2012 Basketball Recruiting Thread

[Osiagledknarf]

I know this is a little early but we have seen and heard what some of the guys we will be going after within in the next year or so...

We have officially offered J.P. Tokoto and reportedly have a high intrest in Justin Anderson and L.J Rose...

This is a thread to dicuss all our possible targets and any news from this class...

[Osiagledknarf]

Here is the complete list of our possible targets as of right now..


http://duke.scout.com/a.z?s=167&p=9&c=4&cfg=bb&yr=2012

[licc85]

Okay, it's REALLY early to be talking about 2012, but this kid has already stated duke is his "dream school." He's a top 10 prospect in the class, and incredible athlete and also a very good shooter. After watching a couple videos, i'm kind of hyped up about him, check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNn77msl5wo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idOt1wdlMC8

[licc85]

oops i didn't see the 2012 recruiting thread, sorry moderators, go ahead and move this one over there :)

[DukeBlueNV]

heck ya! dude has got some game... he played on joshua hariston's hs team so hopefully josh has this kid drinking the cool aid... the only thing working against us is all the wing/forward/guards allready on the roster... felix, gbingie (sp), and dawkins who could likely move to the 3 position will all be on the team plus we are recruiting JP tokoto (who i think is going to unc) who plays the same position. so hopefully the depth we have will not scare him away cuz we could have some serious athleticism on the team in the future... man i love the direction duke is heading! fun time to be a devils fan!

*edit now that i've looked at scout i can see we have intrest in the 1,2,3, and 4 SFs so hopefully anderson understands the way recruting works and doesnt feel slighted by the fact we are in contact with other players at his postion.... i guess tokoto is the #1 target cuz he is the only one with an offer but i wonder where anderson falls on the coaching staffs list in terms of the most desired player in 2012.

[jimsumner]

It's still pretty early in the game and Duke is in the evaluation stage with a number of folks not on that scout.com list, including Alex Murphy, whose brother Duke recruited before he committed to Florida, and Tony Warren's son T.J. Warren was a fine player at State in the late 1970s.

[peblnh8]

hmm.. nobody taller than 6'7". sort of surprising.

[Daniel tosh]

I think the reason nobody is over 6'7" is because they haven't all grown into their bodies yet,Gordon Heyward was like 6'2" until his senior year then grew to 6'9".I wouldn't be too worried about it,their is still along time untill we start heavily recruiting these guys.

[sivartrenrag]

hmm.. nobody taller than 6'7". sort of surprising.

I'm pretty sure they're still growing.

I really, really, really like Justin Anderson. He's 15 and he's already built like a man. I'm no professional, but I see him being a very good player.

[roywhite]

I'm pretty sure they're still growing.

I really, really, really like Justin Anderson. He's 15 and he's already built like a man. I'm no professional, but I see him being a very good player.

Justin is 16; date of birth 11-19-1993. He certainly can finish at the rim!

http://www.usabasketball.com/men_team.php?page=mu16fac_roster

This from USA basketball and also gives some info on others prospects in that age range.

[wolfpackdevil]

It's still pretty early in the game and Duke is in the evaluation stage with a number of folks not on that scout.com list, including Alex Murphy, whose brother Duke recruited before he committed to Florida, and Tony Warren's son T.J. Warren was a fine player at State in the late 1970s.

Yes indeed. I am good friends with T.J. Warren and he is great. He goes to local Durham Riverside high school and was the conference player, and regional player of the year this year as a sophomore. He is a 6'6 SF, who could probably grow a couple more inches, and could possibly move to SG. He is a heck of a player, Duke should be looking at.

He already has offers from VT, and USC.

[sivartrenrag]

Justin is 16; date of birth 11-19-1993.

D'oh! Thanks for the correction.

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

I played against Justin in aau a couple years ago, he's a beast.

[mattman91]

Didnt see a thread on here for 2012 recruiting so i thought i would start one...sure its a loooong way away but they will be heading into their Junior years this fall.

Here are our current prospects according to scout.com

http://duke.scout.com/a.z?s=167&p=9&cfg=bb&c=4&yr=2012

[username]

As we all know, Kyrie is a potential two-and-done player, so we might need a replacement as soon as in two years. I just found this:

http://www.highschoolhoop.com/recruiting-news/2010/04/lj-rose-looking-at-texas-duke-kansas-and-others/

Looks like a really great kid. Any thoughts?

[roywhite]

As we all know, Kyrie is a potential two-and-done player, so we might need a replacement as soon as in two years. I just found this:

http://www.highschoolhoop.com/recruiting-news/2010/04/lj-rose-looking-at-texas-duke-kansas-and-others/

Looks like a really great kid. Any thoughts?

L.J. Rose---yeah, pretty sure he's on Duke's radar. From what I read, apparently has a close relationship with former Blue Devil Daniel Ewing, which can't hurt.

[rotogod00]

As we all know, Kyrie is a potential two-and-done player, so we might need a replacement as soon as in two years. I just found this:

http://www.highschoolhoop.com/recruiting-news/2010/04/lj-rose-looking-at-texas-duke-kansas-and-others/

Looks like a really great kid. Any thoughts?

here's hoping we see him for two years. no reason, though, other than his talent to suggest otherwise.

[Daniel tosh]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=5164405

Nice article on L.J. Rose.He seems like a very well grounded kid.

[Big Pappa]

I played against Justin in aau a couple years ago, he's a beast.

That is first rate reporting if I've ever heard it.

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

haha he crushed our team, so bad we vowed to never speak of the score again.

[Big Pappa]

haha he crushed our team, so bad we vowed to never speak of the score again.

Lol you were still on the court with the guy, props for that. I played high school football against Dez Bryant and in a Texas HS All-Star game with Earl Thomas.

Totally unrelated but I wanted my 15 minutes. :D

[OnToTheNextOne]

I noticed that BDN posted a recent interview with D'vauntes Smith-Rivera, 6-4 220 lb. shooting guard from 2012 class; does this mean we may be interested in him? Possibly begin evaluating him and potentially recruiting him or was just a random interview? Anybody got any insight?

[Kedsy]

I noticed that BDN posted a recent interview with D'vauntes Smith-Rivera, 6-4 220 lb. shooting guard from 2012 class; does this mean we may be interested in him? Possibly begin evaluating him and potentially recruiting him or was just a random interview? Anybody got any insight?

He's just finishing his sophomore year of high school, and he weighs 220 pounds? And he's a guard? (And not a football guard?) Wow.

[airowe]

I noticed that BDN posted a recent interview with D'vauntes Smith-Rivera, 6-4 220 lb. shooting guard from 2012 class; does this mean we may be interested in him? Possibly begin evaluating him and potentially recruiting him or was just a random interview? Anybody got any insight?

Mark and crew don't typically interview random kids, so I'm sure there is some interest either from Smith-Rivera's camp, from Duke's or from both. The list of 201e prospects is long right now and will more likely grow than shrink.

Shabazz Muhammad
Alex Murphy
Justin Anderson
Amile Jefferson
Tyler Lewis
TJ Warren
LJ Rose

And some others are all being recruited by Duke in one way, shape, or form.

[Kedsy]

Mark and crew don't typically interview random kids, so I'm sure there is some interest either from Smith-Rivera's camp, from Duke's or from both. The list of 201e prospects is long right now and will more likely grow than shrink.

Shabazz Muhammad
Alex Murphy
Justin Anderson
Amile Jefferson
Tyler Lewis
TJ Warren
LJ Rose

And some others are all being recruited by Duke in one way, shape, or form.

JP Tokoto isn't on the list anymore? Haven't we already offered him a scholarship?

[airowe]

JP Tokoto isn't on the list anymore? Haven't we already offered him a scholarship?

I realized I had left him off right after I hit post. Duke is still recruiting JP, but there is a strong feeling that he is waiting on a unc offer to come in June and will jump on the chance to play in Chapel Hill.

[miramar]

I realized I had left him off right after I hit post. Duke is still recruiting JP, but there is a strong feeling that he is waiting on a unc offer to come in June and will jump on the chance to play in Chapel Hill.

It's a free country, but I guess the kid doesn't read the papers. Or watch Roy's interviews on TV, for that matter.

[airowe]

It's a free country, but I guess the kid doesn't read the papers. Or watch Roy's interviews on TV, for that matter.

Roy has been spending a lot of time in Wisconsin lately. He can be very persuasive as you can see in his recent recruiting results.

Regardless, the Class of 2012 is very well stacked with elite talent at the wing positions. The Duke staff has addressed this and is targeting almost all of the top 5, similar to how we approached the PG class of 2010.

Murphy, Muhammad, Tokoto, Jefferson, and Anderson have all been contacted heavily by the staff. We will get one of them.

I'd love to see the staff go after a NC kid, Montrezl Harrell (http://rivals.yahoo.com/virginiatech/basketball/recruiting/player-Montrezl-Harrell-109899). I believe someone on this board is familiar with his talent and either goes to his high school or lives in the area. He is flying under the radar at this time, but is starting to garner national interest.

[HardwoodElite]

For those who are interested, here is a new highlight video of Shabazz Muhammad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMIpgQjgQy4

[G man]

For those who are interested, here is a new highlight video of Shabazz Muhammad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMIpgQjgQy4

Glad not to see a bunch of break dunks, but mid range jumpers do not always see much of those in these types of video's.

[DukeSean]

It's a free country, but I guess the kid doesn't read the papers. Or watch Roy's interviews on TV, for that matter.

I am hearing the same things, that Tokoto is a UNC fan. I'm more excited about Justin Anderson anyways. Those videos...

[OnToTheNextOne]

I'm excited about Justin Anderson as well. There's a lot more to basketball than jumping and dunking, but having that kinda athleticism is rarely seen. It seems to me that with some work on his shot, he could play some two guard as well and that would be scary. Can't wait for the 2012 class to fall in place; it's a stacked class, especially on the wing.

[OnToTheNextOne]

just curious but does anybody have any idea why we seemingly aren't recruiting Hanner Perea or Peter Jurkin. They go to high school in nearby Charlotte and both are rated in the top 25 in their class by ESPN. Jurkin seems really raw still but he's already 7'0" and Perea seems like a monster. Anybody know anything?

Here's a highlight video of Perea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXhYPdU1CGk

[Class of '94]

Maybe it's sour grapes on my part; but I was turned off by Tokoto when he failed to make a trip to Cameron while he and his dad made the time to go to the Dean Dome to watch UNC play us. I know someone had mentioned that he had a game the night of the UNC game at Cameron and supposedly couldn't make it; but saying that, I think it's clear that Tokoto is a UNC lean despite issues that occured last year with Roy and UNC.

I've kind of moved on from Tokoto and I really like Justin Anderson's potential. Isn't Justin rated higher than Tokoto? If he works on his game, I think Justin will be the better player and potientially the best wing of his class although I hear Shabazz is really good.

[roywhite]

just curious but does anybody have any idea why we seemingly aren't recruiting Hanner Perea or Peter Jurkin. They go to high school in nearby Charlotte and both are rated in the top 25 in their class by ESPN. Jurkin seems really raw still but he's already 7'0" and Perea seems like a monster. Anybody know anything?

Here's a highlight video of Perea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXhYPdU1CGk

Whew.

I thought you were going to post a video of Peter Jurkin. :eek:

A candidate for All-Name team.

[airowe]

Maybe it's sour grapes on my part; but I was turned off by Tokoto when he failed to make a trip to Cameron while he and his dad made the time to go to the Dean Dome to watch UNC play us. I know someone had mentioned that he had a game the night of the UNC game at Cameron and supposedly couldn't make it; but saying that, I think it's clear that Tokoto is a UNC lean despite issues that occured last year with Roy and UNC.

I've kind of moved on from Tokoto and I really like Justin Anderson's potential. Isn't Justin rated higher than Tokoto? If he works on his game, I think Justin will be the better player and potientially the best wing of his class although I hear Shabazz is really good.

Tokoto is ranked much higher than Anderson, as are many other '12 wings. Justin's athleticism is off the charts, but he lacks the basketball skills of many of his peers.

While I agree that Tokoto is a unc lean (strong one), Duke is targeting a number of wings in that class including Alex Murphy, Shabazz Muhammad, Savon Goodman, Anderson, and to some degree Amile Jefferson. It's still early, but Murphy will be on the Duke campus this Monday so you can deduce that he is a priority target.

[rotogod00]

Tokoto is ranked much higher than Anderson, as are many other '12 wings. Justin's athleticism is off the charts, but he lacks the basketball skills of many of his peers.

While I agree that Tokoto is a unc lean (strong one), Duke is targeting a number of wings in that class including Alex Murphy, Shabazz Muhammad, Savon Goodman, Anderson, and to some degree Amile Jefferson. It's still early, but Murphy will be on the Duke campus this Monday so you can deduce that he is a priority target.

not on ESPN, where anderson is 9 and tokoto is 10

[Cockabeau]

Give me a Gbinje/Anderson combo and I let Roy take Tokoto.
I think K would be cool with that...

[Daniel tosh]

I totally agree with cockabeau here,I dont know much about Andersonson other than that he has great atleticism and he plays for Montrose.I really think Gbinije will suprise people he seems to fit perfectly with our style

[airowe]

not on ESPN, where anderson is 9 and tokoto is 10

Scout for basketball recruiting, Rivals for football recruiting, ESPN for gossip and highlights.

[Jderf]

Scout for basketball recruiting, Rivals for football recruiting, ESPN for gossip and highlights.

haha I was about to say almost the exact same thing. I like that the staff really seems to be going with the wide-net recruiting approach these days, it really takes the sting off of the occasional miss when you can just say, "well, we're still recruiting these three other guys for that spot, so we should be okay."

[Class of '94]

Tokoto is ranked much higher than Anderson, as are many other '12 wings. Justin's athleticism is off the charts, but he lacks the basketball skills of many of his peers.

While I agree that Tokoto is a unc lean (strong one), Duke is targeting a number of wings in that class including Alex Murphy, Shabazz Muhammad, Savon Goodman, Anderson, and to some degree Amile Jefferson. It's still early, but Murphy will be on the Duke campus this Monday so you can deduce that he is a priority target.

At this point, is Tokoto supposed to be the best of the '12 wings?

