FJerome Richmond
#47 C Meyers Leonard
#79 G Crandall Head
10. North Carolina State
#11 F CJ Leslie
#39 G Ryan Harrow
G Lorenzo Brown
State is officially back. Sidney Lowe secured a HUGE commitment (again) from athletic freak CJ Leslie, who had UK in his top 3 at the very end of his recruitment. Leslie is a dunking and rebounding machine. He stands 6'8' but has RIDICULOUS arm length. You'll see what I'm talking about next year. Leslie will be one the best shot blockers in the nation with his unreal combination of length and athleticism. What a steal for NC State.
Ryan Harrow will start at point guard from day 1. He gives Coach Lowe a savvy guard who has many, many ways of scoring. He's lightning quick and has the unusually solid knack for shooting on the move. With Harrow at the controls, the Wolfpack will be back in the hunt for the ACC title.
9. Tennessee
#6 F Tobias Harris
#38 G Jordan McRae
G Trae Golden
Versatile forward Tobias Harris is the jewel of Bruce Pearl's latest class. Harris is a good shooter, rebounds extremely well, and has been commended for his great work ethic. He needs to work on his post game, but with his ability to play up to 3 different positions, he will be a star in the SEC.
McRae is an aggressive slasher who has great ability to create his own shot and finish at the rim. He isn't a great shooter, but should be a great contributor to the Vols with his athleticism and slashing ability.
8. Michigan State
#26 C Adreian Payne
#27 G Keith Appling
#61 F Russell Byrd
F Alex Gauna
The Spartans only add to their already formidable Final Four Squad that loses just 1 starter with this incredible class, headlined by two studs in Payne and Appling. Payne is one of the best centers in the class, and will most likely start for Coach Izzo. He is a long, athletic shot blocker who is explosive and plays above the rim. He will be a tough interior defender for an already scary good defensive MSU team. Offensively, he is not quite as polished, but the Spartans will not need him to score. Great pickup for Izzo.
Appling is a compact scorer who once scored 49 points in a high school state championship game. He is super quick and can shoot the jumper. His only weakness is that he needs the ball to be effective and must work on his point guard skills. Once he develops a floor game, he will be a tough guy to stop.
7. Texas
#10 F Tristan Thompson
#16 G Cory Joseph
Rick Barnes went waaaay up north to Canada to find these two young studs. Texas's class is more about quality than quantity. Thompson is an extraordinarily gifted athlete. He is a combo forward who can guard players on the perimeter as well as down low. He is an elite rebounder and can really get it done on both ends of the court. He must improve on his shooting and ball handling, but has unlimited potential.
Cory Joseph is THE best defensive guard in the class. He is a relentless ballhawk and an accurate perimeter shooter.He doesn't have the explosiveness and athleticism of some other guards, but overall, may be the one of the two best pure point guards in the class. He can handle the ball, and is a great distributor.
6. Duke
#3 G Kyrie Irving
#19 F Josh Hairston
G Tyler Thornton
G Seth Curry (Transfer from Liberty)
F Carrick Felix (Transfer from College of Southern Idaho)
It's been a LOOOOONG time since Coach K had a point guard prospect like Kyrie Irving. Not all scouting services agree at the moment, but I am 100% confident that KI is the number one point guard in this year's class, and it's not even close. No guard in 2010 has Irving's combination of speed, quickness, court vision, shooting stroke, and ability to get to the rim at will. He has the body strength to score through contact, and is deadly in crunch time. Duke will not miss a beat with KI replacing Jon Scheyer at the point.
Also going to Durham next year is Josh Hairston, a versatile forward who is long and athletic. Hairston can shoot the three with accuracy and is smooth offensively with his face-up game. He needs to work on his strength, but should be a valuable contributor off the bench.
Seth Curry also joins the Blue Devils after a year sitting on the bench due to NCAA transfer rules. After leading all freshman in the nation in scoring at Liberty in 2009, Curry is ready to contribute immediately with his deadly three point shooting and overall scoring ability.
