PDA

View Full Version : NC Pro-Am



Smitty1911
07-01-2009, 01:00 PM
The rosters were posted today. Games begin tomorrow!

http://www.ncproam.com/rosters09.html

Wander
07-01-2009, 01:25 PM
Can't wait for that Singler vs Singler matchup when Navy plays E-net.

"I didn't throw the ball out of bounds - I forced a turnover!"

CDu
07-01-2009, 01:30 PM
Can't wait for that Singler vs Singler matchup when Navy plays E-net.

"I didn't throw the ball out of bounds - I forced a turnover!"

Note that Tracy Smith is on two teams as well. And Team KG is at a serious disadvantage with only 5 players. And I'm not sure who Greg Zoubek is.

Wander
07-01-2009, 01:38 PM
And Team KG is at a serious disadvantage with only 5 players.

At least Ryan Kelly will get used to only playing with 1-2 guards on his roster.

dougc33
07-01-2009, 02:14 PM
Myles Plumlee (not once but twice)?

Mister Height is only 6'2"?

Will Ray Ray score like 85 pts every game? Look at his team of no-names...

IF KS is on Team Navy they are definitely the team to beat...Beasley, Shammond and Kyle? R u kidding me? It's sensational, scintillating AWESOME bay-beee!

OZZIE4DUKE
07-01-2009, 02:37 PM
Greg Zoubek? I haven't made THAT mistake in 3 years... ;)



Team Hendricks of Durham



1. David Noel
2. Derrick Wiley
3. Ricky Clemons
5. Greg Zoubek

CDu
07-01-2009, 02:46 PM
Greg Zoubek? I haven't made THAT mistake in 3 years... ;)

Sadly, I hear it all the time in the mainstream media. It's one thing to get it wrong on a message board, but major media outlets shouldn't screw that up.

Smitty1911
07-01-2009, 05:34 PM
Any locals attending tomorrow night's games? I'd love to get some scouting reports on our guys. Never too early to start building the unrealistic expectations for next season! ;)

Bluedog
07-01-2009, 05:39 PM
Myles Plumlee (not once but twice)?

Mister Height is only 6'2"?

Will Ray Ray score like 85 pts every game? Look at his team of no-names...

IF KS is on Team Navy they are definitely the team to beat...Beasley, Shammond and Kyle? R u kidding me? It's sensational, scintillating AWESOME bay-beee!

They have taken Kyle's name off Team Navy. So, it appears he's only on Team E-Net.

FireOgilvie
07-01-2009, 05:58 PM
I don't see Nolan's name on the rosters...

MChambers
07-01-2009, 06:12 PM
Mister Height is only 6'2"?

Seems like a less than optimal use of a great name.

Huh?
07-01-2009, 07:04 PM
Team Dreamworks definitely team to beat.

Faison1
07-02-2009, 08:30 AM
Any locals attending tomorrow night's games? I'd love to get some scouting reports on our guys. Never too early to start building the unrealistic expectations for next season! ;)

I hear Nick Horvath is in town and ready to rip it up this year....

duke5021
07-02-2009, 09:19 AM
I don't see Nolan's name on the rosters...

I asked the same question on another board, and think about the reason Nolan isn't playing? We have 2 guards this year...

FireOgilvie
07-02-2009, 10:27 AM
I asked the same question on another board, and think about the reason Nolan isn't playing? We have 2 guards this year...

Right, but Scheyer is still on a roster.

Kedsy
07-02-2009, 10:35 AM
I asked the same question on another board, and think about the reason Nolan isn't playing? We have 2 guards this year...

Isn't Nolan playing in a league in DC? There was some blog post where they called him "The Escalade" and said he was breaking ankles and floating like MJ. Has he come back down to Duke yet? If not that would explain it.

Team KG is now down to four players. Team Dreamworks is a bunch of heels.

This is Olek's event, right? Too bad he's on the injured list.

FireOgilvie
07-02-2009, 10:38 AM
Isn't Nolan playing in a league in DC? There was some blog post where they called him "The Escalade" and said he was breaking ankles and floating like MJ. Has he come back down to Duke yet? If not that would explain it.

Team KG is now down to four players. Team Dreamworks is a bunch of heels.

This is Olek's event, right? Too bad he's on the injured list.

Beasley was playing in that DC league and he's on a Pro-Am roster. Nolan and Beasley are best friends and worked out together last summer.

SupaDave
07-02-2009, 06:18 PM
Isn't Nolan playing in a league in DC? There was some blog post where they called him "The Escalade" and said he was breaking ankles and floating like MJ. Has he come back down to Duke yet? If not that would explain it.

LMFAO!!! This is hilarious b/c the article really did make him sound like this.

RelativeWays
07-02-2009, 07:32 PM
How did we let Myles Plumlee slip by? We have a couple of spots available and we might need to get him and Brian's lil' brother Greg on the team.

Wait....Marty's on a roster. I thought he was of to Lithuania by now. Maybe......................

Azdukefan
07-02-2009, 10:16 PM
Isn't Nolan playing in a league in DC? There was some blog post where they called him "The Escalade" and said he was breaking ankles and floating like MJ. Has he come back down to Duke yet? If not that would explain it.

Team KG is now down to four players. Team Dreamworks is a bunch of heels.

This is Olek's event, right? Too bad he's on the injured list.

This what I like to hear. I have been telling everyone to watch out for Nolan this year. While we have no idea whether or not the blogger is credible, I personally don't care and am going to assume it is nothing but truth. In my mind, our season lies on good health and Nolan.

watzone
07-03-2009, 12:09 AM
Pro Am, evening one - http://bluedevilnation.net/

Mason's team defeats Miles and Kyles team. Kelly for 14

Kedsy
07-03-2009, 12:42 AM
Pro Am, evening one - http://bluedevilnation.net/

Mason's team defeats Miles and Kyles team. Kelly for 14

Thanks for that, Mark. One thing I noticed from the picture, and perhaps the floor was uneven, but if Kyle is 6'8" then neither of the Plumlee brothers look to be 6'11" (or even 6'10").

watzone
07-03-2009, 01:05 AM
Thanks for that, Mark. One thing I noticed from the picture, and perhaps the floor was uneven, but if Kyle is 6'8" then neither of the Plumlee brothers look to be 6'11" (or even 6'10").

Trust me in that Mason is two inches taller. You may notice that Singler is standing in front of them.

ACCBBallFan
07-03-2009, 01:16 AM
Yes and I have heard varying reports on Kyle being 6'8" sometime and 6'9" at others, must be the new shoes versus the ones he has broken in

duke5021
07-03-2009, 06:55 AM
All the better if Singler is 6-9. We are going to have a 6-9 2 guard this year then. Really like what I hear out of Mason.

Thanks for the report Watzone. I can't wait to see the rest of the reports start to roll in as the league goes on.

ACCBBallFan
07-03-2009, 05:37 PM
Mark, thanks for the update.

Do you agree with some poster observations, that Miles though bulked up to 245 was only about the same effectiveness wise as last year?

I realize after the Olek Czyz reports last year that these NCCU results analysis have to be taken with a grain of salt, but in off season everybody is starving for more info.

Also these games and pick up games too are probably more like all star games where a guy whose game is team oriented, (not necessarily Miles but in general) does not shine in this venue as much as in Div I OOC and ACC games.

quickgtp
07-04-2009, 01:47 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzQwNKIjtyc

Highlights from day 1.

Indoor66
07-04-2009, 01:54 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzQwNKIjtyc

Highlights from day 1.

That was a waste of time! :confused:

quickgtp
07-04-2009, 01:57 PM
How is it a waste of time when it shows exactly what is described: highlights from day 1. What are you watching?

watzone
07-04-2009, 06:45 PM
Mark, thanks for the update.

Do you agree with some poster observations, that Miles though bulked up to 245 was only about the same effectiveness wise as last year?

I realize after the Olek Czyz reports last year that these NCCU results analysis have to be taken with a grain of salt, but in off season everybody is starving for more info.

Also these games and pick up games too are probably more like all star games where a guy whose game is team oriented, (not necessarily Miles but in general) does not shine in this venue as much as in Div I OOC and ACC games.

Miles plays alongside Kyle and Jawad Williams. Williams was hot, but a ball hog at the same time. One would think a team with these three guys would win, but Miles more than held his own inside.

Miles has put on some muscle for sure, but I am not sure if he is 245. Still, his body is much improved. He will have a chance to play without Singler this week and that will give him more opportunities to shine.

While Czyz was entertaining, it was obvious that he needed work on other aspects of his game. While the dunk show was entertaining, there were signs that he did not position himself well. It was a classic case of a player going to their strength, thus avoiding other areas that need work.

ACCBBallFan
07-05-2009, 12:14 AM
Thanks, Mark.

If Miles was #5 in Blue, just that one cross over and dunk was more than we saw last year. The 245 was in reference to an article a week or so ago when coach K said he went from 230 to 245. An article a couple of days earleir had said he gained 15 but at the time it was not clear if that was 215 to 230 or what turned out to be the case.

