WBB:2014-15 Duke Freshmen

[Gargoyle]

Duke will have 5 freshmen (one redshirt) on the team this year. GoDuke.com will have a video introduction of each for the next 5 Fridays. Azura Stevens is first up:

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.db...DB_OEM_ID=4200

[wandalee]

Azura is going to be a fun player to watch over the next 4 years.

[Kedsy]

Azura is going to be a fun player to watch over the next 4 years.

I hope she can play some guard.

[aswewere]

I hope she can play some guard.

No guard play but she can handle the rock better than most Biggs.

[Kedsy]

No guard play but she can handle the rock better than most Biggs.

Seems like we're going to have to play a significant amount of time with one guard on the floor with four forwards, if that's possible.

[Jim3k]

Seems like we're going to have to play a significant amount of time with one guard on the floor with four forwards, if that's possible.

Hopefully Rebecca Greenwell can fill in there. She's a guard, but not a point guard. Maybe she and JC transfer Mercedes Riggs can figure it out.

I know Jenna Frush is small, is a walk-on and hasn't shown all that much: virtually no PT. I would hope, as a senior, that Coach P gives her a fighting chance. She knows the system and can often be matched up to an opponent her size. (In fact the roster shows that she and Riggs aren't all that different in height. Jenna's 5-6, Riggs is 5-7.) It would be a nice story if a mature Frush succeeded in stepping up.

[Kedsy]

Hopefully Rebecca Greenwell can fill in there. She's a guard, but not a point guard. Maybe she and JC transfer Mercedes Riggs can figure it out.

I know Jenna Frush is small, is a walk-on and hasn't shown all that much: virtually no PT. I would hope, as a senior, that Coach P gives her a fighting chance. She knows the system and can often be matched up to an opponent her size. (In fact the roster shows that she and Riggs aren't all that different in height. Jenna's 5-6, Riggs is 5-7.) It would be a nice story if a mature Frush succeeded in stepping up.

Yeah, I expect Becca to start. I have my doubts, though, as to whether Jenna could really be a serious contributor (or even play more than 5 mpg or so) on a team with Final Four aspirations. If Mercedes turns out to be a lot better than people seem to expect, then great. Right now, if we start two guards I'd expect them to be Becca and Ka'lia. Hopefully Mercedes can be a rotation player, but if not (or frankly even if she can), we'll almost have to play some amount of minutes with either Becca or Ka'lia in the game (while the other rests) plus four forwards (some combination of Elizabeth, Amber, Oderah, Kendall, and the four freshmen). I don't see any way around it, really.

[Gargoyle]

Lynee Belton is the second fresh(wo)man to be featured on GoDuke.

http://www.goduke.com//ViewArticle.d...CLID=209577817

[gumbomoop]

Yeah, I expect Becca to start. I have my doubts, though, as to whether Jenna could really be a serious contributor (or even play more than 5 mpg or so) on a team with Final Four aspirations. If Mercedes turns out to be a lot better than people seem to expect, then great. Right now, if we start two guards I'd expect them to be Becca and Ka'lia. Hopefully Mercedes can be a rotation player, but if not (or frankly even if she can), we'll almost have to play some amount of minutes with either Becca or Ka'lia in the game (while the other rests) plus four forwards (some combination of Elizabeth, Amber, Oderah, Kendall, and the four freshmen). I don't see any way around it, really.

I, too, expect the starting guards to be Becca and Ka'lia. The roster makeup is strange, with major, major issues at PG, plenty of promising wings, and both promising and experienced interior players.

I don't think Jenna will play much. Because Mercedes is the one of our 2 PGs likely to play but highly unlikely to play starter's minutes, at least one and possibly 2 of the talented wings have to be shifted to PG. Or "take on" some PG "duties." [It's difficult even to know how to describe the scenarios to cope with the PG problem...]. If Becca's handle and floor-vision are superior to Ka'lia's -- as I assume but do not know for certain -- then Becca seems mostly likely to log major minutes at PG. A shame in the sense that Becca seems perfectly suited to the wing/2. Probably not this season, alas.

Coach P is faced with a real challenge in the backcourt. Just looking at the roster, it seems the PG is Becca for starter, Mercedes as backup (and hopefully a solid 10+ mpg). The wing/2 spot probably belongs to Ka'lia and Sierra, the latter of whom is listed on the roster as G/F.