5. Syracuse
#11 G Dion Waiters
#14 C Fabricio Melo
#63 F CJ Fair
C Baye Moussa Keita
Syracuse lost it's best player in Wes Johnson, but don't be surprised to see the Orange back in the hunt for a #1 seed with imposing 7 footer Fab Melo suiting up for Jim Boeheim. Melo is 7 feet tall and 270 pounds and will be the anchor of Boeheim's stifling 2-3 zone. He can block shots, rebound, and score. Melo can really do it all.
Waiters is big time scoring guard who owns a body built for contact. He can get himself hoops when he needs to, and has a great first step, accelerates and finishes at the rim. A talented scoring threat.
4. North Carolina
#1 G/FHarrison Barnes
#18 G/F Reggie Bullock
#22 G Kendall Marshall
It's a little bit hard to believe this isn't the #1 class this year, but that just shows you how good the top classes really are. If you haven't heard of Harrison Barnes at this point, then you've been living in another galaxy. Barnes is the most complete player in the country. He has a 7 foot wingspan, can shoot the 3, get to the rim, is a lock down defender, can handle the ball, and the list goes on and on. No player in the country will be as good as Harrison Barnes next year. Yes, that includes upperclassmen.
Reggie Bullock is a deadly shooter and has great size. He is also an accomplished defender and will start alongside Barnes right away.
Marshall finally gives Ol' Roy a floor leader who can really pass. He isn't quite the fast break dynamo that Kyrie Irving is, but make no mistake, this guy is one of the best passers in the class.
Tobacco road looks to be hotly contested this year, as NC State, UNC, and Duke will all be formidable teams in the ACC.
3. Kentucky
#4 G Brandon Knight
#25 C Enes Kanter
#29 G Doron Lamb
#51 G/F Stacy Poole
G Jarrod Polson
Knight is a a big time scorer, he has the ability to create for himself, but needs to work on his passing and court vision. He has good athletic ability and size for the point guard position and will step in nicely for John Wall.
Enes Kanter may be the most underrated prospect in this year's class. He is a big time scorer in the post and can shoot the mid ranged jumper as well. He is fundamentally sound and has great basketball IQ. He will be one of the top centers in the country.
Lamb is one of the top scoring wing players in this class. He really has a great feel for getting buckets. He could be more explosive off the bounce, but overall just a really talented kid.
2. Memphis
#8 G Will Barton
#21 G Joe Jackson
#44 G/F Jelan Kendrick
#59 Tarik Black
F Hippolyte Tsafack
G Chris Crawfod
G Antonio Barton
Second year coach Josh Pastner picked up right where John Calipari left off: picking up top recruits and making it look easy. Will Barton will be one of the top scoring threats in the nation with his length and aggressiveness. He has great size and has a unique ability to create scoring opportunities for himself. At this point, his greatest weakness is strength, once Barton hits the weights, he will be a force to reckoned with.
Joe Jackson is a high flying scoring machine who reminds some of Nate Robinson. He needs to work on his ball handling and passing to excel at the college level, but he is an elite scorer.
Kendrick is one of those unique wings who will either be a skilled small forward or a point man. He's working towards the latter and has the natural ability to make it happen. Great size, vision and passing skills. Needs to tighten up his handle in traffic but that will come easier once his game grows into his body.
1. Ohio State
#2 C Jared Sullinger
#12 F Deshaun Thomas
#80 G Lenzelle Smith
#82 G Jordan Sibert
G Aaron Craft
F JD Weatherspoon
Ohio State is quickly becoming THE place for centers to go to college. Following in the footsteps of former Buckeyes Oden, Mullens, and Koufos, Jared Sullinger joins Thad Matta as possibly the best of the bunch. Big Sully is an unstoppable low post scorer, using his huge frame extremely well. He must become better conditioned, as his speed and quickness are below par, but he will be the best center in the nation this year.