ACCBBallFan
07-06-2009, 08:05 PM
Here's the link on Miles up to 245

http://dukebasketballjournal.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/miles-plumlee-working-hard-in-the-off-season/

Newton_14
07-06-2009, 10:40 PM
Tommorrow night is a good night to catch our boys in the Pro-Am. Following is the schedule for July 7...

6PM- KG with Ryan Kelly vs Hendricks with Brian Zoubek
7pm- Starkey with Lance Thomas vs God Bless My Success
8pm- Team PJ Tucker vs Team Duhon with Chris Duhon, Jon Scheyer, MP2, Marty Pocious, Sean Dockery
No Duke guys in the 9pm game..

FireOgilvie
07-08-2009, 12:16 AM
Any word on results, impressions, etc. from Tuesday? Did anyone go?

Marty10
07-08-2009, 06:57 AM
http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/

watzone
07-08-2009, 12:35 PM
Here is the Tuesday recap and pics of the Dukies at the NC Prom Am - http://bluedevilnation.net/?p=2442

SilkyJ
07-08-2009, 12:49 PM
Mark- did I read this correctly from your Day 2 recap



One of those plays still brought oohs and ahs as Plumlee missed a dunk and Jon jumped up and almost flushed it home on the tip, but it caromed out as the basket gave way.


Scheyer on a putback dunk?! Would love to see some of that this season!

Azdukefan
07-08-2009, 01:03 PM
I am not one to check out guys but Jon looks like he has added even more "good" weight. That reaffirms my belief that we can still be a national contender this season as he, Nolan, and Kyle will need to bring it every night. Bring it on!!!

beltwayBD
07-08-2009, 09:06 PM
That was a waste of time! :confused:

On the contrary, I loved the highlights! Great to see Mason dunk and, perhaps more importantly, block!

ACCBBallFan
07-09-2009, 01:21 AM
Here is the Tuesday recap and pics of the Dukies at the NC Prom Am - http://bluedevilnation.net/?p=2442

Thanks for these updates, Mark.

Did Zoubek and Lance not play? It was my understanding from original rosters that July 7 matchups were:

6 pm K G (Ryan Kelly) vs Hendricks (Zoubek)
7 pm WR Starkey (Lance) vs God Bless My Success (Felton)
8 pm Team PJ Tucker (Danny Green) vs Team Duhon (Jon/Mason)
9 pm Lucky 7 vs Navy (Wears, Graves, Beasley)

I also read somewhere that Mason did a decent job trying to defend the smaller quicker PJ Tucker.

Tomorrow's matchups:

6 pm Navy (Wears, Graves, Beasley) vs K G (Ryan Kelly)
7 pm Lucky 7 vs Team Duhon (Jon/Mason)
8 pm WR Starkey (Lance) vs Team PJ Tucker (Danny Green)
9 pm Dreamworks (Henson, Strickland, Marvin) vs E-Net (Kyle @ Lebron Skills Camp/Miles)

Looks like Jon/Mason Team Duhon is only team undefeated after 2 games which is kind of surprising that there would only be one of about 10, though both teams they beat are winless

http://www.ncproam.com/standings09.html

watzone
07-09-2009, 01:24 AM
Thanks for these updates, Mark.

Did Zoubek and Lance not play? It was my understanding from original rosters that July 7 matchups were:

6 pm K G (Ryan Kelly) vs Hendricks (Zoubek)
7 pm WR Starkey (Lance) vs God Bless My Success (Felton)
8 pm Team PJ Tucker (Danny Green) vs Team Duhon (Jon/Mason)
9 pm Lucky 7 vs Navy (Wears, Graves, Beasley)

I also read somewhere that Mason did a decent job trying to defend the smaller quicker PJ Tucker.

Tomorrow's matchups:

6 pm Navy (Wears, Graves, Beasley) vs K G (Ryan Kelly)
7 pm Lucky 7 vs Team Duhon (Jon/Mason)
8 pm WR Starkey (Lance) vs Team PJ Tucker (Danny Green)
9 pm Dreamworks (Henson, Strickland, Marvin) vs E-Net (Kyle @ Lebron Skills Camp/Miles)

Sometimes guys show up and other time they don't. Lots of UNC types were no shows on Tuesday.

watzone
07-09-2009, 01:26 AM
Mark- did I read this correctly from your Day 2 recap



Scheyer on a putback dunk?! Would love to see some of that this season!


Yeah, it kind of caught me off guard. It almost fell and the put down-back was with authority. Scheyer was the best overall player on the court.

watzone
07-10-2009, 10:44 PM
A bit more pro am reporting for you - http://bluedevilnation.net/?p=2459

NSDukeFan
07-11-2009, 09:44 AM
A bit more pro am reporting for you - http://bluedevilnation.net/?p=2459

Thanks for the updates Mark. Jon is definitely looking like he has put on a bit of muscle since last year. Impressive.

quickgtp
07-11-2009, 03:08 PM
On the contrary, I loved the highlights! Great to see Mason dunk and, perhaps more importantly, block!

Thank you BeltwayBD! I have no idea where Indoor66 was coming from but, to me, his/her comment was ridiculous! I was hoping some of you would like that highlight video.....

Kedsy
07-16-2009, 10:52 AM
According to this blogger, Kyle's playing great defense and both Plumlees are standouts. Nice to hear, anyway.

http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/

airowe
07-16-2009, 11:22 AM
According to this blogger, Kyle's playing great defense and both Plumlees are standouts. Nice to hear, anyway.

http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/

"He got help from big man Mason Plumlee who showed that he had some ball-handling skills too, as he crossed defenders al l the way to the basket to stuff the ball in their faces"

MP2 obviously has talent. Let's hope his skills transfer well from exhibition to regular season.

I'm going to check these games out tonight. I'll bring a recap back tomorrow.

El_Diablo
07-16-2009, 11:47 AM
"He got help from big man Mason Plumlee who showed that he had some ball-handling skills too, as he crossed defenders al l the way to the basket to stuff the ball in their faces"

MP2 obviously has talent. Let's hope his skills transfer well from exhibition to regular season.

I'm going to check these games out tonight. I'll bring a recap back tomorrow.

Mase to the face! Excellent.

I just hope he can consistently defend the lane, alter shots, and rebound in traffic.

airowe
07-16-2009, 12:16 PM
If anyone who's been to this could give me some direction on how to get to the gym where these games are it would be greatly appreciated. I'm not at all familiar with Central's campus.

Thanks.

Carlos
07-16-2009, 02:49 PM
It's pretty easy to find.

Take the Durham Freeway (147) to the Alston Ave. exit. If you're coming from Raleigh you'll turn left on Alston - if you're coming from downtown Durham you'll turn right.

From there go about a mile and turn right on E. Lawson Street. You'll go down a hill and see the NCCU track on the left of the street. There's a parking lot right across the street which is the best place to park if you can find a spot. The gym is at the top of the hill on the left.

Greg_Newton
07-16-2009, 02:58 PM
I'm going to check these games out tonight. I'll bring a recap back tomorrow.

Awesome, I'll look forward to hearing your report. If you happen to notice anything relating to: Mason's post footwork and defensive timing, how quick/aggressive Ryan looks in off-the-ball defensive/rebounding situations, or how much of a presence Miles looks to be inside, I would be quite curious to hear!:D

airowe
07-16-2009, 03:00 PM
It's pretty easy to find.

Take the Durham Freeway (147) to the Alston Ave. exit. If you're coming from Raleigh you'll turn left on Alston - if you're coming from downtown Durham you'll turn right.

From there go about a mile and turn right on E. Lawson Street. You'll go down a hill and see the NCCU track on the left of the street. There's a parking lot right across the street which is the best place to park if you can find a spot. The gym is at the top of the hill on the left.

Thanks Carlos.

airowe
07-16-2009, 05:02 PM
I'm going to check these games out tonight. I'll bring a recap back tomorrow.

It looks like only "Myles" Plumlee will be playing tonight from the Duke contingent so I think I''m going to sit this one out. Next Tuesday looks pretty strong though so I'll bring a recap the next day.

Sorry to disappoint all of you who were holding your breath. ;)

NSDukeFan
07-16-2009, 08:21 PM
It looks like only "Myles" Plumlee will be playing tonight from the Duke contingent so I think I''m going to sit this one out. Next Tuesday looks pretty strong though so I'll bring a recap the next day.

Sorry to disappoint all of you who were holding your breath. ;)

Myles? That must be the fourth Plumlee. I hope we get him as well.;)

Kedsy
07-17-2009, 10:31 AM
From the Greater NC Pro-Am Basketball League blog (http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/):


[Miles] Plumlee had a great night, demonstrating his shooting range with back-to-back threes and a sweet jumpshot right after that.

He also apparently missed a dunk that would have won the game at the buzzer, but I suppose you can't have everything, right?

Greg_Newton
07-17-2009, 03:39 PM
From the Greater NC Pro-Am Basketball League blog (http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/):
....
He also apparently missed a dunk that would have won the game at the buzzer, but I suppose you can't have everything, right?

Apparently Kyle had 21, too http://www.ncproam.com/standings09.html. They must not have gotten much help...

airowe
07-17-2009, 03:56 PM
Apparently Kyle had 21, too http://www.ncproam.com/standings09.html. They must not have gotten much help...

