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View Full Version : Alex Murphy Enrolls Early!



HCheek37
04-19-2011, 02:20 PM
http://jeffgoodman.yardbarker.com/blog/jeffgoodman/alex_murphy_enrolling_at_duke_this_season/4586438

Big news!

jimrowe0
04-19-2011, 02:24 PM
http://jeffgoodman.yardbarker.com/blog/jeffgoodman/alex_murphy_enrolling_at_duke_this_season/4586438

Big news!

Thats great news, he is an excellent addition to already talented group.

ScreechTDX1847
04-19-2011, 02:29 PM
Thats great news, he is an excellent addition to already talented group.

It will be an interesting team. I feel like we almost have too much talent! If I were DeAndre this would dissuade me from attending Duke but I, personally, would rather have Alex a year early.

mikegismynewhero
04-19-2011, 02:29 PM
wooooooooooooooooooow

CDu
04-19-2011, 02:33 PM
Interesting. For those in the know: what, if any, impact do you think this has on the recruitment of Daniels, and on the rotation for next year?

In other words, where does Murphy rate in terms of readiness to play the SF position in college right now compared to, say, Daniels, Gbinije, or Dawkins?

It was my uneducated guess that Dawkins would be the frontrunner and that any of the freshmen would be chasing him for the starting spot. But we now have two freshmen who are bigger than him challenging for a spot, and possibly even a third (depending on Daniels).

DevilWearsPrada
04-19-2011, 02:38 PM
Thats absolutely wonderful! Alex will have the lifetime opportunity to travel with the Duke team and staff to China and Dubai.

As Ric Flair says "WWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"!

Welcome Alex to Duke. Enjoy your 4 year journey! Welcome:cool:

licc85
04-19-2011, 02:44 PM
Hm, I'm thinking Daniels delayed his decision because of this situation. However, I'm glad to have a guy at that position for sure, rather than waiting on Daniels to make up his mind. Only question is: can Alex Murphy play the 3? I hope to God he can. We need someone with his size and shooting ability at that position.

Starter
04-19-2011, 02:47 PM
Let's hope this doesn't dissuade Daniels. It's not like we didn't have Murphy coming anyway and had to pick between the two. I'd like to think that despite a very crowded 2/3 situation, Daniels (and Murphy) realize they can see both potentially see minutes as multitalented, non-traditional power forwards, given their height.

jimrowe0
04-19-2011, 02:49 PM
It will be an interesting team. I feel like we almost have too much talent! If I were DeAndre this would dissuade me from attending Duke but I, personally, would rather have Alex a year early.

It has been speculated and seems likely to me that Alex may redshirt. Not sure what the posters have heard

Class of '94
04-19-2011, 02:53 PM
To me, the only donwside to Alex coming a year early is that Duke haters will once again try to say that Coach K is being selfish in encouraging this kid to come a year early and miss out on his Senior year.

But then again, it doesn't matter what they think....There is no downside to this. I think it's great news!! And it will only make next year's practices more competitive and the team better overall. For all this talk about KY and UNC, I think Duke is "quietly" loading up; and the trip to China and Dubai will give the coaching staff an early look at the time which will give them a headstart towards molding this team into a potential powerhouse team IMO if the players develop accordingly.

superdave
04-19-2011, 03:12 PM
To me, the only donwside to Alex coming a year early is that Duke haters will once again try to say that Coach K is being selfish in encouraging this kid to come a year early and miss out on his Senior year.

But then again, it doesn't matter what they think....There is no downside to this. I think it's great news!! And it will only make next year's practices more competitive and the team better overall. For all this talk about KY and UNC, I think Duke is "quietly" loading up; and the trip to China and Dubai will give the coaching staff an early look at the time which will give them a headstart towards molding this team into a potential powerhouse team IMO if the players develop accordingly.

Alex has already spent 4 years in high school. I looked for his age online, but could not find it. I suspect he is already 18. This was his desire, not Coach K's.

killerleft
04-19-2011, 03:19 PM
To me, the only donwside to Alex coming a year early is that Duke haters will once again try to say that Coach K is being selfish in encouraging this kid to come a year early and miss out on his Senior year.

But then again, it doesn't matter what they think....There is no downside to this. I think it's great news!! And it will only make next year's practices more competitive and the team better overall. For all this talk about KY and UNC, I think Duke is "quietly" loading up; and the trip to China and Dubai will give the coaching staff an early look at the time which will give them a headstart towards molding this team into a potential powerhouse team IMO if the players develop accordingly.

