Eric Bledsoe

[Tim1515]

Looks like there might be some interest in a PG for the 2009 recruiting class yet. I'm not trying to start any huge rumors because everything is completely unknown but it sounds like we haven't completely given up on the 09 class outside of Wall.

There is an article about him on the Duke rivals homepage for insiders

http://www.duke.rivals.com/

and here's another little article about him...makes an interesting quote about Duke.

http://bhamsrecruitingblog.blogspot...cide-late.html

[Bluedog]

Beat me to it. Here's the rivals article via Yahoo Sports:

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slu...vals&type=lgns

I’ve been liking Duke for a long time. I never thought they would call.

Sounds like he's on the fringe of NCAA minimum regarding academics requirements...#8 PG according to scout. #12 PG according to rivals and #67 overall. Offers from Bama, South Florida, UAB and Ole Miss. Committed to Ole Miss in October, but two hours later changed his mind and re-opened recruitment.

BH: If you could go to ANY school, what school would you go to? Your dream school?
EB: "Duke cause I like how they play….their style of play."
BH: What is one thing you are looking forward to the most about going to college?
EB: "Getting to graduate. Girls…partying."

[geraldsneighbor]

Beat me to it. Here's the rivals article via Yahoo Sports:

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slu...vals&type=lgns



Sounds like he's on the fringe of NCAA minimum regarding academics requirements...#8 PG according to scout. #12 PG according to rivals and #67 overall. Offers from Bama, South Florida, UAB and Ole Miss. Committed to Ole Miss in October, but two hours later changed his mind and re-opened recruitment.

Sounds that if Duke as much as offers, he will commit. That being said, be careful with the fact that we are recruiting guards in 2010, and I don't want a log jam back there if hes just a one year fix. I think that really means we are starting to give up on Nolan then.

[COYS]

I think that really means we are starting to give up on Nolan then.

I don't think the staff is giving up on Nolan, at all. I just think it's clear that Nolan is better suited to play off the ball.

[geraldsneighbor]

I don't think the staff is giving up on Nolan, at all. I just think it's clear that Nolan is better suited to play off the ball.

He isn't a shooter though either...

[CDu]

He isn't a shooter though either...

His shooting percentages would disagree with that statement. As a freshman playing more at SG last year, he shot .386 from 3pt range. Even with the struggles adapting to the PG this year, he's shooting .339.

Smith played his entire career up to this season as a wing. It seems completely logical that he's more comfortable in (and more suited to) that role.

[COYS]

His shooting percentages would disagree with that statement. As a freshman playing more at SG last year, he shot .386 from 3pt range. Even with the struggles adapting to the PG this year, he's shooting .339.

Smith played his entire career up to this season as a wing. It seems completely logical that he's more comfortable in (and more suited to) that role.

Plus, he doesn't have to be a lights out shooter from deep, anyway. Get him in positions so he can cut into the lane, shoot mid range jumpers, and get to the hole without having to drive through the entire defense from the PG spot. He clearly is not in his comfort zone trying to be a distributor. I think if K does recruit a "pure" pg, it would be to benefit Nolan and the rest of the team, not to replace him in the rotation.

[CDu]

Plus, he doesn't have to be a lights out shooter from deep, anyway. Get him in positions so he can cut into the lane, shoot mid range jumpers, and get to the hole without having to drive through the entire defense from the PG spot. He clearly is not in his comfort zone trying to be a distributor. I think if K does recruit a "pure" pg, it would be to benefit Nolan and the rest of the team, not to replace him in the rotation.

Well said. Smith isn't a Redick-like shooter, but he's pretty solid (the Scheyer comp is a pretty good one in terms of both being better scorers off the dribble than pure shooters). There are other aspects of offense besides purely shooting that make for a good wing offensively.

We can certainly make do with Smith and Scheyer as the PG. But getting another PG (whether it be to back up or to start) would seem to both make the team AND Smith stronger, rather than signalling giving up on Smith in any way.