[HardwoodElite]

At this point, is Tokoto supposed to be the best of the '12 wings?

Tokoto is a special player and I would be surprised if he doesn't end up being the best wing player in his class.

[airowe]

At this point, is Tokoto supposed to be the best of the '12 wings?


Tokoto is a special player and I would be surprised if he doesn't end up being the best wing player in his class.

I'd say he's the most well-rounded. Each of them have something different to offer. Luckily, we're involved with many of them early so we can monitor their progress.

Anyone remember what Kyrie was ranked after his Sophomore Year?

[dchen09]

I believe he was in 40s to 50s 4 star on scout.

[Dukefan4Life]

Yeah that really sucks hearing JP is a NC lean. I have seen a few videos of him and play and it looks like he is playing with kids they way he dominates!

[studdlee10]

Yeah that really sucks hearing JP is a NC lean. I have seen a few videos of him and play and it looks like he is playing with kids they way he dominates!

Well, he IS playing with kids. JP plays with the under 16s, while Shabazz and Anderson play with the under 17s. I know the 1 year doesn't seem like a big difference but in the AAU circuit, the really talented players are bumped up and the competition level and maturity on the 17 teams are much higher than the 16s.

[Dukefan4Life]

Well, he IS playing with kids. JP plays with the under 16s, while Shabazz and Anderson play with the under 17s. I know the 1 year doesn't seem like a big difference but in the AAU circuit, the really talented players are bumped up and the competition level and maturity on the 17 teams are much higher than the 16s. He plays with kids?, really? :rolleyes:

[Osiagledknarf]

For what I have read and hear, Justin Andersen and L.J Rose along with Tokoto for the 2012 class.. Tokoto has been in a large amount with Roy Williams and recently bypassed a trip to go to Cameron to go to UNC... I think once UNC offers him, he will be Chapel Hill bound.

As far as Andersen, he seems to be advancing the same towards Duke as Tokoto is to UNC...

This is a quote from him the Boo Williams Invitational:


Justin Anderson – When asked about his dream school Anderson replied “Duke”. Anderson is a highly ranked SF from the class of 2012. The Duke staff will be checking in on him this summer.

http://bluedevilinsider.wordpress.com/2010/04/10/news-notes-tyler-adams-austin-rivers-justin-anderson/

Seems like a kid who is really intrested in playing for Duke and a kid who I think we pursue heavily and offer very soon.

As far as him vs. Tokoto... Andersen is more of athlete and is a better defender then Tokoto, but Tokoto is a slightly better shooter then Andersen. Extremely close though among talent level and ability. So it isn't really that far off



L.J Rose who Duke recently started recruiting he said he "excited" about Duke recruiting him and there is mutual intrest between both sides. Like Quincy Miller, he has many offers from different school like Arizona and Kentucky, also schools like UNC and Kansas are intrested as well.. It will be a longer, drawn out process with him I believe and maybe Rivers if stays, it will attract even more... No word on a possible visit.

Too Early to tell on these guys... There is a lot of time for these kids to be watched and then graded over the next couple seasons..

[airowe]

Justin Anderson is no where near as skilled as JP Tokot and he is certainly not Duke's #1 or #2 WF Recruit.

[Big Pappa]

Justin Anderson is no where near as skilled as JP Tokot and he is certainly not Duke's #1 or #2 WF Recruit.

I agree that he is not as skilled, but I think he is a lot nearer to JP than you think. JP obviously has a more polished game right now, but Justin has off-the-charts hops, overall athletic ability and has a lot of room to get better. I know that the kids in the 2012 class all have room for improvement, but Justin stands out to me in that category.

[Osiagledknarf]

Justin Anderson is no where near as skilled as JP Tokot and he is certainly not Duke's #1 or #2 WF Recruit.

Did I say that he was there top recruit? No... What I did say was that they have a lot of mutual intrest with each other and seem like a likely fit. Rose and Tokoto, no question at this moment in time. Amile Jefferson is also up there as well, but this like I said is early on in the process.

Did you read what I said about Andersen and Tokoto? I said Andersen was more athletic then Tokoto, which many people think Andersen it is a lot closer then you think it is. He is rated higher on some scouting services, there is a reason for that, but like I said, it is extremely early in this recruitment process, give it time.

So please read before responding to my posts, thank you.

[jimsumner]

Osia,

No, you did not say that Anderson was Duke's top recruit. But you did express your opinion that Duke would offer Anderson "very soon." Inasmuch as Duke currentlly has several wings ranked higher than Anderson, this is a debatable point and was implicity addressed in Airowe's response.

[Osiagledknarf]

Osia,

No, you did not say that Anderson was Duke's top recruit. But you did express your opinion that Duke would offer Anderson "very soon." Inasmuch as Duke currentlly has several wings ranked higher than Anderson, this is a debatable point and was implicity addressed in Airowe's response.

Several? It depends what scouting service you are looking at.

ESPN he is the 2nd wing in the 2012 class.

Scout: 4th wing in the 2012 class.

Rivals: 4th wing in the 2012 class.

Capital Hoops: 1st wing in the 2012 class.


So in some, yes. But it is not as clear cut as you describe to be it is.

As for what I said about Andersen; There seems to be strong mutual intrest between him and Duke... I would not be surprised if he was offered due to J.P Tokoto's high intrest in UNC and he seems to be leaning away from Duke, Shabazz Muhammad is listed as being highly intrested with 4 different teams, it is seeable that we would be down between him and Jefferson, which I believe it will be. Could J.P Tokoto change his mind? Certainly, but it isn't looking it to this point.

So that's why I said that about Andersen..

[airowe]

For some reason you're leaving out the one '12 wing that will be visiting Duke on Monday, Alex Murphy. Anderson is absolutely very athletic, but his basketball skills are lacking. Go read DraftExpress' recent tweets about him and you will know what every scout I trust has ever said about Anderson.

[dball]

But it is not as clear cut as you describe to be it is.
..

More yodaesque :)

[Osiagledknarf]

More yodaesque :)

What are you saying here?

[jjh1080]

Kind of new to posting here but viewing for a while. Many of these posts are the same.

Because a guy is top 2 or 3 for his position people think he should be an automatic recruit. My question is don't you think a team, like Duke, should recruit a guy that fits Duke? I mean Wall was a top notch guy but do you really think he would have fit the Duke style?

Duke won the championship this year because they played "team" basketball but no way does Wall appear to be a "team" player. I know that many teams were after him but it seems like Duke gave up on him because they sensed something a midst with him.

Yet many posters here think because a guy is a top rated guy Duke should purse them. In all honesty, many posters appear to not have any confidence in the coaching staff in making the right recruiting decision. Do you all think you know more than the coaching staff when it comes to recruiting? Have you guys actually talked with the recruits to find out what they are thinking?

Case in point, would Duke have been better off recruiting Love over Singler? Towards the end Duke gave up on Love and went after Singler, I think they saw somethings we fans didn't.

[Big Pappa]

More yodaesque :)


What are you saying here?

Read your quote out-loud; slowly and carefully:


But it is not as clear cut as you describe to be it is.

[MisterRoddy]

For some reason you're leaving out the one '12 wing that will be visiting Duke on Monday, Alex Murphy. Anderson is absolutely very athletic, but his basketball skills are lacking. Go read DraftExpress' recent tweets about him and you will know what every scout I trust has ever said about Anderson.

Well, Murphy looks like he is a solid player but you have to think he isn't priority right now. He is a 3 star on Scout and unranked on ESPN with a rating of 93. Unless there's something I'm not aware of, it would appear as though we should make Anderson priority. (Shabazz and Amile are different stories though)

[MisterRoddy]

Kind of new to posting here but viewing for a while. Many of these posts are the same.

Because a guy is top 2 or 3 for his position people think he should be an automatic recruit. My question is don't you think a team, like Duke, should recruit a guy that fits Duke? I mean Wall was a top notch guy but do you really think he would have fit the Duke style?

Duke won the championship this year because they played "team" basketball but no way does Wall appear to be a "team" player. I know that many teams were after him but it seems like Duke gave up on him because they sensed something a midst with him.

Yet many posters here think because a guy is a top rated guy Duke should purse them. In all honesty, many posters appear to not have any confidence in the coaching staff in making the right recruiting decision. Do you all think you know more than the coaching staff when it comes to recruiting? Have you guys actually talked with the recruits to find out what they are thinking?

Case in point, would Duke have been better off recruiting Love over Singler? Towards the end Duke gave up on Love and went after Singler, I think they saw somethings we fans didn't.

Much like we will be doing with Irving, Duke would have fit Wall's playing style (up-tempo offense)...Duke fits their playing style to the players they have, not the other way around.

Please don't make accusations of Wall not being a "team player" when, in all likelihood, you haven't seen enough of the kid play to evaluate that part of his game. Wall is a great player, and while things worked out without him, we certainly would have welcomed him with open arms.

[jjh1080]

Isn't Thornton a 3 star recruit? Duke recruited him and signed him.

[verga]

Having seen Tokoto, Jefferson, Goodman, Muhammed and Murphy, i would say that Muhammed is by far the best player of the 5 and in my opinion i think Murphy would have to be # 2 on the list. From what i've seen of Tokoto, he is not assertive and his outside shot needs work, he is a great athlete but Muhammed is very close in that area and he (Shabazz) is not afraid to work hard inside. It looked to me that Tokoto was just trying to pass the ball and at no point did he try to take over the game. Murphy's skill set is very close to Dunleavy and Singler. He has great shooting mechanics and plays a lot like Kyle. I really like Goodman but he seemed to do all his work inside, he is a very tough guy and fights for everything, his outside shot needs a little work. Jefferson is very skilled but extremely thin, John Henson thin. All of these comparisons can and will change over the next 3 years, so we need to take my observations with a grain of salt. I would say if Duke were able to land Muhammed and Murphy, the coaching staff would be very happy indeed. In closing remember that Tokoto, Jefferson and Goodman are playing in the 16 & under group, while Muhammed & Murphy are playing in the 17 & over group.:)

[MisterRoddy]

Isn't Thornton a 3 star recruit? Duke recruited him and signed him.

The question is of who is priority, Justin Anderson, a hands-down 5-Star recruit with a huge interest in Duke, or Alex Murphy, a 3-Star. Like I said, I dont know much about Murphy but I would have to say that the former would be of more importance.

I never said we shouldnt recruit him...

[jjh1080]

Much like we will be doing with Irving, Duke would have fit Wall's playing style (up-tempo offense)...Duke fits their playing style to the players they have, not the other way around.

Please don't make accusations of Wall not being a "team player" when, in all likelihood, you haven't seen enough of the kid play to evaluate that part of his game. Wall is a great player, and while things worked out without him, we certainly would have welcomed him with open arms.

Fully understood, but how do think Coach K would have reacted to pulling Wall out of the game and saying something to him and Wall rolling his eyes. He did this on multiple occasions during the year. Does that fit the Duke style?

I think he and Coach K would have been at odds all season long. I think that is why Duke gave up on him.

Irving appears to be very aware of the "team" concept. He is quoted as saying he might not have had a good night but assisting his team mates helped win the game. Not sure there are any quotes of Wall saying that.

[roywhite]

The question is of who is priority, Justin Anderson, a hands-down 5-Star recruit with a huge interest in Duke, or Alex Murphy, a 3-Star. Like I said, I dont know much about Murphy but I would have to say that the former would be of more importance.

I never said we shouldnt recruit him...

Please note the observations of posters like Verga and airowe who are actually watching some of these players in action.

The ratings of Rivals, Scouts, etc. are a very limited way to get information about potential recruits, particularly players in the class of 2011 and 2012. Things change very quickly. The judgment and preferences of the Duke staff may vary considerably from current star-ratings.

Edit to add: this very much applies to the post below by O-knarf. Don't get so hung up on ratings from recruiting services. I'll go with Coach K and his staff over the Rivals or Scouts evaluations.

[Osiagledknarf]

For some reason you're leaving out the one '12 wing that will be visiting Duke on Monday, Alex Murphy. Anderson is absolutely very athletic, but his basketball skills are lacking. Go read DraftExpress' recent tweets about him and you will know what every scout I trust has ever said about Anderson.

Here is what I got from Draft Express when I looked on that site:


While obviously it’s way too early to be talking about a player who just finished his freshman year of high school, it was tough not taking notice of the talent that Justin Anderson displays. Not only does the lefty bring great physical tools to the table, highlighted by a great frame, wingspan and athleticism, but he also looks to be a very smart, tough, active player with a pretty nice stroke. He competed non-stop, defended extremely well and also did a great job crashing the glass. Already ranked by ESPN as one of the top five players in the 2012 high school class, Anderson has quite a future ahead of him if he continues to work hard and doesn’t let the hype go to his head.


This is from the site you just sited. Sound like someone I just described... Someone with incredible upside but someone who is developing and working on some things, which prospect at this point is not? Also, where in here does it say he needs to improve his basketball skills? Seem like a guy who is raw and just needs to keep on working his skills like every other prospect in this class. This does not sound like a guy who has "lacking basketball skills".

Alex Murphy is not one of the best SF in the 2012 class, nowhere close. He is not ranked on Scout, not ranked on Rivals, and is graded a 93 on the ESPN. He is a good player yes, but not in the same league as Tokoto, Jefferson, Andersen, or Shabazz Muhammad .

Take a look what Scout INC has the top 3 SF'S as of right now:

Shabazz Muhammad: 97

Justin Andersen: 96

J.P Tokoto: 96


Here is what Scouts INC says about prospects in the 94-97 range:


94-97: High-major prospect
Player has the potential to significantly contribute as a freshman for most national programs. He could be a three- or four-year starter and have an opportunity for all-league honors.

Here is where Alex Murphy is currently ranked:


90-93: High-major minus prospect
Player has the potential to significantly contribute to a national program as a freshman. He could be a four-year contributor with an opportunity to start over the course of his career.


So my point is that Murphy maybe a good player, but he doesn't have the same potential as Andersen, Muhammad and Tokoto.

[roywhite]

Fully understood, but how do think Coach K would have reacted to pulling Wall out of the game and saying something to him and Wall rolling his eyes. He did this on multiple occasions during the year. Does that fit the Duke style?

