Fresh Kyrie Irving Thread

[airowe]

Is it cool to start a new one now?

http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/05/12/coach-k-says-irving-will-transform-duke/

[Duvall]

Is it cool to start a new one now?

Well, we'll need to start one before July 6 anyway.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

Is it cool to start a new one now?

http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/05/12/coach-k-says-irving-will-transform-duke/


Thanks, that's a cool article. It's so hard to picture since few of us have seen Kyrie play in person just how much of a difference he will make with us. Then I read this article and in my head, try to input John Wall with this team and I think to myself, wow!! It really is possible that we will be almost unbeatable. Coach K is right, you put someone like Kyrie in the same lineup as 2 All-ACC and All-American players in Nolan and Kyle and it's hard to fathom just how lethal of a lineup we will have.

So glad to have Kyrie on board! And I agree, I think a fresh Kyire thread is definitely warranted.

[chrisheery]

John Wall was incredible and more "talented" atheletically than Kyrie. But, Kyrie's skill set is as good as Wall's with regard to ball handling and better with regard to shooting. I think their passing ability is even as well. When you add all that up, it isn't even like plugging in Wall to our team, it is like plugging in a guy like Wall but able to shoot well. I think he is ideally suited to this team and I hope that everything plays out the way I imagine it will. This team should be a lot of fun to watch. I find it hard to believe they can win another championship because it is so hard to do and they will be relatively inexperienced, but I think they can. Either way, it will be an exciting ride.

[hedevil]

Good article. I expect Kyrie to be a better 3 point shooter than Wall. Throw in his ability to penetrate and dish, where he'll have a variety of long range sharp shooters in waiting, and llok out NCAA.

Articles like these make my mouth water.:)

[cato]

Mentioning KI in the same breath as John Wall doesn't do much for me. Wall was in college such a brief time, and accomplished so little, I don't have a real feel for his game. Obviously, Wall is a rare talent, but I won't remember him the way that I remember other guards who played longer in college.

But hearing these comparisons from Coach K, well, that's intriguing:


"I haven't had a guard like him since [Chris] Duhon and Jason Williams," he said. "He's gonna be a great player. He still has thinks to learn obviously but he went to a great program at St. Patrick. His dad [Drederick] is an amazing guy. They're a basketball family and we'll have a different system with Kyrie.

"He reminds me a lot of Chris Paul and his ability to maneuver with the dribble and keep his feet under him while he's going."

[airowe]

Well, we'll need to start one before July 6 anyway.

Why July 6th?

These quotes were very telling:


Krzyzewski said Irving will benefit from the return of Singler and junior guard Nolan Smith to a core that also includes big men Miles and Mason Plumlee and guard Seth Curry.

"We'll run a lot more, we'll press and he's fortunate to have Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler on the perimeter with him and the Plumlees," Krzyzewski said. "He'll have good weapons with him."

Starting lineup anyone?


Krzyzewski, who coached both Williams and Hurley, also compares Irving favorably to New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul.

"I haven't had a guard like him since [Chris] Duhon and Jason Williams," he said. "He's gonna be a great player. He still has thinks to learn obviously but he went to a great program at St. Patrick. His dad [Drederick] is an amazing guy. They're a basketball family and we'll have a different system with Kyrie.

"He reminds me a lot of Chris Paul and his ability to maneuver with the dribble and keep his feet under him while he's going."

:cool:

[Big Pappa]

"We'll run a lot more, we'll press and he's fortunate to have Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler on the perimeter with him and the Plumlees," Krzyzewski said. "He'll have good weapons with him."



It's finally settled.

[muzikfrk75]

I'm beyond excited for the season to start.

[mattman91]

new thread, new video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmcFT803P9E

I don't think anyone has posted this one yet. i'm really excited about Kyrie. He really can do everything on offense, and I know that if his defense isn't that great yet, you better believe coach k will fix that. When K gets his hands on this kid he will be a monster.

[SeattleIrish]

zoo-wee-mama! That tape is wicked good:)

s.i.

[stillcrazie]

new thread, new video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmcFT803P9E

I don't think anyone has posted this one yet. i'm really excited about Kyrie. He really can do everything on offense, and I know that if his defense isn't that great yet, you better believe coach k will fix that. When K gets his hands on this kid he will be a monster.

That video made my eyes water.

[Newton_14]

Yeah, Silky what is the July 6 reference?

I am really really excited about Kyrie. After finally seeing him a few times now, I appreciate what all the hype was about. The kid is really good. Incredible speed and can do it without sacrificing control of his dribble. That is a special talent.

I think he is faster with the ball than Lawson was/is. Not as big and strong as Wall, but matches Wall in other areas and a superior shooter to Lawson and Wall.

Great court vision, great passer. Just a special talent. So really there is only one unanswered question... how well can he defend?

I suspect that will be his focus from Day 1 on campus. If he can become a good/great defender he will be impossible to deal with.

A weapon unlike any other Duke has had in a long time... I wish we could skip the summer and start October tomorrow!

[IBleedBlue]

If the reality during the upcoming season equals what we are hearing now, I believe Kyrie is not only going to elevate the whole team but I also believe he is going to make other members on this team possible lottery picks (a.k.a Mason & Singler) or first round picks (Nolan & possibly Miles).
With his defense breakdown, penetration skills and passing skills, he will be able to provide scoring opportunities for others and stuff the stat sheets.

[Dr. Tina]

Is July 6th when Kyrie Irving officially becomes a Duke student? Is that when his summer classes would start or something?

[mattman91]

Is July 6th when Kyrie Irving officially becomes a Duke student? Is that when his summer classes would start or something?

I think I remember reading somewhere thats when he will be on campus...maybe Facebook or Twitter. Must be for summer school

[roywhite]

Not a major point here, but looking at HB and Kyrie standing arm in arm at the end of the latter video, I don't see a 6-inch height difference (Kyrie often listed at 6'2" and HB sometimes listed at 6'8").

What a great looking player Kyrie is! Can't wait to see him in action in a Duke uniform.

[gumbomoop]

Having posted on several recent threads - most recently the Preseason Top-25 - that Duke is the obvious, obvious pre #1, it will come as no surprise that K's gusher re KI did nothing to change my mind.

But rather than focus on KI here [and rather than start a new thread, though it deserves one, really], I want to comment on the fact that K has come out so publicly re KI. Duke-Haters really miss the boat in thinking K is so "deceptive." He's quite the opposite, refreshingly straightforward in multiple ways.

For all his greatness, Dean was so "protective" of his players, and so leery of giving anyone even a whiff of a possible Dean-confidence, that he consistently qualified virtually every sentence he uttered.

Now here's K saying, yep, "Wow." Now he doesn't say, "We'll be undefeated," nor does he probably believe that. Too tough. But he is signaling that Duke will be very, very good, he thinks from Day One.

Also particularly interesting is that K seems not one whit worried that he's putting unfair pressure on KI. He isn't worried that he's setting KI up to fail. This strikes me as very significant. Not just that K thinks, "Boy, KI's got it," but that K is perfectly happy to tell the world that KI's got it.

Fellow Devils, KI's got it. He's the realest-new-dealer.

[OldPhiKap]

I can recall many incoming players that K said had a potential to be special, etc., but rarely have I heard him come right out and say that this guy is the shiznit and that we are building an offense around him. K must think that he can handle -- and in fact thrives -- on that kind of pressure.

(And, side note -- I am sure that K would say that he never likes to lose, but going undefeated is not the goal and therefore that's not what he cares about).

It is way premature to start talking about where this team will end up, but if we stay healthy we could have a heck of a lot of fun next year.


Thankfully, we have Coach Cut's team to root for in the interim. For thse who say they want to fast forward to basketball, don't forget that we have an outstanding football coaching staff and some really good players getting ready to strap it on for the Devils. I am excited about Kyrie and the basketball team, but am first looking forward to competing for a bowl bid. GIVE 'EM HELL, DUKE!!!

[roywhite]

Now here's K saying, yep, "Wow." Now he doesn't say, "We'll be undefeated," nor does he probably believe that. Too tough. But he is signaling that Duke will be very, very good, he thinks from Day One.

Also particularly interesting is that K seems not one whit worried that he's putting unfair pressure on KI. He isn't worried that he's setting KI up to fail. This strikes me as very significant. Not just that K thinks, "Boy, KI's got it," but that K is perfectly happy to tell the world that KI's got it.

Fellow Devils, KI's got it. He's the realest-new-dealer.

Yep. Love the last point about K not being worried about putting unfair pressure on KI. He's saying that KI not only has great ability but a really good head on his shoulders, that he'll be able to handle the spotlight and a very key role on the team.

Along those lines, K's praise of dad Drederick is significant; here's a guy that has played hoops and been around hoops for many years, not to mention having a ton of life experience in business and travel, including the time in Australia where Kyrie was born. K and Drederick are on the same page here. They see the talent and believe the kid can handle the pressure and even be pushed some by his coach. It's looking like K may regard Drederick with as much respect as he did, say, Calvin Hill. A guy who not only has an uber-talented kid, but has enough sports experience to understand how a great coach can help maximize his ability.

It's all good.

[Lord Ash]

Great article...

And I must say, I am very happy to have this info not lumped into a giant Kyrie thread... once we move to the "only one thread per player" trend it just becomes so massive and unwieldy that it becomes difficult to read.

[PhillyDuke]

Kyrie Irving from recent ESPN chat when asked if he got the chance to play with current players:

Kyrie Irving
Actually, I did. I got a chance to play with all of the guys when I went on my official visit. Seth just made my job easier on the court. Dribbling, knocking down shots.

I'm telling y'all, we got a really special backcourt with Irving and Curry!!! I can't wait to hear about our players' performances in the North Carolina ProAm.

[kyriecrazy2013]

I'm telling y'all, we got a really special backcourt with Irving and Curry!!!

I think you are forgetting two outstanding backcourt players we already have playing, Nolan and Kyle (sort of)

[Newton_14]

I think you are forgetting two outstanding backcourt players we already have playing, Nolan and Kyle (sort of)

Indeed. And no "sort of" needed for Kyle. Kyle is a perimeter player and a darn good one at that. And Nolan is a budding superstar as well. We are simply loaded in our backcourt no matter which of them is on the court at any given time.

It is embarassing to have that much talent:D

[moonpie23]

just think...

kyrie
seth
NOLAN
singler
the brothers grim...

just for starters...

i wouldn't want to play us...

[billyj]

Do coach K gush about a freshman often? He sounds really excited about someone we haven't seen playing a college game, maybe a little premature. But I am sure he knows more than any of us. ;)

[ElSid]

Do coach K gush about a freshman often? He sounds really excited about someone we haven't seen playing a college game, maybe a little premature. But I am sure he knows more than any of us. ;)

he doesn't gush this much usually.

he watches so much basketball i'm sure he can tell when he's got something special. he gushed about jason williams and was right. i think when he does gush you gotta pay attention.

not worried at all about kyrie disappointing.

[CPDUKEGUY24]

new thread, new video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmcFT803P9E

I don't think anyone has posted this one yet. i'm really excited about Kyrie. He really can do everything on offense, and I know that if his defense isn't that great yet, you better believe coach k will fix that. When K gets his hands on this kid he will be a monster.


Sorry to quote from a whole page ago, but Dizzammmn. I hope Kendall Marshall and Kyrie can still be friends after what Kyrie just did to him in those clips. Those are certainly not friendly gestures. Even worse, whats to come for Mr. Marshall's ankles next year!? :eek:

There's no way he's looking forward to trying to defend that for as long as they both shall be...matched up. If you ask me, Kyrie OWNS Kendall, and KM knows it! I would even go so far as to say KM was the LEAST excited person on the Earth (next to Ol' Huckleberry) to hear that Kyrie was coming to Duke! Lol

Cant wait to see you live, and in the best Blue's around KI, until then take it easy on them Tarhole Fellas, they have a tough year ahead of 'em. HAHAHAHAHA

Let's Go Duke, GTHC

[91_92_01_10_15]

Do coach K gush about a freshman often? He sounds really excited about someone we haven't seen playing a college game, maybe a little premature. But I am sure he knows more than any of us. ;)

The last incoming player I remember him speaking about this way was Luol Deng.

[UrinalCake]

The last incoming player I remember him speaking about this way was Luol Deng.

I agree. Before Deng even got to campus Coach K came right out and said he was the most talented player on the team. I was surprised at the time that he would say that, but Coach K is a master psychologist and knows the best way to reach each of his players. For both Deng and Irving he feels that placing high expectations is what will allow them to succeed. This might not be the case for another player, even if they are just as talented. Can't wait for the season to start!

[cato]

I can recall many incoming players that K said had a potential to be special, etc., but rarely have I heard him come right out and say that this guy is the shiznit and that we are building an offense around him. K must think that he can handle -- and in fact thrives -- on that kind of pressure.