Didn't realize Kyle was back. I should have gone last night. Next week looks strong. :D

Kedsy
07-17-2009, 04:08 PM
Apparently Kyle had 21, too http://www.ncproam.com/standings09.html. They must not have gotten much help...

Well, their team only had 47 points; Kyle had 21 and the blogger described 8 consecutive points for Plumlee and said he had a "great night," so you have to figure he did more. If Miles had, say, 16 then he and Kyle accounted for 37 out of 47 points. Not much help, indeed.

RainingThrees
07-17-2009, 04:42 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1Nw8I5Vxzc

CJ Leslie is extremely athletic, and Miles had tons of dunks for whatever thats worth. Kyle had a nice highlight using a crossover and finishing with a dunk.

Greg_Newton
07-21-2009, 11:39 PM
Any word on the games tonight? BDN twittered (tweeted, whatever) a halftime update on our guys, but I'm always curious for details!

airowe
07-22-2009, 12:01 AM
Any word on the games tonight? BDN twittered (tweeted, whatever) a halftime update on our guys, but I'm always curious for details!

I was there and it was the first time I'd seen MP2 in live (albeit run and gun) action. The kid was a lot more built than I thought he was and 2-3 inches taller than Lance and around an inch taller than Kelly (at least from my vantage point.) He and Lance both hit threes in their game, as did Scheyer (who hit at least three in transition).

Watching John Henson in the game before, while he is incredibly long and extremely athletic, would not be able to body up with MP2 in the post. Henson is rail-thin but has a good reach and appeared to have good timing on blocks.

I could regurgitate the notes I took tonight but will hold off to write a more succinct post. Here's some highlights of what I saw:

MP2:
Pushed the ball up court well in transition. Good handle. Took Lance off the dribble from 3 pt line with a nice spin move and followed his own miss on free throw with a nice dunk in traffic.

Kelly:
Threw a guy and ran down to dunk finish on break. Didn't play a whole lot.

Scheyer:
Scheyer bulked up 5 lbs of muscle. In control the whole game while others weren't. Exuded confidence.

Thomas:
Showed range with a three and a long J. Tough to find the ball on team w/ Cj Leslie but did good things with it when he got it.

FireOgilvie
07-22-2009, 12:12 AM
I was there and it was the first time I'd seen MP2 in live (albeit run and gun) action. The kid was a lot more built than I thought he was and 2-3 inches taller than Lance and around an inch taller than Kelly (at least from my vantage point.) He and Lance both hit threes in their game, as did Scheyer (who hit at least three in transition).

Watching John Henson in the game before, while he is incredibly long and extremely athletic, would not be able to body up with MP2 in the post. Henson is rail-thin but has a good reach and appeared to have good timing on blocks.

I could regurgitate the notes I took tonight but will hold off to write a more succinct post. Here's some highlights of what I saw:

MP2:
Pushed the ball up court well in transition. Good handle. Took Lance off the dribble from 3 pt line with a nice spin move and followed his own miss on free throw with a nice dunk in traffic.

Kelly:
Threw a guy and ran down to dunk finish on break. Didn't play a whole lot.

Scheyer:
Scheyer bulked up 5 lbs of muscle. In control the whole game while others weren't. Exuded confidence.

Thomas:
Showed range with a three and a long J. Tough to find the ball on team w/ Cj Leslie but did good things with it when he got it.


Lance hit a three??? Wow. The longest shot I remember him making at Duke was about 12 feet (1 time). We don't need anyone else jacking up 3s, but it would be nice to see him have more of a mid-range game in the future.

Thanks for the write-up.

airowe
07-22-2009, 12:25 AM
Lance hit a three??? Wow. The longest shot I remember him making at Duke was about 12 feet (1 time). We don't need anyone else jacking up 3s, but it would be nice to see him have more of a mid-range game in the future.

Thanks for the write-up.

Yeah, it's funny. That was the only note I took on Lance, while I have almost an entire paragraph on John Henson.

Greg_Newton
07-22-2009, 02:52 AM
Awesome, thanks for the report. Always interesting to hear how our guys are doing during the summer, however ultimately meaningless it may turn out to be!

airowe
07-22-2009, 12:31 PM
Ryan Kelly:
Based on what I saw in this game, I don't get how people are saying he can play more than MP2 this year. He obviously has athletic talent and a sweet stroke from mid-range to the outside, but defensively he seemed to need a little foot work. He was caught standing straight up a couple of times guarding guys on the perimeter and got blown by. Saying that, he's definitely not awkward, especially not with the ball. I saw him run the break a couple times with a nice chest pass to Scheyer on a 2 on 1 and always went after loose balls. Was not afraid to body up bigger guys. Seems to prefer being on the perimeter though.

MP2:
This kid is a stud. He pushed the ball up the court and knew when to pull it out on breaks. Showing a nice stroke, he nailed a three with a guy's hand in his face and had a sweet turnaround jumper that rattled around the rim and then out. He looks very comfortable with the ball in his hands and was constantly moving to the open spaces on the court when it was not. He's at least an inch taller than Kelly, and two-three taller than Lance but moves like a wing. He's got a great build (just as muscular as Lance) and took Lance to the rim with a convincing head fake on the three-point line and blow by. Just when Lance seemed to regain position and body him up, MP2 spun opposite side and except for a foul from Lance would have made the underhanded layup. His shot is very fluid from anywhere on the court, defended or not. Like Ryan, seemed to play outside a lot, but it could have been the nature of the game (up and down, not a lot of set plays.) I would be very surprised to see this guy sitting on the bench much this year, as long as his defense is up to par for K.

Scheyer:
Looks to have put on about 5-10 pounds of muscle over the summer, and played almost the whole game without getting winded. As I noted in a previous post, he exuded confidence the entire game and was the most in control player on the court. He blocked a shot from CJ Leslie with authority. :)

I could go on, but I have to get back to work.

Needless to say, I'm extremely excited about both Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly. Mason more so, but Ryan showed flashes. I'm just not sure this type of setting best suits his game.

airowe
07-22-2009, 12:36 PM
Lance hit a three??? Wow. The longest shot I remember him making at Duke was about 12 feet (1 time). We don't need anyone else jacking up 3s, but it would be nice to see him have more of a mid-range game in the future.

Thanks for the write-up.

Not sure if you guys saw this on the blog from Friday, but it looks like Miles has some range too:

http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/2009/07/team-kg-vs-e-net-71609-8pm_17.html


Plumlee had a great night, demonstrating his shooting range with back-to-back threes and a sweet jumpshot right after that.

MChambers
07-22-2009, 12:50 PM
Scheyer:
Looks to have put on about 5-10 pounds of muscle over the summer, and played almost the whole game without getting winded.
Good preparation for the upcoming season!

Hancock 4 Duke
07-22-2009, 01:04 PM
I was updating on twitter, and saw this on the updates page. http://bluedevilnation.net/?p=2501
Thought it might be interesting.

JasonEvans
07-22-2009, 01:13 PM
Here is a taste of what the link provides:


Four Duke Blue Devils took to the floor in McDougald Gym on the campus of NC Central during the continuing NC Pro Am event. Interestingly, the Dukies went head to head, two each playing for WR Starkey and Team Duhon.

It talks about Mason P and Scheyer on a team against a team with Lance and Ryan Kelly.

--Jason "thanks to 'Zone for the report" Evans

airowe
07-22-2009, 01:13 PM
I'm guessing this will probably get moved to the NC Pro-AM thread. Nonetheless, thanks for the link. And, if any of you are in the area I highly recommend going to check this out.

There is a large and loud Tarhole crowd out there and they are making their presence felt to a lot of high level high school ballers out there. It would be nice to see some more Devils fans representing too.

whereinthehellami
07-22-2009, 01:17 PM
Do you subscribe to Blue Devil Nation? Anyone else? I'd be curious what your thoughts are on it. I see they have a premium forum. But it only had 9 members logged in.

Kedsy
07-22-2009, 01:17 PM
I was updating on twitter, and saw this on the updates page. http://bluedevilnation.net/?p=2501
Thought it might be interesting.

Odd. This link says Team Duhon lost but the Greater NC Pro-Am basketball blog (http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/) also covered this game and said Team Duhon won, although they reported the same score.

I trust Watzone, of course.

airowe
07-22-2009, 01:18 PM
Ryan Kelly:
Based on what I saw in this game, I don't get how people are saying he can play more than MP2 this year. He obviously has athletic talent and a sweet stroke from mid-range to the outside, but defensively he seemed to need a little foot work. He was caught standing straight up a couple of times guarding guys on the perimeter and got blown by. Saying that, he's definitely not awkward, especially not with the ball. I saw him run the break a couple times with a nice chest pass to Scheyer on a 2 on 1 and always went after loose balls. Was not afraid to body up bigger guys. Seems to prefer being on the perimeter though.