I think he and Coach K would have been at odds all season long. I think that is why Duke gave up on him.

Irving appears to be very aware of the "team" concept. He is quoted as saying he might not have had a good night but assisting his team mates helped win the game. Not sure there are any quotes of Wall saying that.

Seems to me that Duke and Coach K recruited John Wall pretty hard; they weren't in on him early, but certainly made a push last spring. It was the subject of great interest (and controversy) on this board.

I can't say I'm sorry that John Wall went elsewhere, because Duke had a great season without him. However, Wall was a terrific player at Kentucky, a first team All-America who scored, but also involved his teammates.

There's probably a better example than John Wall of highly ranked players that Duke doesn't pursue.

[Orange&BlackSheep]

Just because Wall behaved that way with Calipari does not mean that in a different environment, he would behave the same way. If Lebron, Carmelo, etal don't roll their eyes at K, I suspect that John Wall would not have either. Not that there have not been people who have not seen "eye to eye" with Coach K (Greg Newton, etc.)

[Osiagledknarf]

Please note the observations of posters like Verga and airowe who are actually watching some of these players in action.

The ratings of Rivals, Scouts, etc. are a very limited way to get information about potential recruits, particularly players in the class of 2011 and 2012. Things change very quickly. The judgment and preferences of the Duke staff may vary considerably from current star-ratings.

I agree with this, but I pointed out this fact because people are trying to bring up NBA Scout grades when the kid is a Sophmore in High School. I had to use those grades to help me back this up. I have seen some of Murphy, and I think he could be a good starter on this team and sorta has a Singler type of game and has a great outside shot, but he isn't what Andersen is right now.

[roywhite]

I agree with this, but I pointed out this fact because people are trying to bring up NBA Scout grades when the kid is a Sophmore in High School. I had to use those grades to help me back this up. I have seen some of Murphy, and I think he could be a good starter on this team and sorta has a Singler type of game and has a great outside shot, but he isn't what Andersen is right now.

That's strictly your opinion. I don't find your support convincing at all.

[Osiagledknarf]

That's strictly your opinion. I don't find your support convincing at all.

Why not? What have I done to not be convincing?

[jjh1080]

Seems to me that Duke and Coach K recruited John Wall pretty hard; they weren't in on him early, but certainly made a push last spring. It was the subject of great interest (and controversy) on this board.

I can't say I'm sorry that John Wall went elsewhere, because Duke had a great season without him. However, Wall was a terrific player at Kentucky, a first team All-America who scored, but also involved his teammates.

There's probably a better example than John Wall of highly ranked players that Duke doesn't pursue.

Yes, but didn't he get into some trouble with entering a vacant house. I remember reading about how the Duke had gone warm on Wall about a week before he had an issue with entering a vacant house. I think the coaching staff has much more insight into recruits than anyone on this board.

[roywhite]

Why not? What have I done to not be convincing?

You are using outdated, incomplete, or possibly inaccurate sources to give a firm opinion on something that you don't personally know much about.

I have read posts and scouting reports from some long-time contributors here like Verga and airowe. I pay attention to them because I know they do their homework, and see many of these guys in person.

I don't value your opinion.

[lotusland]

Fully understood, but how do think Coach K would have reacted to pulling Wall out of the game and saying something to him and Wall rolling his eyes. He did this on multiple occasions during the year. Does that fit the Duke style?

I think he and Coach K would have been at odds all season long. I think that is why Duke gave up on him.

It is also possible that surrounded by our Coaches and uppper classman leadership Wall would have follwed the example set for him. If you allow the inmates to run the asylum they will. I Think our guys generally understand that they are not bigger than the team or the program and buy into the team concept. I'm not sure Cal commands the same respect or that he even expects it.

Also I wasn't aware that Duke gave up on Wall.

[Osiagledknarf]

You are using outdated, incomplete, or possibly inaccurate sources to give a firm opinion on something that you don't personally know much about.

I have read posts and scouting reports from some long-time contributors here like Verga and airowe. I pay attention to them because I know they do their homework, and see many of these guys in person.

I don't value your opinion.

How is this outdated? I used the site that Airowe asked me to go too!!

I have seen Murphy because he plays in a school in Southborough, MA, and I live in Maine. I have just shown you a very well thought out point and you are saying it is out of date and inaccurate. How is this? And how do you know I don't know about these guys?

[MisterRoddy]

Please note the observations of posters like Verga and airowe who are actually watching some of these players in action.

The ratings of Rivals, Scouts, etc. are a very limited way to get information about potential recruits, particularly players in the class of 2011 and 2012. Things change very quickly. The judgment and preferences of the Duke staff may vary considerably from current star-ratings.

Edit to add: this very much applies to the post below by O-knarf. Don't get so hung up on ratings from recruiting services. I'll go with Coach K and his staff over the Rivals or Scouts evaluations.

I'm pretty sure we can all agree with that.

And for those who haven't seen much of this kid Murphys game, like myself, heres a video of him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCVmcls-mfc

[roywhite]

How is this outdated? I used the site that Airowe asked me to go too!!

I have seen Murphy because he plays in a school in Southborough, MA, and I live in Maine. I have just shown you a very well thought out point and you are saying it is out of date and inaccurate. How is this? And how do you know I don't know about these guys?

You have quoted Scout and Rivals evaluations of players that are finishing their sophomore year or perhaps junior year in high school. We are just starting the summer period where the top players go against each other in tournaments. Ratings change very quickly.

You might have told me a couple years ago that this Kyrie Irving kid wasn't rated very highly after his sophomore year, and that we should go after somebody else.

I have read your posts here, and I don't think you add anything to the discussion about potential recruits. You read some Rivals, Scouts, ESPN pieces and believe them to be the final word.

Good night.

[MisterRoddy]

How is this outdated? I used the site that Airowe asked me to go too!!

I have seen Murphy because he plays in a school in Southborough, MA, and I live in Maine. I have just shown you a very well thought out point and you are saying it is out of date and inaccurate. How is this? And how do you know I don't know about these guys?

If its any consolation, I believe Airowe told you to refer to draftexpress' recent TWITTER updates about Anderson which are:




. Justin Anderson (2012) didn't play great, but I absolutely love him as a prospect. Plays his I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this. off, defends, rebounds, is smart, unselfish

Justin Anderson cnt'd: A top-10 recruit that regularly dives on floor for loose balls. Unheard of. Not skilled. Average shooter/ballhandler.

Justin Anderson cnt'd- Young, so still has time to work on his skill-level (for now is poor). Looks like a hard worker, good guy. Smart.

These updates are as recent as today whereas the scouting report you had was from August of last year.

[Osiagledknarf]

It is also possible that surrounded by our Coaches and uppper classman leadership Wall would have follwed the example set for him. If you allow the inmates to run the asylum they will. I Think our guys generally understand that they are not bigger than the team or the program and buy into the team concept. I'm not sure Cal commands the same respect or that he even expects it.

Also I wasn't aware that Duke gave up on Wall.


You have quoted Scout and Rivals evaluations of players that are finishing their sophomore year or perhaps junior year in high school. We are just starting the summer period where the top players go against each other in tournaments. Ratings change very quickly.

You might have told me a couple years ago that this Kyrie Irving kid wasn't rated very highly after his sophomore year, and that we should go after somebody else.

I have read your posts here, and I don't think you add anything to the discussion about potential recruits. You read some Rivals, Scouts, ESPN pieces and believe them to be the final word.

Good night.


I have said this many times on here... All players AT THIS TIME need to develop... When someone says something about NBA scout grades, I had to come back with that, not that I am judging them right now on there scout rating... I am just putting it out to this point right now.

How do you know what I would have said about Kyrie Irving? I would have said he would be a good kid to go after because I know people who played against him in AAU, same thing with Murphy and the other prospects 2010-On. So I have some very good things to offer here..

[fgb]

Case in point, would Duke have been better off recruiting Love over Singler? Towards the end Duke gave up on Love and went after Singler, I think they saw somethings we fans didn't.

not true. early on, we wanted both of them; there are reasons we backed off of love, but it was never an either/or situation with those two players. if anything, i'd say the staff saw them as very different players whose games would compliment each others quite nicely, a la battier and brand.

[JohnGalt]

Yikes! Perhaps we should all review -jk's sticky on the front page as it is certainly getting a little testy in the 2012 forum.

I do have a few questions regarding the rankings:

It seems to me the preliminary rankings (frosh, soph years) that you find in the mega-recruiting sites (Scout, Rivals, etc) are much more geared around the player's physical attributes - overall athleticism, if you will - rather than focusing more on the technical side of his game. And as the next few years come pass, players move up or down depending on how they develop the "little" (realistically, not so little) things like footwork, ball handling, et al. Is this - generally speaking, of course - the case? Is this what allows someone like Justin Anderson whom several of you all have mentioned as being superbly athletic, but not overly technically skilled to be rated as highly as he is? Do you all expect him to start slipping down the rankings?

Unfortunately, I don't have much of an opportunity to see the kids play so I'm one of the miscreants who relies mostly on the websites for the info (along with you all, of course) so I'm curious to hear the perspectives from those more in the know. Either way, 2012 looks awfully bright for us to snag at least one of the multitude of talented wings.

[Cockabeau]

I'm not understanding the criticism of Justin Anderson on here.

For one on youtube, the interviews he gives are insightful. The way he speaks and body language are mature and structured.

Second I am not seeing Ismail Muhammed out there. He is not going to be leader of the skills competition any time soon but he isn't as RAW as some on here are leading him out to be.

I don't get it.

[Cockabeau]

And this whole argument between Murphy and Anderson might be moot.

Duke is closing in on Shabazz Muhammed. I think we have a real good chance of landing this kid.

[Jderf]

I'm not understanding the criticism of Justin Anderson on here.

For one on youtube, the interviews he gives are insightful. The way he speaks and body language are mature and structured.

Second I am not seeing Ismail Muhammed out there. He is not going to be leader of the skills competition any time soon but he isn't as RAW as some on here are leading him out to be.

I don't get it.

It seemed to me that the (overly heated) discussion of Anderson centered on the possible gap between his athletic development and his skill development. Nobody questioned his maturity or ability to give insight, and there don't seem to be any questions concerning his character; the only question was about who seems to be (or should be) the top recruiting priority right now for Duke.

[Jderf]

And this whole argument between Murphy and Anderson might be moot.

Duke is closing in on Shabazz Muhammed. I think we have a real good chance of landing this kid.

Even if we did suddenly land Shabazz (and I think we should try, if only for the awesome Persian name) I don't know for sure if that would rule out Duke going after some of the others. Does anybody know what the staff's approach here is? Are we looking to suit up just one of these wings or is Duke trying to nab as many as possible?

Also, is there any news out there regarding 2012 prospects that aren't wings? Or are we completely focused on the wings at this point?

[airowe]

I'm not trying to dneigrate Justin Anderson, I was simply refuting Knarf's first post when he presented Duke's 2012 recruiting targets as a Top 3 of Tokoto, Rose, and Anderson. That's not true, and if its not what you were trying to say, I apologize.

We are recruiting a number of wings and Justin simply isn't at the top of the list.

[Kedsy]

Duke won the championship this year because they played "team" basketball but no way does Wall appear to be a "team" player. I know that many teams were after him but it seems like Duke gave up on him because they sensed something a midst with him.

Duke gave up on John Wall when he announced he was attending Kentucky. Not a moment before.


Case in point, would Duke have been better off recruiting Love over Singler? Towards the end Duke gave up on Love and went after Singler, I think they saw somethings we fans didn't.

My recollection is that Duke was pursuing both Singler and Love (who, after all, play different positions), and got a commitment from Kyle before they gave up on Love. The two players were in no way an either/or situation.

[Osiagledknarf]

And this whole argument between Murphy and Anderson might be moot.

Duke is closing in on Shabazz Muhammed. I think we have a real good chance of landing this kid.

Where have you read that we are closing in on Muhammed? We have yet to offer him yet, and he listed as having high intrest in UCLA, Arizona, Texas, Kansas, and UNC who is the only team not to have offered him on his "high" list. He was in attendance at the Duke-UNC game, and Coach K have had contact with him but I wouldn't use the words that "were closing in on him". Are we intrested? Absolutely. But we aren't at the point where we are close with him as of yet.

[Cockabeau]

I am putting two and two together. Pure speculation.

Search for Shabazz Muhammed Interview on youtube . He is very articulate and bright. Same with justin Anderson.

Also, he visited us and enjoyed the atmosphere. at Cameron when we blew out UNC.

I think no one knows who is priority #1 is between Murphy,Anderson and Muhammed. I have no idea.
But I think tokoto is on the backburner at this point. he will be a heel

[Osiagledknarf]

Case in point, would Duke have been better off recruiting Love over Singler? Towards the end Duke gave up on Love and went after Singler, I think they saw somethings we fans didn't.

We never gave up on either of them. Love or Singler. Throughout the entire recruiting process it was thought that Love was going to go to UCLA, which is exactly what happened. Like Wall, we did not give up on Love until he announced that he was going to UCLA, period. Singler had nothing to do with Love's recruitment or vice versa... Duke's hat was there when he commited to UCLA along with many others.

Now could we please stop crying over spilled milk? John Wall, Kevin Love and Harrison Barnes aren't coming to Duke, period.

Let's use this thread to talk about the 2012 recruiting class, not the what could have been...

[Osiagledknarf]

Here is an article that just came up today on Shabazz Muhammad. It is a premium article but the title should give you what you need to know:

http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/05/top-prospect-shabazz-muhammad-is-high-on-duke/

[JohnGalt]

I am putting two and two together. Pure speculation.

Search for Shabazz Muhammed Interview on youtube . He is very articulate and bright. Same with justin Anderson.

Also, he visited us and enjoyed the atmosphere. at Cameron when we blew out UNC.

I think no one knows who is priority #1 is between Murphy,Anderson and Muhammed. I have no idea.
But I think tokoto is on the backburner at this point. he will be a heel

Linguistic acuity notwithstanding, and despite the opinions of several others, this is the most convincing argument you can make?

[Cockabeau]

Linguistic acuity notwithstanding, and despite the opinions of several others, this is the most convincing argument you can make?