Deshaun Thomas is an incredible prospect. At 6-7, he is a deadly catch and shoot scorer as well as a threat to take it to the hole. Few players in the country have his combination of size and shooting ability.
Now that the vast majority of the highly rated senior prospects have committed to a school, it's time to take a look at which colleges got the best recruiting hauls. Many of the same names are back in the picture. John Calipari, Roy Williams, Tom Izzo, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, and Thad Matta all made big splashes with this year's class, but many newcomers have entered the picture as well. Memphis' Jon Pastner and NC State's Sidney Lowe came through big for their schools on the recruiting trail.
Lets look at the top 10 classes, but first here are some schools with great classes coming in, but just missed the cut for the top 10:
Florida
#13 F Patric Young
#35 G/F Casey Prather
F Cody Larson
F Will Yeguette G Scottie Wilbekin
Missouri
#24 F Tony Mitchell
#42 G Phil Pressey
G/F Ricky Kreklow
F Kadeem Green
F Ricardo Ratliff
G Matt Pressey
Wake Forest
#49 G JT Terrell
#60 F Travis McKie
#64 C Carson Desrosiers
F Melvin Tabb
G Tony Chennault
Illinois
#23 G/FJerome Richmond
#47 C Meyers Leonard
#79 G Crandall Head
10. North Carolina State
#11 F CJ Leslie #39 G Ryan Harrow
G Lorenzo Brown
State is officially back. Sidney Lowe secured a HUGE commitment (again) from athletic freak CJ Leslie, who had UK in his top 3 at the very end of his recruitment. Leslie is a dunking and rebounding machine. He stands 6'8' but has RIDICULOUS arm length. You'll see what I'm talking about next year. Leslie will be one the best shot blockers in the nation with his unreal combination of length and athleticism. What a steal for NC State.
Ryan Harrow will start at point guard from day 1. He gives Coach Lowe a savvy guard who has many, many ways of scoring. He's lightning quick and has the unusually solid knack for shooting on the move. With Harrow at the controls, the Wolfpack will be back in the hunt for the ACC title.
9. Tennessee
#6 F Tobias Harris
#38 G Jordan McRae
G Trae Golden
Versatile forward Tobias Harris is the jewel of Bruce Pearl's latest class. Harris is a good shooter, rebounds extremely well, and has been commended for his great work ethic. He needs to work on his post game, but with his ability to play up to 3 different positions, he will be a star in the SEC.
McRae is an aggressive slasher who has great ability to create his own shot and finish at the rim. He isn't a great shooter, but should be a great contributor to the Vols with his athleticism and slashing ability.
8. Michigan State
#26 C Adreian Payne
#27 G Keith Appling
#61 F Russell Byrd
F Alex Gauna
The Spartans only add to their already formidable Final Four Squad that loses just 1 starter with this incredible class, headlined by two studs in Payne and Appling. Payne is one of the best centers in the class, and will most likely start for Coach Izzo. He is a long, athletic shot blocker who is explosive and plays above the rim. He will be a tough interior defender for an already scary good defensive MSU team. Offensively, he is not quite as polished, but the Spartans will not need him to score. Great pickup for Izzo.
Appling is a compact scorer who once scored 49 points in a high school state championship game. He is super quick and can shoot the jumper. His only weakness is that he needs the ball to be effective and must work on his point guard skills. Once he develops a floor game, he will be a tough guy to stop.
7. Texas
#10 F Tristan Thompson
#16 G Cory Joseph
Rick Barnes went waaaay up north to Canada to find these two young studs. Texas's class is more about quality than quantity. Thompson is an extraordinarily gifted athlete. He is a combo forward who can guard players on the perimeter as well as down low. He is an elite rebounder and can really get it done on both ends of the court. He must improve on his shooting and ball handling, but has unlimited potential.