MP2:
This kid is a stud. He pushed the ball up the court and knew when to pull it out on breaks. Showing a nice stroke, he nailed a three with a guy's hand in his face and had a sweet turnaround jumper that rattled around the rim and then out. He looks very comfortable with the ball in his hands and was constantly moving to the open spaces on the court when it was not. He's at least an inch taller than Kelly, and two-three taller than Lance but moves like a wing. He's got a great build (just as muscular as Lance) and took Lance to the rim with a convincing head fake on the three-point line and blow by. Just when Lance seemed to regain position and body him up, MP2 spun opposite side and except for a foul from Lance would have made the underhanded layup. His shot is very fluid from anywhere on the court, defended or not. Like Ryan, seemed to play outside a lot, but it could have been the nature of the game (up and down, not a lot of set plays.) I would be very surprised to see this guy sitting on the bench much this year, as long as his defense is up to par for K.

Scheyer:
Looks to have put on about 5-10 pounds of muscle over the summer, and played almost the whole game without getting winded. As I noted in a previous post, he exuded confidence the entire game and was the most in control player on the court. He blocked a shot from CJ Leslie with authority. :)

I could go on, but I have to get back to work.

Needless to say, I'm extremely excited about both Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly. Mason more so, but Ryan showed flashes. I'm just not sure this type of setting best suits his game.

Here's a link from bluedevilnation.net from an obvioulsy more well-trained eye than mine.

http://bluedevilnation.net/?p=2501

I'll say that I wasn't in the gym for Ryan's early dunks, so maybe my viewpoint was skewed, but it's still my opinion that MP2 impressed me more than Ryan did and I'd be surprised if MP2 got less PT than Ryan this year.

airowe
07-22-2009, 01:21 PM
Odd. This link says Team Duhon lost but the Greater NC Pro-Am basketball blog (http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/) also covered this game and said Team Duhon won, although they reported the same score.

I trust Watzone, of course.

Not to question Watzone, as I didn't stay till the end, but I left with 5 minutes left in the game and Team Duhon had a comfortable lead.

Kedsy
07-22-2009, 01:22 PM
Ryan Kelly:
Based on what I saw in this game, I don't get how people are saying he can play more than MP2 this year. He obviously has athletic talent and a sweet stroke from mid-range to the outside, but defensively he seemed to need a little foot work. He was caught standing straight up a couple of times guarding guys on the perimeter and got blown by. Saying that, he's definitely not awkward, especially not with the ball. I saw him run the break a couple times with a nice chest pass to Scheyer on a 2 on 1 and always went after loose balls. Was not afraid to body up bigger guys. Seems to prefer being on the perimeter though.


Now I'm really confused. The articles on the game said Kelly and Scheyer were on opposite teams. Did they play two games?

airowe
07-22-2009, 01:27 PM
Now I'm really confused. The articles on the game said Kelly and Scheyer were on opposite teams. Did they play two games?

I think I had my notes confused there. That was either supposed to be under MP2 or I pulled a Roger Clemens and misremembered who he passed it to.

Greg_Newton
07-22-2009, 03:45 PM
Ryan Kelly:
Based on what I saw in this game, I don't get how people are saying he can play more than MP2 this year. He obviously has athletic talent and a sweet stroke from mid-range to the outside, but defensively he seemed to need a little foot work. He was caught standing straight up a couple of times guarding guys on the perimeter and got blown by. Saying that, he's definitely not awkward, especially not with the ball. I saw him run the break a couple times with a nice chest pass to Scheyer on a 2 on 1 and always went after loose balls. Was not afraid to body up bigger guys. Seems to prefer being on the perimeter though.

That's the main thing that worries me about Kelly. As talented as he looks sometimes, he just seems to remove himself from the action at times defensively/on the boards. I don't know if it's conditioning or a mental thing, and I'm sure he'll figure it out eventually... but if he sees limited minutes next year that will be why, IMO.

ACCBBallFan
07-22-2009, 04:47 PM
Yeah, it's funny. That was the only note I took on Lance, while I have almost an entire paragraph on John Henson.

Thanks for all the ring side reporting.

Would not expect anything less from Scheyer who apparently has the same pre-senior year work ethic as JJ.

There is a big debate going on over @ THR whether Henson can or cannot play SF this year (a lot here too on the who has the better recruiting haul thread). Did he do anything on either end of the court more than 5 feet from the rim? Not that glorified pick up games are all that indicative but if Lance is confident shooting as he was in HS that's a plus.

I am a proponent of Mason/Lance sharing PF duties while Z @ 270/Miles @ 245 man the post perhaps 30 of the 40 minutes with Mason apparently up to say 220 plays center the other 10.

Sounded like not only Mason/Lance but also Miles in prior link played mostly outside though that is the modus operandi in these games, while Davis/Henson had a block party and played watch me dunk.

More I hear about Henson/Davis, more they remind me of Brandan Wright, particularly Henson bricking FTs but solid yet anorexic above the rim guy.

They will each be very good but wont have Tyler Hansbrough to demand so much defensive attention, just Deon/Zeller, and no Lawson, but sounds like MacDonald and Strickland both have their moments.

http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/

"what seemed like an answer for Dreamworks was soon lost. Given the opportunity to tie the game in the last seconds, John Henson missed two vital free throws, but Ed Davis quickly answered with a huge power slam"

This venue would not play to his strength, but any Zoubek sightings, and if so, please also watch how he plays and not just his GF.

Good for us old farts that Jawad showed the youngins. I also hear Fells is really playing well and making State fans regret his departure even more.

Greg, the mental lulls are problematic but Ryan will not have an endurance problem other than seat burn. The PT he gets will be in short bursts probably a SF on Offense PF on defense while Lance is SF on Defense/PF on Offense, not a lot of contiguous minutes.

Locals, and Mark Watzone, please keep up the good work filling us BBall junkies with chat food.

watzone
07-22-2009, 04:50 PM
Isn't Nolan playing in a league in DC? There was some blog post where they called him "The Escalade" and said he was breaking ankles and floating like MJ. Has he come back down to Duke yet? If not that would explain it.

Team KG is now down to four players. Team Dreamworks is a bunch of heels.

This is Olek's event, right? Too bad he's on the injured list.

O.C. is in Poland. I have talked to several spectators who miss his dunks.

watzone
07-22-2009, 04:57 PM
Here's a link from bluedevilnation.net from an obvioulsy more well-trained eye than mine.

http://bluedevilnation.net/?p=2501

I'll say that I wasn't in the gym for Ryan's early dunks, so maybe my viewpoint was skewed, but it's still my opinion that MP2 impressed me more than Ryan did and I'd be surprised if MP2 got less PT than Ryan this year.

In all honesty I am serving up the vanilla ice cream;) Anything public has to have that positive spin. Seriously though, all reports are worthy provided they understand what they are looking at. I mean, everybody there thought OC was an All American. It's like a dunk equals great player and by the book effectiveness and winning are boring.

... wondering why I am stretching myself thin by going back tonight before heading to Orlando for the AAU Nationals.

ACCBBallFan
07-22-2009, 05:08 PM
In all honesty I am serving up the vanilla ice cream;) Anything public has to have that positive spin. Seriously though, all reports are worthy provided they understand what they are looking at. I mean, everybody there thought OC was an All American. It's like a dunk equals great player and by the book effectiveness and winning are boring.

... wondering why I am stretching myself thin by going back tonight before heading to Orlando for the AAU Nationals.
Mark, apparently your site is currently down for 90 minutes maintenance. Can you give us another scoup of neopolitan instead of vanilla? Did Curry or Duhon or Dockery play? Will Nolan end up on his buddy Beasley's team during NCCU games?

Did Strickland/MacDonald show enough PG skills to give UNC a bona fide backup to Drew II/starter? Down year for ACC PGs so not as big a challenge as it would have been last year, whch bodes well for Jon/Nolan too.

airowe
07-22-2009, 05:12 PM
Thanks for all the ring side reporting.

There is a big debate going on over @ THR whether Henson can or cannot play SF this year. Did he do anything on either end of the court more than 5 feet from the rim? Not that glorified pick up games are all that indicative but if Lance is confident shooting as he was in HS that's a plus.

I am a proponent of Mason/Lance sharing PF duties while Z @ 270/Miles @ 245 man the post perhaps 30 of the 40 minutes with Mason apparently up to say 220 plays center the other 10.

Sounded like not only Mason/Lance but also Miles in prior link played mostly outside though that is the modus operandi in these games, while Davis/Henson had a block party and played watch me dunk.

More I hear about Henson/Davis, more they remind me of Brandan Wright, particularly Henson bricking FTs but solid yet anorexic above the rim guy.

They will each be very good but wont have Tyler Hansbrough to demand so much defensive attention, just Deon/Zeller, and no Lawson, but sounds like MacDonald and Strickland both have their moments.

http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/

"what seemed like an answer for Dreamworks was soon lost. Given the opportunity to tie the game in the last seconds, John Henson missed two vital free throws, but Ed Davis quickly answered with a huge power slam"

This venue would not play to his strength, but any Zoubek sightings, and if so, please also watch how he plays and not jsut his GF.

Good for us old farts that Jawad showed the youngins. I also hear Fells is really playing well and making State fans regret his departure even more.

Locals, and Mark Watzone, please keep up the good work filling us BBall junkies with chat food.

The thing that struck me about Henson the most was how ridiculously skinny the kid was. Razor thin as he is, he seemed to make up for it with his motor and leaping ability. He's a legitimite 2-3 inches taller than Ed Davis but so much thinner. At one point he got a rebound (over no one) and putback a dunk from the second block without jumping forwards. I can't see him banging ANYONE down low, but can definitely see him outjumping people for some boards.