FWIW, the last player I remember K speaking so highly about was Elton. IIRC, he said that Brand was the most prepared to play at the college level, and would have the most immediate impact, of all of his players.

[Duke Parent 06]

I was at the NYAC award dinner last night; got to hear Coach K speak -- and have my picture taken with him. The introduction/tribute by Jay Williams brought a tear to my eye -- he spoke of Coach's influence on his life and how he inspired him get through his recovery from the injury (still hasn't returned the rosary he was supposed to give back when he got healthy). Coach told a couple of championship stories, including one about an exchange of increasingly animated up and down shirt-tugs when Jay was nervously questioning taking that 3 point shot as directed by the sign - and then coolly nailed it. Then Coach told some warm and funny stories about Bobby Hurley who was also at the dinner, about his recruiting him especially. Also about how he was like a son to him. Finally, there was a tribute to Ray Lumpp who was in the audience (last member of the gold medal USA Basketball team from 1948!), who Coach surprised by inviting him to come sit behind him on the bench in 2012! Brought the house down! (Coach then quipped that having him near would be a good break from listening to Boeheim.)

[sandinmyshoes]

Nolan will make all these guys better. Because of leadership, and defense. Practiciing again Nolan will improve their games. And when we need someone to help contain or cool a hot shooting perimeter player, Nolan will be the first option.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I'm beyond excited for the season to start.
Me too.

The Football Season!

The first Saturday in September is eagerly anticipated! :cool:

[rotogod00]

Even though it's a week old, didn't see this in the old KI thread, so posting it here. Jerry Meyer's (Rivals) take on Selby vs. Irving

Q: Guards Josh Selby and Kyrie Irving proved they were the best guards in this 2010 class. Who do you think is better now, and who do you think will have the best future?

A: I agree that Selby and Irving are the two best guard prospects in the 2010 class. They can both do it all as combo guards. They score, handle, create, distribute, defend and rebound their position.

Rivals.com has Selby ranked above Irving for this reason: Selby can do everything as well, if not better, than Irving. Selby also has a level of athleticism that Irving doesn't possess.

Selby is simply the most unguardable player in the 2010 class.

Some argue that Irving is a better pure point guard than Selby, but I'm not buying that argument. Just because Selby is an electric athlete and dynamic scorer doesn't mean he can't excel at the role of a distributor. I've seen Selby dominate high-level games with his penetration and passing skills.

Both prospects are going to have tremendous careers and likely will be multi-year NBA all-stars. In the end, though, Selby's superior athleticism will give him the edge.

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1082422

[BleedsP287]

Indeed. And no "sort of" needed for Kyle. Kyle is a perimeter player and a darn good one at that. And Nolan is a budding superstar as well. We are simply loaded in our backcourt no matter which of them is on the court at any given time.

It is embarassing to have that much talent:D

There were many moments in tournament this year where I thought Nolan was the best player on the floor. To have him and Seth and Kyrie and Andre in the back court, wow. Especially if Andre develops some this summer and Seth is as good as they say.

[Dukefan4Life]

our back court is just going to be scary good! we have a great mix of scorning,and for the first time in ages a true passing point guard! I love that fact that we have seth on the team i think its going to be hard to keep him on the bench. i can even see him starting..Go Duke!!! :D

[Big Pappa]

our back court is just going to be scary good! we have a great mix of scorning,and for the first time in ages a true passing point guard! I love that fact that we have seth on the team i think its going to be hard to keep him on the bench. i can even see him starting..Go Duke!!! :D

There is no doubt that our back court will be great but in mentioning that you have to mention Kyle. I love KI but I wouldn't call him a "passing point guard." If you mean that he is a great passer that is true, but if you are saying he is a true point guard that mainly distributes I disagree. I think he will be a major scorer next year and could average 12-15 ppg next year.

I also disagree about Seth starting but if you want to read all about that just go here (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21054).

[Dukefan4Life]

I will put it this way, he is more of a passing guard than we have had in a very very Long time..

[Dukefan4Life]

What am i reading just opinions like everyone else has? I think seth could start. The kid has good handle, passing, and a very good touch with the ball.

[Big Pappa]

What am i reading just opinions like everyone else has? I think seth could start. The kid has good handle, passing, and a very good touch with the ball.


I will put it this way, he is more of a passing guard than we have had in a very very Long time..

I understand I just didn't want to start the discussion with you on this thread when we have had it on the other one many times.

For you to say a "very, very long time" is simply incorrect, I would recommend looking at the stats before making blanket statements like that. JWill had 644 in his career (00-02) and Chris Duhon had 819 in his career (00-04), the second most in Duke history. Six years ago is certainly not a "very, very long time" ago.

[Dukefan4Life]

I would say six years of not having a true passing PG is a very long time! Is it me or do you like shooing people down, papp? lol

[Big Pappa]

Is it me or do you like shooing people down, papp? lol

No just you lol. No I don't; I just really don't like it when people post very blanket statements without any type of evidence.

[Dukefan4Life]

You just backed up my statement by telling me just how long it has been. I think alot of people would agree that six-years without a true Guard is WAY too long.

[Big Pappa]

You just backed up my statement by telling me just how long it has been. I think alot of people would agree that six-years without a true Guard is WAY too long.

You just did it again. We have had true guards (I'm assuming you mean point guards) in the last six years: Paulus being the main one. The last two years we have played combo guys at the point: Elliot, Nolan, and Jon.

Secondly, you originally said a "very, very long time" and were talking about a great "passer". I think everyone would agree that Paulus was a good (maybe not great) passer and I think everyone would agree that 6 years is not a "very, very long time."

[Dukefan4Life]

GP was below average passer at best. I dont see how you can say six years without a true or really good Pg is not that long of time.. what if not 6 would you consider a long time????

[Big Pappa]

GP was below average passer at best

Again, you make this claim with no evidence. Straight from Greg's bio from before his senior year:

*Has led the team in assists in each of the past three seasons ... looking to join Bobby Hurley as the only players in Duke history to lead the team in assists four times
*Ranks 11th at Duke with 420 career assists ... 4.08 assists per game average is eighth-best in Duke history
*Recorded at least three assists in 77 of 103 career games
*Has at least one assist in 101 of his 103 career games

He is OBVIOUSLY not a below average passer. I won't continue to argue with you when you continue to make blanket statements without any shred of evidence.

[Big Pappa]

To everyone else: I apologize for wrapping up the thread with this argument, but I couldn't just let these ridiculous statements with no evidence go. I know most of us on here would do the same thing, I just happened to be the one on at the time.

[ElSid]

dukefan4life people get uppity about gp. it is what it is.

the stats don't lie. i said a few less than laudatory things about gp in my day as well and there was a strong mama bear reaction. and there is demanding of statistics and cold hard evidence before you can even start to question the man. it's annoying.

greg was probably better than a lot of us remember. and the stats help. my perception of him was never as a "really good" duke player. a lot of stats will suggest otherwise. except tourney success. doesn't mean i want to excommunicate the guy, but i just don't think he was a strong point of any of the teams.

he wasn't a pure point guard. he was better as a two guard anyway. so i'm not sure why that's a big argument. we would have fared better with paulus shooting his 40%+ from three than handling the ball.

anyway. for some reason you can't make emotional comments about gp on this board without a scientific readout, even though we can all agree that battier and LT are way better than theirs stats suggest.

[roywhite]

dukefan4life people get uppity about gp. it is what it is.

the stats don't lie. i said a few less than laudatory things about gp in my day as well and there was a strong mama bear reaction. and there is demanding of statistics and cold hard evidence before you can even start to question the man. it's annoying.

greg was probably better than a lot of us remember. and the stats help. my perception of him was never as a "really good" duke player. a lot of stats will suggest otherwise. except tourney success. doesn't mean i want to excommunicate the guy, but i just don't think he was a strong point of any of the teams.

he wasn't a pure point guard. he was better as a two guard anyway. so i'm not sure why that's a big argument. we would have fared better with paulus shooting his 40%+ from three than handling the ball.

anyway. for some reason you can't make emotional comments about gp on this board without a scientific readout, even though we can all agree that battier and LT are way better than theirs stats suggest.

Don't want to get stuck on this point, but I'd say there is some difference of opinion between fair-minded Duke fans concerning GP as an offensive player. My own opinion is that he was a pretty good passer and a good outside shooter.

The real shortcoming for Greg, unfortunately, was on the defensive end. He was not able to guard some of the quicker guards that he came up against. Defensive problems changed his role and probably affect our perception even of his offensive abilities.

To return to the topic of KI, I'm very excited about seeing him play for Duke also. Even with his terrific talent, he'll need to work on defense and learn the Duke defense before he'll become an overall great player.

[Dukefan4Life]

I really dont care what stats you put up. I have my opinion like everyone else does. Big papa you can google anything you want but on this site we can give our thirty cents how we please. I was not putting greg down i think he was an average point guard at best and that is not a bad mouthing him.

[chrisheery]

Guess I will weigh in.

GP was not a below average passer. He was a very good passer. The problem was he did not have the ability to penetrate and create. Because of that, he did not put pressure on the defense and did not create passing lanes on his own, which a point guard needs to do to be effective. So, it is not fair to say he is a below average passer when he passed effectively when surrounded by superior talent. When he was expected to be the best player on the team, he may not have been the best passer, but that was out of necessity. I was not and I guess still am not a fervent Paulus supporter, just trying to give my opinion on the topic from as fair a point of view as I can muster.

[Big Pappa]

I really dont care what stats you put up. I have my opinion like everyone else does. Big papa you can google anything you want but on this site we can give our thirty cents how we please. I was not putting greg down i think he was an average point guard at best and that is not a bad mouthing him.

First bold part - Your disregard for statistics to form opinions shows immaturity.

Second bold part - Calling someone average at best (especially one of our own) is the definition of putting him down.

[ElSid]

Guess I will weigh in.

GP was not a below average passer. He was a very good passer. The problem was he did not have the ability to penetrate and create. Because of that, he did not put pressure on the defense and did not create passing lanes on his own, which a point guard needs to do to be effective. So, it is not fair to say he is a below average passer when he passed effectively when surrounded by superior talent. When he was expected to be the best player on the team, he may not have been the best passer, but that was out of necessity. I was not and I guess still am not a fervent Paulus supporter, just trying to give my opinion on the topic from as fair a point of view as I can muster.

This is fair. Meanwhile, Kyrie is the opposite, from all indications. This will be, without question, the first time in six odd years that we've had someone with anywhere close to the ability of Kyrie Irving to break down a defense, create a slick dish out of nothing, or finish imaginatively at the rim. He should make all the players better. And for that, I'm very excited.

[ElSid]

First bold part - Your disregard for statistics to form opinions shows immaturity.

Second bold part - Calling someone average at best (especially one of our own) is the definition of putting him down.

Stats ain't everything pops. Most of us watched these games, too, and draw some opinion from what we saw. Also, stats can be stated selectively or without context to confirm or question a statement.

Or sometimes they don't have stats for ways people affect a game. We've all read the no-stats all star article. We don't all have the time or mind to write that kind of article, but we may feel a certain something about a player. And we should be allowed to at least post this opinion even if it's not overwhelmingly positive and even if that player played at Duke.

Don't bludgeon with stats.

[Dukefan4Life]

I dont think calling someone average at best is putting anyone down. Just because we are duke fans does not mean we all have to put on blinders and always give what other people want they want to hear. I never said greg was bad, in fact i loved his heart and he could bust those three pointers!

[Big Pappa]

Most of us watched these games, too, and draw some opinion from what we saw. Also, stats can be stated selectively or without context to confirm or question a statement.

Or sometimes they don't have stats for ways people affect a game. We've all read the no-stats all star article. We don't all have the time or mind to write that kind of article, but we may feel a certain something about a player. And we should be allowed to at least post this opinion even if it's not overwhelmingly positive and even if that player played at Duke.


Fair point about forming an opinion from watching, it is something we all do. As I have said before (just read above) I have a problem with someone posting an opinion with no evidence at all. If you think GP was a bad passer and none of the stats back you up then at least post some type of evidence. It is not productive to simply post random opinions without any type of evidence.



the stats don't lie.

You have changed your opinion rather quickly.


I dont think calling someone average at best is putting anyone down. Just because we are duke fans does not mean we all have to put on blinders and always give what other people want they want to hear. I never said greg was bad, in fact i loved his heart and he could bust those three pointers!

I loved his heart and he was a great shooter but I still disagree that calling someone "average at best" is not putting them down. If you were a doctor, lawyer, teacher, or any other profession and I told you that you were "average at best" I think you would be offended.

[Newton_14]

I dont think calling someone average at best is putting anyone down. Just because we are duke fans does not mean we all have to put on blinders and always give what other people want they want to hear. I never said greg was bad, in fact i loved his heart and he could bust those three pointers!