Cory Joseph is THE best defensive guard in the class. He is a relentless ballhawk and an accurate perimeter shooter.He doesn't have the explosiveness and athleticism of some other guards, but overall, may be the one of the two best pure point guards in the class. He can handle the ball, and is a great distributor.
6. Duke
#3 G Kyrie Irving
#19 F Josh Hairston
G Tyler Thornton
G Seth Curry (Transfer from Liberty)
F Carrick Felix (Transfer from College of Southern Idaho)
It's been a LOOOOONG time since Coach K had a point guard prospect like Kyrie Irving. Not all scouting services agree at the moment, but I am 100% confident that KI is the number one point guard in this year's class, and it's not even close. No guard in 2010 has Irving's combination of speed, quickness, court vision, shooting stroke, and ability to get to the rim at will. He has the body strength to score through contact, and is deadly in crunch time. Duke will not miss a beat with KI replacing Jon Scheyer at the point.
Also going to Durham next year is Josh Hairston, a versatile forward who is long and athletic. Hairston can shoot the three with accuracy and is smooth offensively with his face-up game. He needs to work on his strength, but should be a valuable contributor off the bench.
Seth Curry also joins the Blue Devils after a year sitting on the bench due to NCAA transfer rules. After leading all freshman in the nation in scoring at Liberty in 2009, Curry is ready to contribute immediately with his deadly three point shooting and overall scoring ability.
5. Syracuse
#14 C Fabricio Melo
#63 F CJ Fair
C Baye Moussa Keita
Syracuse lost it's best player in Wes Johnson, but don't be surprised to see the Orange back in the hunt for a #1 seed with imposing 7 footer Fab Melo suiting up for Jim Boeheim. Melo is 7 feet tall and 270 pounds and will be the anchor of Boeheim's stifling 2-3 zone. He can block shots, rebound, and score. Melo can really do it all.
Waiters is big time scoring guard who owns a body built for contact. He can get himself hoops when he needs to, and has a great first step, accelerates and finishes at the rim. A talented scoring threat.
4. North Carolina
#1 G/FHarrison Barnes
#18 G/F Reggie Bullock
#22 G Kendall Marshall
It's a little bit hard to believe this isn't the #1 class this year, but that just shows you how good the top classes really are. If you haven't heard of Harrison Barnes at this point, then you've been living in another galaxy. Barnes is the most complete player in the country. He has a 7 foot wingspan, can shoot the 3, get to the rim, is a lock down defender, can handle the ball, and the list goes on and on. No player in the country will be as good as Harrison Barnes next year. Yes, that includes upperclassmen.
Reggie Bullock is a deadly shooter and has great size. He is also an accomplished defender and will start alongside Barnes right away.
Marshall finally gives Ol' Roy a floor leader who can really pass. He isn't quite the fast break dynamo that Kyrie Irving is, but make no mistake, this guy is one of the best passers in the class.
Tobacco road looks to be hotly contested this year, as NC State, UNC, and Duke will all be formidable teams in the ACC.
3. Kentucky
#4 G Brandon Knight
#25 C Enes Kanter
#29 G Doron Lamb
#51 G/F Stacy Poole
G Jarrod Polson
Knight is a a big time scorer, he has the ability to create for himself, but needs to work on his passing and court vision. He has good athletic ability and size for the point guard position and will step in nicely for John Wall.
Enes Kanter may be the most underrated prospect in this year's class. He is a big time scorer in the post and can shoot the mid ranged jumper as well. He is fundamentally sound and has great basketball IQ. He will be one of the top centers in the country.
Lamb is one of the top scoring wing players in this class. He really has a great feel for getting buckets. He could be more explosive off the bounce, but overall just a really talented kid.
