Kenny Boynton recruitment

[dukeballer2294]

I believe this characterization is a bit harsh. IMO, Kenny Boynton is a young man facing an extremely difficult decision, which has life long consequences. He is keeping all options open and taking his time to ensure he makes the right choice. Everything I've read has consistently stated that Kenny Boynton will announce his decision around November. I'm patiently waiting.

We should throw a party 24 hours before he is supposed to announce. It would be crazy.

[JasonEvans]

Does anyone have an email, address or phone # for Kenny B? I suspect one would not to post it on this board,...if so, send me a PM.

As a Duke mom, I would LOVE the opportunity to 'berate' Kenny B if he doesn't choose Duke, but more importantly I'd like to tell his mom and dad about my experiences as a Duke mom. Duke came through for us time and time again during tough circumstances, financially and with comforting support for my daughter's dad/my husband and his pesky brain tumor.

Duke rules. Both my daughter and my son-in-law are Duke grads (class of 2001). Daughter Alex then graduated with a law degree from USC (...for those of you on the East Coast that's SoCal), and son has started his final year at Stanford Law. Financially and in other ways there is NO WHERE will they give their support except Duke.

I can't tell you how important Duke and a Duke education has meant -- and truly I would like to share these experiences with Kenny B's family. If you can help me make a connection, let me know. A visit from Billy D. from FL doesn't hold a candle to having KB come to Duke.

I think we can all assume this was just a joke. No one should be posting or talking in a serious way about contacting a recruit. Doing so could easily result in NCAA action against Duke and the odds are far greater that you would hurt Duke's chances than help with said recruit.

Again, I think Dukemom was just kidding and expressing what she would say to Kenny if she had his ear.

--Jason "it is easier to get in trouble with the NCAA than you might imagine" Evans

[miramar]

at least he understands that Coach K was involved in the Olympics, and also mentions that the two have stayed in touch.

He certainly does not come off like Baron Davis, who got upset because Coach K did not stay in touch in the weeks after his mother passed away. Boynton must be in the middle of a pressure cooker, but he seems to be handling it well.

[happydays1949]

at least he understands that Coach K was involved in the Olympics, and also mentions that the two have stayed in touch.

He certainly does not come off like Baron Davis, who got upset because Coach K did not stay in touch in the weeks after his mother passed away. Boynton must be in the middle of a pressure cooker, but he seems to be handling it well.

Well, I took his quote as another Baron Davis.

[BlueintheFace]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/...name=katz_andy

[miramar]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/...name=katz_andy

I don't think I have ever seen a group recruiting visit like the one that USC has lined up for this weekend. With five official and eight unofficial recruits (plus one recruit lined up already for each of the next two years) they don't need a very high success rate to claim a huge boost for their program.

I hope Boynton gets lost in the shuffle or feels too far from home.

I will also be rooting for Ohio State.

[Devilsfan]

Go Bucks!

[jbond10]

Cautious optimism...

[BlueintheFace]

Very interesting... I was getting a little excited while reading it. I'd say if he had to choose now, he would choose Duke. That could all change though. The Nolan/Elliot connection helps a lot.

[SilkyJ]

Article on Kenny's recruitment...tough to take much away, though he did like the comparisons to J Will

http://sports.espn.go.com/highschool...t&lid=tab7pos1

[BlueintheFace]

no offense mods, but I think that this article definitely deserves it's own thread since it gives us plenty to talk about (K's recruiting methods, Kenny Boynton, the assistants, Donovan, etc...). Now it is just buried at the end of a long thread. Plus, the original post is a lead into a rare ESPN recruitment article, not just another comment on Boynton's recruitment. There is some real insight here that we don't normally get. I'd leave it as it's own thread.

[SilkyJ]

no offense mods, but I think that this article definitely deserves it's own thread since it gives us plenty to talk about (K's recruiting methods, Kenny Boynton, the assistants, Donovan, etc...). Now it is just buried at the end of a long thread. Plus, the original post is a lead into a rare ESPN recruitment article, not just another comment on Boynton's recruitment. There is some real insight here that we don't normally get. I'd leave it as it's own thread.