Sorry but you guys are totally missing the point. This is not even about Greg Paulus. It is about the rules of this board. This board is run differently. There is a sticky thread at the top that everyone is supposed to read prior to posting. Two of the key points in the rules are listed below. It is great to welcome and discuss Kyrie but there is no need to throw previous point guards under the bus in doing so. And for the record, the most recent PG we had only led us to a National Championship.


From the Rules Thread:
Destructively Negative - It means the opposite of constructive criticism, especially in the context of Duke players and coaches. Unacceptable: Duke Player X is abysmal, a complete liability, and couldn’t rebound if he was the only player on the court. Acceptable: Duke Player X really needs to work on his rebounding and ability to block out over the summer. Includes rumor mongering.

Repetitive Rant - Repeatedly posting the same general diatribe or manifesto, over and over again, showing little or no regard to warnings, replies, or general interest in said view. To put it another way, when you've made your point to the point that other posters could repeat it nearly word-for-word, you've gone too far. Make your point and move on. This particular infraction almost always will be preceded by a warning.

[ElSid]

You have changed your opinion rather quickly.

the point was stats are limited. but no need to belabor the point. in fact, it's illegal on this board. fine.

[hedevil]

So, where's the latest Kyrie video?:D

[Dukefan4Life]

Papa are you a Huge fan of CSI or what? all you talk about is evidence. evidence. I watch the games just like you do and my thoughts may be different from yours but they are mine and thats the bottom line. Do we all have to put stats to every thought we put on here??? :rolleyes:

[mattman91]

So, where's the latest Kyrie video?:D


right here:cool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eezB3zx-j6w

[Big Pappa]

Pappa are you a Huge fan of CSI or what? all you talk about is evidence. evidence. I watch the games just like you do and my thoughts may be different from yours but they are mine and thats the bottom line. Do we all have to put stats to every thought we put on here??? :rolleyes:

No you don't need to put stats to everything but you do need to put evidence with your opinions, especially when you are talking about a former Duke player. Here is a great quote about it from a mod from a similar situation about GP when, ironically, Sid was doing the same thing you are:


It is a board where, if you choose to denigrate the talents and/or contributions of a Duke player, you better bring a lot of evidence or have some very solid reasons why board readers should respect your opinion. Otherwise, you will get questioned and/or slammed yourself.

Boozer and others are right, we do need to get back to the original topic.

[Kedsy]

GP was below average passer at best. I dont see how you can say six years without a true or really good Pg is not that long of time.. what if not 6 would you consider a long time????

I suppose it depends on how old you are. When I was at Duke, 6 years was one third of my life. Now it's significantly less. I've been watching Duke play for 32 years, so 6 doesn't seem like so many.

My issue with your statement is not entirely the same as the others, but here it is: (1) you equate a "true" PG with a "really good" PG, when those two things are very different; (2) Jon Scheyer was a really good PG, who led his team to a national championship -- so really it's been about a month since we've had a really good PG; and (3) you are unclear and inconsistent about what you mean by a "true" PG -- do you mean (a) a pass first guard who can find the open man and get him the ball; (b) a penetrating guard who can get into the lane, draw the coverage, and dish for the layup/dunk; (c) a speedy guard who can lead the fast break at breathtaking speeds; (d) a lockdown defender who keys the defense; or (e) all of the above?

Because, in my opinion, a "true" PG is (a), although in the NBA the most highly regarded PGs are generally (b). At UNC, they're looking for (c), and the classic Duke PGs of yesteryear were generally excellent at (d). Very few people can do all of the above (e), so that would probably come under "really good," but not necessarily "true."

Hopefully, Kyrie will be an (e).

[Orange&BlackSheep]

Because of the way that Coach K chooses to run his offense, his best teams have generally had (b). If we had been having this discussion 4 months ago, I might have said ALL his best teams ... but clearly the basketball played in March forces one to acknowledge: (1) Coach K will change from his preferred style of play on both sides of the ball if his personnel require it and (2) that Nolan Smith's improvement from his sophomore to junior year in this regard (dribble-driving) was a HUGE part of why we are all talking about one for the thumb next year. Obviously Jon handled the ball a lot, but Nolan was the one called upon to break down his man off the dribble.

It seems clear that KI is going to precipitate a return to the style of play that Coach K prefers to play (up tempo, drive and dish, extended pressure defence, etc.).

[Kfanarmy]

I really dont care what stats you put up. I have my opinion like everyone else does. Big papa you can google anything you want but on this site we can give our thirty cents how we please. I was not putting greg down i think he was an average point guard at best and that is not a bad mouthing him. How do you "not badmouth" GP and say he was a "below average" passer at best?

[Dukefan4Life]

Because That"s how i saw him. would you say he was great??

[MisterRoddy]

In other news, Kyrie Irving seems to have taken Rivals' Recruiting Rankings (more specifically the PG rankings) to heart.

His 37 compared to Selby's 16. Also, this seems to be Selby's second straight bad week. IIRC, I think he played last week with Kyrie also, possibly, he's not playing bad in general, just in comparrison to Kyrie :)

[Big Pappa]

How do you "not badmouth" GP and say he was a "below average" passer at best?

It's not even worth it lol.

[Dukefan4Life]

Duke fan or not i will call it how i see it. i wont blindly say someone is great just because they play for my favorite team..

[MisterRoddy]

Duke fan or not i will call it how i see it. i wont blindly say someone is great just because they play for my favorite team..

But you don't badmouth him. Obviously, he didnt live up to expectations but thats no reason to speak ill of him.

So how about that Kyrie Irving fella??? Hes a good one.

[Dukefan4Life]

There were no bad thoughts. I thought he was an ok player thats all.

[JBDuke]

Any further discussion not directly related to Kyrie Irving will be deleted.

[yancem]

Any further discussion not directly related to Kyrie Irving will be deleted.

Thank you JB! I was getting tired of the back and forth.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Irving will be on 620 tomorrow (in the triangle) at 8:10am. I'm sure WRAL will have the archived audio later in the day.

[airowe]

This morning at 8:10.

[SupaDave]

Updated!!

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke/story/7621079/

[airowe]

"The Quiet Assassin"

http://www.duke.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1085996

[ElSid]

Money Quote:

"He has the best first step since Fred Astaire".

[whyteshoes]

I did not see this posted anywhere, so here we go!

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke/audio/7620677/?id_related=7621079

[Dukefan4Life]

Without a doubt we are getting a special kid! I really cant wait to see him play next year. I think he will be one of the best guards to have played for duke when its all said and done, but for how long who knows? I hope its a while! Go duke!

[DreAllDay]

Some more footage of KI's bounce

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKxMYK2pzN4&feature=youtube_gdata

[Acymetric]

Updated!!

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke/story/7621079/

On being compared to Jason Williams:


"Yeah I'm comfortable. As a man I want to exceed expectations and the comparisons. I'm trying to be better and do better things than he did, which is going to be hard to come by. But I'm ready for the challenge."


I love that he calls himself a man there. To me that goes right along with what everyone has said: that he has a ton of confidence and maturity. I can't wait to see him step up next season...and I think he shares the sentiment.

For emphasis:


Just be ready. We're gonna be rolling again next year. Hopefully we can go back-to-back.

[SilkyJ]

Some more footage of KI's bounce

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKxMYK2pzN4&feature=youtube_gdata

WOW. That was a nice dunk by KI, but really a heckuva pass.

The only "knock" on Kyrie that I ever read was that he didn't have elite athleticism as it pertains to leaping ability. Maybe that's true, but uh, somehow I think he's got more than enough.

[Dukefan4Life]

Kyrie is so sic! The basketball season cant come soon enough for me:D

[billyj]

WOW. That was a nice dunk by KI, but really a heckuva pass.

The only "knock" on Kyrie that I ever read was that he didn't have elite athleticism as it pertains to leaping ability. Maybe that's true, but uh, somehow I think he's got more than enough.

Oooh just another alarmingly unathletic dukie. :cool:

[airowe]

Kyrie Irving guest blogs for Jeff Goodman, brushes aside preseason rankings and says "We all want to be #1 at the end of the season."

http://community.foxsports.com/goodmanonfox/blog/2010/05/21/guest_blogger:_dukes_kyrie_irving

[gumbomoop]

Kyrie Irving guest blogs for Jeff Goodman, brushes aside preseason rankings and says "We all want to be #1 at the end of the season."

http://community.foxsports.com/goodmanonfox/blog/2010/05/21/guest_blogger:_dukes_kyrie_irving

Thanks for the heads-up to this link. My favorite line was, "I was so happy when we won the national championship."

His post was articulate, straightforward, charming; and he seems a great combo of confidence and humility. We're lucky to have him for the next 3 years. Or whatever.

Hope Goodman recruits Barnes and Knight for a guest shot, too. But maybe not Reggie Bullock.

[hedevil]

Nice link Airowe.

Irving's dad is lucky that he doesn't live anywhere near me.
He woke his father up? My neighbors were able to hear me screaming for the whole game. There's no sleeping allowed/possible when I'm in the area. Not during a Duke NC game at least.

Kyrie said it right. Everyone just wants to be #1 at the end of the season. This year Duke might start and end that way.:D

[Daniel tosh]

Here is a great write up on Kyrie as well as Josh and Tyler.

http://fayobserver.com/articles/2010/05/25/1000428?sac=Sports

[DukeBlueNV]

http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2010/05/25/1001030?sac=Home

havent seen this posted yet... (different article from the one above) IMO the best Kyrie article I've read. Also has some interesting insight on the Barnes ordeal from assistant coaches.

[Newton_14]

http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2010/05/25/1001030?sac=Home

havent seen this posted yet... (different article from the one above) IMO the best Kyrie article I've read. Also has some interesting insight on the Barnes ordeal from assistant coaches.

I love the following quote from that article:

"And then the season happened. And everything we would have said was important about the Barnes recruitment was obsolete completely. There's absolutely zero relevance to it any more."

Beautiful words those are!;)

[roywhite]

Excellent article.


More than four months before practice can begin for the 2010-11 season, Wojciechowski already feels giddy envisioning what it will be like to watch Mike Krzyzewski tutor Irving while the prodigy point guard simultaneously stimulates the Hall of Fame coach's creativity.

When Duke coaches are getting giddy about Kyrie, what are we poor fans to do?! Caution to the wind---can't wait to see the 2010-11 Devils with Kyrie running the show!

[mickeysgotagun]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm calling every assist Kyrie Irving makes a KIA :D

[Jderf]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm calling every assist Kyrie Irving makes a KIA :D

How about as a verb (as in, "They just got KIA'ed.")?

[Big Pappa]

Kyrie Irving guest blogs for Jeff Goodman, brushes aside preseason rankings and says "We all want to be #1 at the end of the season."

http://community.foxsports.com/goodmanonfox/blog/2010/05/21/guest_blogger:_dukes_kyrie_irving

Thanks for the link airowe. One of my favorite things about KI is that he is so articulate. Hearing him talk or type is a refreshing change from hearing most recruits. He is such a great fit for our program.

[sleepybear]

(Kyrie's thread slipped page four:confused:)

Here's a nice article that mentions Kyrie all through page one.

http://nymag.com/news/sports/66474/



Konchalski was keeping a close eye on Saint Patrick’s senior point guard Kyrie Irving. Irving had just suffered through a miserable first half, and now, as he emerged from the locker room and began hoisting up practice shots that disconcertingly clanged off the rim, Konchalski offered a surprising prediction. “Irving is going to have a big second half,” he said. “He’s a quiet kid, but inside he has a competitive core. He got outplayed in the first half.

[SilkyJ]

(Kyrie's thread slipped page four:confused:)

Here's a nice article that mentions Kyrie all through page one.

http://nymag.com/news/sports/66474/

Great read, thanks for posting.

I think we are all very excited about KI's ability as a pure PG to drive the lane and score or create opptys for others, but it seems as though this kid can really shoot the ball as well. "Shoots 3s like others shoot FTs." I don't know how much more praise you can get than that.

If its true, we could have 5 dead-eyes on our team next year with Nolan, Kyle and Dre as givens, Seth almost certainly a lock to crack 35+% and Kyrie potentially. Would be kinda like '01 when we had Jwill, Dunleavy, Battier, and Duhon (and kinda Nate James) who we could rely on to drill 3s. That's a lot of weapons from deep...let's just hope we don't get too comfortable shooting 3s all the time, we know how well that goes over on this board :)

[The Gordog]

FWIW, the last player I remember K speaking so highly about was Elton. IIRC, he said that Brand was the most prepared to play at the college level, and would have the most immediate impact, of all of his players.

Sorry I did not see this earlier, and I apologize if this has been pointed out before, but this is incorrect. Coach K said after the 1998 season that they were just beginning to realize how special Elton was and were putting in a new offence built around him when he broke his foot. Going into his freshman campaign the coaching staff new he was a very good, but did not rate him significantly more ready than Battier or Burgess (or Avery for that matter). In hindsight he may have said Elton was the most prepared, but he most definately did not speak of him the way he is talking about Irving now.