2. Memphis
#8 G Will Barton
#21 G Joe Jackson
#44 G/F Jelan Kendrick
#59 Tarik Black
F Hippolyte Tsafack
G Chris Crawfod
G Antonio Barton
Second year coach Josh Pastner picked up right where John Calipari left off: picking up top recruits and making it look easy. Will Barton will be one of the top scoring threats in the nation with his length and aggressiveness. He has great size and has a unique ability to create scoring opportunities for himself. At this point, his greatest weakness is strength, once Barton hits the weights, he will be a force to reckoned with.
Joe Jackson is a high flying scoring machine who reminds some of Nate Robinson. He needs to work on his ball handling and passing to excel at the college level, but he is an elite scorer.
Kendrick is one of those unique wings who will either be a skilled small forward or a point man. He's working towards the latter and has the natural ability to make it happen. Great size, vision and passing skills. Needs to tighten up his handle in traffic but that will come easier once his game grows into his body.
1. Ohio State
#2 C Jared Sullinger
#12 F Deshaun Thomas #80 G Lenzelle Smith
#82 G Jordan Sibert
G Aaron Craft
F JD Weatherspoon
Ohio State is quickly becoming THE place for centers to go to college. Following in the footsteps of former Buckeyes Oden, Mullens, and Koufos, Jared Sullinger joins Thad Matta as possibly the best of the bunch. Big Sully is an unstoppable low post scorer, using his huge frame extremely well. He must become better conditioned, as his speed and quickness are below par, but he will be the best center in the nation this year.
Deshaun Thomas is an incredible prospect. At 6-7, he is a deadly catch and shoot scorer as well as a threat to take it to the hole. Few players in the country have his combination of size and shooting ability.
Kyrie Irving Is A BEAST
Since the last time I saw tape of Kyrie, he's clearly gotten much stronger and has worked on his vertical leap. His jump shot is pure as always, this guy looks absolutely unstoppable. If he's not the #1 point guard on every recruiting service's list by the end of this this AAU season, then they have no credibility. No other guard in this class has the combination of speed, quickness, scoring ability and court vision of KI. Relax Duke fans, the Greg Paulus era is behind us for good. Duke finally got a real PG.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Nike Hoops Summit Footage
This clip is from the last portion of the game and features Kyrie’s acrobatic shot which broke the tie at 94 and led the USA to the 101-97 win. Also, I would just like to point out that Kyrie Irving is a beast.
Notable players on the court: #5 Kyrie Irving (Duke) , #7 Harrison Barnes (UNC), #8 Terrence Jones (Undeclared), #11 Brandon Knight (Undeclared), #10 Patric Young (Florida), #13 Jared Sullinger (OSU), #11 (Away team) Enes Kanter (UK), #8 (Away team) Cory Joseph (Undeclared)
Some practice scrimmage footage:
For more clips from the game: Click Here
Notable players on the court: #5 Kyrie Irving (Duke) , #7 Harrison Barnes (UNC), #8 Terrence Jones (Undeclared), #11 Brandon Knight (Undeclared), #10 Patric Young (Florida), #13 Jared Sullinger (OSU), #11 (Away team) Enes Kanter (UK), #8 (Away team) Cory Joseph (Undeclared)
Some practice scrimmage footage:
For more clips from the game: Click Here
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Five Things I Found Funny
5. People claiming the Duke-Butler final was the best NCAA championship game ever
Absolutely not true, in the end it was a good game, but just because it's close doesn't make it a contender for a classic.
4. Every sportscenter top ten baseball highlight.
They all look the exact same. I feel like i'm watching the same one over and over again. Yesterday i went from number 8 to number 5 and didn't realize there were three different baseball highlights inbetween.
3. Memphis fans who are demoralized that our recruiting class went from #1 to #3.
Really? Who cares. It's still a good class. And it doesn't really matter where it is in the top ten as long as we bring in good players. Now its up to Josh Pastner to develop these kids. Like Michigan St. does and like Duke does. ( don't even get me started on Memphis fans who think this years class is better than UK's class last year (which was actually our class). They had John Wall and demarcus cousins, enough right there to be better than our class this year. But we still have a great class so just be happy about that.
