A PG we should look at

[dkbaseball]

Watched some of the Cactus Classic AAU tournament in Tucson this past weekend and was blown away by Kemba Walker ('08), PG and tourney MVP for the NY Gauchos, who beat Brandon Jennings' team in the finals. If you want to put some serious perimeter pressure back in Duke's pressure D, this kid is the answer. Phenomenal quickness and body control, great team instincts and competitiveness. Without having seen him take an outside shot (which apparently he can do), I'd urge the staff to have a look.

Apparently St. John's, Memphis, Cincy and Miami are involved now, with his stock ascending. Don't know anything at all about academics, and I guess that didn't work out with our one recruit from Brother Rice HS. But believe me, you're going to be hearing about this kid.

[Indoor66]

Watched some of the Cactus Classic AAU tournament in Tucson this past weekend and was blown away by Kemba Walker ('08), PG and tourney MVP for the NY Gauchos, who beat Brandon Jennings' team in the finals. If you want to put some serious perimeter pressure back in Duke's pressure D, this kid is the answer. Phenomenal quickness and body control, great team instincts and competitiveness. Without having seen him take an outside shot (which apparently he can do), I'd urge the staff to have a look.

Apparently St. John's, Memphis, Cincy and Miami are involved now, with his stock ascending. Don't know anything at all about academics, and I guess that didn't work out with our one recruit from Brother Rice HS. But believe me, you're going to be hearing about this kid.

I spotted this thread and wanted to point out a post with a prediction that was dead on. Check out the date of the post.

[Lord Ash]

Indoor, how did you find this?

[roywhite]

I spotted this thread and wanted to point out a post with a prediction that was dead on. Check out the date of the post.

dkbaseball was also SURE that Olek Czyz was going to be a star.

Haven't seen or heard from dkbaseball in years (and he was a good pal back from undergrad days); his posts were always entertaining, and his use of language, both on this forum and the public policy board, was excellent.

[JasonEvans]

dkbaseball was also SURE that Olek Czyz was going to be a star.

Well, I dunno about a "star" but Olek turned into a very solid player (13.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg)... for Nevada.

-Jason "Olek is playing for Virtus Rome in the Itallian A league -- they are one of the better teams in the league and he is playing well" Evans

[FerryFor50]

Well, I dunno about a "star" but Olek turned into a very solid player (13.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg)... for Nevada.

-Jason "Olek is playing for Virtus Rome in the Itallian A league -- they are one of the better teams in the league and he is playing well" Evans

Pretty sure Duke could have used an athletic wing/perimeter defender with rebounding skills the past two years...

[Duvall]

Pretty sure Duke could have used an athletic wing/perimeter defender with rebounding skills the past two years...

Well, last season perhaps. Duke had a pretty good wing defender in 2011 and Czyz would have been gone after last year.

[FerryFor50]

Well, last season perhaps. Duke had a pretty good wing defender in 2011 and Czyz would have been gone after last year.

Yea true. But he def would have helped the year prior.

[Newton_14]

Yea true. But he def would have helped the year prior.

Agree. I hate Olek lost patience and bolted. He could have definitely helped the team his Jr and Sr year. Had he listened to K, and redshirted that first year, he could have been a very solid rotation player for 2.5 to 3 years as a RS-Soph thru RS Senior. He had talent, it was just raw, and needed work. That said, I totally understand that he wanted to play right away, and I am glad he had success after bolting. It is rare that the Duke transfer finds success, but Olek is one of those that did.

I have always enjoyed watching the marginal players that grow and develop over 4 years at Duke and end up as solid contributors as upperclassmen. Marty Clark was my favorite in the category. Miles Plumlee is another, though with Miles, his talent level was high, he just needed maturation in his game.

I just find it really neat watching that process unfold over 4 years. It does take patience, strong will, and discipline from those players, and in today's "me first" environment, it is just harder to get players to stick it out. Olek found success, but many others do not.

