Corey's Crappy Crumpets - Mid-July edition

[Mike Corey]

> Curry has been getting a lot of time in the PG slot, developing his ball handling and game management skills.

> Austin Rivers is an absolute gym rat. He'll show up in the middle of the night to shoot around. Completely obsessed with maximizing his basketball talent. Scary offensive arsenal.

> Alex Murphy has blown people away with his skillset, which compares favorably with Kyle Singler's when he was an incoming freshman. Murphy will not be redshirting, and will compete for serious minutes from day one. This is not the same player he was even a few months ago.

> Capel's done nothing but impress as a coach, bringing a fresh perspective that the coaches and the players are benefiting from.

> Marshall Plumlee has the most offensive moves of his brothers, including a hookshot that is coming along nicely. Not coincidentally, he is also the most comfortable in the paint of the three.

> Tyler Thornton is a workaholic, committed to being the best teammate he can be. Just like Sean Dockery in that regard.

> C*rolina can still go to hell

Hope you're all doing well.

Go Duke.

[uh_no]

> Austin Rivers is an absolute gym rat. He'll show up in the middle of the night to shoot around. Completely obsessed with maximizing his basketball talent. Scary offensive arsenal.

That's great to hear. There is such a thing as too much. I hope that while he's here he learns to channel that enthusiasm correctly and not let his want to get better interfere, either with team matters or otherwise (academics). I have no doubt that coach has dealt with such enthusiasm before, and knows how to help the student control that enthusiasm without losing it.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

That's great to hear. There is such a thing as too much. I hope that while he's here he learns to channel that enthusiasm correctly and not let his want to get better interfere, either with team matters or otherwise (academics). I have no doubt that coach has dealt with such enthusiasm before, and knows how to help the student control that enthusiasm without losing it.

Assuming he's in summer school, he's only taking two classes and I'm sure he (and all the freshman) are being taught how to manage his/their study time. And that will still leave plenty of free hours in the day to spend, or invest, in the gym!

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Love the update Mike! Tasty crumpets indeed! Not a bit of crap in those morsels.

[Kedsy]

Love the update Mike! Tasty crumpets indeed! Not a bit of crap in those morsels.

Agree these crumpets are completely crap-free. Thanks, Mike. Exactly the sort of information I crave during the off-season.

Anything interesting about Andre and/or Quinn? How about Mike G?

[gumbomoop]

Alex Murphy has blown people away with his skillset, which compares favorably with Kyle Singler's when he was an incoming freshman. Murphy will not be redshirting, and will compete for serious minutes from day one. This is not the same player he was even a few months ago.

I'll bite on this crumpet. I saw Murphy twice on tv, most recently a few months ago in that ill-publicized A-S game in Houston the Sunday [I think] right before the NC. I was impressed enough with Murphy's skills and smarts then - in limited minutes, necessitated by rotating everyone in and out - that the idea that he has vastly improved in the intervening few months is very good news indeed.

The recruiting gurus, understandably, had trouble pegging Early AM's ranking, but MC's inside-info does open the possibility that Murphy is way better than the 30s.

[sagegrouse]

Snort! Snort! Only three more months until we start in earnest. Meanwhile, we have the China-Dubai appetizer and good insights from Corey re practice.

sagegrouse

[Mike Corey]

Anything interesting about Andre and/or Quinn? How about Mike G?

Nothing specific. I'll see what I can scrounge up for you later in the week!

[Mike Corey]

we have the China-Dubai appetizer

This is the season to have a trip like this.

Not only will this be a fascinating educational opportunity for the student-athletes, it provides the staff and the team that much more time to gel. Remember, the new coaching staff has to find and develop its own chemistry just like the players do. And this team--which will be one of Coach K's youngest--will need all the on-court and off-court time together that it can get to maximize its potential.

I suspect this team will oscillate between being among the most exciting to the most frustrating to watch in recent memory. So much talent, and so many unknowns.

This is the kind of season that makes us so fortunate to be Duke fans: we're going to get to watch most of these guys mature from young men to grown men on the court. Often times, a lot of that growth occurs behind closed doors on the practice court. We'll also get to see what Miles, Mason and Andre have in store for the rest of the country after having had to develop as role players alongside all-time greats like Nolan and Singler. Each of the guys in that trio has a high ceiling, and each has demonstrated that ability in spurts. I wish I could tell you more about where they're at now.