2. My Dog
He spent 20 minutes barking at me and trying to bite me. Then i sit down with some Mcdonalds, and he's my best damn friend. Douchebag Dog.
1. Hockey Season
Apparently it's Hockey season. Who knew?
Absolutely not true, in the end it was a good game, but just because it's close doesn't make it a contender for a classic.
4. Every sportscenter top ten baseball highlight.
They all look the exact same. I feel like i'm watching the same one over and over again. Yesterday i went from number 8 to number 5 and didn't realize there were three different baseball highlights inbetween.
3. Memphis fans who are demoralized that our recruiting class went from #1 to #3.
Really? Who cares. It's still a good class. And it doesn't really matter where it is in the top ten as long as we bring in good players. Now its up to Josh Pastner to develop these kids. Like Michigan St. does and like Duke does. ( don't even get me started on Memphis fans who think this years class is better than UK's class last year (which was actually our class). They had John Wall and demarcus cousins, enough right there to be better than our class this year. But we still have a great class so just be happy about that.
2. My Dog
He spent 20 minutes barking at me and trying to bite me. Then i sit down with some Mcdonalds, and he's my best damn friend. Douchebag Dog.
1. Hockey Season
Apparently it's Hockey season. Who knew?
Friday, April 9, 2010
Austin Rivers De-Commits From Florida (NO WAI!!)
"I have reopened my recruitment ...," Rivers told Scout.com. "I have decommitted [from] Florida at this time. I still really like them, but I need to go ahead and reopen things right now."
Speculation about Rivers decommitting from Florida began last July and intensified when he subsequently visited Duke's campus. MaxPreps.com rates the 6-foot-4 guard -- who is the son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers -- as the third-best prospect in the Class of 2011. Rivers told Scout.com he's now considering Duke, Florida and North Carolina, but that he "may open it up a little more later on."
This development leaves Florida with just one commitment for the Class of 2011 -- Brad Beal.
Max Preps.com rates Beal as the nation's fourth-best prospect, one spot behind Rivers.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Best 5th Grader In The Nation
Are you f***ing kidding me??? This kid has unbelievable handles . . . Jesus Christ. Remember the name: Jaylin Fleming. McDonald's All-American Class of 2019 here he comes . . . Coach K, you better send him a birthday present
(Yes, I actually tagged this post as "recruiting")
Friday, April 2, 2010
Duke: 2011 Recruiting Update – Rivers, Adams, Miller, Plumlee
NOTE: This article is taken from the Blue Devil Insider blog. You can view the original post HERE
Yesterday, Blue Devil Insider reviewed Duke Basketball recruiting activities for 2010. Today, we will take a look at class of 2011 prospects. Recently, Duke scored its first commitment for 2011 when 5-star wing forward Michael Gbinije verbally committed to the Blue Devils. While this was a great start to the class, Duke is far from done. For 2011, several major prospects are on Duke’s “wish list”.
Tyler Adams – Duke began recruiting the 6’9 260 pound Adams early this winter and their relationship with the rising power forward has been growing ever since. Recently, this culminated in a scholarship offer to Adams and Tyler has since gone on record as saying Duke is his leader. Right now, the staff is hoping to get Adams to Durham for a campus visit in June. Duke definitely likes where they stand with Adams and if all goes according to plan he could officially be a member of the Blue Devils sometime this spring or early summer. The coaches are impressed with Tyler’s work ethic, low post skills, toughness in the paint, and his strong family upbringing. There is another bright spot for Duke in this recruitment as well, his father is reportedly a longtime fan of Duke Basketball. Stay tuned to BDI, as more good news on Adams could be on the way in the coming weeks.