He played good D, even on the perimeter, and slowed down Jawad Williams' 3 pt shooting exhibition.

And the free throws. I think he made about 2-8.

As for playing SF, he could probably pull it off against some teams but his midrange shot looked forced, even when wide open. He's kind of a tweener. Too thin to play the 4 (even in college) and too streaky a shooter to play the 3. Saying all this, I've only seen him last night and it was in a pick up game against some burly small guys and Jawad Williams and Mike Bell. So take everything I've said with a grain of salt. ;)

airowe
07-22-2009, 05:26 PM
Did Curry or Duhon or Dockery play? Will Nolan end up on his buddy Beasley's team during NCCU games?

Did Strickland/MacDonald show enough PG skills to give UNC a bona fide backup to Drew II/starter? Down year for ACC PGs so not as big a challenge as it would have been last year, whch bodes well for Jon/Nolan too.

Don't want to steal Watzone's thunder here, but no Dockery, Duhon, or Curry did not play. Z's team wasn't scheduled but will be there tomorrow night I will try to drop some lines Friday about his performance.

Strickland/McDonald seemed more like SG/combo guards to me, but did run point in an up and down the court kind of game some. Justin Watts really impressed me with his playmaking abilities.

ACCBBallFan
07-22-2009, 05:43 PM
Thanks, Airowe.

Yes, it is not that Henson would be an ideal SF on offense, just that they are even more crowded than Duke at PF/C.

Tough to spread out the PT having to figure out where to play Henson PF-1 (when Favors is C-1 instead of PF next to Lawal) BTW, GA Tech has similar problem with Peacock and a freshman Big they got instead of UGA.

with Deon C-5 on scouts, Zeller PF-7, Davis PF-3, Wear(2) PF13-14 all rated in Top 50.

I suspect you are right that it will work vs. some opponents in some game sitations and other times it will be old reliable Ginyard who shared SF with dancing Danny Green three years before sitting out last year, or Graves.

Duke has a similar problem with Lance PF-4, Kelly PF-4, Mason PF-6 (C-2 on ESPN) , Zoubek C-7 and Miles PF-14 and considerably bulked up to 245, but moving Singler SF-1 was an easier decision.

last time I checked most everybody on THR was ducking the question with generalities like Roy always plays a lot of guys, nobody being specific and adding up to 200 when I offered this as a straw man:

25-30 MPG each Ginyard/Drew II = 55
20 each Deon, Davis, Henson, Zeller, Strickland MacDonald = 175
15 Graves/Watts combined = 190
10 Wears share = 200

and the answer could depend on how many minutes Henson can impersonaete a SF.

CDu
07-22-2009, 06:20 PM
last time I checked most everybody on THR was ducking the question with generalities like Roy always plays a lot of guys, nobody being specific and adding up to 200 when I offered this as a straw man:

25-30 MPG each Ginyard/Drew II = 55
20 each Deon, Davis, Henson, Zeller, Strickland MacDonald = 175
15 Graves/Watts combined = 190
10 Wears share = 200

and the answer could depend on how many minutes Henson can impersonaete a SF.

I think that's a fairly reasonable guess of playing time allocation, but I'd guess Thompson and Davis get 25mpg rather than 20mpg.

I think Thompson and Davis combine for about 50-55mpg, and the same for Drew and Ginyard. I'd say that those four will combine for about 105 minutes.

That leaves 95 mpg for the others. I think the Wears will play rarely - maybe 5mpg. That leaves 90mpg. I think Watts, Graves, Strickland, and MacDonald will get about 50 mpg. That leaves 40mpg.

Zeller has just done too little to this point to show he should play the same number of minutes as Thompson and Davis. So I think Henson and Zeller will compete for minutes as the third big. I'd guess Williams will split them there, or 15mpg each.

That leaves about 10mpg that could either go to Henson/Zeller or to the wings, depending upon who shows more aptitude early. I'd lean toward Henson based on his status as an elite prospect, but who knows? The guards could really show up, or Zeller could take a big step forward.

ACCBBallFan
07-22-2009, 09:02 PM
Yep, in the more wordy post on THR, those are the types of trade-offs if Henson proves to be a viable 3.

Five minutes less for MacDonald/Strickland and 5 minutes more for Deon/ Davis for example. Another 5 squeezed from Graves/Watts collectively and from the Wears collectively to fund more PT again for the other bigs.

Walk-ons will also get some token minutes because even a line-up with Strickland/MacDonald-Watts-Graves and Wear twins is not calling off the dogs on helpless OOC foes (not UK or TX stong OOC types but everybody has some weak OOC foes Like Radford, Coastal Carolina and so on.

Almost as good as for example NC State without Tracy Smith, and about half the ACC without their two top players.

The only exceptions are FSU, GA Tech, BC and Duke,

perhaps Clemson has enough to be better if only without Booker/Stitt, depending on Johnson, Jennings Sykes and who can play guard, etc.

MD for example is hosed w/o Vasquez/(Milbourne or Hayes), VA Tech w/o Delaney/Allen and UVA w/o Landesberg/Scott.

Of course same can be said for Duke since they have so few players, and therefore no third string.

Dawkins-Olek-Kelly-Miles-Z is also almost as good as half the ACC sans 2 best players even in addition to obvious Singler-Scheyer best two, you also pull Nolan-Lance-Mason. So Davidson, Peters, Johnson will get some tolen minutes too. Zoubek rebounds and the other 4 dunk while Z does not have to be a gazelle.

Oriole Way
07-22-2009, 10:04 PM
Here's a link from bluedevilnation.net from an obvioulsy more well-trained eye than mine.

http://bluedevilnation.net/?p=2501

I'll say that I wasn't in the gym for Ryan's early dunks, so maybe my viewpoint was skewed, but it's still my opinion that MP2 impressed me more than Ryan did and I'd be surprised if MP2 got less PT than Ryan this year.

I don't think there's much we can take away from Pro-Am performances, aside from seeing how much players have bulked up and changed their physique (Scheyer, for example, looks a little bigger and I think the extra weight will help him next season).

Case in point, Olek Czyz looked like he could be some sort of contributor, even just as an energy guy at the end of the bench, based on his play last summer. But obviously, the relaxed, playground, lackadaisacally-played defensive nature of the Pro-Am games are not a good measuring stick for ACC games.

The unstructured settings are particularly unfavorable for lumbering big men like Zoubek, and also finesse mid-range jump shooters like Ryan Kelly. I would agree that his inability to stay with his man (that some observers have noted during these games) will hurt his PT when the season rolls around, but I really don't think we can read much into Mason's seemingly superior play -and Ryan's relative lackluster play - in these games and how that will translate in real game action.

I think Mason will definitely make meaningful contributions, but I think Kelly will also offer a good deal on the offensive side of the ball, especially in structured half-court sets (which you're not going to see much of during these Pro-Am games). The key with Kelly will be matchups, and how quickly he learns Duke's defensive system.

Hopefully they will both make an impact as freshman, and I believe that they will.

Greg_Newton
07-23-2009, 02:14 AM
I don't think there's much we can take away from Pro-Am performances, aside from seeing how much players have bulked up and changed their physique...

I would generally agree with that. However, I think that there are certain things you can watch for that can't be "hidden" by summer league play, mostly in the areas of footwork and timing. I think this is especially true for post players... i.e. whether a player times the ball or just jumps into the offensive player when attempting to block shots, whether he looks comfortable and alert on defensive rotations,whether he has any reliable-looking 1-on-1 power moves, whether he establishes offensive position or just drifts around the lane, etc. I don't know, but I would guess Olek would have had some issues in these these areas last summer.

The problem is that unless you go in person, you only hear about the highlights and point totals... which I agree, mean next to nothing. If I still lived in NC I would love to go see how Mase/Miles/Ryan look in those specific areas, though.

watzone
07-23-2009, 09:17 AM
Mason came out with a lot of fire last night, throwing down four dunks in the first half. http://bluedevilnation.net/2009/07/nc-pro-am-report-duke-basketball-players-take-to-the-court/

Kedsy
07-23-2009, 10:32 AM
The problem is that unless you go in person, you only hear about the highlights and point totals... which I agree, mean next to nothing. If I still lived in NC I would love to go see how Mase/Miles/Ryan look in those specific areas, though.

I agree that if you don't see the games in person it's difficult to glean anything meaningful from the blog reports and highlight videos, but I also believe if you're watching any basketball in person, even glorified pickup, you can tell who the players are.

ACCBBallFan
07-23-2009, 02:43 PM
http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/

Aside from Ryan Kelly’s occasional point guard moves and control under the basket, Navy pulled away with the win, 74-59

There was also mention that Casey Peters hit two FTs at crunch time and good teaming by State and Duke guys

Greg_Newton
07-23-2009, 02:52 PM
Mason came out with a lot of fire last night, throwing down four dunks in the first half. http://bluedevilnation.net/2009/07/nc-pro-am-report-duke-basketball-players-take-to-the-court/

Thanks for the report, Mr. Watson! Interesting to hear that Kyle has lost some weight. It will be fun to see what a quicker, lighter-afoot Kyle can do on the perimeter next year with the opportunity to showcase his complete skillset.