[FerryFor50]

Agree. I hate Olek lost patience and bolted. He could have definitely helped the team his Jr and Sr year. Had he listened to K, and redshirted that first year, he could have been a very solid rotation player for 2.5 to 3 years as a RS-Soph thru RS Senior. He had talent, it was just raw, and needed work. That said, I totally understand that he wanted to play right away, and I am glad he had success after bolting. It is rare that the Duke transfer finds success, but Olek is one of those that did.

I have always enjoyed watching the marginal players that grow and develop over 4 years at Duke and end up as solid contributors as upperclassmen. Marty Clark was my favorite in the category. Miles Plumlee is another, though with Miles, his talent level was high, he just needed maturation in his game.

I just find it really neat watching that process unfold over 4 years. It does take patience, strong will, and discipline from those players, and in today's "me first" environment, it is just harder to get players to stick it out. Olek found success, but many others do not.

Not only could Olek defend and rebound, but he could also shoot the 3. I think Gbinije will be another transfer that finds post-duke success... Sucks that he'll be doing it in the ACC. Grrr.

[Kedsy]

Not only could Olek defend and rebound, but he could also shoot the 3.

I don't know. I didn't see much of Olek while he was at Nevada, but while he was at Duke his defense was pretty weak. The couple games I saw him play at Nevada, he still didn't look like much of a defender. As for his three point shooting, he shot well his junior year for Nevada, but his senior year he shot 29.6%, so it's possible his high percentage his junior year was a fluke.

While I understand (and share) the excitement of having a guy like Olek on the team -- with his enthusiasm, energy, and amazing hops -- but if you look at our rotations in 2010, 2011, and 2012 it's hard to see who he would have displaced (because you know K wasn't going to go deeper). My guess is he might have risen to a 10 to 12 minute player but not much more. It's possible he wouldn't even have gotten that much run.

Of course it's also possible I'm dead wrong and he would have been a star his junior and senior years. I honestly doubt it, though.

[FerryFor50]

I don't know. I didn't see much of Olek while he was at Nevada, but while he was at Duke his defense was pretty weak. The couple games I saw him play at Nevada, he still didn't look like much of a defender. As for his three point shooting, he shot well his junior year for Nevada, but his senior year he shot 29.6%, so it's possible his high percentage his junior year was a fluke.

While I understand (and share) the excitement of having a guy like Olek on the team -- with his enthusiasm, energy, and amazing hops -- but if you look at our rotations in 2010, 2011, and 2012 it's hard to see who he would have displaced (because you know K wasn't going to go deeper). My guess is he might have risen to a 10 to 12 minute player but not much more. It's possible he wouldn't even have gotten that much run.

Of course it's also possible I'm dead wrong and he would have been a star his junior and senior years. I honestly doubt it, though.

Eh, no one is wrong. It's all speculation. Olek definitely wouldn't have gotten as many shots at Duke, but his hustle and rebounding would have kept him on the floor. Last year he would have likely gotten Josh's minutes.

[Kedsy]

Eh, no one is wrong. It's all speculation. Olek definitely wouldn't have gotten as many shots at Duke, but his hustle and rebounding would have kept him on the floor. Last year he would have likely gotten Josh's minutes.

Josh only got 8.5 minutes a game last year (only 6.5 mpg after January 1 and before Ryan got hurt). If that's all the run Olek would have gotten as a senior, then (a) he wouldn't have improved the team's performance much, if at all; and (b) he made the right decision (for himself) to transfer.

[FerryFor50]

Josh only got 8.5 minutes a game last year (only 6.5 mpg after January 1 and before Ryan got hurt). If that's all the run Olek would have gotten as a senior, then (a) he wouldn't have improved the team's performance much, if at all; and (b) he made the right decision (for himself) to transfer.

Again, it's all speculation.

I'd take 8.5 mpg of Olek, but I think he could have gotten more than that.

[Saratoga2]

We will have at least 1 player next year and probably more, who will have been on the team more than 1 year and are unlikely to get significant minutes, even though they have a lot of talent. If we think Olek might have helped us, what will we say about the others who may be in the same boat?