I purposefully placed it in this thread b/c of the consolidation/organization the mods had been asking for. Sorry...

oh and now I realized someone beat me to the punch...sorry...must have posted the same time as me because I had to go searching for the thread...

[whereinthehellami]

no offense mods, but I think that this article definitely deserves it's own thread since it gives us plenty to talk about (K's recruiting methods, Kenny Boynton, the assistants, Donovan, etc...). Now it is just buried at the end of a long thread. Plus, the original post is a lead into a rare ESPN recruitment article, not just another comment on Boynton's recruitment. There is some real insight here that we don't normally get. I'd leave it as it's own thread.

I agree, good article. Looks like UF to me. I don't get the Limo thing with Coach K.

[Jaymf7]

Is it common for recruits to wear shorts and a tank top to these meetings? I would imagine that most coaches dress up a bit (as the Duke gang did) for these interviews. Maybe it is a generational thing, but I certainly dressed when I had interviews for Duke and grad school. I suppose I did not already have a scholarship offer at that time, though. At the end of the day, I don't think the fact that Boyton dressed down says anything about him -- I just was a bit surprised.

[footballfan2]

Cautious optimism...

good article. A good behind the scenes look. If I was objective, it looks like Duke still has some ground to catch up with Florida.

[footballfan2]

Is it common for recruits to wear shorts and a tank top to these meetings? I would imagine that most coaches dress up a bit (as the Duke gang did) for these interviews. Maybe it is a generational thing, but I certainly dressed when I had interviews for Duke and grad school. I suppose I did not already have a scholarship offer at that time, though. At the end of the day, I don't think the fact that Boyton dressed down says anything about him -- I just was a bit surprised.

Well if you look at the pictures... Donovan doesn't have a tie on. Coach K is wearing a suit... as is Collins and Nate James.

They also pointed out that Duke came in a limo and Donovan came in a brown mini-van.

Seems like in many ways, Donovan is able to "connect" with the players on a more personal level.

[Indoor66]

Well if you look at the pictures... Donovan doesn't have a tie on. Coach K is wearing a suit... as is Collins and Nate James.

They also pointed out that Duke came in a limo and Donovan came in a brown mini-van.

Seems like in many ways, Donovan is able to "connect" with the players on a more personal level.

It could also be construed as professionalism and a mark of respect to the family by the Duke coaches. They covey a sense of seriousness for the recruit, family and the decision to be made.

[watzone]

I find it interesting that Donovan toned it down in that he is rarely casual in other settings. IMO, he was catering to the family, knowing K and company come in professional. There is nothing fake about that for Duke was just being themselves. They didn't change up their recruiting patterns. IMO that's being real. I mean, have you ever seen Donovans cars or his house accross the street from Meyer? Uh huh! He's the common man alright They flew in for gosh sakes, why not hire a limo instead of a taxi.

It did read like the family is a UF lean, but how do we know what was left out? The thing in the Gators corner is that they can push staying home and playing with your friend. It'll be a tough get, but will KB do whats best for him or his family?

[SupaDave]

I find it interesting that Donovan toned it down in that he is rarely casual in other settings. IMO, he was catering to the family, knowing K and company come in professional. There is nothing fake about that for Duke was just being themselves. They which IMO is being didn't change up their recruiting patterns. IMO it's being real. I mean, have you ever seen Donovans cars or his house accross the street from Meyer? Uh huh! He's the common man alright They flew in for gosh sakes, why not hire a limo instead of a taxi.

It did seem like the family is a UF lean, but how do we know what was left out? The thing in the Gators corner is that they can push staying home and playing with your friend. It'll be a tough get, but will KB do whats best for him or his family?

Excellent point Watzone. The family probably liked Coach K's limo. "That's just how they roll" is an acknowledgement of the fact that K and Co. are not being 'hollywood' but it is b/c that's normal modus operandi for K and Co.

Hmmmm... Am I the only one that noticed that the family was REALLY impressed with K?

Take it from me, the thing that stuck out to me was the length of the visits. K and Co - 5 hrs. Donovan - 2 hrs and apparently he didn't like the food(I kid!). But still - that's a HUGE discrepency.

His mom is pro-Duke - and I love her. That's VERY obvious from this article. She appears to have high expectations and Coach K is the definition of that in so many ways.