[airowe]

New Mixtape:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjVNRtGo0xk

Kyrie at Jordan Brand:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxZrFy6Uw3I

[_TheFakeJWill_]

Its official im more excited about him than any other recruit that ive looed forward to coming to Duke. He is gonna be special!!! Def def getting #5 under this kid no doubt.

[Cockabeau]

Kyrie is the real deal. While his jumping ability is not something that sticks out, Kyrie absolutely possesses every other skill at the PG position. In addition to superior quickness with the ball, Kyrie possesses great vision,a great outside shot,changes speed,stops on a dime and is a legitimate 6 foot 3.Imo, comparing Kyrie to Jason William is comparing apples to oranges. Two totally different players. Williams had unbelievable combination of power/quickness/handle/explosiveness.

[airowe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydilc186OEE

NSFW Language. Turn down your speakers if easily offended.

[MisterRoddy]

Kyrie is the real deal. While his jumping ability is not something that sticks out, Kyrie absolutely possesses every other skill at the PG position. In addition to, superior quickness with the ball, Kyrie possesses great vision,a great outside shot,changes speed,stops on a dime and is a legitimate 6 foot 3.Imo, comparing Kyrie to Jason William is comparing apples to oranges. Two totally different players. Williams had unbelievable combination of power/quickness/handle/explosiveness.

What are you talking about? While Kyrie's jumping ability might not be the same as John Wall's, Kyrie possesses above average leaping ability as he is a very good shot blocker for the point guard position and he can also get up there for highlight reel dunks. To say that Kyrie's leaping ability is not something that sticks out simply isn't true.

[Cockabeau]

thats your opinion. so you are saying that KI is as explosive in leaping ability as Jay?I don't agree with that statement.

[Big Pappa]

What are you talking about? While Kyrie's jumping ability might not be the same as John Wall's, Kyrie possesses above average leaping ability as he is a very good shot blocker for the point guard position and he can also get up there for highlight reel dunks. To say that Kyrie's leaping ability is not something that sticks out simply isn't true.


thats your opinion. so you are saying that KI is as explosive in leaping ability as Jay?I don't agree with that statement.

That's the opinion of most people with eyes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9t6I5o92WY

[MisterRoddy]

thats your opinion.

2 videos to support my case.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4sUJzTdixE

St. pats vs. St. Benedict from this past year. Kyrie has multiple very impressive blocked shots.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9t6I5o92WY

Kyrie's dunk that I'm sure all of you guys have seen.


While, yes, this is my opinion, anybody who has seen kyrie play enough would agree that his leaping ability is very impressive and above average if not, better.


EDIT-thanks BP, I see you beat me to the punch with the dunk at the Donofrio Classic

[COYS]

thats your opinion. so you are saying that KI is as explosive in leaping ability as Jay?I don't agree with that statement.

To me, this is like complaining that Justin Morneau wouldn't be described as a pure home run hitter because guys like A-Rod, Ryan Howard, and Adam Dunn regularly hit 40 more per season (although this might be a bad analogy for this season). Kyrie might not be able to jump with the absolute best, but it is far from a weakness in his game.

[_TheFakeJWill_]

Really? who cares if he never dunks. Boy is gonna be nasty at Duke. Scheyer never dunked and he had one of the best years in Duke history as a point guard. Kyrie has hops dont worry im sure he'll prove that within in this next year! :D

[hedevil]

I have seen some pretty impressive dunks in Kyrie's videos. He definitely has hops. Keep in mind that this kid is still growing. The best is yet to come as far as Irving is concerned. I don't know where he stands as far as hops versus J Will, I just hope he has as much success for Duke as Jason did. How can you compare one to the other when Kyrie hasn't even suited up yet? All I can say is I haven't been this hyped over a player in a long time. Hopefully, for good reason.

[_TheFakeJWill_]

I have seen some pretty impressive dunks in Kyrie's videos. He definitely has hops. Keep in mind that this kid is still growing. The best is yet to come as far as Irving is concerned. I don't know where he stands as far as hops versus J Will, I just hope he has as much success for Duke as Jason did. How can you compare one to the other when Kyrie hasn't even suited up yet? All I can say is I haven't been this hyped over a player in a long time. Hopefully, for good reason.

Quote of the day. Agree 100% Ive never been this stoked about an incoming player as i am about Kyrie. And how stoked the coaches are over him excites me more. He is gonna be a stud! I love summer but God i wish it was late November now!

[ChicagoCrazy84]

Quote of the day. Agree 100% Ive never been this stoked about an incoming player as i am about Kyrie. And how stoked the coaches are over him excites me more. He is gonna be a stud! I love summer but God i wish it was late November now!


I am just as excited about Seth as I am Kyrie. That is a very good thing. :D

[MisterRoddy]

Interesting and encouraging tweet from Jay. I value his opinion.


RealJayWilliams Kyrie Irving versus John Wall. Who wins? Irving has a better basketball IQ and better shooter. Wall is more athletic. I go with Irving.
about 7 hours ago

What do you guys think?

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

Interesting and encouraging tweet from Jay. I value his opinion.



What do you guys think?


Wishful thinking ... but I hope he's right.

[MisterRoddy]

Wishful thinking ... but I hope he's right.

He might not be that far off. Ceiling-wise, Wall might be superior to Irving but Irving has been improving so much that this might not only be wishful thinking.

As far as ball handling and change of direction go, Irving can compete with anybody.
Driving ability is a wash also as Irving can drive with the best of them.
Shooting-wise, Irving is in another league than Wall.
As J-Will said, Irving has the better IQ.
Passing ability (execution, not IQ), IMO, is a wash.
What's left for Wall, athleticism? I'm not going to sell his athleticism short but does it really cancel out those factors Irving excels at more than Wall?

Obviously, Irving needs to play his first collegiate game, but seeing his game so far, this is whats projected and its very realistic.

[hedevil]

I'll wait to see Kyrie play a bit for Duke before I make a decision on this one. I am interested to see what kind of closer/facilitator Kyrie can be in close end of game situations. Will Kyrie create for others, or choose to create his own shot when it counts? Decision making will be key.

I can tell you one thing for certain, I hope Kyrie gets to the next level with a little better resume than Wall did.:D

[MisterRoddy]

I'll wait to see Kyrie play a bit for Duke before I make a decision on this one. I am interested to see what kind of closer/facilitator Kyrie can be in close end of game situations. Will Kyrie create for others, or choose to create his own shot when it counts? Decision making will be key.

I can tell you one thing for certain, I hope Kyrie gets to the next level with a little better resume than Wall did.:D

Good choice and I hear you there!

For the unbolded parts, I think it will be a mix of the 2 during crunch time as it will be a pick your poison type deal for the opponents. Kyrie can take his man off the dribble and finish with a pull up j, driving lay up, dish is out to Seth, Nolan, Kyle, maybe even Andre on the perimeter or toss it up to Miles or Mason for the alley-oop dunk. Next season certainly will be fun (seems like almost every post on this thread ends with a similar thought :) )

[DukeBlueNV]

He might not be that far off. Ceiling-wise, Wall might be superior to Irving but Irving has been improving so much that this might not only be wishful thinking.

As far as ball handling and change of direction go, Irving can compete with anybody.
Driving ability is a wash also as Irving can drive with the best of them.
Shooting-wise, Irving is in another league than Wall.
As J-Will said, Irving has the better IQ.
Passing ability (execution, not IQ), IMO, is a wash.
What's left for Wall, athleticism? I'm not going to sell his athleticism short but does it really cancel out those factors Irving excels at more than Wall?

Obviously, Irving needs to play his first collegiate game, but seeing his game so far, this is whats projected and its very realistic.

I'd say its similar comparing Chris Paul and Rando. Two different players who play the game differently. Both are great but depends on what you value in a PG.

[NSDukeFan]

I'll wait to see Kyrie play a bit for Duke before I make a decision on this one. I am interested to see what kind of closer/facilitator Kyrie can be in close end of game situations. Will Kyrie create for others, or choose to create his own shot when it counts? Decision making will be key.

I can tell you one thing for certain, I hope Kyrie gets to the next level with a little better resume than Wall did.:D

I agree with most of your post, but to be nit-picky, I think it will be very difficult for Kyrie to get to the next level with a better resume than consensus first team all-american, leading a team to a 35-3 record, conference championship, elite 8 in the NCAAs. I know we are all hoping to make a final four next year, but as we saw with this year's tournament, that is nowhere near a given even for the best teams. (See the other 3 #1 seeds this year.) I hope Kyrie can have a better resume than Wall, but I certainly don't expect it.

[MisterRoddy]

As long as I'm posting Twitter updates, good source out of San Antonio says...



SA_Sports: Coaches Capel & Boeheim say Kyrie Irving is one of the top U18 players to watch.
about 4 hours ago

The season cannot come soon enough.

[_TheFakeJWill_]

As long as I'm posting Twitter updates, good source out of San Antonio says...




The season cannot come soon enough.
wow def good news! J Will is in SA this week also. So im sure he'll get a glimpse of him also.

[DukieInBrasil]

I think it will be very difficult for Kyrie to get to the next level with a better resume than consensus first team all-american, leading a team to a 35-3 record, conference championship, elite 8 in the NCAAs. I know we are all hoping to make a final four next year, but as we saw with this year's tournament, that is nowhere near a given even for the best teams. (See the other 3 #1 seeds this year.) I hope Kyrie can have a better resume than Wall, but I certainly don't expect it.
Though Kentucky may have gotten a #1 seed and were highly regarded in the press, there were lots of people around the country who were not convinced that they were really one of the best teams. They played in a very weak SEC. However, the SEC squads that made the tourney played better than their reg. season records would have indicated. In the end, I agree with the idea that the best teams don't necessarily make it to the Final 4, nor does the best team necessarily win the whole thing. I also agree that, aside from repeating as National Champions, it will be hard for Kyrie to leave after one year with a better resume than Wall. Who knows though, Kyrie may end up liking Duke for 4 years worth!!!

[hedevil]

NSDukefan - Not nit picky at all. Just to clarify, I was referring to being on, and possibly leading a NC team. The rest wouldn't be too far-fetched either. Kyrie could be a consensus All American, he has a really good chance of helping Duke have a 35-3 record. And lastly, Duke could very likely exceed an elite 8 appearance his first season. Do I EXPECT this from Kyrie? No. Doable? Definitely.

[MisterRoddy]

NSDukefan - Not nit picky at all. Just to clarify, I was referring to being on, and possibly leading a NC team. The rest wouldn't be too far-fetched either. Kyrie could be a consensus All American, he has a really good chance of helping Duke have a 35-3 record. And lastly, Duke could very likely exceed an elite 8 appearance his first season. Do I EXPECT this from Kyrie? No. Doable? Definitely.

I don't know about expecting Kyrie to do it all but I EXPECT Duke to make it past the Elite 8 (barring injuries). I guess if Kyrie's the starting point guard you can qualify him as helping lead the team with Kyle and Nolan (like Wall did with PP and DeCo). I also think Kyrie could be a consensus All-American, IMO, he's that talented..but that the only thing I don't expect from him.

Everything else (other than the All-American situation) such as Kyrie leading us to the record, getting far in the tourney, etc, we don't have to expect him to do that because we have Kyle and Nolan taking charge as captains but as long as Kyrie plays a big role in us getting far, as point guard, he will naturally be called the leader and that's just how it is when the point guard is one of the best players on the team.

So as far as Kyrie's expectations, if I'm expecting Duke to win 32+ games and get far in the tourney while Kyrie being very instrumental in our teams success, then heck yeah I am expecting Kyrie to lead us there (keep in mind my previous paragraph :) )

[Bob Green]

Here is a nice article on Kyrie Irving (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/duke_signee_irving_has_star_potential_96444609.htm l) from a San Antonio website.

[roywhite]

Here is a nice article on Kyrie Irving (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/duke_signee_irving_has_star_potential_96444609.htm l) from a San Antonio website.

Thanks for the link, Bob. Kyrie seems to impress all that watch him.

I believe the training camp phase of the USA U-18 team ends today (Weds. 6/16). Will probably go from 19 to 12 either later tonight or early tomorrow. I haven't seen much feedback on how the other Duke guys are performing.

[Jderf]

Here is a nice article on Kyrie Irving (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/duke_signee_irving_has_star_potential_96444609.htm l) from a San Antonio website.

Good stuff. I didn't know Kyrie had a running 1-on-1 series with J-Will. Those must be epic to watch.

[BigWil06]

Thanks for the link, Bob. Kyrie seems to impress all that watch him.

I believe the training camp phase of the USA U-18 team ends today (Weds. 6/16). Will probably go from 19 to 12 either later tonight or early tomorrow. I haven't seen much feedback on how the other Duke guys are performing.
Josh Hairston just tweeted that he made the team...