If you don't believe me then take a look at the Blue Devil Nation article. Pretty much proves my point.tyhaveaniceday

[BD80]

... John Wall, Kevin Love and Harrison Barnes aren't coming to Duke, period. ...

Welllll. HB will get to visit once next year, and experience the crowd at Cameron celebrating a victory.

I doubt he wants to stick around ol' roy for the following year.

[Kedsy]

I doubt he wants to stick around ol' roy for the following year.

Obviously I don't know, but I would be surprised if HB didn't stay for his sophomore year. If he's the consensus #1 pick he'd leave, but I don't think that's likely to be the case, and the possibility of a lockout would also argue for staying a 2nd year. I think the same could be said of Kyrie (although I'd say his chances of being one-and-done are a little higher than HB's, but still not incredibly high).

If Duke gets the 2011 recruiting class we hope for and UNC's is as good as it looks like it's shaping up to be, the 2011-12 season could be an epic struggle between good and evil.

I suspect both schools will be starting over to a certain extent by the time these 2012 kids are coming to school.

[jimsumner]

Believe it or not but the Duke coaching staff spends surprisingly little time looking at internet recruiting sites. They prefer to make up their own minds.

Shocking but true.

[MisterRoddy]

Obviously I don't know, but I would be surprised if HB didn't stay for his sophomore year. If he's the consensus #1 pick he'd leave, but I don't think that's likely to be the case, and the possibility of a lockout would also argue for staying a 2nd year. I think the same could be said of Kyrie (although I'd say his chances of being one-and-done are a little higher than HB's, but still not incredibly high).

If Duke gets the 2011 recruiting class we hope for and UNC's is as good as it looks like it's shaping up to be, the 2011-12 season could be an epic struggle between good and evil.

I suspect both schools will be starting over to a certain extent by the time these 2012 kids are coming to school.

Out of all of the mock NBA Drafts I have seen so far, Harrison Barnes has been the consensus #1 pick and I think that's how it will stay. Harrison is 6'8 with the ability to play shooting guard, athletic, polished, and hes very smart. If he performs this year as expected, I dont think there's any doubt that he will be the number 1 pick. (Obviously there are other factors such as team who gets the pick, and other payers that perform very well, but as we are seeing this year with Wall, that very well might not matter all that much)

As for who has the better shot at leaving, I would say the only way Kyrie does leave is if we win a national championship and he is a Top 5 Pick and even if that does happen (which both happening is a good possibility), I still dont think hed be completely sold on leaving as he is a very smart kid and the potential to play with Austin Rivers would be very enticing.

I also dont think we will be necessarily rebuilding in 2012.
Supposing Mason, Kyrie, and Austin (if we land him) are all gone by then. (Although If we do land Austin, theres a possibility he would stay for 2012-2013) we would have very good Seniors in Seth, Andre, and Ryan (barring any of them leave early which imo, wont happen), Juniors Josh and Tyler, and sophmores Mike and Tyler (While Tyler is more of a project I believe Mike could have a breakout year his sophmore season, I believe he is that good).
Then you have to factor in the recruits we get for 2012 (which we wll most likely get at least one big name and a few others). Obviously, its way too early to be predicting the lineup for 2012-2013, and some of the players I have listed might not be here, but I am pretty confident Duke will still be solidly in the mix during that season.

[Bob Green]

Here is an article on Alex Murphy who will visit Duke on Monday:

http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/05/duke-set-to-entertain-top-prospects/

This sentence in the article stands out:


Murphy said that Duke had a firm place on his list and that they had yet to offer but that will in my opinion change tomorrow.

[FireOgilvie]

Here is an article on Alex Murphy who will visit Duke on Monday:

http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/05/duke-set-to-entertain-top-prospects/

This sentence in the article stands out:

I saw the picture in that article and thought it was Scheyer (his mouth is wide open as well). Maybe he could carry on the Scheyerface legacy.

[Jderf]

If you don't believe me then take a look at the Blue Devil Nation article. Pretty much proves my point.tyhaveaniceday

I can't read the article, as I'm not a premium member, but I'm skeptical as to how strongly it can prove your point. The article is from a Duke-centric site, so any focus on the Blue Devils might come from the interviewer and not necessarily from the player. Keep in mind that a less partial reporter might ask more questions about other schools (that the recruit might also think highly of), giving a very different picture. Again, I haven't read it so I can't say for sure, but that's just my suspicion.

More importantly, however, nothing is ever proven in recruiting, at least not until the player commits. (And even then, who knows?) Even if a player speaks glowingly about a particular school in an interview, you never know if or when his mind will change. All we can do is try and sift through the swirling rumors and churn out every possible interpretation of every sentence the recruit utters until he finally finds his way to a campus somewhere for his freshman year. I know this may seem obvious (it is, after all, essentially the first postulate of recruiting), but the casual confidence of your post seems to disregard it.

[Osiagledknarf]

Alex Murphy and J.P Tokoto to visit Duke tomorrow:

http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/05/duke-set-to-entertain-top-prospects/

[tommy]

I know Tokoto is at another level entirely, but is Murphy rated any higher/supposed to be any better than his brother Erik, who we recruited a few years ago and missed on, causing a lot of people to be upset, only to see him go to Florida and have an unimpactful (if that's a word) freshman season?

[DreAllDay]

I know Tokoto is at another level entirely, but is Murphy rated any higher/supposed to be any better than his brother Erik, who we recruited a few years ago and missed on, causing a lot of people to be upset, only to see him go to Florida and have an unimpactful (if that's a word) freshman season?

Is it really true that Tokoto is at another level compared to Anderson and Muhammad? Obviously all three are terrific, but can someone who has seen them play describe the differences in their respective games and give some speculation on which of them maybe the best?

Though still early, it sounds like the consensus is that Tokoto is a heavy UNC lean at this point.

[MisterRoddy]

Is it really true that Tokoto is at another level compared to Anderson and Muhammad? Obviously all three are terrific, but can someone who has seen them play describe the differences in their respective games and give some speculation on which of them maybe the best?

Though still early, it sounds like the consensus is that Tokoto is a heavy UNC lean at this point.

I'm pretty sure that the OP said that Tokoto was on a different level compared to Murphy...Anderson and Muhammad weren't even mentioned.

[airowe]

I think verga did a good job of breaking down all their strengths and weaknesses.

The knock on Tokoto right now is that his outside shot is lacking. He's an above-average athlete, has a good handle, and is solid at getting to the rim.

Anderson is an elite athlete and has a very developed body, but his basketball instincts and skills are lacking.

Muhammad is a very good athlete, attacks the basket very well, has a good midrange and outside shot, and is very quick. He and his family want him to play the 2/3 in college as they see that as his NBA position.

Murphy has a very good handle, can shoot from outside with the best of them, finishes very well around the basket, and a very solid all-around talent. The staff sees him as a Mike Dunleavy type.

Savon Goodman is a very good athlete with incredible hops and a good ability to finish around the rim. Doesn't have much of a shot.

Amile Jefferson is similar to Tokoto in that they both have slim builds but are smooth with the ball and are slashers.

As you can see, there are quite a few WFs Duke is targeting to varying degrees in the '12 class. TJ Warren is another local kid who has seen some interest from the staff but I don't know a whole lot about his game.

[Osiagledknarf]

Is it really true that Tokoto is at another level compared to Anderson and Muhammad? Obviously all three are terrific, but can someone who has seen them play describe the differences in their respective games and give some speculation on which of them maybe the best?

Though still early, it sounds like the consensus is that Tokoto is a heavy UNC lean at this point.

I don't think it is really that far off at all. Andersen is a great young prospect with tons of upside, but still raw in a lot of his game:

These are recent tweets about him via Draft Express:


. Justin Anderson (2012) didn't play great, but I absolutely love him as a prospect. Plays his I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this. off, defends, rebounds, is smart, unselfish

Justin Anderson cnt'd: A top-10 recruit that regularly dives on floor for loose balls. Unheard of. Not skilled. Average shooter/ballhandler.

Justin Anderson cnt'd- Young, so still has time to work on his skill-level (for now is poor). Looks like a hard worker, good guy. Smart.

Seems like a kid who is still learning the game and a kid who will need some seasoning throughout the next couple seasons. Someone with this athletic ability doesn't come around that often and should be able to develop some more polished skills throughout the next couple years.

J.P Tokoto is a kid who can drive to the rim, above average athlete, though not at the caliber of Andersen, and is a very good ball handler, a lot better Andersen.

Alex Murphy I would say is the best shooter out of this group. He is also a good athlete and can handle the ball extremely well. I like him to be like a Singler type... Wouldn't be a bad prospect at all, and like Andersen, I see a strong chance that he gets offers at some point this summer if not this summer.


Muhammad is one of the prospects I like the most in this class along with Andersen. Super athlete has a great mid range and a good long range jumper.. He like Andersen has expressed a lot of intrest in Duke among other schools..

I have not seen Jefferson or Goodman.

[Dukefan4Life]

How tall is Murphy? From the videos I have seen of him he seems not very tall but i could be wrong.

[airowe]

How tall is Murphy? From the videos I have seen of him he seems not very tall but i could be wrong.

He and his coach said he was 6'8" 205 lbs.

I'll throw this in there as well. His Mom bought a #12 Duke jersey from the team store. Kyle is one of Alex's favorite players along with Mike Dunleavy.

[Osiagledknarf]

He and his coach said he was 6'8" 205 lbs.

I'll throw this in there as well. His Mom bought a #12 Duke jersey from the team store. Kyle is one of Alex's favorite players along with Mike Dunleavy.

Can't hurt for him to like those players.. Maybe he can pull a Harrison Barnes and go to a school because his mom likes Singler.. :D

In all seriousness though, this is usually a very small thing in recruiting. Murphy will go to the school which he is the most comfortable with and where he think he can enhance his basketball future or career paths.

[verga]

i think in comparing the brothers Murphy, that Alex is the better player at this point in his career, imo having seen both. Will he continue to improve, that is not something i can answer. If you think about who Duke ended up with in the 2009 class you will see just how much things can change. Mason Plumlee was a unc fan and who knows about Ryan Kelly and Andre Dawkins was getting ready for his senior year:) in high school the point being, its not over. Tokoto has family in North Carolina an aunt i believe, so there is a tie in with unc . No matter who we end up with, they will be well coached and they will do things the right way.

[whirlieduke4]

Andersen

I hate to be that guy, but I've seen you do it at least 15 times already-his name is AndersON. It's like the whole Shelden-Sheldon thing, but after a while it's kinda annoying to look at.

These guys are 16 years old and still have two years of high school left. As airowe pointed out earlier, Kyrie wasn't a solid top 50 until the summer before his Junior year, and look where he is now. The point is, don't get so hung up on who is the best of the 2012 wings now and where they're ranked via Scout, Rivals, ESPN, etc. It's fine to speculate and everything, but ultimately the guys who will end up coming to Duke are going to be awesome! Who cares about the rankings now? This is an extremely talented class for wing forwards already and whoever commits is going to be a star at Duke. Now, I would like to ask, are we looking at any big men yet for 2012 besides maybe the Bhullar Bros. (2012 and 2013)?

[airowe]

Now, I would like to ask, are we looking at any big men yet for 2012 besides maybe the Bhullar Bros. (2012 and 2013)?

Andre Drummond (everyone's looking at him), Alex's AAU teammate Kaleb Tarczewksi (sp?), and I'm sure a few others. '12 should be another four to five man class, maybe six with the departure of Carrick. Guys will begin to emerge and we will start to recruit guys as time rolls on. No one thought we'd end up with Tyler Adams or Michael Gbinije during their Sophomore to Junior transition.

[Newton_14]

I hate to be that guy, but I've seen you do it at least 15 times already-his name is AndersON. It's like the whole Shelden-Sheldon thing, but after a while it's kinda annoying to look at.

These guys are 16 years old and still have two years of high school left. As airowe pointed out earlier, Kyrie wasn't a solid top 50 until the summer before his Junior year, and look where he is now. The point is, don't get so hung up on who is the best of the 2012 wings now and where they're ranked via Scout, Rivals, ESPN, etc. It's fine to speculate and everything, but ultimately the guys who will end up coming to Duke are going to be awesome! Who cares about the rankings now? This is an extremely talented class for wing forwards already and whoever commits is going to be a star at Duke. Now, I would like to ask, are we looking at any big men yet for 2012 besides maybe the Bhullar Bros. (2012 and 2013)?

Excellent points. I think we all get a bit over zealous with recruiting, especially in the summer when it is off season for our Blue Devils with no games to discuss, and AAU season is in high gear. Easy to get caught up in it all.

You are very correct though, regarding rankings and change. Anyone recall hearing the name Eric Bledsoe prior to last April? The guy came out of nowhere. When I first heard his name last April he was rated the 8th best PG in his class. People on this board were arguing about whether or not he would be a good PG in college since he was so "Lowly" rated. As we saw he ended up being so good he turned into a 1 and done and will likely be a first round pick in a few weeks. No one saw that coming.

There are other stories similar to that in both directions. Shav was ranked numero uno in his class his soph year, yet his ranking dropped each year after that.

Until their bodies and games mature and they get to their Sr years it is just hard to tell. Who knows who the best WF will be in 2 years? It could be anyone of those guys or could be someone we have not even heard of yet.

The moral of the story I guess is to let things play out and put more stock in the rising seniors right now than the sophomores.

[tommy]

While Tyler is more of a project I believe Mike could have a breakout year his sophmore season, I believe he is that good

So before he plays his junior season of high school, before he plays his senior season of high school, and before he plays his freshman year of college, you're ready to state that you believe he could have a breakout sophomore year of college? I know it's the off-season and all, and people are bored, but this kind of flat-out guesswork is loooooony tunes!!

[Jderf]

The moral of the story I guess is to let things play out and put more stock in the rising seniors right now than the sophomores.

I hope that by "let things play out" you really mean spread rumors, contribute to widespread speculation, bite fingernails, and generally make wild and baseless declarations extracted from the scant evidence given in occasional interviews (such as how long recruits maintain eye contact with reporters during questions, their tone of voice, body language, breathing patterns etc.). Otherwise where is the fun? :D

[roywhite]

So before he plays his junior season of high school, before he plays his senior season of high school, and before he plays his freshman year of college, you're ready to state that you believe he could have a breakout sophomore year of college? I know it's the off-season and all, and people are bored, but this kind of flat-out guesswork is loooooony tunes!!

