Andre Dawkins to Duke

[flyingdutchdevil]

From what I've read, scouts say that Hairston will be a really good player at Duke. Dawkins, on the other hand, has the potential to be great. JJ great.

He has JJ's touch (okay, that may be an exaggeration, but he can shoot. I think Ellington's touch may be a better example) and G's athleticism. Plus, he can play D. Of all our recruits, he is the one that I am looking forward to the most.

His stock has soared recently. He will be absolutely nasty.

Lets go Spartans!

[JDev]

I was not aware that Dawkins will actually be a fifth year senior next year. Perhaps that has helped his development.

I guess that rules him out of next year's McDonalds game.

[soccerstud2210]

Time for some positive news.

Apparently, Mr. Dawkins can play (not that anybody doubted it). I read on virginiapreps.com that he is lighting up the Boo Williams Summer League to the tune of 35 ppg. Gotta love it. He's a shooter who can finish strong at the hoop. Nice combination.

I think we should add this to the good news column along with (in no particular order):

Dawkins helped lead his private school team Atlantic Shores to a 30 something and 2 record against stiff competition.

Josh Hairston led his team to the Virginia AA State title in decisive fashion.

Tyler Thornton helped lead his team (Gonzaga) to the Alhambra Catholic title over St. Frances. This is a beast of a tournament featuring many of the best Catholic programs in the country. This kid is a winner.

We got Curry.

Things are looking up for us and Barnes (or at least rumored to be).

We aren't out of it for Knight.

Our two recruits for next season Kelly and Plumlee can play.

Bledsoe is looking like a real possibility.

We may even have an outside shot at Wall.

We return a lot of talent next season (even if Henderson takes his game to the next level).

We have a great coaching staff and the best fans in the country.

We have a class program that does things the right way. I guess I would rather do things the way we do them than the UConn's (do you really think this is going to turn out okay Jimmy C?), Memphis', Kentucky's (they have sold their soul on their last two hires IMO; hope another probation isn't in their future), Maryland's (classless fans and don't graduate their players), etc. of the world even if it costs us a few more Ws.

Go Duke! Go Spartans!

my buddy's brother plays(ed) with curry at liberty. says the kid is a black hole, and doesnt play defense. let's just hope that K can change that.

[dukeballer2294]

I guess that rules him out of next year's McDonalds game.

how do u become a 5th year senior exactly im guessing grades?

[DUKIE V(A)]

Not of Dawkins' case in particular but...one way to do it is to transfer from a public school to a private school and reclassify. Example: Say player X attends Johnson City HS (Public) for his freshman and sophomore years. He may transfer to Jahnson Catholic (Private) and enroll as a sophomore. Many private schools with strong athletic programs allow this practice.

[ForeverBlowingBubbles]

Dawkins is impressing everyone...

SG Andre Dawkins
6-4/190, Chesapeake (Va.) Atlantic Shores Christian
Dawkins, a Duke commitment, was superb throughout the event. He shot the ball with precision and with range, attacked the basket and completed some tough finishes in the midrange. As impressive as Dawkins was on the wing offensively, he was just as impressive all over the court as a defender. Dawkins' game warrants the addition of another star by his name.

[studdlee10]

how do u become a 5th year senior exactly im guessing grades?

It could be because of grades or discipline (see early John Wall), but that's not always the case. Miles Plumlee was a 5th year and he was strong enough academically to gain entrance into Stanford.

A lot of times, kids are held back a year purely for sports purposes early in their HS careers, ie another year of development, etc. It's pretty common, see Jordan Hamilton, Wall this year...Jeremy Tyler, Kendall Marshall, Dawkins next year. Some kids don't get any D-1 offers that intrigue them, so they wait and spend a fifth year at Hargrave, or something similar. This is more common in football, but it does happen in basketball, see Chris Braswell formerly of G'town.

[JasonEvans]

It could be because of grades or discipline (see early John Wall), but that's not always the case. Miles Plumlee was a 5th year and he was strong enough academically to gain entrance into Stanford.

A lot of times, kids are held back a year purely for sports purposes early in their HS careers, ie another year of development, etc. It's pretty common, see Jordan Hamilton, Wall this year...Jeremy Tyler, Kendall Marshall, Dawkins next year. Some kids don't get any D-1 offers that intrigue them, so they wait and spend a fifth year at Hargrave, or something similar. This is more common in football, but it does happen in basketball, see Chris Braswell formerly of G'town.