"jhairston15: made Team USA!! Time to put in that work..."

[Kedsy]

Good stuff. I didn't know Kyrie had a running 1-on-1 series with J-Will. Those must be epic to watch.

Well, according to the article they've played twice and Jason Williams says he's not doing it any more, so I'm not sure I'd label it a "running" series.

[Jderf]

Well, according to the article they've played twice and Jason Williams says he's not doing it any more, so I'm not sure I'd label it a "running" series.

These are the things that get noticed when people read closely and carefully, something I have never been good at :D. Oh well, at least those two games were probably pretty epic, right?

[Kedsy]

These are the things that get noticed when people read closely and carefully, something I have never been good at :D. Oh well, at least those two games were probably pretty epic, right?

Probably pretty amazing to watch. I know Jason never fully made it back after the accident, but the idea that Kyrie can already beat him one-on-one (having never even played in a college practice) bodes very well for Duke's upcoming season.

[Jderf]

Probably pretty amazing to watch. I know Jason never fully made it back after the accident, but the idea that Kyrie can already beat him one-on-one (having never even played in a college practice) bodes very well for Duke's upcoming season.

Agreed, though I wasn't so much thinking about the talent angle (even though I get the feeling they are both pretty good at basketball) as the whole past-and-future-facing-off-head-to-head string-orchestra-playing-in-the-background poetic-metaphorical significance.

[_TheFakeJWill_]

I would pay money to watch that match up! November please come soon :(

[Newton_14]

Would it be fair to say that Josh Hairston making the USA U18 squad pretty much solidifies the point that he should have been a McDonald's All-American?

I personally felt Josh deserved to be on the Mickey D, Jordan Brand, and should have been on the Nike Hoop Summit team as well. To me this is redemption for Josh getting snubbed by those teams.

He certainly deserved it more than Kendall Marshall. Just my opinion, but we may have a better player in Josh than a lot of people realize. We are sort of overdue to have a kid come in and be much better than expectations anyway. It has been awhile since that has happened and I would love for Josh to be that guy that comes in and over achieves from Day 1.

As for Kyrie, I think there is little chance he doesn't wow from Day 1. My only real fear with Kyrie is on the defensive end. If he can play Duke level defense, the sky is the limit. If not, he will get crash courses on defense until he gets if figured out.

[Jeff Frosh]

Would it be fair to say that Josh Hairston making the USA U18 squad pretty much solidifies the point that he should have been a McDonald's All-American?

I personally felt Josh deserved to be on the Mickey D, Jordan Brand, and should have been on the Nike Hoop Summit team as well. To me this is redemption for Josh getting snubbed by those teams.

He certainly deserved it more than Kendall Marshall. Just my opinion, but we may have a better player in Josh than a lot of people realize. We are sort of overdue to have a kid come in and be much better than expectations anyway. It has been awhile since that has happened and I would love for Josh to be that guy that comes in and over achieves from Day 1.

As for Kyrie, I think there is little chance he doesn't wow from Day 1. My only real fear with Kyrie is on the defensive end. If he can play Duke level defense, the sky is the limit. If not, he will get crash courses on defense until he gets if figured out.

I have no idea whether Kyrie is already a good defensive player. But, to me, defense is about the desire to play it, the athleticism to be able to play it, receiving good coaching and having the basketball IQ to put those all together. I like Kyrie's chances of being an excellent defensive player.

[roywhite]

There's a lot to playing good defense and especially learning the overall Duke defense and principles. So this part of Kyrie's game may take some coaching and development. I have observed that Kyrie has a knack for getting steals.

[Nrrrrvous]

There's a lot to playing good defense and especially learning the overall Duke defense and principles. So this part of Kyrie's game may take some coaching and development. I have observed that Kyrie has a knack for getting steals.

I think it's going to take about 4 years of coaching and development, OK maybe only 3 but definitely more than 2:D

[COYS]

I have observed that Kyrie has a knack for getting steals.

I think this will be one part of his game that he will have to develop once he suits up for Duke. He definitely has a knack for getting steals, but he will probably have to learn to gamble a lot less once he's facing NCAA competition on a regular basis. One steal < Two failed gambles that lead to open shots. That being said, I can't wait to see Kyrie and Nolan, with their quick feet and their quick hands, harassing opposing guards up and down the court. There will be games where the other team will be happy just to get their point guard to the top of the key so they can start some semblance of an offensive set before the shot clock runs out.

[mattman91]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTUs69snSd0

One of a few new KI videos on youtube. Way better than John Wall. No breaking and entering charges either, thats a plus.

[COYS]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTUs69snSd0

One of a few new KI videos on youtube. Way better than John Wall. No breaking and entering charges either, thats a plus.

One thing seems certain from all of his mixtapes plus the Jordan Brand and the Mickie D's game, Kyrie will put on a few dribbling exhibitions next season.

[MisterRoddy]

[url]

One of a few new KI videos on youtube. Way better than John Wall. No breaking and entering charges either, thats a plus.

Thanks for the video! 3 things I noticed...

- Kyrie will have some of the best ball handling in college basketball right away, .

- He has a better stroke than most give him credit for (most of us here at dbr already knew that though)

- That Cockabeau guy must feel a little slow if he has watched this video because Kyries excellent hops are a big part of his game.

[ElSid]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTUs69snSd0

One of a few new KI videos on youtube. Way better than John Wall. No breaking and entering charges either, thats a plus.

Wow. Can't get tired of watching that.

I can't believe we hear anything about how he's not super athletic. What does that even mean? Alley oops, tip dunks, hanging in the air to finish in traffic. Dribbling. Shooting. He can do all of these very well. What does it take to be considered athletic? Not go to Duke?

Felt like this was the best mixtape yet. Maybe the competition wasn't as elite?

[Jeff Frosh]

Crossovers, spin moves, super quick changes in speed and direction. Wow.

[airowe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTUs69snSd0

One of a few new KI videos on youtube. Way better than John Wall. No breaking and entering charges either, thats a plus.

Not sure about way better than John Wall (http://dukehoop.blogspot.com/2010/06/number-one-kyrie-irving.html), but does anyone else jusst start giggling when they watch Kyrie's videos. I can't stop. I don't know why I have that reaction, but I just can't help but giggle uncontrollably...

[AZLA]

What amazes me about Kyrie in the video is he makes those sick dribbling crossovers and spin moves with his head up and eyes down court looking to pass. That's extremely difficult and his passes were amazing. Granted, it's a highlight video -- so we don't get to see any mistakes or inconsistencies -- but WOW he's going to be making a lot highlight reels this season! Since it's Duke, and defense is king, I wonder if there's any video of his style of defense? Per the John Wall comparison -- I'd give the edge to Kyrie on passing and ball handling.

[_TheFakeJWill_]

im gonna go on the record and say that was easily top 5 sickest highlight reels ive EVER seen anyone have from someone that isnt in the NBA! boy is nasty! WOW.

Question: Does Kyrie's highlights look better than J Wills already??? :confused:

[hedevil]

mattman- Good video.

I loved it all, but that right handed layup at the 1:09 mark is sick. Perfect spin on the ball. That shot is alot harder than he makes it look.

[dukieinhebron]

Kyrie Irving is going to be a special one.

And on a side note Airowe, I'm diggin' the new blog you started. Good stuff.

[airowe]

Kyrie Irving is going to be a special one.

And on a side note Airowe, I'm diggin' the new blog you started. Good stuff.

Thank you.

Kyrie will be an amazing talent for us, but I'm not getting my hopes up about him staying longer than a year. It would be wonderful if he did, but I'll be very happy while he's around. He's the first #1 rated PG to come to Duke since Duhon. Its been 10 years now. If he surpasses even the least productive #1 rated PG's numbers from their Freshman year over that time period, we should be very happy. Anyone know who that was?

[Jderf]

Kyrie will be an amazing talent for us, but I'm not getting my hopes up about him staying longer than a year. It would be wonderful if he did, but I'll be very happy while he's around. He's the first #1 rated PG to come to Duke since Duhon. Its been 10 years now. If he surpasses even the least productive #1 rated PG's numbers from their Freshman year over that time period, we should be very happy. Anyone know who that was?

Brandon Jennings?

[_TheFakeJWill_]

Thank you.

Kyrie will be an amazing talent for us, but I'm not getting my hopes up about him staying longer than a year. It would be wonderful if he did, but I'll be very happy while he's around. He's the first #1 rated PG to come to Duke since Duhon. Its been 10 years now. If he surpasses even the least productive #1 rated PG's numbers from their Freshman year over that time period, we should be very happy. Anyone know who that was?

Paulus was #1 PG coming out of highschool. Along w/ McRoberts the #1 PF in the class.

[airowe]

Paulus was #1 PG coming out of highschool. Along w/ McRoberts the #1 PF in the class.

Not going off of rscihoops.com Paulus wasn't. This is only for guys who went to college.

[Jderf]

This is only for guys who went to college.

Haha I figured. I was just playing. I could do some homework but it's easier just to stab in the dark. Was it Ty Lawson? God I would love for it to be Lawson.

[Big Pappa]

Kyrie will be an amazing talent for us, but I'm not getting my hopes up about him staying longer than a year. It would be wonderful if he did, but I'll be very happy while he's around. He's the first #1 rated PG to come to Duke since Duhon. Its been 10 years now. If he surpasses even the least productive #1 rated PG's numbers from their Freshman year over that time period, we should be very happy. Anyone know who that was?

According to some blog I ran across called dukehoop.blogspot.com it looks like Felton just edges out Lawson as the least productive, just because of the mpg and A/T discrepancy:

2002
Ray Felton -- UNC
GM MIN PTS REB AST TO A/T
35 35.4 12.9 4.1 6.7 3.7 1.81

2006
Ty Lawson -- UNC
GM MIN PTS REB AST TO A/T
38 25.7 10.2 2.9 5.6 2.2 2.57

[MisterRoddy]

According to some blog I ran across called it looks like Felton just edges out Lawson as the least productive, just because of the mpg and A/T discrepancy:

2002
Ray Felton -- UNC
GM MIN PTS REB AST TO A/T

Ty Lawson -- UNC
GM MIN PTS REB AST TO A/T


LOL, that happens to be Airowe's. What a coincidence :D

[oldnavy]

Thank you.

Kyrie will be an amazing talent for us, but I'm not getting my hopes up about him staying longer than a year. It would be wonderful if he did, but I'll be very happy while he's around. He's the first #1 rated PG to come to Duke since Duhon. Its been 10 years now. If he surpasses even the least productive #1 rated PG's numbers from their Freshman year over that time period, we should be very happy. Anyone know who that was?

Remember Coach K saying after the Villanova loss in 09 that we needed a point guard? Well we got a point guard. Makes me giggle a little too after watching. Kid does some amazing stuff, I for one CANNOT wait to see him on the floor with Nolan, Kyle, MP1 and 2, Curry, Dawkins, etc, etc, etc...

[roywhite]

Remember Coach K saying after the Villanova loss in 09 that we needed a point guard? Well we got a point guard. Makes me giggle a little too after watching. Kid does some amazing stuff, I for one CANNOT wait to see him on the floor with Nolan, Kyle, MP1 and 2, Curry, Dawkins, etc, etc, etc...

Giggle away. More Kyrie highlights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTUs69snSd0

Edit: I believe Mattman posted this video on the previous page.
Well, summertime is a good time for re-runs of our favorite shows.
The Kyrie show is already one of my favorites.

[Big Pappa]

Not exactly what we want to see about KI because it's about the 2011 draft, but a good read none the less:

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=16501

[Big Pappa]

Good article from ESPN's Brennan about KI and HB next year.

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/12657/meme-watch-unc-duke-pits-barnes-vs-irving

[mattman91]

Nice video of Kyrie working out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Ci06IVGso

[flyingdutchdevil]

Nice video of Kyrie working out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Ci06IVGso

Couldn't stop laughing at the background music in the beginning of the interview.

Side note - nice tat.

[borodevil16]

Dudes swamp I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this. at 1:36

[Daniel tosh]

I wasn't really sure where to put this but does anyone know where I can find a Kyrie jersey,or when theyre releasing them

[Bluedevil114]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/5312445/young-make-gators-special

KI is doing his thing for the US Team.

[Big Pappa]

Two things:

First, according to Adam Zagoria, "2012 point guard Da'Shawn Suber is transferring to St. Patrick (N.J.) from Rice High School." So I assume he will be backing up KI unless one of them will be spending time at the SG.

Second, according to Team USA's facebook, "The USA men's U18 team scrimmaged the USA U17 team tonight at the Spurs practice facility. The U18 won three of the five quarters played and the competition was intense. Future Dukie Kyrie Irving pumped in 25 points for the U18 squad, while Brad Beal, who has given Florida a verbal, accounted for 22 points for the U17 team."