There's an interesting, if troubling, domino effect of Becca sliding from the wing/2 to PG. It requires Sierra to slide from the wing/3 to wing/2. Requires Sierra to play more (backup, 10+ mpg) and when she's on the floor, more active as dribbler, passer, O-generator for team. On D, her size might intimidate some opposing 2-guards, as long as she's quick enough to defend smaller but quicker wing/2s.

Because Azura is roster-listed as F/G, I'd think she would get a chance to log major minutes at wing/3. Maybe the domino effect of Becca to PG comes down to the wings (2 and 3) being shared by Ka'lia, Sierra, and Azura. Azura could presumably play inside (4) as well, but we have plenty of size and talent, and enough experience for the 4 and 5 spots.

As an aside, seems highly likely Coach P hopes to land one of the several highly-ranked 2015 PG's, two of whom, Asia Durr and Kyra Lambert, are "considering" Duke (HoopGurlz).

[Kedsy]

I, too, expect the starting guards to be Becca and Ka'lia. The roster makeup is strange, with major, major issues at PG, plenty of promising wings, and both promising and experienced interior players.

I don't think Jenna will play much. Because Mercedes is the one of our 2 PGs likely to play but highly unlikely to play starter's minutes, at least one and possibly 2 of the talented wings have to be shifted to PG. Or "take on" some PG "duties." [It's difficult even to know how to describe the scenarios to cope with the PG problem...]. If Becca's handle and floor-vision are superior to Ka'lia's -- as I assume but do not know for certain -- then Becca seems mostly likely to log major minutes at PG. A shame in the sense that Becca seems perfectly suited to the wing/2. Probably not this season, alas.

Coach P is faced with a real challenge in the backcourt. Just looking at the roster, it seems the PG is Becca for starter, Mercedes as backup (and hopefully a solid 10+ mpg). The wing/2 spot probably belongs to Ka'lia and Sierra, the latter of whom is listed on the roster as G/F.

There's an interesting, if troubling, domino effect of Becca sliding from the wing/2 to PG. It requires Sierra to slide from the wing/3 to wing/2. Requires Sierra to play more (backup, 10+ mpg) and when she's on the floor, more active as dribbler, passer, O-generator for team. On D, her size might intimidate some opposing 2-guards, as long as she's quick enough to defend smaller but quicker wing/2s.

Because Azura is roster-listed as F/G, I'd think she would get a chance to log major minutes at wing/3. Maybe the domino effect of Becca to PG comes down to the wings (2 and 3) being shared by Ka'lia, Sierra, and Azura. Azura could presumably play inside (4) as well, but we have plenty of size and talent, and enough experience for the 4 and 5 spots.

As an aside, seems highly likely Coach P hopes to land one of the several highly-ranked 2015 PG's, two of whom, Asia Durr and Kyra Lambert, are "considering" Duke (HoopGurlz).

This all sounds pretty sensible to me. Becca, Ka'lia, Sierra, and Mercedes at 1/2. Sierra, Azura, and maybe (with the 3-point shooting ability she showed late last season) Amber at the 3. Elizabeth, Amber, Kendall, Oderah, and Lynee at 4/5. Huge front line (really huge all around: Becca is listed at 6'1, Sierra at 6'0, and Ka'lia at 5'10), but a dearth of ballhandling.

[Gargoyle]

Here is Becca Greenwell's blog post about how the summer basketball program is coming along:

http://espn.go.com/espnw/athletes-li...-building-fall

[Gargoyle]

Here is Erin Mathias' video interview.
http://www.goduke.com/mediaPortal/pl...200&id=3340442

Also in Becca Greenwell's blog, she mentioned that she wanted to break the 1.5 mile record time. According to this tweet from Lauren Rice, she was successful.

"Witnessed @bgreenwell23 DESTROY @jaszthomas 1 1/2 record this morning! #wow #recordsaremeanttobebroken"

[Gargoyle]

Today's interview is with Mercedes Riggs.

http://www.goduke.com/mediaPortal/pl...200&id=3341187

[Gargoyle]

Here is the final interview with Sierra Calhoun.

http://www.goduke.com/HomePage2.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200

[Kedsy]

Here is the final interview with Sierra Calhoun.

http://www.goduke.com/HomePage2.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200

She calls herself a "combo guard." Any chance we see Sierra at lead guard for Duke this season?