Your point is good, but Tyler Adams and Michael Gbinije are finishing their junior years, about to start their senior years. So mostly guesswork, but maybe not totally loooony. :)

As noted elsewhere on this thread, our passion for Duke hoops turns to recruiting in the off-season, and it gets a bit carried away.

[MisterRoddy]

So before he plays his junior season of high school, before he plays his senior season of high school, and before he plays his freshman year of college, you're ready to state that you believe he could have a breakout sophomore year of college? I know it's the off-season and all, and people are bored, but this kind of flat-out guesswork is loooooony tunes!!

1) He already played his Junior year of high school

2) It's not flatout guesswork. Its reasonable to assume that his freshman year, he will be coming off the bench and playing more of a supporting role. It's also reasonable to assume that a smart 6'6 wing thats a very good shooter, good ball handler, athletic and very solid on D who has been lighting it up on the AAU circuit (also being praised by scouts) where many of the good players in the class seperate themselves has the potential to be a very good player by his sophmore year in college. It's not crazy at all to believe that. It's much like how many people believe players like Thornton and Adams will be solid contributors in their latter years at Duke.

So, yes I am ready to state that, thank you.

[Osiagledknarf]

Another kid who Duke is reportedly in on, and beginning to gain major national attention is Montrezl Harrell. He is a PF from Tarboro NC, and has been raising a lot of eyebrows at the The Tournament of Champions. He is 6 8" with a wingspan of 7 "3, really impressive stuff. The Duke staff has begun to show intrest in him these past couple weeks.

He has been one of the better players, if not the best player at The Tournament of Champions.

Here is some more stuff about him: http://georgiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1089221

[MisterRoddy]

According to the TheRecruitScoop, we have now offered 2012 wing Shabazz Muhammad.

[soccerstud2210]

According to the TheRecruitScoop, we have now offered 2012 wing Shabazz Muhammad.

do you have a link for this?

[Newton_14]

According to the TheRecruitScoop, we have now offered 2012 wing Shabazz Muhammad.

In checking twitter, it looks like that "tweet" was from a Duke fan and not TheRecruitScoop.

Does not mean it is a false statement, but it does lower the credibility significantly..

‎
dukefan805‎: RT @TheRecruitScoop: Duke just offered Las Vegas product Shabazz Muhammad '12, a 6-5 forward from Bishop Gorman High School.
Twitter - 35 minutes ago

[MisterRoddy]

do you have a link for this?

This was a tweet:


TheRecruitScoop: Duke just offered Las Vegas product Shabazz Muhammad '12, a 6-5 forward from Bishop Gorman High School.

Wouldn't exactly take this with a grain of salt but wouldnt take it as gospel either. It's definitely noteworthy though.

[MisterRoddy]

In checking twitter, it looks like that "tweet" was from a Duke fan and not TheRecruitScoop.

Does not mean it is a false statement, but it does lower the credibility significantly..

‎

That tweet was actually a reposting of the tweet by TheRecruitScoop.

[airowe]

RecruitScoop is legitimate. He is Alex Kline from BoxOfMess.com. Very connected with a number of young, talented basketball players.

I believe it. Was only a matter of time...

[Newton_14]

That tweet was actually a reposting of the tweet by TheRecruitScoop.

Ok. Thanks. I read it incorrectly then. Looks like Airowe is vouching for the guy as well. Maybe we will get an official confirmation soon as well. The wide net approach continues! I think Coach is on a mission to have one of those incredible runs and shut completely up all the "havent won since" crowd for good.

[mattman91]

TOC Duke prospect videos (Cook, Murphy, Muhammad)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOpKy889QPY

Shabazz Muhammed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMIpgQjgQy4

Enjoy

[airowe]

Shabazz Muhammed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMIpgQjgQy4

Enjoy

Thanks for the videos. I watched DreamVision's practice on Friday. Shabazz dunks like that during practice too. He is ferocious around the rim and it doesn't hurt that he's a lefty either...

[roywhite]

Thanks for the videos. I watched DreamVision's practice on Friday. Shabazz dunks like that during practice too. He is ferocious around the rim and it doesn't hurt that he's a lefty either...

Is Elliot Williams a good comparison?

[mattman91]

I'm glad we offered a talented kid like Muhammad, but I think I read somewhere that Justin Anderson said that Duke was his dream school. It's strange because Anderson (also a SF) was Hairston's teammate at Montrose and is ranked higher on some recruiting websites than Shabazz. I may be wrong, but I don't think we have even offered Anderson yet.

[mattman91]

Is Elliot Williams a good comparison?

Elliot was a shooting guard, Shabazz is a small forward.

[airowe]

Is Elliot Williams a good comparison?


Elliot was a shooting guard, Shabazz is a small forward.

Shabazz and his family want him to play SG in college as that's where they see him playing in the NBA.

It's early yet, but at this point I believe Shabazz has a better outside shot than Elliott and probably isn't as strong on defense. Remember, this kid is a rising junior in high school so there's plenty of time to work on D...

Many people I trust compare Shabazz's game to James Harden and that's who he likes to compare his game to, so I'll go with that. :D

[Cockabeau]

Not a good comparison,imo Eliot is alot more athletic. Shabazz is more skilled.

JMO,Shabazz will end up A blue devil. Anyone want to make a bet on this?:)

[mattman91]

Not a good comparison,imo Eliot is alot more athletic. Shabazz is more skilled.

JMO,Shabazz will end up A blue devil. Anyone want to make a bet on this?:)

I will....if Duke offers Anderson

[Osiagledknarf]

I'm glad we offered a talented kid like Muhammad, but I think I read somewhere that Justin Anderson said that Duke was his dream school. It's strange because Anderson (also a SF) was Hairston's teammate at Montrose and is ranked higher on some recruiting websites than Shabazz. I may be wrong, but I don't think we have even offered Anderson yet.

We have not, but I wouldn't be surprised if we did it in the future. He is certainly on our list of the key guys to go after... NOT the top, but certainly on there.

I am really happy that we offered a kid like Muhammad... He would be a huge addition to this club with his great outside shooting and his overall skill set would be a huge boost to us.

Us offering Muhammad is not going to have any affect on us offering Anderson, Murphy or any other 3. As Airowe stated below, Muhammad's family wants him to play the 2 in college to get ready for the NBA.


So this will not affect us at all with other wings.

[houstondukie]

Muhammad is better than Elliot Williams in my opinion, and the poster who said he is not as athletic probably has never seen Muhammad play. The kid is an athletic freak with a very skilled game.

He has indeed been offered by Duke and some are even claiming Duke to be the favorite. I have no idea where he ends up, but Coach K wants this kid bad and if I had to guess, he will probably end up ranked in the top 3-5 overall in his class when it's all said and done (behind Andre Drummond). Very impressive talent IMO.

[Cockabeau]

I disagree. Muhammed has the quicks but average hops. You want to see an athletic freak, look at Bishop Daniels or Justin Anderson.

[MisterRoddy]

I disagree. Muhammed has the quicks but average hops. You want to see an athletic freak, look at Bishop Daniels or Justin Anderson.

A lot of players have just average hops in high school basketball, Shabazz is not one of them.

[Big Pappa]

I disagree. Muhammed has the quicks but average hops. You want to see an athletic freak, look at Bishop Daniels or Justin Anderson.

Average hops if you are comparing him to Elliot or Justin Anderson. He is a great athlete with very good hops.

[airowe]

I disagree. Muhammed has the quicks but average hops. You want to see an athletic freak, look at Bishop Daniels or Justin Anderson.

Shabadazz does not have average hops. During his practice in Cameron on Friday prior to the TOC, I watched him jump from a standstill and dunk the ball so hard that he put this arm into the rim down to his elbow.

When have you seen him play?

[DukeBlueNV]

Muhammad is better than Elliot Williams in my opinion, and the poster who said he is not as athletic probably has never seen Muhammad play. The kid is an athletic freak with a very skilled game.

He has indeed been offered by Duke and some are even claiming Duke to be the favorite. I have no idea where he ends up, but Coach K wants this kid bad and if I had to guess, he will probably end up ranked in the top 3-5 overall in his class when it's all said and done (behind Andre Drummond). Very impressive talent IMO.

Where have u ever seen that duke is the favorite? Every interview I've seen he mentions duke in his second breath when listing schools. I've heard him say that he grew up a unc and usc (Trojans) fan and also heard him talk about how he loves all the attention Memphis and ucla are giving him. I'd love to think we are the favs for his services but IMO I doubt he plays ball in durham.

[airowe]

Where have u ever seen that duke is the favorite? Every interview I've seen he mentions duke in his second breath when listing schools. I've heard him say that he grew up a unc and usc (Trojans) fan and also heard him talk about how he loves all the attention Memphis and ucla are giving him. I'd love to think we are the favs for his services but IMO I doubt he plays ball in durham.

Not the favorite, but one of them.

http://northcarolina.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1089213

There will be some more articles coming out today and throughout the week with similar quotes.

[Cockabeau]

Shabadazz does not have average hops. During his practice in Cameron on Friday prior to the TOC, I watched him jump from a standstill and dunk the ball so hard that he put this arm into the rim down to his elbow.

When have you seen him play?


What do you think? And yes,FWIW Duke IS the favorite as of today.

[DukeBlueNV]

What do you think? And yes,FWIW Duke IS the favorite as of today.

Dude please give us proof with links or an explanation about how u know this or else when u make statements like this or else eveyone is going to dismiss it as baseless speculation.

[funkmeister]

Duke, along with UNC and Kansas, are leaders for Shabazz. He (and his brother) had nothing but good things to say about Duke this past weekend.

You can check out some scouting reports on Muhammad, Alex Murphy (who was on campus today, along with Tokoto), and a few other guys we got to see at TOC this weekend here (http://www.crazie-talk.com/2010/05/31/scouting-the-tournament-of-champions/).

[airowe]

What do you think? And yes,FWIW Duke IS the favorite as of today.

That's a pretty declarative statement. Clint Jackson from Rivals.com whom I spent all of Friday evening with interviewed Shabazz twice this weekend and spoke with his father today. His Dad, Ron Holmes, told him that:

"There's definitely no leader right now," he said. "I read stuff on the internet where people say Kansas leads, Carolina leads, and Duke leads and pretty much nobody leads. Shabazz is still really early in his process and we are still listening to everybody and what they have to offer."

I'm guessing you know more about Shabazz's situation than his father does?

[Big Pappa]

That's a pretty declarative statement. Clint Jackson from Rivals.com whom I spent all of Friday evening with interviewed Shabazz twice this weekend and spoke with his father today. His Dad, Ron Holmes, told him that:

"There's definitely no leader right now," he said. "I read stuff on the internet where people say Kansas leads, Carolina leads, and Duke leads and pretty much nobody leads. Shabazz is still really early in his process and we are still listening to everybody and what they have to offer."

I'm guessing you know more about Shabazz's situation than his father does?

Thank you for actual facts airowe. Cockabeau and others please stop throwing out random opinions and claiming them as facts with no evidence to back them up.

[DukieInBrasil]

Thank you for actual facts airowe. Cockabeau and others please stop throwing out random opinions and claiming them as facts with no evidence to back them up.

cockabeau is also the master of the non-answer answer. For example, when asked "when have you seen him play?" his response was "what do you think?"

Is that even a logical response? I mean it's so non-answery that it can hardly be conceived of as an answer to the question posed, almost like using a computer-generated random-word selecting program to make sentences. "is this an answer? who cares!!! Let's put a question mark on the end of it, that'll stir 'em up! Yeeehaaaawww!!!!!!"

As far as actual recruiting goes, I got nothing.

[airowe]

Murphy got an offer today as well:

goodmanonfox

#SCOOP: Alex Murphy, who is one of the top players in the Class of 2012, told FOXSports.com he has been offered a scholarship by Duke.

[MisterRoddy]

Murphy got an offer today as well:

goodmanonfox

#SCOOP: Alex Murphy, who is one of the top players in the Class of 2012, told FOXSports.com he has been offered a scholarship by Duke.

Very good news, Murphy seems like a very solid player.

We know his mom is a Singler/Duke fan, is he? Because if he is, this could have the potential to be heading towards a relatively early commitment.

[billyj]

Who's this alex murphy kid? I googled him, and looks like he was recruited by every top program including unc/kentucy (no offer though), but he's a only 3 star player on scouts.com?

Maybe he has some secret cinder blocks measurements we(public) don't know of. :eek:

[Osiagledknarf]

Murphy got an offer today as well:

goodmanonfox

#SCOOP: Alex Murphy, who is one of the top players in the Class of 2012, told FOXSports.com he has been offered a scholarship by Duke.


Not a surprise.... This was sorta hinted at this weekend. Good offer by the staff, and I like the fact that we are really pursuing the elite wings in this class.

We have now offers on the table for: Tokoto ( Heavy UNC lean at this time), Muhammad and the most recent Alex Murphy. I like our chances to land one of these 3... All 3 will be suited to really help this program in next two years.

We aren't done yet, and it is good to see we are already offering heavy this early in the 2012 recruiting process.

I am strictly SPECULATING, but I would expect the next offer to come to a guy like L.J Rose, who is one of there top targets in this class, Justin Andersen, or Montrezl Harrell. Just a few names to look at, but Rose is most likely at this point.

Also, I have noticed Andre Drummond has added Duke to his list in recent days. He what I read a strong Uconn lean, but things can change.

http://duke.scout.com/a.z?s=167&p=8&c=1&nid=3904692

[Osiagledknarf]

Who's this alex murphy kid? I googled him, and looks like he was recruited by every top program including unc/kentucy (no offer though), but he's a only 3 star player on scouts.com?

Maybe he has some secret cinder blocks measurements we(public) don't know of. :eek:

He is one of the top wing prospects in the 2012 class... Right now, ratings from Scout, ESPN, Rivals etc are very misleading and in most cases can be inaccurate at this time in there basketball development.