SilkyJ
07-23-2009, 09:28 PM
... wondering why I am stretching myself thin by going back tonight before heading to Orlando for the AAU Nationals.

Well, we appreciate it, as do your premium members, I'm sure.


Thanks for the report, Mr. Watson! Interesting to hear that Kyle has lost some weight. It will be fun to see what a quicker, lighter-afoot Kyle can do on the perimeter next year with the opportunity to showcase his complete skillset.

Indeed, and he will need that quickness. The 3 in college is typically highlighted by guys that are smaller and quicker than Kyle.

What I also love is that a guy like Kyle is so willing to adapt to circumstances and put the team first. He gained weight so he could bang down low his first two years, despite the fact that he projected as a wing player in the pros. And now he is lightening backup so he can play on the perimeter b/c we are low on guards. Gotta love that attitude. Thank you, Kyle!

airowe
07-24-2009, 09:49 AM
This was the Mason Plumlee show. The guy played two 40 minute games back-to-back with little more than 10 minutes in between games. Teams play four 10 minute quarters per game and he only sat for two minutes at the end of the 3rd quarter of the first game and for a short time before half of the second game. While I don't have stats, Mason had a number of dunks, as did Ryan Kelly. Scheyer played his usual quiet, solid game. Nothing overwhelming but smart, fundamentally sound basketball. He did not sit the entire game he played, and never took a play off.

The first game with Duke interest was the 7 P.M. game. Team Hendricks vs. Team Duhon. Here are the rosters. (http://www.ncproam.com/rosters09.html)
Zoubs, Duhon, and Dockery were not there.

Casey Peters made an appearance on Team Hendricks and played a little bit out of control. He was definitely willing to go to the hoop in traffic but had trouble finishing there. He kept Scheyer in front of him well on defense and when Jon blew by him, Peters knocked the ball out from behind, not allowing him to finish. I could see him spelling guards for a few mpg for defensive purposes but he is definitely a liability on offense. I didn't see him attempt a 3, so maybe this is a weapon he didn't show in this game.

Mason Plumlee ran break the break often and finished well almost every time. In the first half, it seemed nobody wanted to be in his way as he was going full steam ahead and he took the ball endline to endline and threw down a nasty two-handed dunk. Also, dribbled into traffic on one transition play with his head down and lost the ball. He is definitely not afraid to handle the ball, even in the open court, and most of the time does good things with it. Not sure how much he will be called on to fill this role during the season, but he will be a key cog in breaking the press. To go along with his smooth handle, he kept his man away from the ball nicely on drives to the basket, using his body well. Late in the first half, he crossed the lane and dropped in a pretty sky hook. The announcer called it "A Kareem Abdul Jabbar sky hook from Mason Plumlee!" On defense, he kept an athletic wing in front of him well, moving his feet and using his large frame to not allow him to penetrate. I stopped counting Mason's dunks after I got to 6. He basically took over the game in the second half, scoring over smaller defenders with ease. He has a nice stroke on his FT (I think he went 7-8) and this will come in handy as he is not afraid to bang down low and draw contact. With 45 seconds left, his team up by two, he stole the inbounds pass and took it the length of the floor to put his team up by 4. Impressive.

The 8 P.M. game was supposed to feature a bunch of Carowhina players, but none showed. I heard from a friend that today is the last day of Summer School exams, maybe they couldn't make it because of that, who knows. Instead we got another helping of Mason Plumlee who changed jerseys from black to white for Team Dreamworks and got right back in the layup line after leaving the handshake line from the game before. He was matched up against Ryan Kelly on WR Starkey in what was a preview of practice next year. Lance Thomas and Seth Curry were also no-shows.

Ryan Kelly had support on his left ankle which made me nervous before the game started. Didn't bother him one bit. Him and Mason jumped to kick the game of and Ryan controlled the tip for his team. On the first possession, he showed a nice step and head fake that made Mason take a step back and he drained a 3 over him. He also showed a nice dribble drive, stop and pull up with 2 guys on him. I was much more impressed with him last night than Tuesday. Sweet touch on a turnaround J from 15 feet out. Nice tip putback. He and Mase were the only two guys with height and while he was guarding Mase, Mase tended to guard smaller, more athletic guys. Ryan ran the floor extremely well and threw down an emphatic two-handed dunk in transition. He showed fundamentally sound rebounding position and has a sense for where the ball will be at all times. He's not overly athletic but makes up for it w/ good positioning, footwork, and effort. He was muscled out of a rebound by a leaner opponent, but got the ball back and took him to the hole on a spin move with a one-handed double pump floater. He caught alley-oops and passes in the lane and finished strong. Solid performance.

In the 9 P.M. game, Singler and Miles Plumlee were on the E-Net team with Tracy Smith and their intimidating front line made baskets hard for Team KG. Unfortunately, the baskets weren't falling for Team E-Net either. I left at halftime with the score 28-16(I think) KG. At that time, Singler was 1-7 (0-4 3 pt.) Singler had definitely slimmed down and seemed to move around the court with ease, shots just weren't falling for him. On the other hand, MP1 showed increased bulk in his upper body. Nate James has certainly been working him out. Can't wait to see what he does with Mason's upper body. Even with the added bulk, Miles still was able to move around well underneath, disrupting back-to-back shots with swats. However, he missed a couple of two-handed dunks which frustrated everyone in the dunk-hungry crowd, including myself.

Overall, a good night for seeing Duke guys in action. Especially since ALL of the Tarholes were no-shows... ;)

Madrasdukie
07-24-2009, 11:13 AM
Thanks for the report, airowe - it was lot of fun reading it esp. the fact that both offense and defense were covered.

How would you describe Ryan's defense ?

airowe
07-24-2009, 11:24 AM
Thanks for the report, airowe - it was lot of fun reading it esp. the fact that both offense and defense were covered.

How would you describe Ryan's defense ?

For as little defense as is played in these games and the fact that Mason was the only big playing on the other team, Ryan did okay keeping Mason in front of him but when he guarded more athletic wing-types he was not able to stop them from driving with much success. I can't think of a better program to teach him defensive positioning and footwork than Duke so I'll say he's in good hands ;)

MulletMan
07-24-2009, 12:42 PM
I agree that if you don't see the games in person it's difficult to glean anything meaningful from the blog reports and highlight videos, but I also believe if you're watching any basketball in person, even glorified pickup, you can tell who the players are.

Indeed. I've went down to NCCU the other night for the games, and I'll give you the long and short of it. OK... just the short of it.

Scheyer - looked great running the break. His decision making is getting quicker. Better? Mmm... hard to say with this type of competition, but he looked to run every time he got the ball and made some great passes, including in traffic. He was also draining from 3, but no one was guarding him.

Singler - as mentined elsewhere... slimmer, same style. This kind of play doesn't suit him, becuase he's not selfish enough. Everyone else is looking for thier shots. He looks good, but I only saw half of his game.

Curry - DNP, but was there. My friend has decided that his is "The Babyfaced Dave McClure". It is what it is.

MPII - He's for real. You can just tell with some guys. His footwork is solid, and his timing on blocks is very good. He was the tallest player on the court, but he still managed to pick up blocks w/o fouling. Ran the break once, and looked good doing it. He will be ready to contribute in ACC play.

R Kelly - Meh. Color me less than impressed. He's slower than I had hoped. He had a great end-to-end fast break that included a behind the back dribble to beat a defender and a reverse lay-up to finish. He spent most of the game guarding Jawad Williams and did OK, but I don't think we'll be seeing much from him on the inside. 10mpg this year... most in the first half.

MPI - My mother told me that if I don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all.

Zoubs didn't play.

As an aside Courtney Fells (NCSU)looked really good in his game and CJ Leslie was also enjoyable to watch.

ACCBBallFan
07-25-2009, 01:43 AM
Indeed.
MPI - My mother told me that if I don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all.


must have been a different game as this link says Miles put up 22 points

http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/

"E-Net’s defense lacked its usual spunk and Miles Plumlee’s 22 points were not enough to win"

and in the next game where Mason did double duty, which might imply they meant Mason above ..

"But it was Ryan Kelly who was the star of this game, serving as an “all purpose” player. He displayed the agility of a point guard with cross-ups, ran a couple pull-up jumpers, and didn’t disappoint with some amazing grand slams. Because of this team’s showmanship, WR Starkey was able to gain the 84-81 win"

This link with the standings and leading scorers does make it appear it was indeed Miles and that Mason had 26 in another game and there was a game in-between as opposed the marathon man 2 in a row he apparently played

http://www.ncproam.com/standings09.html

airowe
07-25-2009, 09:01 AM
must have been a different game as this link says Miles put up 22 points

http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/

"E-Net’s defense lacked its usual spunk and Miles Plumlee’s 22 points were not enough to win"

and in the next game where Mason did double duty, which might imply they meant Mason above ..