[MisterRoddy]

Two things:

First, according to Adam Zagoria, "2012 point guard Da'Shawn Suber is transferring to St. Patrick (N.J.) from Rice High School." So I assume he will be backing up KI unless one of them will be spending time at the SG.

Second, according to Team USA's facebook, "The USA men's U18 team scrimmaged the USA U17 team tonight at the Spurs practice facility. The U18 won three of the five quarters played and the competition was intense. Future Dukie Kyrie Irving pumped in 25 points for the U18 squad, while Brad Beal, who has given Florida a verbal, accounted for 22 points for the U17 team."

Huh? What do you mean backing KI up? :confused:

[-jk]

Huh? What do you mean backing KI up? :confused:

I think Big Pappa may have lost track of who matriculates when.

-jk

[DukeBlueNV]

Two things:

First, according to Adam Zagoria, "2012 point guard Da'Shawn Suber is transferring to St. Patrick (N.J.) from Rice High School." So I assume he will be backing up KI unless one of them will be spending time at the SG.

Uhhh pretty sure KI will be playing PG for us not St. Pats...

[MisterRoddy]

Two things:

First, according to Adam Zagoria, "2012 point guard Da'Shawn Suber is transferring to St. Patrick (N.J.) from Rice High School." So I assume he will be backing up KI unless one of them will be spending time at the SG.

Uhhh pretty sure KI will be playing PG for us not St. Pats...

Haha, we got it straight DukeBlueNV, we all make mistakes.

[jimrowe0]

An interview and blurb about KI on the USA basketball site.


http://www.usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=10_mu18_q_a_irving

[DukeBlueNV]

An interview and blurb about KI on the USA basketball site.


http://www.usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=10_mu18_q_a_irving

Nice find... I was curious why Irving was considering playing for Austraila instead of the US. Playing in the 2012 olympics would have been an awesome opportuinty and experience for him.

[CLT Devil]

One thing I noticed from that highlight video is that he looks to have the same ability to get into the lane that J-Dubs had, by getting his shoulder low and through muscle (not anywhere near Jay obviously) and sheer speed is almost impossible to stop.

These videos make me smile...a lot.

[_TheFakeJWill_]

So for some of the older "vets" on here how does Kyrie in HS and J Will in HS compare. I really cant recall (prob my duke blue glasses here) a point guard as talented as Kyrie... in a long long ever time!

[SilkyJ]

So for some of the older "vets" on here how does Kyrie in HS and J Will in HS compare. I really cant recall (prob my duke blue glasses here) a point guard as talented as Kyrie... in a long long ever time!

Well for one, Jwill was more of a combo guard coming out of HS and played quite a bit off the ball, and KI is more of a pure point. Jwill was also built like a running back whereas KI is a bit more slender.

Those would be differences. In terms of similarities, both are exceptionally quick with great handles and penetration ability, both shoot it well with some range, and both can get up (I think some would say that jwill may have had slightly better hops than KI and KI might be slightly quicker...but its probably mostly splitting hairs). From what I've seen I like Jwill's shot more than KI's at this point (Jwill seemed to get his off quicker and with better elevation).

My $0.02

[MisterRoddy]

Well for one, Jwill was more of a combo guard coming out of HS and played quite a bit off the ball, and KI is more of a pure point. Jwill was also built like a running back whereas KI is a bit more slender.

Those would be differences. In terms of similarities, both are exceptionally quick with great handles and penetration ability, both shoot it well with some range, and both can get up (I think some would say that jwill may have had slightly better hops than KI and KI might be slightly quicker...but its probably mostly splitting hairs). From what I've seen I like Jwill's shot more than KI's at this point (Jwill seemed to get his off quicker and with better elevation).

My $0.02

I would agree with most of your post except for the bolded part. while Kyrie will definitely play the point at Duke, at St. Pats, Kyrie actually played more of a combo guard role along with 5'10 point guard Kevin Boyle Jr. (the coaches son). I remember last year when watching St. Pats games, I would get frustrated when Boyle brought the ball up because St. Pats offense was obviously more effective with Kyroe at the point.

In fact, Kyrie played off the ball enough so that some reliable recruiting sources (including MaxPreps and Rivals) mentioned him as a combo guard instead.

[Newton_14]

So for some of the older "vets" on here how does Kyrie in HS and J Will in HS compare. I really cant recall (prob my duke blue glasses here) a point guard as talented as Kyrie... in a long long ever time!

SilkyJ summed it up pretty well. To me, Kyrie is like having part J-Will, part Duhon, and part John Wall. Jason W said himself that he see's Kyrie as a mix between he and Duhon, and I think his ball handling skills are similar to Wall if not better, exception being with the left hand.

Wall is the strongest off hand ball handler I have ever seen. He made a move in the Nike Hoop Summit going behind his back with his left hand to get out of a trap that left me speechless. His handle on that particular play was stronger and tighter than anyone I have ever seen making a move similar to that with their dominant hand, if that makes sense.

Kyrie is a great ball handler, but he seems more "normal" than Wall with his left hand being weaker than his dominant hand, but still good with the left hand.

One of the traits that set J-Will apart was his play in the clutch (Free Throws Aside). In tight games with less than 3 or so minutes to go in a game, if Jason took a 3 you could bank on it going in. Almost every single time. The guy was unreal in that area. Same thing when we were running the delay game and went to the high pick and roll with Jason and Boozer with shot clock running down. Jason was unstoppable in that situation. I expect Kyrie will be as well.

Kyrie is a great shooter and I am anxious to see if he knocks down the truly big shots late in games ala Jason W.

[Big Pappa]

Huh? What do you mean backing KI up? :confused:


I think Big Pappa may have lost track of who matriculates when.

-jk

Thanks, I honestly have no idea why I said that. Consider me slapped in the face.

[sagegrouse]

So for some of the older "vets" on here how does Kyrie in HS and J Will in HS compare. I really cant recall (prob my duke blue glasses here) a point guard as talented as Kyrie... in a long long ever time!

I never saw JWill in HS. I have seen Kyrie on TV.

I would say, "Hold your horses. We want to see how they look in college."

A couple of things about JWill at Duke that go beyond the stats:

1. His "gimme that ball" attitude. He seemed to be the strongest guy on the court, although one of the smallest. His strength also showed in the power of his drives toward the basket.

2. Jason's unbelievable leadership and positive attitude. You knew this young man was going to be a success at anything he tried off the court. There was a dust-up against State with some yelling and pushing. Jason walked into the middle of it and said "Lets play basketball. Lets have fun." It quieted down real fast.

C'mon, Kyrie! We need you!

sagegrouse

[roywhite]

One key thing appears similar between JWill and Kyrie---each has the ability and the inclination to turn up their game in key situations; they want the ball and want to make the winning plays.

[Newton_14]

I never saw JWill in HS. I have seen Kyrie on TV.

I would say, "Hold your horses. We want to see how they look in college."

A couple of things about JWill at Duke that go beyond the stats:

1. His "gimme that ball" attitude. He seemed to be the strongest guy on the court, although one of the smallest. His strength also showed in the power of his drives toward the basket.

2. Jason's unbelievable leadership and positive attitude. You knew this young man was going to be a success at anything he tried off the court. There was a dust-up against State with some yelling and pushing. Jason walked into the middle of it and said "Lets play basketball. Lets have fun." It quieted down real fast.
C'mon, Kyrie! We need you!

sagegrouse


I am fairly certain this was also the same NC State game where a Freshman Julius Hodge decided at the opening tip that he would uh "set the tone" for the game. So Jules tries to wedge Dunleavy off the spot Dunleavy had chosen for the tip-off as well as share a few words with Dunleavy.

Jason walked directly up to Hodge and politely advised him to "STFU". One of those classic moments in ACC lore and if my memory serves, both Dunleavy and Jason had great games in a win that night.

[BoozerWasFouled]

I think KI is a better shooter than Jason Williams was in high school. Williams remade his shot after his freshman year.

[BD80]

From the team USA interview, I found this quite encouraging:


Was it a difficult decision for you to come out and play for USA Basketball instead of Australia?
It was a very difficult decision, especially having the opportunity to play in the 2012 Olympics for the Australia team when I’m at Duke.

[DukieBoy]

From the team USA interview, I found this quite encouraging:

Looks good, but I wouldn't get too optimistic. Expectations can change based off this year. If he goes out, wins NPOY, Duke goes undefeated and wins a national title, do you think he comes back? I don't either.

[BD80]

... If he goes out, wins NPOY, Duke goes undefeated and wins a national title, do you think he comes back? ...

I can live with that :D

[oldnavy]

I can live with that :D

I could too.

I am soooo... excited about this next year. We have all the pieces to be a GREAT team. Just watching the videos of KI you can see that this kid is going to be special. A lot of highlight videos show kids dunking or hitting jumpers, in other words finishing plays. KI's show him creating plays on the court and finishing. To me it is much more encouraging to know that he can create situations by breaking down his defender. It has been a while since we had that type of player and I for one cannot wait to see what he does with Kyle and Nolan and Seth and MP1-2, Dawkins, et. al,.

[OldPhiKap]

From the team USA interview, I found this quite encouraging:

While I agree that there is no guarantee of the future, I do like the fact that he's at least not assuming he's one-and-done.

Seems like a solid kid in addition to having mad skillz. Can't wait to see him after we get the football season off to a screaming start.

[Cheshire Bear.]

Hey Devils, long time no see haha. Just stumbled upon this video of y'alls stud recruit, Kyrie Irving, giving our big time recruit, Perry Jones, a hard time. Pretty funny stuff haha. Hard not to like Irving. Really good kid and very well-spoken. Not to mention he's pretty hilarious lol. Hope to see you guys again sometime next year. Really enjoyed chatting with you guys for a few days back in March.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4ENzofwde4

[jimrowe0]

tweet from Andy Katz

Elite coach watching USA hoops in San Antonio predicts: G Kyrie Irving will be nat'l fr of yr, No. 1 pick in '11 and Duke will win title.

[theAlaskanBear]

tweet from Andy Katz

Elite coach watching USA hoops in San Antonio predicts: G Kyrie Irving will be nat'l fr of yr, No. 1 pick in '11 and Duke will win title.

Best news I've heard all day, but I put the chances at a Duke repeat at less than 50%. There are many many great teams that never win a title.

[gumbomoop]

Best news I've heard all day, but I put the chances at a Duke repeat at less than 50%. There are many many great teams that never win a title.

Jeez, 49.9% is awfully close.

I'm sort of kidding. I realize our chances are more like 15-30%, or something [and even this wide window will cause a major argument about how to figure our chances.....], but KI is very special talent, and joins ...... well, you know.

It never makes sense, I'm sure, betting-wise, that is, to take Team X v. The Field on Nov. 15, or even on Selection Sunday. But for an amount I could afford, I'd take Team D v. The Field in next NCAAT. And just for blowing smoke, easy, I'll take Team D to repeat.

[Jeff Frosh]

This is somewhat on topic because Kyrie is a big part of it! Current Las Vegas odds on us to win it next year: 6 to 1. Next is Michigan St. at 8-1 and then a big jump down. Of course I know that no team is ever a favorite to win it, but I would put us at 3 to 1. Just my optimistic humble opinion.

[Big Pappa]

Great interview with Kyrie now up at dukehoop.blogspot.com. Questions about next year at Duke, his leadership, his relationship with UNC players, his plans for staying at Duke, and much more.

[roywhite]

Not sure if folks caught this comment from K in one of the articles on his presser.

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2010/jun/29/a-new-look-krzyzewski-sees-more-versatility-at-duk/sports-college/


"Kyrie can really put pressure on the ball," Krzyzewski said. "We didn't have a guard that could make things happen for other people. Kyrie can do that."



Most of our discussion has focused on Kyrie's offensive skills. Nice to see that Coach K thinks he can be a major weapon defensively, also.

[MChambers]

Great interview with Kyrie now up at dukehoop.blogspot.com. Questions about next year at Duke, his leadership, his relationship with UNC players, his plans for staying at Duke, and much more.
But did someone really ask about "The University of Duke"? Haven't heard that since Louie Carnesecca in 1991.

[Big Pappa]

Great interview with Kyrie now up at dukehoop.blogspot.com. Questions about next year at Duke, his leadership, his relationship with UNC players, his plans for staying at Duke, and much more.

I've also added an original video I took from media row of the opening tip of the USA vs. Mexico game. Kyrie gets it back from Pat Young, then gives it off to Austin and runs off a screen to swish a three in the corner.

[RoyalBlue08]

This is somewhat on topic because Kyrie is a big part of it! Current Las Vegas odds on us to win it next year: 6 to 1. Next is Michigan St. at 8-1 and then a big jump down. Of course I know that no team is ever a favorite to win it, but I would put us at 3 to 1. Just my optimistic humble opinion.

If I was in Vegas right now, I'd put some money down at 6-1. I like our chances a bit better than that.

