2014 McDonald's All American Game

[Henderson]

As to Reid Travis, Johnny D. might have a guy who will play big minutes right away, as he has lots of guards returning/coming in, but badly needs a rebounder. Travis might not have seen many minutes at Duke next season, but I'm guessing he will at Stanford.

This is a good point and one that certainly hadn't occurred to me. As much as I would have loved to see us land Travis, he has more of an opportunity to play an impact role at Stanford next year. So maybe it was a very good move for him. I hope he makes the most of it and arrives on the Stanford campus hungry to learn a lot very quickly. And I wish him well (with the usual "unless he plays against Duke" caveat).

[roywhite]

We can't count Grayson Allen out of the discussion for meaningful minutes in 2014-15.

He's already shown the ability to leap over teammates

[Olympic Fan]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I HATE that almost every postseason thread turns into a long and pointless debate about next year's rotation and playing time.

Can't those of you who want to endlessly debate this issue start a single thread and keep it there, so those of us who would rather talk of other things can avoid it? I clicked on this thread hoping to read reactions to the McDonald's competition Monday night and wound up scrolling through yet another debate about how our lineup/rotation will look next year.

[SoCalDukeFan]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I HATE that almost every postseason thread turns into a long and pointless debate about next year's rotation and playing time.

Can't those of you who want to endlessly debate this issue start a single thread and keep it there, so those of us who would rather talk of other things can avoid it? I clicked on this thread hoping to read reactions to the McDonald's competition Monday night and wound up scrolling through yet another debate about how our lineup/rotation will look next year.

I really enjoyed watching the competition last night and am actually looking forward to the game, which I usually don't bother with as it rarely looks like bball.

I liked it that the Duke guys seem to have bonded and were helping each other with their dunks. They seemed to be having fun. I wonder if Myles Turner wants to join the party.

The one thing I will be watching on Wed is Oak's D. Can he stop guys who beat the perimeter defense and are driving to the hoop without fouling?

SoCal

[daveduke76]

He's paid a lot of money by ESPN to report on and analyze hoops. Where does it say he can only wear Duke stuff?

Good response! It does get carried away on here sometimes

[Olympic Fan]

If you want a good chuckle (at our rivals' expense), read the thread on IC about Monday night's McDonald's competition:

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=78&f=1410&t=12785858

The first page is filled with comments by UNC fans telling each other how great it is and discussing how well their guys are going to do. But then the thread degenerates as the three Carolina recruits fizzle -- well two of them do, while Pinson does okay, but is outshined by Allen. As Jones wins the skills competition and Allen dominates the dunk competition, the tone of thje thread changes -- suddenly, none of this means anything with post after post about bums who did well and future stars who did not show up.

The contrast between the first page of the thread and the second page is hilarious.

[FerryFor50]

If you want a good chuckle (at our rivals' expense), read the thread on IC about Monday night's McDonald's competition:

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=78&f=1410&t=12785858

The first page is filled with comments by UNC fans telling each other how great it is and discussing how well their guys are going to do. But then the thread degenerates as the three Carolina recruits fizzle -- well two of them do, while Pinson does okay, but is outshined by Allen. As Jones wins the skills competition and Allen dominates the dunk competition, the tone of thje thread changes -- suddenly, none of this means anything with post after post about bums who did well and future stars who did not show up.

The contrast between the first page of the thread and the second page is hilarious.

I got a chuckle out of this one...

If i was theo in the dunk contest i would bring out grayson allen and do a danny green vs greg paulus replay 😃!!

Yea, don't think they're looking at Allen as Greg Paulus anymore...

[UrinalCake]

The one thing I will be watching on Wed is Oak's D. Can he stop guys who beat the perimeter defense and are driving to the hoop without fouling?

I'm not thinking they're going to be doing much help defense, weak side rotations, or hedging at the top of the key in the McD AA game.

[UrinalCake]

If you want a good chuckle (at our rivals' expense), read the thread on IC about Monday night's McDonald's competition...

The contrast between the first page of the thread and the second page is hilarious.

Yeah it starts as "see how awesome our guys are" and quickly changes to a "these high school competitions are meaningless, they don't tell you anything." They're good at deflecting over at UNC.

[Newton_14]

OK this thread has now been cleaned up to remove all posts about starters and rotation players for next season. Please remain on topic in this thread and keep it to our burger boys, how they performed in the skills stuff last night, and how they perform in the game tomorrow night. The other thread is now wide open to discuss ad nauseum who starts who sits etc.

I am looking forward to seeing Okafor and Jones tomorrow night. I believe both are studs. Have not seen enough of Winslow or Grayson to form an opinion.

[Troublemaker]

Couple of updates from the 2nd day of practice at Micky D.

Justise Winslow, 6’5”, SF, Saint John’s (TX)

The Texas native showed media and scouts his ability to become a lockdown defender at the next level with his defense on Isaiah Whitehead, one of the top shooting guards in the country. Despite having one of the nicest jump shots in the country, Whitehead had trouble even getting a shot off. Winslow hounded Whitehead all over the court and stayed with him when he tried to shoot from the outside and when he tried to attack off the dribble. In addition to his defensive prowess, Winslow also came to play on the offensive end as well. He hit several open jump shots and also used his athletic ability to finish at the rim.