Austin Rivers – As you have probably heard by now, UNC is jumping into the race for Austin Rivers. While Duke fans will not be thrilled about North Carolina’s participation in this recruitment, sources close to Duke tell BDI that the Blue Devils are still in excellent shape with the 5-star guard. With that said though, Rivers is very likely to consider a few other teams besides Duke and Florida before he makes an official college choice. The Rivers family is very serious about this process and they want to make sure that Austin finds the right school to play his college ball at.
Overall, Duke’s relationship with Rivers continues to show signs of strength. In his online diary with High School Hoop, Rivers acknowledged that he emailed the Duke coaches to congratulate them on reaching the Final 4. Additionally, Rivers called the Duke staff after the team made both the Sweet 16 and the Final 4 to congratulate the coaches & players. Needless to say, the actions of both sides in this recruitment remain very positive.
It is likely that activity in the Rivers recruitment will pick up very soon. BDI has learned that Rivers is very likely to de-commit from Florida in the coming weeks. Rivers will play in the ESPN Rise tournament this weekend which is basically the end of his high school basketball season. With high school basketball out of the way look for Rivers to have a renewed focus on his recruitment.
There are a few final points to note on the Rivers recruitment. If/when he does de-commit do not be surprised if other major basketball powers get involved. UCLA, UCONN, and Kentucky would be the likely contenders here as they are programs his father has talked about in the past. Finally, Duke will be very active with Rivers during the upcoming AAU season. Expect the Duke coaching staff to follow Rivers very closely at summer tournaments and camps. The staff would also like to have Rivers back on campus for another visit sometime this spring/summer. Although no official timeline has been given for a decision, we expect Rivers to finalize his college choice in late summer or this fall.
Quincy Miller – The Miller recruitment continues to get more complicated as time passes. At this point, many of the major national basketball powers have thrown their name into the hat for his services including: Kansas, Georgetown, Kentucky, Syracuse, Texas, and others. Brian Clifton is now heavily involved in his recruitment and this may or may not be a good thing for Duke. Rumors continue to swirl that World Wide Wes may try to steer Miller to one school or another as well. One thing BDI can say for sure is that some of the family members that were very pro Duke and initially involved in Miller’s recruitment are no longer providing advice with regard to his college choice.
Duke realizes that this is going to be a very public, media oriented, and national recruitment in nature. They are going to run the race with Quincy, but there is no guarantee they will land him given all the factors involved in his recruitment. The good news for Duke is that this recruitment will likely go well into 2011. By that time Duke hopes to have locked in commitments from Tyler Adams and Austin Rivers. Thus Miller would be the icing on the cake of Duke’s 2011 class if things were to play out the way coaches hope.
Marshall Plumlee – The relationship between Duke and Plumlee seems to have cooled a bit in recent months. There has been less contact between the two sides and the Plumlee family is aware that Tyler Adams is a major target for Duke in 2011. While Plumlee has been to many recent Duke games this has mainly occurred so that he could support his brothers. The situation with Plumlee remains complicated, but I would not expect Duke to completely break off the relationship given the family’s ties to the school.
Tyler Adams – Duke began recruiting the 6’9 260 pound Adams early this winter and their relationship with the rising power forward has been growing ever since. Recently, this culminated in a scholarship offer to Adams and Tyler has since gone on record as saying Duke is his leader. Right now, the staff is hoping to get Adams to Durham for a campus visit in June. Duke definitely likes where they stand with Adams and if all goes according to plan he could officially be a member of the Blue Devils sometime this spring or early summer. The coaches are impressed with Tyler’s work ethic, low post skills, toughness in the paint, and his strong family upbringing. There is another bright spot for Duke in this recruitment as well, his father is reportedly a longtime fan of Duke Basketball. Stay tuned to BDI, as more good news on Adams could be on the way in the coming weeks.