[NSDukeFan]

If I was in Vegas right now, I'd put some money down at 6-1. I like our chances a bit better than that.

I really like the team's prospects for next year and think they have the potential to do great things. All that being said, I think Vegas has a pretty good record making predictions and don't think Duke is more than a 6-1 favorite to win the title when the season hasn't even started. It's a long season and it's still a ways before it even starts.

[oldnavy]

I really like the team's prospects for next year and think they have the potential to do great things. All that being said, I think Vegas has a pretty good record making predictions and don't think Duke is more than a 6-1 favorite to win the title when the season hasn't even started. It's a long season and it's still a ways before it even starts.

I agree with you. However, remember that the bet is against other teams in the field and they are in the same boat as us, long way to go, season hasn't started, etc...

I think that when looking at everything right now, we have a better shot at the NC than anyone else. Of course that could change come November, but with everything being equal right now, I like our chances and would (if I were a betting man) bet on us to win it all.

[_TheFakeJWill_]

I think one big difference between our personnel this year and last year is that last year i thought if we lost any of our starting 5 especially a guard our season was done and we def def wouldn't have got outta the Elite 8 if not past Purdue.

This next season we have just as many bodies down now (though well miss Lance and especially Big Z) Id hate it if a guard got hurt but we IMO have numerous players that could fill that position whether its at the point or the 2 guard spot :) nice feeling to have.

[Daniel tosh]

I didn't know if this has been posted before but Kyrie is up #2 in nba draft net's 2011 mock draft,Kyle's at #15,Nolan mid-30's,I didn't see Mase on there though.

[roywhite]

More praise for Kyrie's game, this from UT-San Antonio Coach Brooks Thompson who singled out Irving after the U-18 competition.


"He's ridiculous," said Thompson, the former Oklahoma State floor leader who played four years in the NBA. "Nobody can keep him in front of them."

"He's got a great feel for the game," Thompson added. "He understands when to push tempo and how to run a team. He knows how to read ball screens and knows where the open man is. It's very impressive for a kid his age."

Thompson...said the knock on Irving is consistency on his perimeter shot.

[theAlaskanBear]

More praise for Kyrie's game, this from UT-San Antonio Coach Brooks Thompson who singled out Irving after the U-18 competition.

The great thing about this quote is that Kyrie's weakness (outside shot) is Duke's strength. We shouldn't miss a beat this year.

[Newton_14]

The great thing about this quote is that Kyrie's weakness (outside shot) is Duke's strength. We shouldn't miss a beat this year.

But that is kind of strange though as a deadly outside shot is one of his strength's. Kyrie is lethal behind the line. Maybe he just did not have it in the FIBA tourney but every write up I have ever read on Kyrie praised his 3-point shot ability.

I am really getting anxious to see this kid in a Duke uniform. I am wishing away this summer and fall more that any other time before. I cannot remember the last time we had a recruit coming in with this much anticipation and excitement.

Kyrie is going to be a high impact player. I think we and our big men are in for quite a treat. The Plumlee's are especially going to benefit from Kyrie.

[MisterRoddy]

But that is kind of strange though as a deadly outside shot is one of his strength's. Kyrie is lethal behind the line. Maybe he just did not have it in the FIBA tourney but every write up I have ever read on Kyrie praised his 3-point shot ability.

I am really getting anxious to see this kid in a Duke uniform. I am wishing away this summer and fall more that any other time before. I cannot remember the last time we had a recruit coming in with this much anticipation and excitement.

Kyrie is going to be a high impact player. I think we and our big men are in for quite a treat. The Plumlee's are especially going to benefit from Kyrie.

Well, Kyrie does have a very good jumper, I guess it's just a testament to how great he is at everything else.

[Big Pappa]

But that is kind of strange though as a deadly outside shot is one of his strength's. Kyrie is lethal behind the line. Maybe he just did not have it in the FIBA tourney but every write up I have ever read on Kyrie praised his 3-point shot ability.


He shot somewhat inconsistently during the FIBA Americas games. I noticed, when walking by the court one day, that the ball seemed smaller. After doing some research I found that the FIBA ball is only 29" in circumference, while men's NCAA basketball's (and high school) are 29.5" in circumference. It obviously affected the players. For instance, Cuze commit Trevor Cooney (a great shooter) shot the ball well at times, but he also shot very poorly at times. Once in particular, he hit a deep three from straight away, then, on the very next possession, he spotted up with no one close to him from the corner and shot an air ball. I asked various players about it and the general consensus was that it just made shooting from deep more inconsistent.

Here is what Kyrie had to say:

I know that the FIBA is smaller than a normal ball. Does that take a lot of adjusting for ball-handling and shooting?

“Yeah it really does. Yesterday, most of my shots were going in and out or staying right on the rim, but you just have to stay focused. You have to get used to the ball in practice and then when the big games start all that goes out the window and you just play.”

[roywhite]

Between televised St. Patrick games, all-star games like McDonald's, and international competition like the Nike Hoops Summit, and the recent FIBA games, I think I've seen Kyrie play 7 or 8 games.

Just being picky, the main flaw I see in his game is an occasional lapse in concentration or consistency (example: he let the shot clock run out at a key point in the game vs Brazil). In addition, although he's gotten bigger and stronger in the last year particularly, he may not yet be as physically strong as an ACC upperclassman like Malcolm Delaney.

But, other than that....:D

Safe to say that with good coaching and conditioning, he'll improve in these areas, too.

[greybeard]

Seems to me that the question also needs to be asked about those who will need to follow. Are they ready and willing? Not a "soup question, now is it."

[roywhite]

From zagsblog:

why-roy-williams-is-mad-at-kyrie-irving/ (http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/07/19/why-roy-williams-is-mad-at-kyrie-irving/)


“Kyrie goes in and so no longer is Dexter playing the point cause Kyrie’s so great,” Williams added. “I already told Kyrie, ‘You really made me mad. You played the point so Dexter didn’t get to do that and then you went to Duke too so you really made me mad.’

[flyingdutchdevil]

From zagsblog:

why-roy-williams-is-mad-at-kyrie-irving/ (http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/07/19/why-roy-williams-is-mad-at-kyrie-irving/)

Amazing article. Made me chuckle. Always been a fan of Zagblog.

If Kyrie is making Ole Roy mad now, imagine what it's going to be like in February and March!

[MisterRoddy]

From zagsblog:

why-roy-williams-is-mad-at-kyrie-irving/ (http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/07/19/why-roy-williams-is-mad-at-kyrie-irving/)

That article confused me at times. It said when Kyrie was a senior, he took minutes at the point away from Strickland but by the time KI was a senior, Dexter had already been gone.

[CDu]

That article confused me at times. It said when Kyrie was a senior, he took minutes at the point away from Strickland but by the time KI was a senior, Dexter had already been gone.

It looks like that's just a typo - it should say Irving's junior year (or Strickland's senior year). In the subsequent paragrpaph they say that it was in 2009 during Strickland's senior year that Irving prevented Strickland from playing PG. But yeah, they should have gotten that right. Obviously, if Strickland is a sophomore, then Irving playing PG as a senior didn't prevent Strickland from doing so.

[MisterRoddy]

Here is DraftExpress' evaluation of Kyrie with Strengths, Weaknesses, and overall impression.
http://www.nbadraft.net/players/kyrie-irving

While I did read all of it, this is the only thing I needed to see...


NBA Comparison: Isiah Thomas

Wow

I had my hopes up about him staying but I'm starting to get used to the fact that he will most likely only be in a Duke uni for one year and I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm glad to hear that K and Co. are actively and aggressively pursuing a replacement for Kyrie in Cook and Turner should he leave early.

[MisterRoddy]

Here is DraftExpress' evaluation of Kyrie with Strengths, Weaknesses, and overall impression.
http://www.nbadraft.net/players/kyrie-irving

While I did read all of it, this is the only thing I needed to see...



Wow

I had my hopes up about him staying but I'm starting to get used to the fact that he will most likely only be in a Duke uni for one year and I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm glad to hear that K and Co. are actively and aggressively pursuing a replacement for Kyrie in Cook and Turner should he leave early.

My apologies, the link I provided is actually from NBADraft.net not Draftexpress.

[Osiagledknarf]

Another video of Kyrie's excellence right here: Dunking in some kid's grill...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxMWvBqBfD8&feature=related

Man I can't wait for the season to get going.

[drama10]

Not sure if this has been posted, but here's a Kyrie Irving highlight reel from the ProAm

KYRIE IRVING HIGHLIGHT REEL (http://packinsider.com/2010/07/scouting-the-competition-kyrie-irving-duke-pg/)

[MisterRoddy]

Not sure if this has been posted, but here's a Kyrie Irving highlight reel from the ProAm

KYRIE IRVING HIGHLIGHT REEL (http://packinsider.com/2010/07/scouting-the-competition-kyrie-irving-duke-pg/)

This quote made me laugh.


Harrow holds the advantage in terms of vision and ball handling

[Big Pappa]

I had my hopes up about him staying but I'm starting to get used to the fact that he will most likely only be in a Duke uni for one year and I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm glad to hear that K and Co. are actively and aggressively pursuing a replacement for Kyrie in Cook and Turner should he leave early.

I totally agree and it's ok. Really great players, and contrary to popular belief on these boards even high character ones, often times take their game to the next level after only one year. It doesn't make them a bad person or a thug or a punk. I'm so psyched to have KI and I'm totally fine with it only being for one year.

[MisterRoddy]

I totally agree and it's ok. Really great players, and contrary to popular belief on these boards even high character ones, often times take their game to the next level after only one year. It doesn't make them a bad person or a thug or a punk. I'm so psyched to have KI and I'm totally fine with it only being for one year.

To add on, a National Championship would definitely soften the blow of KI's departure. :)

[Osiagledknarf]

I totally agree and it's ok. Really great players, and contrary to popular belief on these boards even high character ones, often times take their game to the next level after only one year. It doesn't make them a bad person or a thug or a punk. I'm so psyched to have KI and I'm totally fine with it only being for one year.

Yes and I have no problem with him leaving for the NBA if he so chooses. But remember, the NBA CBA is a touchy thing at best right now and they may not have an agreement by the time for college players to declare. This could make things intresting since there still will be the draft next year regardless if an agreement is reached or not. So would guys enter the draft and role the dice and risk sitting out the year and not playing or stay in school and be guarnteed to play that next year. This is just something to watch for sure. So it is very well we could see Kyrie for another year.

[DukeFanSince1990]

I totally agree and it's ok. Really great players, and contrary to popular belief on these boards even high character ones, often times take their game to the next level after only one year. It doesn't make them a bad person or a thug or a punk. I'm so psyched to have KI and I'm totally fine with it only being for one year.

I agree, well put.

[77devil]

I totally agree and it's ok. Really great players, and contrary to popular belief on these boards even high character ones, often times take their game to the next level after only one year. It doesn't make them a bad person or a thug or a punk. I'm so psyched to have KI and I'm totally fine with it only being for one year.

We are fortunate to have Kyle and Nolan for four years. But the new reality of recruiting means that Duke has to be successful in identifying and periodically landing one and dones that fit the school and the needs of the program. Coach K may have been initially reluctant to adopt this approach but he seems to be embracing it now with Kyrie and Austin, for instance. It's another example of his adaptability.

It would be better for the college game, IMO, if the NBA collective bargaining agreement allowed direct entry from high school or required a 2 year commitment, 3 would be better, similar to MLB. As long as the current rule stands, however, the Duke coaching staff will to continue to have to find the a mix of talent that includes early departures to compete.

[Osiagledknarf]

Great Article about Kyrie from DukeHoop:

http://dukehoop.blogspot.com/2010/07/kyrie-irving-here-today-gone-tomorrow.html

[CameronBornAndBred]

"Kyrie will be very, very good right away," Krzyzewski said. "There's absolutely no question about that. He's that good a basketball player."


http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/08/01/607418/irving-ready-to-lead-duke.html#ixzz0vNCFhq4K

From article in today's N&O..including a tale of horse between him and Jason Williams.