Kyrie Irving was rated in the mid 50's his sophmore year by Rivals and was not ranked on ESPN, look at where he is now. Harrison Barnes was ranked in the bottom of the top 20 his sophmore year, and the list goes on and on and on and on and on. People ofter read way too much into rankings this early when these kids haven't fully developed.

So it is a simple case of that. Alex Murphy has Kyle Singler like talent and one of the better players in this class overall.

So don't read into rankings this early, because there are so many examples of players who skyrocket or drop in these early rankings when they go through there junior and senior years.

[airowe]

He is one of the top wing prospects in the 2012 class... Right now, ratings from Scout, ESPN, Rivals etc are very misleading and in most cases can be inaccurate at this time in there basketball development.

Kyrie Irving was rated in the mid 50's his sophmore year by Rivals and was not ranked on ESPN, look at where he is now. Harrison Barnes was ranked in the bottom of the top 20 his sophmore year, and the list goes on and on and on and on and on. People ofter read way too much into rankings this early when these kids haven't fully developed.

So it is a simple case of that. Alex Murphy has Kyle Singler like talent and one of the better players in this class overall.

So don't read into rankings this early, because there are so many examples of players who skyrocket or drop in these early rankings when they go through there junior and senior years.

You certainly have changed your tune quite a bit in the last 24 hours on Murphy.

Was it something I said? ;)

[Osiagledknarf]

You certainly have changed your tune quite a bit in the last 24 hours on Murphy.

Was it something I said? ;)

Well I looked at more stuff at him, and I have witnessed him in the past.. I really felt this about him all along, just needed to point some things out about him that I saw that were not in our point of view.

You are a very good poster and bring up great points... Keep it up.

[Osiagledknarf]

More Highlights of Shabuzz Muhammad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpUcbN0PNGI

[Osiagledknarf]

Reportedly Coach K is looking at a big man Kaleb Tarczewski, Alex Murphy's teammate.

Here is the link: http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/06/recruiting-spotlight-on-2012-big-man-kaleb-tarczewski/

[soccerstud2210]

Reportedly Coach K is looking at a big man Kaleb Tarczewski, Alex Murphy's teammate.

Here is the link: http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/06/recruiting-spotlight-on-2012-big-man-kaleb-tarczewski/

Me: have you watched much of Kaleb Tarczewski?

EvanDanielscout: Seen him a few times. Big fan. Is huge and going to be very good

[airowe]

Kalen ran the floor veru well for a guy his size on Friday. He had good elevation and nearly ripped the rim off on an attempted dunk at one point on Friday night. His head was well above the rim. Didn't know much about him before then, but he certainly stood out.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

Not a surprise.... This was sorta hinted at this weekend. Good offer by the staff, and I like the fact that we are really pursuing the elite wings in this class.

We have now offers on the table for: Tokoto ( Heavy UNC lean at this time), Muhammad and the most recent Alex Murphy. I like our chances to land one of these 3... All 3 will be suited to really help this program in next two years.

We aren't done yet, and it is good to see we are already offering heavy this early in the 2012 recruiting process.

I am strictly SPECULATING, but I would expect the next offer to come to a guy like L.J Rose, who is one of there top targets in this class, Justin Andersen, or Montrezl Harrell. Just a few names to look at, but Rose is most likely at this point.

Also, I have noticed Andre Drummond has added Duke to his list in recent days. He what I read a strong Uconn lean, but things can change.

http://duke.scout.com/a.z?s=167&p=8&c=1&nid=3904692


Yeah, things can and will change especially when you are UCONN these days. I would think an offer should come through for Mr. Drummond. I would love a frontcourt of Hairston, Kelly, QMiller :), Adams, and Drummond

[MisterRoddy]

Yeah, things can and will change especially when you are UCONN these days. I would think an offer should come through for Mr. Drummond. I would love a frontcourt of Hairston, Kelly, QMiller :), Adams, and Drummond

As much as I would love a frontcourt like that, Quincy Miller will most likely be a one-and-done.

[whirlieduke4]

As much as I would love a frontcourt like that, Quincy Miller will most likely be a one-and-done.

What gives you that idea?

[bluedevil2012]

What gives you that idea?

“He wants them to go one-and-done, and that’s a good thing,” Miller said of Calipari. “That impressed me. Five players went (pro). That’s crazy.”

Link (http://weblogs.dailypress.com/sports/teelblog/2010/04/quincy_miller_awakens_at_boo_i.html)

[MisterRoddy]

What gives you that idea?

Well for one, he singled out that he liked how fast Calipari gets his players to the NBA in an interview.

Also, he's a 6'10 SF/PF with a great inside/outside game - NBA scouts drool over that.
Plus his playing style absolutely screams Kevin Durant, and you see what Durant is doing right now.

Something not to forget, hes very confident about his game, call it a little cockiness. You can see this through his twitter updates and interviews. I'm not saying this is a bad thing necessarily but players with that attitude and the skills to back it up, are good candidates to be one-and-done.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

“He wants them to go one-and-done, and that’s a good thing,” Miller said of Calipari. “That impressed me. Five players went (pro). That’s crazy.”

Link (http://weblogs.dailypress.com/sports/teelblog/2010/04/quincy_miller_awakens_at_boo_i.html)


My Grandma could have sent John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Patrick Patterson, and Daniel Orton to the NBA. I don't think that is that impressive. It shows me that he had a talented team. You know what would be more impressive? Enticing them to stay and get more of an education and winning a championsip with 5 class act student athletes.

[whirlieduke4]

Good points from both of you, but I was just trying to point out that you guys know no more than I do about what is really in this kid's head. He could be a great candidate for a one-and-done season, but it doesn't mean it'll happen. Who's to say Q doesn't mature a lot between now and the end of his Freshman year? IF he were to end up coming to Duke, you guys see Luol Deng, but I see a Kyle Singler, someone who wants to stay another year and enjoy college some more. Quincy may have some cockiness to his game, but if you look at his interviews he's also a pretty humble guy about his skills too. He acknowledges the need to continue working hard to get better.

Just don't be so quick to label this kid one-and-done.

[DukeBlueNV]

http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/06/01/duke-offers-2012-duo-of-murphy-muhammad/

good stuff from murphy, talks about the honor it is to get an offer from duke and how him and shabazz are friends from aau and camps.

[MisterRoddy]

http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/06/01/duke-offers-2012-duo-of-murphy-muhammad/

good stuff from murphy, talks about the honor it is to get an offer from duke and how him and shabazz are friends from aau and camps.

Thanks for the article.

I think this quote says a lot:


“I don’t want to say it’s a done deal [to Duke],” Murphy said. “I think it’s too early but obviously if you get a chance to play somewhere like Duke and they offer you a scholarship, it’s definitely something you have to take into consideration.”

Kid obviously likes Duke a lot.

EDIT:
Recent twitter update by TheRecruitScoop (Alex Kline)


Alex Murphy '12 of St. Mark's (MA) reminds me of the Plumlee siblings. In the long run, I feel like Murphy will commit to Duke.

[yancem]

Good points from both of you, but I was just trying to point out that you guys know no more than I do about what is really in this kid's head. He could be a great candidate for a one-and-done season, but it doesn't mean it'll happen. Who's to say Q doesn't mature a lot between now and the end of his Freshman year? IF he were to end up coming to Duke, you guys see Luol Deng, but I see a Kyle Singler, someone who wants to stay another year and enjoy college some more. Quincy may have some cockiness to his game, but if you look at his interviews he's also a pretty humble guy about his skills too. He acknowledges the need to continue working hard to get better.

Just don't be so quick to label this kid one-and-done.

Well, I'm not sure Luol Deng is the best example. My understanding is that he wanted to come back for his sophomore season but his parent wanted him to go pro so that he could start earning money to help with issues in Sudan. Corey Meggette is probably a better Duke example.

[Dukefan4Life]

Man i wish Deng would have stuck around! think about how amazing he would have been if he sticks around 3 even four years!

[Big Pappa]

Well, I'm not sure Luol Deng is the best example. My understanding is that he wanted to come back for his sophomore season but his parent wanted him to go pro so that he could start earning money to help with issues in Sudan. Corey Meggette is probably a better Duke example.

I agree (although it's Maggette) with about Corey. Q has amazing skill and one-and-done talent to be sure, but of course we don't know what he'll do. I do think that he will leave after his freshman year, but my gut tells me it will be from Kentucky and not Duke.

[Dukefan4Life]

I agree with that. call it a hunch or whatever but i just don"t see QM being a blue devil

[DukieInBrasil]

I agree (although it's Maggette) with about Corey. Q has amazing skill and one-and-done talent to be sure, but of course we don't know what he'll do. I do think that he will leave after his freshman year, but my gut tells me it will be from Kentucky and not Duke.

Not to say that you're wrong but QM to UK might depend heavily on whether Calipari is still there. In light of recent allegations, that is not a certainty.

As to the 1-n-done situation, back in the days of Maggette and Deng, it was not nearly as common and I don't remember any talk of them leaving Duke early during the season, let alone prior to their enrollment; it was a total surprise for both. Just shows how much the game has changed.
If QM is as skilled as billed and bails after one year, then I have full confidence that K will be able to put that to good use and not be taken by surprise, as was the case with Deng. I think that losing Deng after one year really threw K's mojo off, as he lost Livingston from that class too, who had signed with Duke, and then had Kris Humphries back out and opt for Minn. (I'm actually not sad about losing KH b/c he seems so selfish, but K was not able to go after other big-men b/c of the KH saga). Duke then had nobody in that year's class, which really put a hurting on Duke's performance for several years.

[CDu]

As to the 1-n-done situation, back in the days of Maggette and Deng, it was not nearly as common and I don't remember any talk of them leaving Duke early during the season, let alone prior to their enrollment; it was a total surprise for both. Just shows how much the game has changed.
If QM is as skilled as billed and bails after one year, then I have full confidence that K will be able to put that to good use and not be taken by surprise, as was the case with Deng. I think that losing Deng after one year really threw K's mojo off, as he lost Livingston from that class too, who had signed with Duke, and then had Kris Humphries back out and opt for Minn. (I'm actually not sad about losing KH b/c he seems so selfish, but K was not able to go after other big-men b/c of the KH saga). Duke then had nobody in that year's class, which really put a hurting on Duke's performance for several years.

I was at Duke when Maggette went pro, and I can say that it wasn't a complete surprise. He was such an athletic freak that by midseason he was on everyone's radar, even though he was a reserve. And he didn't exactly have a reputation as being a big fan of classes. Deng, on the other hand, was very much a surprise. Unlike Maggette, Deng was considered very much a student, and most figured he'd go the Jason Williams route and get his degree in three years.

I think your timeline is a bit off, though. Humphries was in the same class as Deng, and decided not to attend roughly a year before Deng and Livingston declared for the draft. So the only recruit in the Livingston class became Nelson. But otherwise, I agree with your point. Deng's early-entry and the early-entry of Livingston caught Duke off-guard. We lacked depth on the 2004-05 team, and then followed up with the Paulus/McRoberts class that didn't quite pan out as hoped.

[Cockabeau]

I think Quincy Miller will go to UK.The quote about QM saying how he admires Calipari says it all.

I think he his a nice player but his stock has dropped a bit. I will take alex Murphy

[miramar]

http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/06/01/duke-offers-2012-duo-of-murphy-muhammad/

good stuff from murphy, talks about the honor it is to get an offer from duke and how him and shabazz are friends from aau and camps.

It was good to read the Murphy quote, which leads me to believe that the championship is already paying dividends.

[airowe]

I think he his a nice player but his stock has dropped a bit. I will take alex Murphy

I agree with you on taking Murphy, but where has Quincy's stock dropped? He recently moved up in the Scout.com rankings.

[MisterRoddy]

I think Quincy Miller will go to UK.The quote about QM saying how he admires Calipari says it all.

I think he his a nice player but his stock has dropped a bit. I will take alex Murphy

I will have to politely disagree with this statement. While Quincy did have a less than impressive weekend in Houston a few weeks ago, his performance this past weekend at the Nike EYBL has put most doubters to rest as he was the most NBA-ready prospect on the court all weekend. Also, rivals' recent 2011 recruiting ranks have Quincy at #2. His stock is definitely not falling.

As for Murphy, I really don't think a comparrison is necessary as they are in different classes and their decisions probably won't affect one another.

[soccerstud2210]

I think Quincy Miller will go to UK.The quote about QM saying how he admires Calipari says it all.

I think he his a nice player but his stock has dropped a bit. I will take alex Murphy

slam doesnt think so at all (not that slam is the end all on recruiting )

http://www.slamonline.com/online/media/slam-tv/2010/06/video-quincy-miller-best-player-in-class-of-2011/

[DukeBlueNV]

quincy has stuggled some in a few recent aau events. im pretty sure that is what cockabeau was refering to....

[kong123]

Yeah, things can and will change especially when you are UCONN these days. I would think an offer should come through for Mr. Drummond. I would love a frontcourt of Hairston, Kelly, QMiller :), Adams, and Drummond


Drummond has contacted UNC in the last couple of days. Drummond was telling the UNC staff that he isn't comfortable at all with the UCONN situation right now, especially sense they fired Dummond's lead contact. That was a major, major blow to his recruitment at Connecticut. He gave indications that he is very interested in UNC if UCONN doesn't get their stuff together in the shortest of orders.

[airowe]

Drummond has contacted UNC in the last couple of days. Drummond was telling the UNC staff that he isn't comfortable at all with the UCONN situation right now, especially sense they fired Dummond's lead contact. That was a major, major blow to his recruitment at Connecticut. He gave indications that he is very interested in UNC if UCONN doesn't get their stuff together in the shortest of orders.

I'm fairly sure lowflight4 doesn't want you reposting the info he received from that text message yesterday on this board.
;o)

[Big Pappa]

I will have to politely disagree with this statement. While Quincy did have a less than impressive weekend in Houston a few weeks ago, his performance this past weekend at the Nike EYBL has put most doubters to rest as he was the most NBA-ready prospect on the court all weekend. Also, rivals' recent 2011 recruiting ranks have Quincy at #2. His stock is definitely not falling.

As for Murphy, I really don't think a comparrison is necessary as they are in different classes and their decisions probably won't affect one another.