"But it was Ryan Kelly who was the star of this game, serving as an “all purpose” player. He displayed the agility of a point guard with cross-ups, ran a couple pull-up jumpers, and didn’t disappoint with some amazing grand slams. Because of this team’s showmanship, WR Starkey was able to gain the 84-81 win"

This link with the standings and leading scorers does make it appear it was indeed Miles and that Mason had 26 in another game and there was a game in-between as opposed the marathon man 2 in a row he apparently played

http://www.ncproam.com/standings09.html

MulletMan was talking about Wednesday's games. The link you quoted was referring to Thursday's. And, that same link (the blog) talks about Mason playing in the 7 PM and 8 PM games, which he did.

ACCBBallFan
07-25-2009, 09:14 PM
MulletMan was talking about Wednesday's games. The link you quoted was referring to Thursday's. And, that same link (the blog) talks about Mason playing in the 7 PM and 8 PM games, which he did.Yes but according to the origina lrosters, Myles the alter ego of Miles Plumlee is on Team E-Net

Kedsy
08-03-2009, 10:11 AM
I hadn't seen or heard anything about last Thursday's games, but I just checked the Greater NC Pro-Am blog (http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/) and saw this:


Ryan Kelly was amazing offensively, as he spun in the lane, drove to the basket, or made one of his many jump shots. Kelly ended with 25 points for WR Starkey.

and this:


In the second game, big men Mike Bell of Team PJ Tucker and Miles Plumlee of E-Net showed their versatility as they shot and made three-pointers, heavy dunks, and pull-up jump shots. For E-Net, Plumlee was dynamic in the paint, getting most offensive and defensive rebounds, and with the help of Farnold Degand’s 13 points, was able to keep his team right in line with the opponent for a majority of the game.

Although apparently the play of the game was someone dunking through Miles's outstretched arms. As always, you can't have everything.

Kedsy
08-05-2009, 10:35 AM
I read the writeups on yesterday's games at the Greater NC Pro-Am blog (http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/) and saw that Mason and Ryan apparently played well. But the coolest quote was about Casey Peters (whose team won by 20+ points):


Casey Peters was the lead offensive contributor for Team Hendricks displaying his elevation and ball-handling

Pretty funny, eh?

airowe
08-05-2009, 10:44 AM
I read the writeups on yesterday's games at the Greater NC Pro-Am blog (http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/) and saw that Mason and Ryan apparently played well. But the coolest quote was about Casey Peters (whose team won by 20+ points):



Pretty funny, eh?

Team Hendricks must have been concentrating on D in that game....

watzone
08-05-2009, 11:19 AM
Here is a bit on Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly from last evening -

http://bluedevilnation.net/2009/08/n-c-pro-am-report-ryan-kelly-and-mason-plumlee/

airowe
08-05-2009, 11:29 AM
Watzone,
Any rumblings about attendance of some of the missing players for Thursday's games and the weekend playoffs?

SilkyJ
08-05-2009, 12:27 PM
Here is a bit on Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly from last evening -

http://bluedevilnation.net/2009/08/n-c-pro-am-report-ryan-kelly-and-mason-plumlee/

Thanks Wat. The more I read about MP2 the more I think he may be a 20+mpg this year, even with the plethora of big men we have. The ESPN article said they would be pretty surprised if he didn't start, Scheyer called him one of the best players he's ever played with, and he clearly has good instincts with his shot blocking and passing. Here's to hoping!

roywhite
08-05-2009, 12:32 PM
Thanks Wat. The more I read about MP2 the more I think he may be a 20+mpg this year, even with the plethora of big men we have. The ESPN article said they would be pretty surprised if he didn't start, Scheyer called him one of the best players he's ever played with, and he clearly has good instincts with his shot blocking and passing. Here's to hoping!

A little amateur psychology here...but I figure if younger brother Mason gets playing time and does well, Miles P. will be very motivated to show what he can do.

Greg_Newton
08-05-2009, 03:37 PM
I read the writeups on yesterday's games at the Greater NC Pro-Am blog (http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/) and saw that Mason and Ryan apparently played well. But the coolest quote was about Casey Peters (whose team won by 20+ points):

Pretty funny, eh?

Looks like Casey was the leading scorer among both his summer league teammates and his Duke teammates last night!(http://www.ncproam.com/standings09.html)

Look out for the starting backcourt of Peters/Czyz '09-10...

mgtr
08-05-2009, 09:15 PM
Look out for the starting backcourt of Peters/Czyz '09-10...

Now that would be worth paying scalpers' prices to see!

ACCBBallFan
08-05-2009, 11:09 PM
Look out for the starting backcourt of Peters/Czyz '09-10... I am not sure Peters or Andre have the handles to play PG during garbage time.

Those 3 Casey Peters, Andre Dawkins and Olek Czyz with say Ryan Kelly and Miles Plumlee could put on quite a dunk fest to offset whatever they give up on D vs. tired and demoralized OOC foes.

I suspect though that Jordan Davidson may have to be out there in place of one of those 5 to run the PG slot.

watzone
08-06-2009, 11:30 AM
Watzone,
Any rumblings about attendance of some of the missing players for Thursday's games and the weekend playoffs?

I know that Mason and Miles will be there, but I am uncertain of other kids. Ryans team is finished until Friday's playoffs. In the past, Singler and type have bailed towards the end, as do a lot of the UNC guys.

watzone
08-07-2009, 12:53 PM
Olek Czyz and Brian Zoubek showed up last evening - http://bluedevilnation.net/2009/08/nc-pro-am-report-zoubek-and-czyz-make-their-debut/

Greg_Newton
08-07-2009, 06:14 PM
In the final game of the regular season, GBMS found some new additions to their team: high school star John Wall and Duke’s Olek Czyz came to help out Raymond Felton and the Eagle’s from N.C Central. John Wall was incredible as he took over the offensive end with a whopping 35 points!

Groannn..... I'm going to love/hate watching him this year...

ACCBBallFan
08-07-2009, 07:40 PM
Olek Czyz and Brian Zoubek showed up last evening - http://bluedevilnation.net/2009/08/nc-pro-am-report-zoubek-and-czyz-make-their-debut/
Thanks as always, Mark.

Interesting how those same two teams play one another tonight

Today’s schedule -


6:00pm – PJTucker vs Hendricks

7:00pm – Team Navy vs Starkey

8:00pm – Lucky 7 2 vs E-net

9:00pm – Duhon vs Dreamworks

Mark, I know it is tough to tell in this venue, but did you form any impression on:

Zoubek versus Mikes at the center slot or

Lance versus Miles at PF for Duke this year.

All will play given oinly 10 roster spots including Olek, and it may come down to matchups.

watzone
08-08-2009, 12:05 PM
NC Pro Am Friday plat off report - http://bluedevilnation.net/2009/08/n-c-pro-am-report-duke-freshman-mason-plumlee-leads-team-to-semi-finals/

Mason's team plays at 3:00

ACCBBallFan
08-08-2009, 12:54 PM
Thanks, Mark.

Looks like despite all the player migrations, playing for multiple teams, etc., that the four teams with the best resular NCCU games records held serve to make it to the semis.

Miles apparently came back down to earth after a stellar peformance the night before.

Kedsy
08-08-2009, 04:51 PM
NC Pro Am Friday plat off report - http://bluedevilnation.net/2009/08/n-c-pro-am-report-duke-freshman-mason-plumlee-leads-team-to-semi-finals/

Mason's team plays at 3:00


While Plumlee is the last Dukie standing on a winning team...

I thought Jon Scheyer was on Mason's team (Team Duhon) -- did he stop playing or something?

SilkyJ
08-09-2009, 12:16 AM
I thought Jon Scheyer was on Mason's team (Team Duhon) -- did he stop playing or something?

He must've. I think this is the 2nd or 3rd game we've read about for Team Duhon where Mason played and Scheyer did not. As Watzone pointed out in an earlier post, these guys often start no-showing towards the end of the "season."

Scheyer's been playing 30mpg since he was a freshman so he doesn't need the reps as much as these other guys, so its not worth the risk of injury. He played a bunch, fine tuned some skills, and is ready to lead us to our 4th :)

ACCBBallFan
08-09-2009, 07:30 AM
Sounds like Team Duhon could have used Scheyer as they lost in semis.

http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/

Apparently Miles played well, as did his brother the night before.

watzone
08-09-2009, 01:52 PM
Sounds like Team Duhon could have used Scheyer as they lost in semis.

http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/

Apparently Miles played well, as did his brother the night before.

Mason had a monster game and I thin he has been added to another roster today. I will tell you more about Mason when the dust clears from a busy weekend.

SilkyJ
08-09-2009, 08:37 PM
Mason had a monster game and I thin he has been added to another roster today. I will tell you more about Mason when the dust clears from a busy weekend.

Please do! And if I may be so bold, I'm curious if you think Mason may be playing a big role and possibly even starting early/late in the season. Aside from being a tad light, he seems to have all the tools.

Greg_Newton
08-09-2009, 09:34 PM
If anyone's interested, someone posted a good-quality video of Ryan Kelly's 25 point game on 7/30. It's in 3 parts... it's about a half hour long, but it was fun for me to watch as I haven't seen much of Ryan's play-by-play game in normal situations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwM-FFTskY8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnEBV2TxkPQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvmjlA9ZtwI

Comparing this video to what I'd seen of him before...