[Osiagledknarf]

The updated Kyrie Irving draft page.. He is now being compared to Chris Paul ://www.nbadraft.net/players/kyrie-irving

[moonpie23]

ok....that little CTC he did at the 35 sec mark was sick...

man, this kid is gonna be FUN to watch.......and sad to watch go....



http://ui32.gamespot.com/479/702headbanginstick_2.gif

[ACCBBallFan]

This site has Kyrie # 6 in top 25 ACC

http://bigdukeballs.com/?p=1983#more-1983

No particular qualms about their selections so far, but they must have missed somebody since they have not yet accounted for these 6 who are surely top 25:

Kyle and Nolan, Malcolm Delaney, Harrison Barnes, Tracy Smith and Tyler Zeller

#7 - Jordan Williams, Cener _ Maryland

#8 – DURAND SCOTT, GUARD – MIAMI


#9 – CHRIS SINGLETON, FORWARD – FLORIDA STATE


#10 – DORENZO HUDSON, GUARD – VIRGINIA TECH


#11 – DEMONTEZ STITT, GUARD – CLEMSON


#12 – REGGIE JACKSON, GUARD – BOSTON COLLEGE

#13 – JEFF ALLEN, FORWARD – VIRGINIA TECH


#14 – JOHN HENSON, FORWARD – NORTH CAROLINA


#15 – XAVIER GIBSON, CENTER – FLORIDA STATE

#16 – C.J. LESLIE, FORWARD – NORTH CAROLINA STATE

#17 – GLEN RICE JR., GUARD – GEORGIA TECH

#18 – REGGIE BULLOCK, GUARD – NORTH CAROLINA

#19 – MASON PLUMLEE, FORWARD – DUKE

#20 – C.J. HARRIS, GUARD – WAKE FOREST

#21 – SETH CURRY, GUARD – DUKE

#22 – SEAN MOSLEY, GUARD – MARYLAND

#23 – JOE TRAPANI, FORWARD – BOSTON COLLEGE

#24 – MIKE SCOTT, FORWARD – VIRGINIA

#25 - IMAN SHUMPERT, GUARD – GEORGIA TECH

[94duke]

This site has Kyrie # 6 in top 25 ACC

http://bigdukeballs.com/?p=1983#more-1983

No particular qualms about their selections so far, but they must have missed somebody since they have not yet accounted for these 6 who are surely top 25:

Kyle and Nolan, Malcolm Delaney, Harrison Barnes, Tracy Smith and Tyler Zeller



Actually, I think you have it correct:
1. Kyle and Nolan
2. Malcolm Delaney
3. Harrison Barnes
4. Tracy Smith
5. Tyler Zeller

:) ;) :p :)

[AZLA]

So there's been comparisons between Kyrie and JayWill and Wall; but, am I crazy to think Kyrie's offensive game might be more comparible in the long run to say -- Steve Nash? Notice I didn't say, defensive ability. Nash plays matador defense ...ole!

[gumbomoop]

This site has Kyrie # 6 in top 25 ACC

http://bigdukeballs.com/?p=1983#more-1983

No particular qualms about their selections so far, but they must have missed somebody since they have not yet accounted for these 6 who are surely top 25:

Kyle and Nolan, Malcolm Delaney, Harrison Barnes, Tracy Smith and Tyler Zeller

I'd guess Zeller is odd man out. I'd personally have him ahead of Scott (UVa) , Rice, and Gibson. But it's hardly an outrage that Zeller - I assume - was "#26." [Unless, by chance, you were pulling the chains of all posters on both sides of the Zeller debate with that suspicious little word, "surely." If so, please confess soon.]

[Osiagledknarf]

More Greatness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTUs69snSd0&feature=related

[CMARTZ]

More Greatness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTUs69snSd0&feature=related

Wow. That's probably the most impressive Kyrie highlight reel I've seen...

[ElSid]

More Greatness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTUs69snSd0&feature=related

hard to cover the number of ways that is awesome.

favorite might have been the layup where he pushes it nearly directly away from the basket but spin it perfectly against the glass. drops right in like no big deal...all in a quick, natural flow. everything looks smooth and natural.

can't wait for it.

[94duke]

From the DBR front page:
http://www.slamonline.com/online/college-hs/college/2010/08/chillin-with-kyrie-irving/

This was my favorite quote:

Austin and I were together for three weeks at USA basketball camp and for me being “one and done,” I would reconsider it if Austin were to come to Duke.

[Osiagledknarf]

More sickness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjVNRtGo0xk&feature=related

[ACCBBallFan]

I'd guess Zeller is odd man out. I'd personally have him ahead of Scott (UVa) , Rice, and Gibson. But it's hardly an outrage that Zeller - I assume - was "#26." [Unless, by chance, you were pulling the chains of all posters on both sides of the Zeller debate with that suspicious little word, "surely." If so, please confess soon.]

Was not. While I do not see Tyler Zeller as one of the 6, I do see him as one of the top 25 and apparently the guys doing the sleections for Team USA college guys do too.

I would not even read too much into him not being in the final 10 they took to NY since UNC had that prescheduled vacation to the Bahams. Without Knox, until he enrolls after having just finished his degree last week, have only Zeller and Henson to play in front court there.

Other than taking over for Solomon Alabi, not sure what puts Xavier Gibson ahead of Miles (tkaing over for Zoubs) or Josh Southern or Jerai Grant or Victor Davila or Ty Walker or Reggie Johnson. Any one of them can break away from the pack this year, but I would give a slight edge to Tracy Smith (more than slight in his case), Tyler Zeller and Jordan Williams among the centers.

So I do agree with you that Zeller or Tracy Smith, whoever is odd man out, should be ahead of Gibson. I do think Mike Scott despite being on a crappy team belongs in top 25. Not sure about Rice yet, but he bleongs in the discussion, along with a lot of other guys that did not make the list.

[airowe]

New Kyrie video from HoopMixTape.com:

http://hoopmixtape.ning.com/video/duke-bound-kyrie-irving

[GODUKEGO]

Can you say outlet pass and fastbreak ???? While watching this I am imaging Miles, Mason, Kyle, Nolan, Andre etc... receiving these passes. This is going to be fun!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPP7pf2Ng3s&feature=popt11us0a

[DukeBlueNV]

LOL @ 56 secs :D


ohhh and FYI i think this was allready posted in the "Fresh Kyrie Irving Thread"

[DukeBlueNV]

Found this on another board and obviously this isnt anything formal. Also it's his buddy who is doing the talking not Kyrie but this is an interesting convo non the less....


Blank908
@kyrieirving ayo slim thug did you take your st pats jersey?

kyrieirving
@Blank908 nahhh I forgot

Blank908
@kyrieirving oh okay, i was gonna glass it and put it in the 40/40.

kyrieirving
@Blank908 lol 8 months my young friend

Blank908
@kyrieirving oh I kno, I know. June 23 2011...

kyrieirving
@Blank908 lol chillllll son not on twitter

*June 23 2011 is the date for the NBA draft for those wondering

I'm sure its hard for Kyrie not to hear all the hype around his name right now and it's only going increase when ESPN realizes what a talent he is. The fact he is a uber-talented freshman at the helm of the #1 team in the nation that just happens to be Duke the media IMO has a strong chance in exceeding the John Wall hype. I am also sure he will give us everything he has for the year that he is here... But I have to admit its a little disapointing to hear it indirectly coming from his mouth. I know he's brushed on the subject in interviews aknowledging he knows there is the posiblilty of him being a one-and-done but this has a different tone to it. In the interviews he comes off as a humble guy with metality like "Ohh yea, they say I'm pretty good but I'm not really thinking about it." This convo, I feel, has a different tone.

[DevilHorns]

Found this on another board and obviously this isnt anything formal. Also it's his buddy who is doing the talking not Kyrie but this is an interesting convo non the less....



*June 23 2011 is the date for the NBA draft for those wondering

I'm sure its hard for Kyrie not to hear all the hype around his name right now and it's only going increase when ESPN realizes what a talent he is. The fact he is a uber-talented freshman at the helm of the #1 team in the nation that just happens to be Duke the media IMO has a strong chance in exceeding the John Wall hype. I am also sure he will give us everything he has for the year that he is here... But I have to admit its a little disapointing to hear it indirectly coming from his mouth. I know he's brushed on the subject in interviews aknowledging he knows there is the posiblilty of him being a one-and-done but this has a different tone to it. In the interviews he comes off as a humble guy with metality like "Ohh yea, they say I'm pretty good but I'm not really thinking about it." This convo, I feel, has a different tone.

Let's not read too much into this. Kyrie is a special talent and like most players of his ability have aspirations beyond Duke. From what I have read he has never said anything to the point of committing himself for more than 1 year at Duke. Most Duke fans realize this suggests he is planning on leaving after 1 year. Does that mean he won't give his all every second on the court and in practice? No. Does this mean he won't bleed Duke blue like the rest of the team? No. I hope he stays for 2 years, but in all honesty, I'm just glad to have him for one. I am that pumped for this kid.

[DukeBlueNV]

Let's not read too much into this. Kyrie is a special talent and like most players of his ability have aspirations beyond Duke. From what I have read he has never said anything to the point of committing himself for more than 1 year at Duke. Most Duke fans realize this suggests he is planning on leaving after 1 year. Does that mean he won't give his all every second on the court and in practice? No. Does this mean he won't bleed Duke blue like the rest of the team? No. I hope he stays for 2 years, but in all honesty, I'm just glad to have him for one. I am that pumped for this kid.

I agree and I hate to bring something negative to the board with all the optimism we have for the coming year but I found this interesting and thought I should share.

I agree we shouldn't read to much into this convo which he most likely would of rather had in private. I am stoked to have this kid as well and like I said in my first post, I think he will give us everything he has the year he is here. I just know people (myself very much included) wanted to hold onto the hope of seeing an Irving/Rivers combo in the backcourt but I guess we shouldn't count on that happening. You never know though... He did say in an recent interview he could reconsider should Austin commit to Duke :cool:

[_TheFakeJWill_]

if Austin Rivers goes to Duke, Kyrie will stay if not by by one of the best guards in Duke history....

[MisterRoddy]

Remember, the actual month 8 months from now is April...

[flyingdutchdevil]

Let's not read too much into this. Kyrie is a special talent and like most players of his ability have aspirations beyond Duke. From what I have read he has never said anything to the point of committing himself for more than 1 year at Duke. Most Duke fans realize this suggests he is planning on leaving after 1 year. Does that mean he won't give his all every second on the court and in practice? No. Does this mean he won't bleed Duke blue like the rest of the team? No. I hope he stays for 2 years, but in all honesty, I'm just glad to have him for one. I am that pumped for this kid.

I'd argue that if Kyrie hits 80% of his potential this year, he'll be a top-3 pick in the draft. Whether or not he will leave is a different story. At the same time, I don't think I can name a college player who was guaranteed a top-5 spot in the draft and didn't leave. Ed Davis comes to mind, so does Blake Griffin, but I'm not sure if they were top 5 picks their freshman year.

[kong123]

Via his twitter:

An exchange between him and his good friend:

Blank908
@kyrieirving ayo slim **** did you take your st pats jersey?

kyrieirving
@Blank908 nahhh I forgot

Blank908
@kyrieirving oh okay, i was gonna glass it and put it in the 40/40.

kyrieirving
@Blank908 lol 8 months my young friend

Blank908
@kyrieirving oh I kno, I know. June 23 2011...

kyrieirving
@Blank908 lol chillllll son not on twitter

June 23, 2011 is the date of next years NBA draft!

[papa whiskey]

Via his twitter:

An exchange between him and his good friend:

Blank908
@kyrieirving ayo slim **** did you take your st pats jersey?

kyrieirving
@Blank908 nahhh I forgot

Blank908
@kyrieirving oh okay, i was gonna glass it and put it in the 40/40.

kyrieirving
@Blank908 lol 8 months my young friend

Blank908
@kyrieirving oh I kno, I know. June 23 2011...

kyrieirving
@Blank908 lol chillllll son not on twitter

June 23, 2011 is the date of next years NBA draft!

I think most reasonable people agree that KI is good enough to be one and done. However, there are several factors that will contribute to how long KI will be at Duke. The potential NBA lockout not the least of them. I understand what you are trying to do here and it is rather petty. Give me the choice of one year of KI and then one year of AR and likely 1-3 years of Quinn Cook. Or no years of Quinn Cook and just 4 years of Tyler Thornton and I will take that over anything you guys are working with at the point guard position in the near future.

[El_Diablo]

Yep, Kyrie is quite possibly 1-and-done...but we all know that already. Even Coach K, who is recruiting Quinn Cook for 2011. I'm not sure if you're trying to be a troll or just out of the loop, but the concept is nothing new. This should probably just be merged with the other Kyrie Irving thread so as not to duplicate all the same conversations.

Besides, 8 months from now (Kyrie's comment) refers to the time when he could be celebrating Duke's back-to-back national championship. The NBA draft date (his friend's comment) is actually 10 months away.

[wilko]

Ehhhhh....

Look if KI can do that, he should. Really. All we can say is thanks and good luck; while hopefully polishing the trophy and hanging the banner of a ANOTHER repeat.

But there are alot of things that can happen between now and then, none of them can be controlled by anyone reading this, so, why worry about it and just let it play out. Enjoy the ride wherever, that takes us.

Yes, the motivation behind starting this thread is clearly Point Guard Envy and a compensating mechanism.

[Bob Green]

And a quick search reveals that this conversation was already posted in the Kyrie Irving thread yesterday.

Yep. There is already an active Kyrie Irving thread so this one is closed.

[OldPhiKap]

In other news, Quentin Thomas is seeking another year of eligibility. So Heel Nation has help on the way.