I very much agree with both of these statements. Q's stock is going up everywhere you look and there is no need to compare he and Alex. They really have nothing to do with each other. Here is so more info on Alex, it's a quote from him regarding his unofficial visit to Duke after his team's tourney this last weekend:

"It went really well. The first hour and a half it was me, my mom, my dad, and my little brother sitting in coach [Mike] Krzyzewski's office with him, coach [Chris] Collins, and coach [Steve Wojciechowski], just sitting there talking," said Murphy. "We were sitting there and coach Krzyzewski said that at Duke they don't say you officially have a scholarship until your test scores and paperwork are in but that in 2012, Shabazz Muhammad (Las Vegas/Bishop Gorman) and I are the guys that he really wants and that I have an offer."

[kong123]

I'm fairly sure lowflight4 doesn't want you reposting the info he received from that text message yesterday on this board.
;o)


ah, i see that i am not the only one lurking behind enemy lines;)

[airowe]

ah, i see that i am not the only one lurking behind enemy lines;)

I know a lot of people...

[SilkyJ]

I agree with you on taking Murphy, but where has Quincy's stock dropped? He recently moved up in the Scout.com rankings.

why even bother responding to him? Dude clearly just makes stuff up and doesn't respond when called out.

Everyone realizes he has no credibility so let's just ignore it when he makes stuff up.

[airowe]

ah, i see that i am not the only one lurking behind enemy lines;)

And by the way, how's NorrisJones' 91/9 percentages working out lately?

Here's the article BigPoppa's quote is from:

http://www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com/news/article/1444/Duke-Offers-Murphy.php

[Big Pappa]

Here's the article BigPoppa's quote is from:

http://www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com/news/article/1444/Duke-Offers-Murphy.php

It is virtually the same article, but I actually got it from Adam Finkelstein blog on espn.com. I'll post the address of the article, but it's an insider article so I suppose most won't be able to read it. I only posted the quote because that is public knowledge and not really insider information.

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=5237995&name=basketball_recruiting

[Osiagledknarf]

Drummond has contacted UNC in the last couple of days. Drummond was telling the UNC staff that he isn't comfortable at all with the UCONN situation right now, especially sense they fired Dummond's lead contact. That was a major, major blow to his recruitment at Connecticut. He gave indications that he is very interested in UNC if UCONN doesn't get their stuff together in the shortest of orders.

I expect a lot of different of schools will jump into this if this in fact is the case. Drummond seemed like he was a shoe in for sometime to UCONN, but with this recent rift raft in the program with sanctions most likely coming there, this is gonna really wide open with his recruiting.

Along with UNC, we are intrested and I would think he would be a kid that we really go after for 2012. The best big man in the class and has outstanding skills both offensively and defensively.

Seems like a kid whose recruiting will get intresting in the coming months and in the next couple years.

[MisterRoddy]

Drummond has contacted UNC in the last couple of days. Drummond was telling the UNC staff that he isn't comfortable at all with the UCONN situation right now, especially sense they fired Dummond's lead contact. That was a major, major blow to his recruitment at Connecticut. He gave indications that he is very interested in UNC if UCONN doesn't get their stuff together in the shortest of orders.

Wait, can somebody get this straight, did Drummond contact UNC like Austin supposedly did or did he actually contact them..? And if so, is there actual confirmation?

[airowe]

Wait, can somebody get this straight, did Drummond contact UNC like Austin supposedly did or did he actually contact them..? And if so, is there actual confirmation?

That info is from one of the Top 2 or 3 insiders on IC Premium. He's rarely incorrect with his info, so yeah, I'd believe it. There has been rumblings from Drummond's camp that they are very unhappy with the situation at UCONn so it wouldn't surprise me as roy has shown interest in him lately.

Its doubtful that Duke gets involved. There seem to be quite a few hangers on with Drummond and we have other big man targets.

[MisterRoddy]

That info is from one of the Top 2 or 3 insiders on IC Premium. He's rarely incorrect with his info, so yeah, I'd believe it. There has been rumblings from Drummond's camp that they are very unhappy with the situation at UCONn so it wouldn't surprise me as roy has shown interest in him lately.

Its doubtful that Duke gets involved. There seem to be quite a few hangers on with Drummond and we have other big man targets.

Thanks for the info.

As for are other big men targets in '12, can you give us some names?

[DukeBlueNV]

Northstar Basketball blog on JP Tokoto-
Favorites: “No, not right now. Everybody is just even.”
Notes- On when he is expecting an offer from UNC, Tokoto said, “Not [going to] offer until June 15th. They already gave the date.” It has been said that Tokoto grew up rooting for the Tar Heels, and while he confirmed that is indeed true, he maintained it will not play a big part in his college decision, saying, “Not really. Everybody has a favorite team. I have equal interest in every team. In addition, Tokoto said that he wants to “make a decision by the end of next summer”.

Draw your own conclusions from this quote and the blog it came from. This guys seems to follow recruiting pretty close, he claimed he was at the tourney last weekend and spoke to a lot of the players.

Link:
http://blog.northstarbball.com/
(scroll to Bob Gibbons TOC- Day One Rundown article )

[Class of '94]

Northstar Basketball blog on JP Tokoto-
Favorites: “No, not right now. Everybody is just even.”
Notes- On when he is expecting an offer from UNC, Tokoto said, “Not [going to] offer until June 15th. They already gave the date.” It has been said that Tokoto grew up rooting for the Tar Heels, and while he confirmed that is indeed true, he maintained it will not play a big part in his college decision, saying, “Not really. Everybody has a favorite team. I have equal interest in every team. In addition, Tokoto said that he wants to “make a decision by the end of next summer”.

Draw your own conclusions from this quote and the blog it came from. This guys seems to follow recruiting pretty close, he claimed he was at the tourney last weekend and spoke to a lot of the players.

Link:
http://blog.northstarbball.com/
(scroll to Bob Gibbons TOC- Day One Rundown article )

This could all be just talk from Tokoto and reality he's just waiting to get his offer from UNC before committing to the Heels; or this could mean that his visit to Duke went well and it persuaded him enough to give more consideration to Duke. Who knows.....

But this does lead me to two questions that I'd love to get feedback about:

1) If the information is accurate, why are Heels waiting unti June 15th?

2) Has anyone heard how the meeting with Tokoto on Monday went? I've heard comments from Murphy; but I haven't heard anything about Tokoto's thoughts on his visit.

[airowe]

1) If the information is accurate, why are Heels waiting unti June 15th?

2) Has anyone heard how the meeting with Tokoto on Monday went? I've heard comments from Murphy; but I haven't heard anything about Tokoto's thoughts on his visit.

1) Roy doesn't offer kids until June 15th the year the Summer of their Sophomore Years. It's a gentleman's agreement that only he follows, even though he recruits kids hard as hell before then and tells them he will offer them on June 15th so it's a joke.

There are some rumblings that Tokoto won't receive the offer that was promised to him on the 15th as his performance of late has been fairly poor. We'll see.

[Class of '94]

1) Roy doesn't offer kids until June 15th the year the Summer of their Sophomore Years. It's a gentleman's agreement that only he follows, even though he recruits kids hard as hell before then and tells them he will offer them on June 15th so it's a joke.

There are some rumblings that Tokoto won't receive the offer that was promised to him on the 15th as his performance of late has been fairly poor. We'll see.

Thanks Airowe......Does this mean Duke has cooled on Tokoto? Murphy mentioned in the article you cited that Coach K wanted him and Shabazz badly. Are those two are main priorities for the 2012 class?

[airowe]

Are those two are main priorities for the 2012 class?

Seems that way, doesn't it? ;)

Shabazz for the 2 guard and Murphy for the SF/PF spot. Both of them being very versatile players who can fill in wherever.

Shabazz/Gbinije/Murphy all on the court together at the same time would be hard to guard. Put a solid PG on the floor with a serviceable big man and we''l be ready to run.

[soccerstud2210]

Seems that way, doesn't it? ;)

Shabazz for the 2 guard and Murphy for the SF/PF spot. Both of them being very versatile players who can fill in wherever.

Shabazz/Gbinije/Murphy all on the court together at the same time would be hard to guard. Put a solid PG on the floor with a serviceable big man and we''l be ready to run.

wow.:eek: i just about had a heart attack! haha :D

[MisterRoddy]

Seems that way, doesn't it? ;)

Shabazz for the 2 guard and Murphy for the SF/PF spot. Both of them being very versatile players who can fill in wherever.

Shabazz/Gbinije/Murphy all on the court together at the same time would be hard to guard. Put a solid PG on the floor with a serviceable big man and we''l be ready to run.

Are we forgetting about wouldbe seniors Seth and Andre? Or are we assuming they will both be gone by then.

[airowe]

Are we forgetting about would be seniors Seth and Andre? Or are we assuming they will both be gone by then.

Can't forget about those two, just talking about possibilities...

[kong123]

One thing is for sure, both UNC and Duke are recruiting at an extremely high level. This is good for the ACC and great for the rivalry.

[Bob Green]

One thing is for sure, both UNC and Duke are recruiting at an extremely high level. This is good for the ACC and great for the rivalry.

I agree it is good for the rivalry but I would really like to see a third ACC team put together a team with a legitimate chance to compete for the ACC and NCAA Championship. That would be good for the ACC. My first two choices would be State and Wake.

[kong123]

I think Maryland and Virginia will be the teams. Virginia seems to have a really good coach.

[Osiagledknarf]

Thanks Airowe......Does this mean Duke has cooled on Tokoto? Murphy mentioned in the article you cited that Coach K wanted him and Shabazz badly. Are those two are main priorities for the 2012 class?

At this point, yes. I think L.J Rose will enter the picture more and more here because there is mutual intrest between both sides and most likely Duke will be looking for a point guard in 2012 with Kyrie most likely bolting... So keep your eye out for that in the near future.

As for Tokoto, ehh... I wouldn't say cooled, but there certainly not making the same effort they are with Murphy and Muhammad, that's for sure. I think we have slowed down for now with clearly Muhammad and Murphy being our main targets, but if it true the report that UNC is not happy with Tokoto performances, I think it is not as clear cut as it was, and he even said it was. So if we lock up Muhammad, Murphy or both, I expect a guy like Tokoto or Rose to be next in line.

[kong123]

At this point, yes. I think L.J Rose will enter the picture more and more here because there is mutual intrest between both sides and most likely Duke will be looking for a point guard in 2012 with Kyrie most likely bolting... So keep your eye out for that in the near future.

As for Tokoto, ehh... I wouldn't say cooled, but there certainly not making the same effort they are with Murphy and Muhammad, that's for sure. I think we have slowed down for now with clearly Muhammad and Murphy being our main targets, but if it true the report that UNC is not happy with Tokoto performances, I think it is not as clear cut as it was, and he even said it was. So if we lock up Muhammad, Murphy or both, I expect a guy like Tokoto or Rose to be next in line.

you sound like an insider, are you sure you will have enough scholarships to offer? :D

[Cockabeau]

He is not an insider. tokoto's recent performances are leading many to believe that the kid is not quite ELITE as one thought.
Lets put it this way-he may have played himself out of offer of both UNC AND Duke....

[DukeBlueNV]

He is not an insider. tokoto's recent performances are leading many to believe that the kid is not quite ELITE as one thought.
Lets put it this way-he may have played himself out of offer of both UNC AND Duke....

Tokoto got an offer from Duke a while back.

[Osiagledknarf]

you sound like an insider, are you sure you will have enough scholarships to offer? :D

No I am not but thanks for the compliment. Yes they will. There is no limit on how many Scholarships you can offer in a given year, there is only a limit on how many players you can have a selective team. So Coach K could offered 30 recruits if he want to...If the offeree accepts, and one of the players who was expected to use that scholarship does not vacate the slot by transferring, or dropping out, or flunking out, or going pro, then the program will be obligated to make space for that player by not renewing the scholarship of one of the returning players.

As of right now on the roster here is who would be here in 2012:

Kyrie Irving
Seth Curry
Andre Dawkins
Joshua Hairston
Mason Plumlee
Miles Plumlee
Tyler Adams
Michael Gbinje
Tyler Thronton

Some of these players will undoubtedly declare early for the draft or transfer.

So this won't be much an issue.

I see us having 3 or 4 scholarships to throw around in 2012. Not to worry.

[roywhite]

Tokoto got an offer from Duke a while back.

Link?

[FireOgilvie]

Link?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=jp+tokoto+duke

It's on Scout, Rivals, etc.

[DukeBlueNV]

Link?

uggghh really thought that was common knowledge... hold on....

edit- http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=4319001 (scroll to bottom)

it happend at last years duke's bball camp

[Cockabeau]

I think K will say thanks but no thanks because JP's scholly is going g\to Alex Murphy and Shabazz

[roywhite]

uggghh really thought that was common knowledge... hold on....

edit- http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=4319001 (scroll to bottom)

it happend at last years duke's bball camp

Scout says Tokoto has a Duke offer and Shabazz Muhammad is listed as not having a Duke offer. Which one is Duke going after?

[Newton_14]

uggghh really thought that was common knowledge... hold on....

edit- http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=4319001 (scroll to bottom)

it happend at last years duke's bball camp

This one is actually true. I believe it was Watzone that posted on here last year that Tokoto and Marshall Plumlee both got offers the same day right after the camp at Duke.

The unc crowd was screaming that K had violated "the rule" that supposedly exists, but as Airowe mentioned, no one but ol roy seems to acknowledge about not offering kids prior to June 15th of the summer prior to their Jr year in High School. Funny how promising them an offer on the 15th is somehow different than officially offering them. Head scratcher that one is!:rolleyes:

[Big Pappa]

I think K will say thanks but no thanks because JP's scholly is going g\to Alex Murphy and Shabazz

You don't offer a scholarship and then when someone accepts say, "thanks but no thanks." Especially not K.

[Duvall]

I think K will say thanks but no thanks because JP's scholly is going g\to Alex Murphy and Shabazz

I must have missed the news that those two guys committed.

[kong123]

No I am not but thanks for the compliment. Yes they will. There is no limit on how many Scholarships you can offer in a given year, there is only a limit on how many players you can have a selective team. So Coach K could offered 30 recruits if he want to...If the offeree accepts, and one of the players who was expected to use that scholarship does not vacate the slot by transferring, or dropping out, or flunking out, or going pro, then the program will be obligated to make space for that player by not renewing the scholarship of one of the returning players.