If the decision by Alex in any way agitates the Duke haters, then that's just another positive!:cool:

airowe
04-19-2011, 03:20 PM
Let's hope this doesn't dissuade Daniels. It's not like we didn't have Murphy coming anyway and had to pick between the two. I'd like to think that despite a very crowded 2/3 situation, Daniels (and Murphy) realize they can see both potentially see minutes as multitalented, non-traditional power forwards, given their height.

DeAndre's decision wasn't impacted by his knowledge of Alex coming in early.

Versatility is the word for 2012...

Class of '94
04-19-2011, 03:20 PM
Alex has already spent 4 years in high school. I looked for his age online, but could not find it. I suspect he is already 18. This was his desire, not Coach K's.

I agree with you; but you know unfortunately that there will still be some people who will say the opposite. But at this point, who cares.....It's great to have another kid that wanted to come to Duke early....

geoff2
04-19-2011, 03:22 PM
To me, the only donwside to Alex coming a year early is that Duke haters will once again try to say that Coach K is being selfish in encouraging this kid to come a year early and miss out on his Senior year.

But then again, it doesn't matter what they think....There is no downside to this. I think it's great news!! And it will only make next year's practices more competitive and the team better overall. For all this talk about KY and UNC, I think Duke is "quietly" loading up; and the trip to China and Dubai will give the coaching staff an early look at the time which will give them a headstart towards molding this team into a potential powerhouse team IMO if the players develop accordingly.

Sure. And it'll be like when Jason Williams chose to stay for his junior year and we were treating to scores of UNC fans droning on about how Saint Dean Smith had to almost force Jordan to leave college and turn pro early because Jordan wanted to stay, but Deano had his players' best interests in mind, yadda yadda yadda. If it's anything like that time, they'll all suddenly forget when one of their own chooses to make the same decision.

pfrduke
04-19-2011, 03:22 PM
DeAndre's decision wasn't impacted by his knowledge of Alex coming in early.

Versatility is the word for 2012...

You have written that in the past tense, as if the decision has already been made. I can only presume that was intentional, yes?

Starter
04-19-2011, 03:26 PM
DeAndre's decision wasn't impacted by his knowledge of Alex coming in early.

Versatility is the word for 2012...

Haha -- I was sort of hoping you'd chime in here. Consider my post before to be like a Bat signal.

Class of '94
04-19-2011, 03:30 PM
DeAndre's decision wasn't impacted by his knowledge of Alex coming in early.

Versatility is the word for 2012...

I know i'm getting way ahead of myself and I don't want to derail this thread; but this team has the potential IMO of being as versatile as the Duke teams of the early 90's when you had interchangeable players that could guard and play multiple positions in Grant and Thomas Hill, Brian Davis and Antonio Lang. Even Christian could play 2 positions as either the 4 or the 5. I'm not saying the 2011-2012 team will be as talented but on paper this upcoming team will potentially have just as many interchangeable and versatile/multi-positional players.

NashvilleDevil
04-19-2011, 03:35 PM
DeAndre's decision wasn't impacted by his knowledge of Alex coming in early.

Versatility is the word for 2012...

So is there a clue in there Dan Brown :)

geraldsneighbor
04-19-2011, 03:43 PM
Great news... Anyone know how many scholarships we have left? Have to imagine we are close to max capacity.

Duvall
04-19-2011, 03:48 PM
Great news... Anyone know how many scholarships we have left? Have to imagine we are close to max capacity.

Duke has one scholarship remaining for 2011-2012 that has been offered to DeAndre Daniels. If he commits to Duke, none.

Utley
04-19-2011, 03:50 PM
DeAndre's decision wasn't impacted by his knowledge of Alex coming in early.

Versatility is the word for 2012...

Holy cryptic response.

My sleuthing skills lead me to interpret his answer as no. The first sentence appears to be
justification that his "no" response was driven by a different reason - but it could be taken
differently.
The second sentence seems like a yes - as in Andre is another versatile player being added
to the mix - but could be taken differently as well.

anon
04-19-2011, 03:51 PM
Duke has one scholarship remaining for 2011-2012 that has been offered to DeAndre Daniels. If he commits to Duke, none.

Meaning that we would be unable to give Todd Zafirovski or David Mayer a scholarship for at least two years, unless someone leaves early.