[sagegrouse]

"Giving up on Nolan." Hunh?

Times have changed. I remember when the engimatic Bill Foster decided he only wanted to recruit one player in 1978 because the team of Giminski, Spanarkel, Banks, Dennard, Bender, Harrell, etc. was loaded. The result, Vince Taylor, was a very good player. The sensitivity was that your high-profile recruits will expect to play and extended bench time would be tough. Back then, even Dean Smith once said IIRC (Hey, there's always a first time!) that, really, you would like to have eight first-rate players all getting minutes and a bunch of guys at the end of the bench who are totally happy getting to be on the team and wear the uniform.

Of course, even in 1978 it would have been better if Foster were a bit more welcoming of new recruits at Duke. It would have given K some upperclass talent to work with after Banks and Dennard graduated in 1981.

These days (especially at Duke since Brand, Maggette, and Avery departed in 1999), you are not so much constructing a roster 2-4 years in advance as doing portfolio management, which is decision-making under uncertainty. Players may not perform as expected or may have academic or discipline problems. But now the question is also: how long are they going to stay? You have to plan on having more contributing players than in the past. And that itself promotes turbulence as freshmen look at future competition for PT (Taylor King, e.g.).

So, after all this blather, I am not impressed with the argument that K is "recruiting over" Nolan or "giving up on Nolan," even if he were the best player on the team. K can't afford to take a chance, particularly at PG. I believe K would like to have 12 good players under scholarship and let the best ones thrive. This is a new era, and there is no way that Nolan should (or will) take it personally.

sagegrouse
'This topic could be a thread in its own right: "How many talented players should a team have under scholly and what should be their distribution by position or skill?"'

[Oriole Way]

We absolutely need to grab a pure point for next year's class. I haven't given up on Nolan either, but it is essential to have a backup point guard in case of injuries. There is also the possibility that Nolan may just be more comfortable as a shooting guard/combo guard as he was in high school, so it will be nice to have the option of starting someone like Bledsoe, who is a pure point.

I think Wall would be a great fit, but it's unlikely he decides on Duke. I hope that we show some interest in Bledsoe so that he keeps us in mind, as long as his grades are sufficient. And if not Bledsoe, we need to target other players, because a PG is now a priority for this team that can't wait until Thornton gets here in 2010.

[loran16]

I'm against recruiting him in any case that his academics come CLOSE to the ncaa requirements. I pride myself in our players being held at a higher academic standard. I know that we've probably recruited some occasional players in the past, but even so, I don't want to step into murky territory now just cuz we need a point guard.

[DukeFanInTerpLand]

video of Bledsoe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-XVRsOZ7Po

[yancem]

video of Bledsoe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-XVRsOZ7Po

Definitely liked his handle! We haven't had a pg who could handle the rock like a yoyo in a few years. It doesn't look like we would ever see him backing the ball up the court! Other than his handle, his game looks pretty well rounded but it's hard to judge to much from a you-tube video.

[gotham devil]

Definitely liked his handle! We haven't had a pg who could handle the rock like a yoyo in a few years. It doesn't look like we would ever see him backing the ball up the court! Other than his handle, his game looks pretty well rounded but it's hard to judge to much from a you-tube video.

Handle/ability to penetrate, court vision, on-the-ball defense, foul shooting, communication, and three-point shooting are the first things I look for in a PG.

http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/recruiting/rsci2008.htm

These were his latest rankings from the various services, courtesy of RSCI.

[FireOgilvie]

video of Bledsoe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-XVRsOZ7Po

That, my friends, is what a PG should look like.

Keep that in mind when talking about Scheyer as a PG... especially a "fringe NBA prospect" at PG. He's a darn fine SG, and I hate to see him forced out of position like that.

I'm glad we're taking a look at Bledsoe. It's about time we consider a true point guard. We'll see how things turn out. It's encouraging his "dream school" is Duke.