It is even more common than you might imagine. Tyler Hansbrough, for example, stayed extra long in high school. That is why he is almost 24 years old right now as a graduating college senior. More often than not it has nothing to do with grades or discipline.

-Jason "Dawkins will be younger as a freshman than Hasbro was as a freshman" Evans

[BD80]

... -Jason "Dawkins will be younger as a freshman than Hasbro was as a freshman" Evans

I think Zoubek will be younger as a senior than Hansthuselah was as a freshman.

I hear they will be carbon dating Hans and Dikembe Mutombo to see which is older.

Hans is so old ...

[gw67]

It is becoming increasingly popular to hold back youngsters for a year or have them attend prep school for a year to mature before entering college. A close friend of mine had his youngster attend public school through eighth grade and then repeat that grade when he transferred to a catholic school in DC. The youngster was no dummy but he grew, put on some weight and was able to compete in the tough Met Catholic League. He played four years at Cornell.

Don't know if he was held back, but Kyle Singler will be 21 in less than three weeks. Nolan Smith is not much younger. He will be 21 in July. I don't think that it is unusual to find athletes who are older than their classmates. One of the reasons Blake Griffin might be attractive to the NBA (besides his obvious talent) is that he just turned 20.

gw67

[roywhite]

It is becoming increasingly popular to hold back youngsters for a year or have them attend prep school for a year to mature before entering college. A close friend of mine had his youngster attend public school through eighth grade and then repeat that grade when he transferred to a catholic school in DC. The youngster was no dummy but he grew, put on some weight and was able to compete in the tough Met Catholic League. He played four years at Cornell.

Don't know if he was held back, but Kyle Singler will be 21 in less than three weeks. Nolan Smith is not much younger. He will be 21 in July. I don't think that it is unusual to find athletes who are older than their classmates. One of the reasons Blake Griffin might be attractive to the NBA (besides his obvious talent) is that he just turned 20.

gw67

Good point, gw67...we do see more of the extra year these days, possibly because of the increase in prospects going to prep schools.

On the other side, both David Thompson and Mike Gminski graduated from high school at age 16. They were true prodigies.

[MADevil30]

It is becoming increasingly popular to hold back youngsters for a year or have them attend prep school for a year to mature before entering college. A close friend of mine had his youngster attend public school through eighth grade and then repeat that grade when he transferred to a catholic school in DC. The youngster was no dummy but he grew, put on some weight and was able to compete in the tough Met Catholic League. He played four years at Cornell.

I graduated from a prep school in Massachusetts and, although we did not have any post-grads, it was standard practice that almost any athletic recruit repeated the last year that he/she had completed at any other school. For us the game was usually hockey, football, or lacrosse, but I would assume the same things go on in basketball.

[roywhite]

Young Mr. Dawkins is also gaining a reputation as a very enthusiastic recruiter for Duke. He encouraged both Tyler Thornton and Josh Hairston to commit to Duke and is now "working" on some other high-profile prospects. He sees the 2010 class as being the cornerstone of championships at Duke.

Sounds good to me.

[dukeballer2294]

It is becoming increasingly popular to hold back youngsters for a year or have them attend prep school for a year to mature before entering college. A close friend of mine had his youngster attend public school through eighth grade and then repeat that grade when he transferred to a catholic school in DC. The youngster was no dummy but he grew, put on some weight and was able to compete in the tough Met Catholic League. He played four years at Cornell.

Don't know if he was held back, but Kyle Singler will be 21 in less than three weeks. Nolan Smith is not much younger. He will be 21 in July. I don't think that it is unusual to find athletes who are older than their classmates. One of the reasons Blake Griffin might be attractive to the NBA (besides his obvious talent) is that he just turned 20.

gw67

are 5th year seniors eligible then to play their 5th year of bball in high school? i read somewhere that Hamilton did not play this year

[turnandburn55]

Young Mr. Dawkins is also gaining a reputation as a very enthusiastic recruiter for Duke. He encouraged both Tyler Thornton and Josh Hairston to commit to Duke and is now "working" on some other high-profile prospects. He sees the 2010 class as being the cornerstone of championships at Duke.

Sounds good to me.

Would it be sacrilege to say that's almost... "Battier-like"??

[throatybeard]

I think Zoubek will be younger as a senior than Hansthuselah was as a freshman.

Finally, this trenchantly unfunny, unwitty and utterly petty tradition of Dukefan monikers for TH has resulted in an actually clever one.