OZZIE4DUKE
04-19-2011, 03:52 PM
I don't have Airowe's inside information, although I was standing next to Coach K for an extended period of time on Sunday as previously mentioned ;). I'm sure that the "Alex Murphy" situation was fully discussed with DeAndre Daniel when he was here over this past weekend. How they would play together, compete with and against each other and the other players currently on the roster, how no one is guaranteed playing time but that each player has the same opportunity to shine and to define his role on the team and earn playing time, etc.

In other words, today's Alex Murphy announcement didn't come as a surprise to DD, and it doesn't or won't (or shouldn't) impact his decision. Well, if he decides that Duke isn't for him, then it might have, and that's within his prerogative, but that's not my uninformed expectation.

NSDukeFan
04-19-2011, 03:52 PM
Interesting. For those in the know: what, if any, impact do you think this has on the recruitment of Daniels, and on the rotation for next year?

In other words, where does Murphy rate in terms of readiness to play the SF position in college right now compared to, say, Daniels, Gbinije, or Dawkins?

It was my uneducated guess that Dawkins would be the frontrunner and that any of the freshmen would be chasing him for the starting spot. But we now have two freshmen who are bigger than him challenging for a spot, and possibly even a third (depending on Daniels).
I would think that your uneducated guess would still likely hold for the start of the season. I doubt Murphy, Gbinijie or Daniels (we hope) will start over Dawkins to start the year. As they learn defensive responsibilities though, those are a lot of potentially versatile players at the wing positions and/or second big spot.

I know i'm getting way ahead of myself and I don't want to derail this thread; but this team has the potential IMO of being as versatile as the Duke teams of the early 90's when you had interchangeable players that could guard and play multiple positions in Grant and Thomas Hill, Brian Davis and Antonio Lang. Even Christian could play 2 positions as either the 4 or the 5. I'm not saying the 2011-2012 team will be as talented but on paper this upcoming team will potentially have just as many interchangeable and versatile/multi-positional players.

I have been thinking of this as well. There is a nice potential to have many versatile players that could guard multiple positions on next year's team.

I am very excited to see Murphy join the squad a year earlier than first expected. I expect he will be able to make an impact over his career.
When looking at this news, I saw an interesting take from Dave Telep at ESPN who stated:

In order to come up with a landing place for Alex Murphy -- who was No. 15 in 2012 -- in our current 2011 list, we used Maurice Harkless (Queens, N.Y./South Kent) as the measuring stick in the SF group. Our thinking was that Harkless deserved to be ranked in front of Murphy, therefore Harkless is No. 38 and Murphy checks in two behind him at No. 40.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=6389471
I was surprised to see Murphy drop down this far when getting re-ranked in the new class. This would seem to indicate that we shouldn't expect too much from Murphy this coming year, but I certainly like his talent and what I have seen and heard about him.

DukeGirl4ever
04-19-2011, 04:44 PM
Twitter world is hot yet again on how this decision affects DeAndre's recruitment. If you follow UnclePen1, there is a lot of chatter from him about DeAndre and Duke.

As for Alex, I'm excited to see what he will bring to Duke. We will be young, but have great talent. This Duke team will be fun to watch over the next few years in terms of growth and chemistry.

callmecrazy
04-19-2011, 04:52 PM
I am sorry if I am not quite as excited as everyone. Yes, it is great to have Alex coming in next year but... I personally would rather see us get DeAndre. We need that athleticism! We are really lacking that explosive player. Look at what Williams did to us when we played Arizona. We need a player that is a hard match-up defensively. We certainly have great talent but we need a force that can be a game changer. IMO the best case is a red shirt for Alex and DeAndre as a starter next year.

NashvilleDevil
04-19-2011, 04:57 PM
Twitter world is hot yet again on how this decision affects DeAndre's recruitment. If you follow UnclePen1, there is a lot of chatter from him about DeAndre and Duke.

As for Alex, I'm excited to see what he will bring to Duke. We will be young, but have great talent. This Duke team will be fun to watch over the next few years in terms of growth and chemistry.

And his credentials are? He said Andy Boorman is K's son in law also.

airowe
04-19-2011, 04:58 PM
I am sorry if I am not quite as excited as everyone. Yes, it is great to have Alex coming in next year but... I personally would rather see us get DeAndre. We need that athleticism! We are really lacking that explosive player. Look at what Williams did to us when we played Arizona. We need a player that is a hard match-up defensively. We certainly have great talent but we need a force that can be a game changer. IMO the best case is a red shirt for Alex and DeAndre as a starter next year.