[DUKIE V(A)]

I loved what I saw on the court (especially his getting excited about making an assist)! I also love the fact that Duke is his dream school; this is a big deal. Sounds like graduating college is a goal of his. If he is a hard worker (on and off the court), committed to academics, a good kid, and the coaches like him, I see no reason why he does not deserve a chance.

[BlueintheFace]

I don't know what to say about this situation.

I can't remember the last time Duke effectively opened active recruitment of a player as late as this... especially a pg. Do I just have selective memory?

The coaching staff must really feel that we will be keeping some very important pieces for a championship run next year and consequently feel a serious need to bring in another piece that could potentially be missing for that run. Maybe I am making too much of a little thing, but this just seems too unusual a situation ... what are the coaches thinking I wonder?

[roywhite]

I don't know what to say about this situation.

I can't remember the last time Duke effectively opened active recruitment of a player as late as this... especially a pg. Do I just have selective memory?

The coaching staff must really feel that we will be keeping some very important pieces for a championship run next year and consequently feel a serious need to bring in another piece that could potentially be missing for that run. Maybe I am making too much of a little thing, but this just seems too unusual a situation ... what are the coaches thinking I wonder?

Just speculating...the staff was not specifically looking, but were keeping their eyes open for late bloomers; this kid is coming on, plays at a position of need, and has spoken positively about Duke.

Could be a nice acquisition. Hope it works out.

[JDev]

What I wondered earlier is Duke's scholarship situation. Duke will lose two senoirs (Paulus, McClure), and gain two recruits. The scholarship limit is 13. It everyone returns, Duke has Pocious, Scheyer, Henderson, Zoubek, Thomas, Smith, Singler, Czyz, Williams, and Plumlee. If Duke does in fact ad a third 2009 recruit, that puts them right at the 13. The following year, Duke will lose Scheyer, Henderson, Zoubek, Thomas, opening up four scholarships. They have three commitments from 2010 already, with additional offers out, the most important of which is to Harrison Barnes. That leaves very little wiggle room for some additional guys Duke is looking at in those two classes, including Wall, Knight, and Irving. That being said, I'm sure things will even out. I doubt very seriously Duke gets four years out of Singler. Marty has been at Duke four years, and I do not know if he is on pace to graduate, but he could probably play in Europe if he chose. Plus, Duke is not going to land everyone of those guys anyway (that would be nice though!). I just wonder if the additional looks at the 2009 class are an indication about what will happen with G and/or Kyle.

[CDu]

What I wondered earlier is Duke's scholarship situation. Duke will lose two senoirs (Paulus, McClure), and gain two recruits. The scholarship limit is 13. It everyone returns, Duke has Pocious, Scheyer, Henderson, Zoubek, Thomas, Smith, Singler, Czyz, Williams, and Plumlee. If Duke does in fact ad a third 2009 recruit, that puts them right at the 13. The following year, Duke will lose Scheyer, Henderson, Zoubek, Thomas, opening up four scholarships. They have three commitments from 2010 already, with additional offers out, the most important of which is to Harrison Barnes. That leaves very little wiggle room for some additional guys Duke is looking at in those two classes, including Wall, Knight, and Irving. That being said, I'm sure things will even out. I doubt very seriously Duke gets four years out of Singler. Marty has been at Duke four years, and I do not know if he is on pace to graduate, but he could probably play in Europe if he chose. Plus, Duke is not going to land everyone of those guys anyway (that would be nice though!). I just wonder if the additional looks at the 2009 class are an indication about what will happen with G and/or Kyle.

From this team after next year ends, we'll lose (for certain) Paulus, McClure, Scheyer, Henderson, Zoubek, Thomas, and Pocius. We'll have the following players on scholarship:
Smith
Singler (hopefully)
Plumlee
Williams
Czyz
Plumlee
Kelly
Thornton
Dawkins
Hairston

That's only 10 players on scholarship. So we have plenty of wiggle room to get the right guy this year and still get two guys the following year.