An offense tailored to a player? Yep - we've done that. Just ask Johnny D, J. WIll, Laetner, Reddick, or Trajan Langdon...

This is a great article, one of which that shows Boynton as a typical teenager from a good, close knit family. Boynton is handling his recruitment with class and patience.

He doesn't need to dress up - he wears a uniform everyday! The Coaches want to see him in his element - he's already done most of his auditioning. Besides, he's going to college - there'll be plenty of time to dress up.

Nolan Smith may become one of the most important recruits in recent years due to not only his unbelievable talent but also his leadership abilities that allow him to befriend most of the players that he comes across.

So far the recruitment of Boynton looks GENIUS. They've already given him a big man. He'll be coming into a strong situation and they've already let him know that they'll will be plenty of help on the way.

I'm liking the kid and I'm liking our odds...

(and no - Lil' Wayne can not hold a candle to the Notorious B.I.G.)

[ice-9]

I agree with the assessment that Duke has some catching up to do. The following are my extrapolations from the article...and yes, I know I did a lot of extrapolating but that's what online forums are for.

+ If we get Boynton, Smith and Elliot are going to be big reasons why. Coach K did the right move in opening with the Smith story -- sets a common ground

+ The JWill references are positive, but a little theoretical. Boynton doesn't really know who JWill is and doesn't have the respect and awe that would make the comparison really powerful. I think the coaches may need to shift the point of emphasis in recruiting to a different angle for Boynton's official visit

+ Eating everything is a good move. This will sound stupid, I know, but every time I visit a girlfriend's parents for the first time and they make dinner, I finish every single thing they give me and more. It's just a nice thing to do and says you appreciate their hospitality

+ The Shavlik story the reporter recounted for the Boyntons did us a favor because it showed that Donovan has gone to ridiculous lengths before for a recruit and that his efforts for Boynton aren't all that special. (And oh yeah, that Shavlik still picked Duke)

+ Donavon's nerf gun is cute and creative...but kinda gimmicky. I don't know if the Boyntons would see it the same way but if I was a highly sought after recruit I wouldn't be impressed with such a tactic. If you want to speak from the heart, just speak from the heart. Propping your comments with a nerf gun implies that you're NOT being genuine and that you need a gimmick to draw attention away from your sales tactics

- The fact that Donovan was able to mimic Boynton (in a humorous way) says volumes about how well he knows the kid. Advantage Florida

- Ditto with the dad impersonating Donovan. Double advantage Florida. Overall it seems like the Boynton family connected better with Donovan on a personal level. Hopefully, the Boyntons realize the most important thing about a coach is not that he is someone they can be friends with, but someone who they can listen to and respect; someone who can teach. If they do...advantage Coach K

- The reporter wrote that Dana hopes to see even more when they travel to Durham, N.C., for his official visit, which is tentatively scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 17. "That's when I want them to just bring it," she says. This implies that "it," whatever it is, wasn't brought to the visit. She's still waiting to be impressed

- The wedding ring comment seemed like a dig at Coach K...likely in reference to the fact that our assistants were the ones recruiting Boynton while Coach K was in the Olympics. Kenny Sr's response: He said that's how he was gonna take care of Junior. Personally. So the comment seems well-received...though if it was me, I'd be unimpressed with that subtle dig to Duke. C'mon...it's the Olympics, sacrifice a little!

- The limo (and perhaps the suits) made us look a little too formal. Note how the article quotes Kenny Sr with I guess that's just how they roll. I ain't mad at that at all. The phrasing made it sound like maybe he should've been mad, and perhaps that's something the reporter picked up on

+/- Florida is scheduled for the last visit. This can be good in that there's a chance Boynton could make a decision straight after the Duke visit (unlikely though given how well Florida has been recruiting Boynton). This can be bad in that the Florida impression would likely to be his freshest when he makes a decision

The good news about the article is that it seems clear it's a two horse race between Duke and Florida. Hopefully the Boyntons realize that in terms of education and opportunities for self-actualization, there is no better place than Duke. Come on down Kenny and win us a championship! There are no gimmicks about Duke: you gell well with our players, our coaches are on a class of their own, there's a place for a player like you on our team, and well Duke is Duke. This is the best place for you to realize your dreams and ambitions.