- He looks much better than I thought at establishing post position, giving the passer a target, and scoring with back-to-basket moves. This was one of his best games, but his back-to-basket game reminds me a lot of Nowitzki's. If his mid-post hook and turnaround jumper are falling, there's not much you can do to stop it.
- His lateral quickness on defense looks much better than I thought. He didn't get beat much when guarding players on the perimeter, and moved his feet well.
- He has great hands, which helps him with touch, ballhandling, rebounding and shotblocking. I think he could eventually be quite good in the latter two areas if he can learn to battle and assert himself into every play like Kyle does.
- Minor quibble: he runs on his heels a lot. One thing I love about Mason is that he usually runs like a guard, on the balls of his feet. Is there a way to teach that? Ryan is a fast-twitch type of player, but his movements are a little awkward at times.

He still shows occasional lapses in effort and awareness, so I'm still not sure he'll get major minutes next year. I'm a little worried he could develop the SLS (Short Leash Syndrome) that Miles did during last season; he seems like the type of player that could put up 40 points if his jumper is falling, or just go 0 for 7 with a few TOs if his confidence gets shaken and he's worried about missing/shooting too much/etc. Hopefully K gives him a little wiggle room.

That said, I'll be shocked if he isn't an all-ACC caliber player by the time he leaves Duke. When he learns how to consistently put his entire skill set to work for him and assert himself into all areas of the game, he'll be a terrific all around player. He'll be fun to watch develop.

Greg_Newton
08-09-2009, 09:38 PM
And I'm sorry, but this is just sick http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5UpQl18OOM

Azdukefan
08-09-2009, 10:16 PM
Please don't keep me salivating over this kid! But you are right, that was just sick!!!!

Hancock 4 Duke
08-09-2009, 10:18 PM
Dangit, you beat me to it. I saw this on twitter, and his reaction is gold!

mo.st.dukie
08-10-2009, 12:27 AM
;)
If anyone's interested, someone posted a good-quality video of Ryan Kelly's 25 point game on 7/30. It's in 3 parts... it's about a half hour long, but it was fun for me to watch as I haven't seen much of Ryan's play-by-play game in normal situations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwM-FFTskY8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnEBV2TxkPQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvmjlA9ZtwI

He still shows occasional lapses in effort and awareness, so I'm still not sure he'll get major minutes next year. I'm a little worried he could develop the SLS (Short Leash Syndrome) that Miles did during last season; he seems like the type of player that could put up 40 points if his jumper is falling, or just go 0 for 7 with a few TOs if his confidence gets shaken and he's worried about missing/shooting too much/etc. Hopefully K gives him a little wiggle room.

That said, I'll be shocked if he isn't an all-ACC caliber player by the time he leaves Duke. When he learns how to consistently put his entire skill set to work for him and assert himself into all areas of the game, he'll be a terrific all around player. He'll be fun to watch develop.

That is some great footage, you get to see both the strengths and weaknesses of Ryan's game which is never the case when viewing highlight videos. The first video was pretty ugly in regards to Ryan's play, the second video he started to get a little rhythm and the third part showed why he was so highly rated. He certainly will be a huge offensive threat, he has great moves in the post, loved his turnaround jumper and hook shot, defintely has a lot of upside. I too question his immediate impact though because he does seem to lack agression and his effort doesn't always seem to be there, his lack of strength could also be a problem because he seemed to get pushed around some. The good thing is that he will have Kyle to teach him how to attack every game and every play with maximum effort, not to mention the best coach in the country as well.

theAlaskanBear
08-10-2009, 10:24 AM
Another bump for Watzone's recap! I love hearing summer BB stories, especially about Dukies. I can't believe more than 3 months until it starts again! I will die.

Sincerely yours,

Ball starved

ACCBBallFan
08-10-2009, 10:33 AM
If anyone's interested, someone posted a good-quality video of Ryan Kelly's 25 point game on 7/30. It's in 3 parts... it's about a half hour long, but it was fun for me to watch as I haven't seen much of Ryan's play-by-play game in normal situations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwM-FFTskY8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnEBV2TxkPQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvmjlA9ZtwI

Comparing this video to what I'd seen of him before...

- He looks much better than I thought at establishing post position, giving the passer a target, and scoring with back-to-basket moves. This was one of his best games, but his back-to-basket game reminds me a lot of Nowitzki's. If his mid-post hook and turnaround jumper are falling, there's not much you can do to stop it.
- His lateral quickness on defense looks much better than I thought. He didn't get beat much when guarding players on the perimeter, and moved his feet well.
- He has great hands, which helps him with touch, ballhandling, rebounding and shotblocking. I think he could eventually be quite good in the latter two areas if he can learn to battle and assert himself into every play like Kyle does.
- Minor quibble: he runs on his heels a lot. One thing I love about Mason is that he usually runs like a guard, on the balls of his feet. Is there a way to teach that? Ryan is a fast-twitch type of player, but his movements are a little awkward at times.

He still shows occasional lapses in effort and awareness, so I'm still not sure he'll get major minutes next year. I'm a little worried he could develop the SLS (Short Leash Syndrome) that Miles did during last season; he seems like the type of player that could put up 40 points if his jumper is falling, or just go 0 for 7 with a few TOs if his confidence gets shaken and he's worried about missing/shooting too much/etc. Hopefully K gives him a little wiggle room.

That said, I'll be shocked if he isn't an all-ACC caliber player by the time he leaves Duke. When he learns how to consistently put his entire skill set to work for him and assert himself into all areas of the game, he'll be a terrific all around player. He'll be fun to watch develop.


;)

That is some great footage, you get to see both the strengths and weaknesses of Ryan's game which is never the case when viewing highlight videos. The first video was pretty ugly in regards to Ryan's play, the second video he started to get a little rhythm and the third part showed why he was so highly rated. He certainly will be a huge offensive threat, he has great moves in the post, loved his turnaround jumper and hook shot, defintely has a lot of upside. I too question his immediate impact though because he does seem to lack agression and his effort doesn't always seem to be there, his lack of strength could also be a problem because he seemed to get pushed around some. The good thing is that he will have Kyle to teach him how to attack every game and every play with maximum effort, not to mention the best coach in the country as well.

Thanks for sharing. Yes, it is good to see his whole game in context and not just a highlight film.

His turnaround J reminds me of Deon, but he has a much better handle. Not great but better than most PF's.

He seemed good at using the lost art of the pull up J rather than taking it too far and getting whistled for an offensive foul.

On defense, he did not jump too much and had his share of blocks.

The team in Black seemed to lack size, which made CJ leslie and Ryan Kelly better of Offense, but they did not seem to get burnt too badly on defense by a supposedly quicker opponent.

Looks like his high rating is deserved and yes he needs to add some strength and give more consistent effort.

I think he will be even beter in a structured setting, as one could tell he knows how to position on each end of the floor. His teammates were pretty good at getting him the ball when he established position which is not always the case in these venues.

He won't be able to defend a guard but may be okay defending a big SF as many in the ACC may be. If he is in the game with Singler/Lance or with Singler/Mason, he should be able to defend the poorer offensive player adequately, and could even defend a post playe rin an emergency.

Duke seems to have enough options there with Z and the Plumlees unless it gets really deep into the bench like the infamous UConn game did.

ice-9
08-10-2009, 10:55 AM
I had previously stated in another thread that in a worst case scenario, Kelly might be able to play the 2 guard.

What was I smoking? :)

After watching the clips, it seems to me that Kelly is a Duke 4 and possibly a 3 due to his decent dribbling. He's simply too slow laterally to guard a 2. Of course, he played the 4/5 position in those clips, so perhaps my view of him is skewed. He took only one 3 point attempt in the game if not wrong so I didn't get to see his reputedly accurate long range shooting. If he's money from long range then I can see how he may play the 3.

ACCBBallFan
08-10-2009, 11:00 AM
Sounds like the experience of Raymond Felton and P J Tucker edged the outstanding play and improved 3 point shooting of John Wall in the finals

http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/

MChambers
08-10-2009, 11:45 AM
I had previously stated in another thread that in a worst case scenario, Kelly might be able to play the 2 guard.

What was I smoking? :)
Well, you did say "worst case", but whatever you're smoking, I'll take two of them.;)

mike88
08-10-2009, 12:19 PM
Sounds like the experience of Raymond Felton and P J Tucker edged the outstanding play and improved 3 point shooting of John Wall in the finals

http://greaterncproambasketballleague.blogspot.com/

I got a chance to watch the finals yesterday. It was my first time seeing John Wall play, and he was very impressive. He shot the ball well, particularly in the second half, and was clearly faster end to end than anyone else on the court. His most impressive move: driving from the left, incredibly quick spin move around the defender, and (without another dribble) finishing with a two-handed tomahawk dunk. His decision making was not always as good as Ray Felton's or the other pros/college graduates but he more than held his own.

The game was played at a high level of intensity throughout- Jerry Stackhouse received a double technical early in the seocnd half and was almost tossed out of his own tournament!

Hancock 4 Duke
08-11-2009, 01:12 PM
And I'm sorry, but this is just sick http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5UpQl18OOM

I had no idea, but my cousin Nils filmed that. Hoopmixtape is his website. My mom told me something about his video being on ESPN today, and I googled something and Hoopmixtape on Youtube came up. I had no idea.