1) The two are not mutually exclusive.

2) Neither Alex Murphy or DeAndre Daniels are Derrick Williams.

3) Alex Murphy is just as, if not more, of a matchup problem as DeAndre. He's 6'9", has a deft handle, and shoots the three ball with great accuracy. And yes, he's athletic as hell (even though he's white.)

Kedsy
04-19-2011, 04:59 PM
IMO the best case is a red shirt for Alex and DeAndre as a starter next year.

And you base that opinion based on watching the two of them play how many games, exactly?

NashvilleDevil
04-19-2011, 05:00 PM
I am sorry if I am not quite as excited as everyone. Yes, it is great to have Alex coming in next year but... I personally would rather see us get DeAndre. We need that athleticism! We are really lacking that explosive player. Look at what Williams did to us when we played Arizona. We need a player that is a hard match-up defensively. We certainly have great talent but we need a force that can be a game changer. IMO the best case is a red shirt for Alex and DeAndre as a starter next year.

You mean the 25 he scored in the 1st half and they were still down? He was shut down in the 2nd half but his teammates played the half of their lives.

DukieinSoCal
04-19-2011, 05:01 PM
By my count, Alex would be our 12th scholarship player next year. Isn't 12 the max? If you redshirt a player, does it not count against your max?

And wouldn't it make more sense to redshirt Marshall than Alex? It seems like Marshall has a lot more work to do before he's ready to contribute than Alex. Alex is super-skilled and could probably compete for minutes right away.

DukeGirl4ever
04-19-2011, 05:02 PM
And his credentials are? He said Andy Boorman is K's son in law also.

I don't follow him, but when you search DeAndre's name via twitter, UnclePen1 has posted a lot about him. When you click on his twitter profile, it says the following: "ACC Recruiting and sports, News and current events. Morsels of solid gold information periodically released here."

People who follow ACC recruiting closely may know if this guy is legit or not....or maybe he's just like the rest of the universe and claims to know more than he does. I personally have never heard of him.

Anyway, I'm back on topic. I am looking forward to see what Alex brings, but I would really like to see us land Daniels as well.

anon
04-19-2011, 05:04 PM
By my count, Alex would be our 12th scholarship player next year. Isn't 12 the max? If you redshirt a player, does it not count against your max?

And wouldn't it make more sense to redshirt Marshall than Alex? It seems like Marshall has a lot more work to do before he's ready to contribute than Alex. Alex is super-skilled and could probably compete for minutes right away.

AFAIK, 13 is the max. And redshirts still count if they are receiving scholarship money.

DukeGirl4ever
04-19-2011, 05:09 PM
Alex is young, but he's not as young as Dre was coming in freshman year. Alex has been in HS for 4 years, so that makes him the normal age for a freshman. Daniels, on the other hand, has been in HS/IMG for 5 years, so he's a year ahead physically.

I guess when I said "young", I meant that we lost a lot in terms of senior leadership with Kyle, Nolan, and even Casey. So, we are young in terms of college experience.

I do think DeAndre being a 5th year senior will help him greatly next year.

MartyClark
04-19-2011, 05:17 PM
It has been speculated and seems likely to me that Alex may redshirt. Not sure what the posters have heard

I just don't see him redshirting next season. It is very unusual for a basketball player to take a redshirt year absent injury or academic problems. This is a highly recruited young man who, I guess, is willing to compete for playing time now.

Out of curiousity, has there ever been a scholarship player at Duke who redshirted their first year without an injury? I can't think of one but it is certainly possible.

SMO
04-19-2011, 05:19 PM
http://jeffgoodman.yardbarker.com/blog/jeffgoodman/alex_murphy_enrolling_at_duke_this_season/4586438

Big news!

The streets of Detroit just got a lot more dangerous.:cool:

THE FUTURE
04-19-2011, 05:22 PM
MR.AIROWE has deandre made a decision?

-bdbd
04-19-2011, 05:36 PM
DeAndre's decision wasn't impacted by his knowledge of Alex coming in early.

Versatility is the word for 2012...


1) The two are not mutually exclusive.

2) Neither Alex Murphy or DeAndre Daniels are Derrick Williams.