Jahlil Okafor, 6’11”, C, Whitney Young (IL)

Okafor had a strong day yesterday, but was a monster today. Going against the 7-footer Thomas Welsh, Okafor used his size to score in a variety of ways down low including a rim rattling dunk on the future UCLA center. Okafor grabs the ball like it’s a tennis ball to keep it out of reach from the defense and needs only one or two dribbles to back his man down below the basket. Okafor used his patented spin move at times, but he also scored from the middle of lane off the left and right block. Today, Okafor showed why he is considered the top player in the country.

The bold is the key. If Justise can hit open jumpshots consistently, then he will be our starter at the 3. That's what I'm rooting. I want Duke to have this defensive & rebounding weapon who can also hit jump shots when teams double down on Okafor and score on athletic drives to the rim.

[CameronBornAndBred]

He's paid a lot of money by ESPN to report on and analyze hoops. Where does it say he can only wear Duke stuff?

In the rafters of Cameron...

Hate to bum you out, but while looking up some info on JWill the other day, I found this snippet. (Small part of an excellent article.)

Williams steered his black Mercedes S550 toward the office, which, on this Saturday in December, happened to be Dean Smith Center, in nearby Chapel Hill.
“Good old Carolina,” he said as he pulled onto campus, which sounded strange coming from Mr. Duke. “I love this place. That old Carolina blue. It’s so beautiful, man.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/sports/basketball/a-leg-rebuilt-a-life-renewed-for-jay-williams.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0

[NashvilleDevil]

The bold is the key. If Justise can hit open jumpshots consistently, then he will be our starter at the 3. That's what I'm rooting. I want Duke to have this defensive & rebounding weapon who can also hit jump shots when teams double down on Okafor and score on athletic drives to the rim.

I watched some of the skills competition and Justise, just as a specimen, may be the best one Duke has had since Maggette.

[roywhite]

I watched some of the skills competition and Justise, just as a specimen, may be the best one Duke has had since Maggette.

Yeah, among some other problems, we got out-muscled a few times this year. For example, Clemson, Virginia, Maryland, and then Mercer were not a good matchup for us in terms of size and physical strength.

The addition of Okafor and Justise Winslow helps a lot in the area of physical stength.

Just a general observation -- I think the fanbase is actually a little slow to fall in love with this incoming class, which may be understandable in the one-and-done era. But IMO this is a fantastic class, the best in the country, and perhaps the best class ever for Coach K.

I'm very optimistic about next year's team, and the incoming class is a major reason.

[MCFinARL]

Are you using an iPad? I was, and when I couldn't "reply with quote" to a couple of posters, I suggested they must be Area 51/Roswell loonies. But now it appears that, unbeknownst to myself, I have been aboard a spaceship, too. More than once, possibly.

As to Reid Travis, Johnny D. might have a guy who will play big minutes right away, as he has lots of guards returning/coming in, but badly needs a rebounder. Travis might not have seen many minutes at Duke next season, but I'm guessing he will at Stanford.

Not an iPad but a Macbook, which may have similar issues. I have also had this happen with a couple of other posters. Sigh...it's always something.

Re Reid Travis, your point makes sense--I hope this will turn out to be a good fit for both player and school.

[LobstersPinchPinch]

Yeah, among some other problems, we got out-muscled a few times this year. For example, Clemson, Virginia, Maryland, and then Mercer were not a good matchup for us in terms of size and physical strength.

The addition of Okafor and Justise Winslow helps a lot in the area of physical stength.

Just a general observation -- I think the fanbase is actually a little slow to fall in love with this incoming class, which may be understandable in the one-and-done era. But IMO this is a fantastic class, the best in the country, and perhaps the best class ever for Coach K.

I'm very optimistic about next year's team, and the incoming class is a major reason.

I agree about this class, I love the skill sets they bring, and the camaraderie they have is just awesome. And they're all just so damn likable, and seem like really good kids.

[kAzE]

I'm excited about the game, these 4 kids are going to be a terrific group. Next year's class might not have the type of hype this year had, but I think in terms of NBA potential, it doesn't get much better than Okafor. He's got the potential to be one of the best post scorers we've seen come through college in a long time. I've got no doubts he's going to be a dominant post player at the highest level. Also looking forward to watching what Jones can do in the pick roll, seeing Winslow bring it on defense, and I hope we get to see Allen throw it down in the game. That boy can jump. Mostly just excited to watch (future) Duke players competing in April. (Still bitter)

[Newton_14]

Not an iPad but a Macbook, which may have similar issues. I have also had this happen with a couple of other posters. Sigh...it's always something.

Re Reid Travis, your point makes sense--I hope this will turn out to be a good fit for both player and school.

Guys it's a bug and it's being worked. When the issue occurs you hit reply with quote and it comes up blank. The SW guru's are actively working it. Happens with any browser or machine type. Stay tuned...

[sagegrouse]

Guys it's a bug and it's being worked. When the issue occurs you hit reply with quote and it comes up blank. The SW guru's are actively working it. Happens with any browser or machine type. Stay tuned...

Newt, baby, this is unacceptable, and I want my money back!

[Dukehky]

The Duke UNC Smackdown that DraftExpress runs on youtube wasn't nearly as confrontational as it has been in past years. All those kids seem like guys you'd want in your corner. Also, all of this will he return speculation will not apply to Jahlil Okafor next year. He is 100% gone after 1 and has all but said so himself. Which is fine. Tonight will be the first time I've gotten to see him play when the other team doesn't play zone or triple team him. I wanna see him do some work. I also want to see Justise infuriate everyone else by playing hard defense and I'd like to see what Tyus' speed is, relative to the other guys on the court.

Should be a fun game tonight, I'm certainly looking forward to it.