Austin Rivers – As you have probably heard by now, UNC is jumping into the race for Austin Rivers. While Duke fans will not be thrilled about North Carolina’s participation in this recruitment, sources close to Duke tell BDI that the Blue Devils are still in excellent shape with the 5-star guard. With that said though, Rivers is very likely to consider a few other teams besides Duke and Florida before he makes an official college choice. The Rivers family is very serious about this process and they want to make sure that Austin finds the right school to play his college ball at.
Overall, Duke’s relationship with Rivers continues to show signs of strength. In his online diary with High School Hoop, Rivers acknowledged that he emailed the Duke coaches to congratulate them on reaching the Final 4. Additionally, Rivers called the Duke staff after the team made both the Sweet 16 and the Final 4 to congratulate the coaches & players. Needless to say, the actions of both sides in this recruitment remain very positive.
It is likely that activity in the Rivers recruitment will pick up very soon. BDI has learned that Rivers is very likely to de-commit from Florida in the coming weeks. Rivers will play in the ESPN Rise tournament this weekend which is basically the end of his high school basketball season. With high school basketball out of the way look for Rivers to have a renewed focus on his recruitment.
There are a few final points to note on the Rivers recruitment. If/when he does de-commit do not be surprised if other major basketball powers get involved. UCLA, UCONN, and Kentucky would be the likely contenders here as they are programs his father has talked about in the past. Finally, Duke will be very active with Rivers during the upcoming AAU season. Expect the Duke coaching staff to follow Rivers very closely at summer tournaments and camps. The staff would also like to have Rivers back on campus for another visit sometime this spring/summer. Although no official timeline has been given for a decision, we expect Rivers to finalize his college choice in late summer or this fall.
Quincy Miller – The Miller recruitment continues to get more complicated as time passes. At this point, many of the major national basketball powers have thrown their name into the hat for his services including: Kansas, Georgetown, Kentucky, Syracuse, Texas, and others. Brian Clifton is now heavily involved in his recruitment and this may or may not be a good thing for Duke. Rumors continue to swirl that World Wide Wes may try to steer Miller to one school or another as well. One thing BDI can say for sure is that some of the family members that were very pro Duke and initially involved in Miller’s recruitment are no longer providing advice with regard to his college choice.
Duke realizes that this is going to be a very public, media oriented, and national recruitment in nature. They are going to run the race with Quincy, but there is no guarantee they will land him given all the factors involved in his recruitment. The good news for Duke is that this recruitment will likely go well into 2011. By that time Duke hopes to have locked in commitments from Tyler Adams and Austin Rivers. Thus Miller would be the icing on the cake of Duke’s 2011 class if things were to play out the way coaches hope.
Marshall Plumlee – The relationship between Duke and Plumlee seems to have cooled a bit in recent months. There has been less contact between the two sides and the Plumlee family is aware that Tyler Adams is a major target for Duke in 2011. While Plumlee has been to many recent Duke games this has mainly occurred so that he could support his brothers. The situation with Plumlee remains complicated, but I would not expect Duke to completely break off the relationship given the family’s ties to the school.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
C.J. Leslie
A couple of nasty mixtapes from high school all-american CJ Leslie, who is currently uncommitted. (But I'm willing to bet he's going to UK) Leslie was one of the guys who really impressed me from the McDonald's All-American game.
Highlights from his junior year (Check out John Wall feeding him passes)
Highlights from him his senior season:
Jesus . . . how is this guy not rated in the top 5?? He must average 20 dunks a game with his unreal athleticism. I'm not really sure how you can even stop that . . the kid can dunk from anywhere inside the free throw line extended and makes getting to the rim look easier than breathing. Let it show on the record that I think this guy will be an NBA all-star.
Highlights from his junior year (Check out John Wall feeding him passes)
Highlights from him his senior season:
Jesus . . . how is this guy not rated in the top 5?? He must average 20 dunks a game with his unreal athleticism. I'm not really sure how you can even stop that . . the kid can dunk from anywhere inside the free throw line extended and makes getting to the rim look easier than breathing. Let it show on the record that I think this guy will be an NBA all-star.
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