3) Alex Murphy is just as, if not more, of a matchup problem as DeAndre. He's 6'9", has a deft handle, and shoots the three ball with great accuracy. And yes, he's athletic as hell (even though he's white.)


MR.AIROWE has deandre made a decision?

Folks, Airowe has already shared a lot of (good) information. Many here know that his sources are impeccable within the Duke BB program. He may be bound by confidentiality restrictions regarding directly sharing more. But if you read his posts regarding DD's (past tense) decision - the precise wording is telling.
:D

Thank you Airowe!

_TheFakeJWill_
04-19-2011, 05:47 PM
Question: Why would we not redshirt Marshal Plumlee before we redshirt Alex Murphy? were stacked at the C/PF position with MP1, MP2, Hairston, Kelly. and we have one true SF in a freshman MG? Alex seems to bring more to the table than Plum3 would IMO. Alex is a true 6'9'' SF with a great skill set. He's listed at 215 now and im sure between now and November he could get up to a 225 which would do him a lot of good :)

Duvall
04-19-2011, 05:59 PM
Question: Why would we not redshirt Marshal Plumlee before we redshirt Alex Murphy?

There's no reason why Duke can't.

callmecrazy
04-19-2011, 06:20 PM
1) The two are not mutually exclusive.

2) Neither Alex Murphy or DeAndre Daniels are Derrick Williams.

3) Alex Murphy is just as, if not more, of a matchup problem as DeAndre. He's 6'9", has a deft handle, and shoots the three ball with great accuracy. And yes, he's athletic as hell (even though he's white.)

Never said he wasn't. I still want DeAndre on the floor next year.

callmecrazy
04-19-2011, 06:23 PM
And you base that opinion based on watching the two of them play how many games, exactly?

My opinion is strictly based on everything I have read about both players. I am not calling myself an expert, just giving my opinion.

SupaDave
04-19-2011, 07:26 PM
1) The two are not mutually exclusive.

2) Neither Alex Murphy or DeAndre Daniels are Derrick Williams.

3) Alex Murphy is just as, if not more, of a matchup problem as DeAndre. He's 6'9", has a deft handle, and shoots the three ball with great accuracy. And yes, he's athletic as hell (even though he's white.)

No WAY this guy is white... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0jvZkRA7X0

MChambers
04-19-2011, 07:41 PM
No WAY this guy is white... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0jvZkRA7X0

Looks like some sort of hybrid of Singler and Dunleavy! I look forward to watching him in Duke blue!

Mike Corey
04-19-2011, 08:10 PM
Make no mistake: This is great news.

Mr. Murphy--and Mr. Daniels, if he chooses to accept the tendered scholarship offer--are quintessential K-type players. To have these guys on the court at the same time would be a wonderful, wonderful luxury.

Herbie
04-19-2011, 08:59 PM
There's still no confirmation from Mason that he's staying, right? This push to get BOTH Murphy and Daniels in still has me wondering if it's not in part due K feeling that Mason may be leaning towards entering the draft. Even though Mason plays the 4, not the 3, we could surely use both Daniels and Murphy next year if Mason were gone.

NashvilleDevil
04-19-2011, 09:17 PM
There's still no confirmation from Mason that he's staying, right? This push to get BOTH Murphy and Daniels in still has me wondering if it's not in part due K feeling that Mason may be leaning towards entering the draft. Even though Mason plays the 4, not the 3, we could surely use both Daniels and Murphy next year if Mason were gone.

It's been mentioned a number of times by airowe or Mike
Corey that Mason is staying.

Sgt. Dingleberry
04-19-2011, 09:45 PM
Since we get all the calls from the refs and influence the tournament selection committee, I am going to assume we are also in cahoots with the NCAA regarding new rules. I wonder if K is in their ear about changing college basketball from 5 on 5 to 8 on 8 or 9 on 9. :D

This is a wealth of talent coming in together at one time, I wish there was someway I could see them all play together. We have a remarkable pool of young talent.

Duvall
04-19-2011, 10:09 PM
Since we get all the calls from the refs and influence the tournament selection committee, I am going to assume we are also in cahoots with the NCAA regarding new rules. I wonder if K is in their ear about changing college basketball from 5 on 5 to 8 on 8 or 9 on 9.

Better yet, 8 on 5. I'd like to see Barnes try to score against Duke's box-and-four.