As of right now on the roster here is who would be here in 2012:

Kyrie Irving
Seth Curry
Andre Dawkins
Joshua Hairston
Mason Plumlee
Miles Plumlee
Tyler Adams
Michael Gbinje
Tyler Thronton

Some of these players will undoubtedly declare early for the draft or transfer.

So this won't be much an issue.

I see us having 3 or 4 scholarships to throw around in 2012. Not to worry.

it was completely a joke, remember last week when you couldn't get the scholarship issue straight? I know you get your information the same way most of us do, we read it somewhere else.

[DukeBlueNV]

Scout says Tokoto has a Duke offer and Shabazz Muhammad is listed as not having a Duke offer. Which one is Duke going after?

I'm not an insider I just follow recruiting as close as possible without spending $100 to join a premium website and I dont have any ties to the program so I couldnt tell you exactly what the staff is thinking. I assume the program will take whoever pulls the trigger first... Shabazz has an offer as well, I assume Scout just hasnt updated yet.

[Cockabeau]

You don't offer a scholarship and then when someone accepts say, "thanks but no thanks." Especially not K.

You do when a kid accepts one early like AM will...

[DukeBlueNV]

You do when a kid accepts one early like AM will...

dude come on.... you cant just say things like that without anything to back it up.... you seem to do a lot of that. And I'll tell you what... people around here dont take too kindly to someone who just talks out of their a$%.

[Osiagledknarf]

it was completely a joke, remember last week when you couldn't get the scholarship issue straight? I know you get your information the same way most of us do, we read it somewhere else.

I just got something wrong there... It is all over with.

[roywhite]

I'm not an insider I just follow recruiting as close as possible without spending $100 to join a premium website and I dont have any ties to the program so I couldnt tell you exactly what the staff is thinking. I assume the program will take whoever pulls the trigger first... Shabazz has an offer as well, I assume Scout just hasnt updated yet.

On post #188 in this very thread, we have an ESPN link where Alex Murphy talks about a meeting just a few days ago with Coach K.

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=5237995&name=basketball_recruiting&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fesp n%2fblog%2findex%3fentryID%3d5237995%26name%3dbask etball_recruiting


"We were sitting there and coach Krzyzewski said that at Duke they don't say you officially have a scholarship until your test scores and paperwork are in but that in 2012, Shabazz Muhammad (Las Vegas/Bishop Gorman) and I are the guys that he really wants and that I have an offer."

I take that to be more indicative of the relative interest Duke has in Tokoto vs Shabazz Muhammad than the Scout profiles which say Tokoto has an offer and Muhammad does not.

What is the exact status of Duke's interest in Tokoto, and Tokoto's interest in Duke? Don't know.

[Osiagledknarf]

I'm not an insider I just follow recruiting as close as possible without spending $100 to join a premium website and I dont have any ties to the program so I couldnt tell you exactly what the staff is thinking. I assume the program will take whoever pulls the trigger first... Shabazz has an offer as well, I assume Scout just hasnt updated yet.

The Scout Page seems to be horrendously inaccurate at times. It says that we have not offered Marshall Plumlee when in fact we have, it says we are not intrested in Alex Murphy which we are, it says we have not offered Muhammad which we have also. I don't think they update there page for long periods at a time as far as if what teams offer and don't offer.

[DukeBlueNV]

What is the exact status of Duke's interest in Tokoto, and Tokoto's interest in Duke? Don't know.

Yea, I read some quotes from Murphy like that, "k says he wants me and shabazz"... stuff like that. I think I read it on Zagsblog... Anyways, I think what I quoted from your post is a good question and I'm not sure anyone has the final answer to it right now. People can specualate but we dont really know if he is seriously considering Duke or if the staff still really wants him. IMO I think they would take him right now if he took the scholly offer but they would prefer it to work out where we get Shabazz (I dont think we do, just my opinion) and Alex Murphy with Tokoto going to UNC as everyone thinks he will...

[roywhite]

The vagaries of recruiting are hard to follow, but more understandable generally when you consider them to be courtship rituals involving teenagers.

[SilkyJ]

You do when a kid accepts one early like AM will...

What does that even mean? Are you saying Murphy will accept and K will say "no thanks" or are you saying that if Murphy accepts K will tell Tokoto "your services are no longer wanted"?

(hint: either way your wrong. K would never renig on a scholly b/c a player's ranking dropped. Or someone else accepted ahead of him. He doesn't play that game.)

[airowe]

What is the exact status of Duke's interest in Tokoto, and Tokoto's interest in Duke? Don't know.

Duke would gladly take a commitment from Tokoto. Its not like he's a bad player, quite the opposite. He just has a hitch in his shot right now and needs to get it worked out. He knows it.

Tokoto's interest in Duke is tough to guage. He has two parents who seem to be rather in control of JP's life (as they should for a 16 year old,) but they do seem to meddle quite a bit. They don't allow him to have a twitter/facebook or even a cell phone I don't believe. Let's just say they'll play a large part in his decision on where to go to school. JP's Mom LOVES roy (I wish she loved me, she's a looker.) His Dad talks with roy a lot. We've read the stories about his aunt. Put two and two together, and you'll see why the staff moved on rather quickly.

There are a lot of talented wings in this class and the Duke staff has clearly made this a priority in the '12 class. We'll be just fine with whoever we end up with. Right after the Elite Camp, we were high on Tokoto. Right before and after TOC, we're high on Bazz and Murphy. Who knows who we'll be high on down the line. There's a long way to go until the Class of 2012 graduates...

[El_Diablo]

No I am not but thanks for the compliment. Yes they will. There is no limit on how many Scholarships you can offer in a given year, there is only a limit on how many players you can have a selective team. So Coach K could offered 30 recruits if he want to...If the offeree accepts, and one of the players who was expected to use that scholarship does not vacate the slot by transferring, or dropping out, or flunking out, or going pro, then the program will be obligated to make space for that player by not renewing the scholarship of one of the returning players.

As of right now on the roster here is who would be here in 2012:

Kyrie Irving
Seth Curry
Andre Dawkins
Joshua Hairston
Mason Plumlee
Miles Plumlee
Tyler Adams
Michael Gbinje
Tyler Thronton

Some of these players will undoubtedly declare early for the draft or transfer.

So this won't be much an issue.

I see us having 3 or 4 scholarships to throw around in 2012. Not to worry.

Miles will be gone by the time the HS class of 2012 suits up.

[dougc33]

But Ryan Kelly won't...

[Osiagledknarf]

Miles will be gone by the time the HS class of 2012 suits up.

I knew I screwed someone up there... Minus Miles and add Kelly.

[airowe]

Alex Murphy highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRHcqXC-PG8

[dchen09]

Alex Murphy highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRHcqXC-PG8

In the first highlight dunk, is it just me or did he take like 5 steps...:confused:

Whoops, I'm blind, didn't noticed that he didn't have the ball -_- <-- idiot.

[HardwoodElite]

In the first highlight dunk, is it just me or did he take like 5 steps...:confused:

He didn't have the ball the whole time. He received a pass right before taking off for the dunk.

[airowe]

He didn't have the ball the whole time. He received a pass right before taking off for the dunk.

Sorry for stealing your thunder Brian ;) you've seen Alex play a couple times, what are your opinions of his game?

[HardwoodElite]

Sorry for stealing your thunder Brian ;) you've seen Alex play a couple times, what are your opinions of his game?

No apology needed, feel free to post my videos.

There is a lot to like about Alex Murphy. Great size for a small forward (already 6'8" and could certainly grow a couple more inches before he reaches college), excellent skill-set, solid athletic ability, and very versatile. He is a very good three point shooter and is effective in the mid-range and around the basket as well. He's also a smart player with very good vision and passing ability. He does it all. Rebounds, moves well without the ball, and simply gets the job done. Will be a very good get for whoever happens to land him.

[tommy]

No apology needed, feel free to post my videos.

There is a lot to like about Alex Murphy. Great size for a small forward (already 6'8" and could certainly grow a couple more inches before he reaches college), excellent skill-set, solid athletic ability, and very versatile. He is a very good three point shooter and is effective in the mid-range and around the basket as well. He's also a smart player with very good vision and passing ability. He does it all. Rebounds, moves well without the ball, and simply gets the job done. Will be a very good get for whoever happens to land him.

I asked this once before and didn't get much response. How does he compare to his older brother Eric, who we also recruited, at the same stage? A lot of folks on the board were pretty disappointed we didn't get Eric, but he didn't have much of a freshman year at Florida. Is Alex a better prospect that Eric was, or pretty much the same level? How are their games similar or different?

[dchen09]

He didn't have the ball the whole time. He received a pass right before taking off for the dunk.

Yea I realized that after I watched the highlight a few more times. whoops.

[HardwoodElite]

I asked this once before and didn't get much response. How does he compare to his older brother Eric, who we also recruited, at the same stage? A lot of folks on the board were pretty disappointed we didn't get Eric, but he didn't have much of a freshman year at Florida. Is Alex a better prospect that Eric was, or pretty much the same level? How are their games similar or different?

They are fairly similar players, but in my mind, Alex Murphy is/was a better athlete and just a little bit better all around. Erik Murphy didn't blow people away last season, but he was only a freshman. He still has plenty of time to make an impact for the Gators, but if I had to guess I would say that Alex will leave a little bit more of a mark when it's all said and done. Only time will tell though.

[HardwoodElite]

Yea I realized that after I watched the highlight a few more times. whoops.

I'm sure you weren't the only one. It's hard to tell if you aren't watching closely.

[COYS]

No apology needed, feel free to post my videos.

There is a lot to like about Alex Murphy. Great size for a small forward (already 6'8" and could certainly grow a couple more inches before he reaches college), excellent skill-set, solid athletic ability, and very versatile. He is a very good three point shooter and is effective in the mid-range and around the basket as well. He's also a smart player with very good vision and passing ability. He does it all. Rebounds, moves well without the ball, and simply gets the job done. Will be a very good get for whoever happens to land him.

Sounds great to me. I don't know what the competition was like from that highlight video, but I absolutely loved the way he moved on the offensive end. He was faster to the ball than everyone and took advantage of any space inside to sneak behind the defense and grab the offensive board for a put back or receive a pass from the wing. He definitely seemed to play with a lot of energy. It's a long way off, but definitely excited about Muhammad and Murphy in 2012.

[_TheFakeJWill_]

Alex Murphy looks like the "next" Laettner/Singler.... Hope we get this guy. Looks like a solid all around player.

GO DUKE!

[HardwoodElite]

Sounds great to me. I don't know what the competition was like from that highlight video, but I absolutely loved the way he moved on the offensive end. He was faster to the ball than everyone and took advantage of any space inside to sneak behind the defense and grab the offensive board for a put back or receive a pass from the wing. He definitely seemed to play with a lot of energy. It's a long way off, but definitely excited about Muhammad and Murphy in 2012.

Actually, the team they were playing against was Dream Vision, which features Shabazz Muhammad, Angelo Chol, and Winston Sheppard. Very talented team.

[roywhite]

Thanks for coming by, Bryan. Wasn't aware of your site, but it looks promising. Good luck on your venture. Always good to have video and knowledgeable comments on top prospects.

[SilkyJ]

Alex Murphy looks like the "next" Laettner/Singler.... Hope we get this guy. Looks like a solid all around player.

GO DUKE!

You must have missed this post in the 2011 thread:


Welcome to the board, On...One.

You may want to go easy on such comparisons for a high school junior. I like Gbinije as a prospect, but it's too early to project him to the level of a guy like Kyle, who may end up with his jersey in the rafters.

Regular posters here tend to discourage putting unrealistic or premature expectations on our younger players or recruits.

Let's chill on comparing a guy who just finished his sophomore year in HS to one of the greatest players to ever play in college and another guy who was just named MOP of the FF and looks well on his was to having his jersey in the rafters as well.

Kind of hard to to meet those kind of expectations, no?

[Big Pappa]

Let's chill on comparing a guy who just finished his sophomore year in HS to one of the greatest players to ever play in college and another guy who was just named MOP of the FF and looks well on his was to having his jersey in the rafters as well.


I'm also a big fan of Alex, but Silk is absolutely correct here. There is no reason to compare his to guys like Kyle and Laettner.

Anything new about Shabazz?

[HardwoodElite]

Thanks for coming by, Bryan. Wasn't aware of your site, but it looks promising. Good luck on your venture. Always good to have video and knowledgeable comments on top prospects.

Thank you for the warm welcome and kind words.

[Cockabeau]

Alex Murphy will be the prototypical Dunleavy/Singler player.
The thing I have seen is that he has a better handle than Singler and a better shooter than Dunleavy and maybe a bit more athletic than Kyle as well.

[Cockabeau]

If Alex Murphy commits before Tokoto then I can't see JP going to Duke either way. Either in JP wanting to play the same position as AM or K in going after Shabazz. Its just that simple.

Tokoto might not even get an offer from Roy. He stunk up the gym with his play. His jump shot was not polished at all in form at both events.

[Osiagledknarf]

If Alex Murphy commits before Tokoto then I can't see JP going to Duke either way. Either in JP wanting to play the same position as AM or K in going after Shabazz. Its just that simple.

Tokoto might not even get an offer from Roy. He stunk up the gym with his play. His jump shot was not polished at all in form at both events.

One bad weekend isn't going to change Roy's mind on this. He has been recruiting him long enough and seen him play enough to know what his strengths and weaknesses are and what type of player he is. Maybe he doesn't offer him right at June 15th, but Roy will offer him at some point I can assure you.

[SilkyJ]

If Alex Murphy commits before Tokoto then I can't see JP going to Duke either way. Either in JP wanting to play the same position as AM or K in going after Shabazz. Its just that simple.

Tokoto might not even get an offer from Roy. He stunk up the gym with his play. His jump shot was not polished at all in form at both events.


One bad weekend isn't going to change Roy's mind on this. He has been recruiting him long enough and seen him play enough to know what his strengths and weaknesses are and what type of player he is. Maybe he doesn't offer him right at June 15th, but Roy will offer him at some point I can assure you.

our two most reliable sources going at it!!