[Lord Ash]

Can't give a comment, but thanks for the tidbits Jason, it is really appreciated here in these dog days!

[licc85]

>
> Alex Murphy has blown people away with his skillset, which compares favorably with Kyle Singler's when he was an incoming freshman. Murphy will not be redshirting, and will compete for serious minutes from day one. This is not the same player he was even a few months ago.

Singler was a first year starter on the 2007 squad . . . so are you saying Alex is good enough to compete for a starting role? I realize Singler started out of necessity, but he was pretty damn good and probably would have won the spot even with solid competition. I'm still skeptical about how ready Murphy is . . . but I haven't been watching them practice. I can't wait to watch him along with everyone else in the China/Dubai games if they are on TV.

[Mike Corey]

Singler was a first year starter on the 2007 squad . . . so are you saying Alex is good enough to compete for a starting role? I realize Singler started out of necessity, but he was pretty damn good and probably would have won the spot even with solid competition. I'm still skeptical about how ready Murphy is . . . but I haven't been watching them practice. I can't wait to watch him along with everyone else in the China/Dubai games if they are on TV.

I'm saying his skills comparably favorably to Singler's when the latter arrived at Duke, and that because he's so skilled, he's going to contribute a great deal to this year's team.

Whether or not he starts, and ultimately how much those skills translate into production, relies on things that are much harder to assess this many months out. Singler was extremely productive as a freshman because he had that rare combination of skill and heart. The man was just a warrior from day one.

I've no idea what Murphy would be able to put up on this team. But purely from an ability perspective, I'm told he's demonstrating in Durham that he's awfully capable.

[du_bb1]

Like an oasis in the desert of off season--thanks !

[JasonEvans]

Ahhh, nothing like off-season practice/pickup reports to make us all feel a little bit giddy! Great stuff, my friend!

The Alex Murphy and Marshall Plumlee comments are borderline Horvathian! I just hope they turn out to be more true

-Jason "I wish I knew who first coined the term Horvathian... it is so perfect " Evans

[The Gordog]

Assuming he's in summer school, he's only taking two classes and I'm sure he (and all the freshman) are being taught how to manage his/their study time. And that will still leave plenty of free hours in the day to spend, or invest, in the gym!

2 classes in an 8 week summer term is the same amount of work per week as 4 classes in a normal 16 week semester. Add to that they are going to be out of the country for 2 weeks and I imagine they're pretty busy (if they do take 2 classes).

[OZZIE4DUKE]

2 classes in an 8 week summer term is the same amount of work per week as 4 classes in a normal 16 week semester. Add to that they are going to be out of the country for 2 weeks and I imagine they're pretty busy (if they do take 2 classes).

I believe that the China trip is after Summer Session II classes are over. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong. And I say Session II because I remember the coaches saying that is what the incoming freshman could enroll in (when the assistant coaches told the BDC about the trip when it was announced way back in March or April).

[Lord Ash]

I personally expect a LOT out of Murph. He is largely considered a very bright, smart, skilled player and was very highly regarded in his own class... did he max out at 11th or something? Following in the shoes (and jersey) of Kyle I do expect Murph to be a starter sooner rather than later at Duke, and to do it with style.

[brevity]

-Jason "I wish I knew who first coined the term Horvathian... it is so perfect " Evans

Ask and you shall receive. DBR happens to have a search feature.

The earliest two mentions:

10/20/09 by budwom
06/06/10 by airowe

They should put up a free-standing Duke Basketball Museum and name it the "Davidsonian."

[JasonEvans]

They should put up a free-standing Duke Basketball Museum and name it the "Davidsonian."

They wanted to build a museum to chronicle all of Patrick Davidson's greatness, but the Louvre complained it would go out of business from the competition.

-Jason "Davidson prepares a giant breakfast for himself every morning... whatever he does not eat is sent over to Per Se and served as the House Special that night" Evans

[magjayran]

>
> Austin Rivers is an absolute gym rat. He'll show up in the middle of the night to shoot around. Completely obsessed with maximizing his basketball talent. Scary offensive arsenal.

Something that I've noticed in this "Twitter era" is that the elite players seem to tweet just as much about practicing as they do about movies and music. I noticed this with Nolan and I'm seeing it a lot with Austin. You can sorta tell when being a great basketball player is the most important thing to a person.