OZZIE4DUKE
04-19-2011, 10:09 PM
Since we get all the calls from the refs and influence the tournament selection committee, I am going to assume we are also in cahoots with the NCAA regarding new rules. I wonder if K is in their ear about changing college basketball from 5 on 5 to 8 on 8 or 9 on 9. :D

This is a wealth of talent coming in together at one time, I wish there was someway I could see them all play together. We have a remarkable pool of young talent.
I'd be satisfied if we could play 5 against 5 instead of 5 against 8 so often... :eek:

Saratoga2
04-19-2011, 10:28 PM
Great news. We have Michael coming and now Alex. Both can help answer the loss of Kyle. Size and athleticism are valuable for the team and will help with matchups against UNC and other top teams. No way to know how good the players are coming in until they start to see top competition. Look how much Derrick Williams surpassed expectations. One or more of the new Duke guys could also surpass expectations and be major contributors as the season progresses.

The outstanding questions are whether Mason will stay (I certainly hope so), will DeAndre come (Again I hope so) and will there be a red shirt (In this case, I hope not. These kids should come in and compete to play. Maybe coach K will find at least some PT for all). Maybe we could have and A & B team. All joking aside, there is enough talent to field two competitive teams.

DU82
04-19-2011, 11:03 PM
And his credentials are? He said Andy Boorman is K's son in law also.

Andy Borman is Mrs. K's nephew, and grandson of Frank Borman. And a former Duke basketball and soccer player.

tgotdamp
04-19-2011, 11:09 PM
I would think that your uneducated guess would still likely hold for the start of the season. I doubt Murphy, Gbinijie or Daniels (we hope) will start over Dawkins to start the year. As they learn defensive responsibilities though, those are a lot of potentially versatile players at the wing positions and/or second big spot.


I have been thinking of this as well. There is a nice potential to have many versatile players that could guard multiple positions on next year's team.

I am very excited to see Murphy join the squad a year earlier than first expected. I expect he will be able to make an impact over his career.
When looking at this news, I saw an interesting take from Dave Telep at ESPN who stated:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=6389471
I was surprised to see Murphy drop down this far when getting re-ranked in the new class. This would seem to indicate that we shouldn't expect too much from Murphy this coming year, but I certainly like his talent and what I have seen and heard about him.

I doubt Dawkins will start because if he did, the backcourt would be: Rivers, Curry and Dawkins. That would be 3 natural SGs on the floor at once. Coach K is not going to do that when he has natural PGs in his arsenal. I think a more realistic backcourt will be Cook, Rivers and Dawkins. Thornton will have to improve tremendously over the summer to get a starting position. Of course this lineup will change depending on the matchup as we may have to go bigger at the SF. In those instances, I say Rivers and Curry get the nod.

MartyClark
04-19-2011, 11:20 PM
There's no reason why Duke can't.

I don't understand this speculation that Duke will redshirt either MPIII or Murphy. Somebody convince me that I'm wrong. I'm not aware of any healthy, scholarship player taking a redshirt year. Football, of course. Basketball, where is the precedent? Why would either of these young men want to redshirt?

RockyMtDevil
04-19-2011, 11:21 PM
I'd be satisfied if we could play 5 against 5 instead of 5 against 8 so often... :eek:
Barnes reminds me of the kid in Little League the grew a wee bit taller than the rest of us and lorded over us for two years, until we all hit babe ruth ball and caught up with his narassistic butt. Turns out he wasn't special at all, just able to master some simple moves that made it seem he was head and shoulders above the rest of us. All in All, Barnes is who he is, I dont' see a major talent leap in year two. bring it.

Mike Corey
04-19-2011, 11:37 PM
Mason Plumlee is returning, yes.

We're going to be extremely tall, extremely talented and extremely young next season. There will be flashes of brilliance and flashes of N.C. State-ness. But it'll be fun to watch the group learn to play together.

How fortunate that we'll have an extended pre-season to trigger the precipitation of the '11-12 squad's chemistry. :)

FireOgilvie
04-19-2011, 11:38 PM
I don't understand this speculation that Duke will redshirt either MPIII or Murphy. Somebody convince me that I'm wrong. I'm not aware of any healthy, scholarship player taking a redshirt year. Football, of course. Basketball, where is the precedent? Why would either of these young men want to redshirt?

I don't know if MPIII will redshirt or not, but I don't see why it's such a big deal. I really really doubt that he plays in more than a few games all season for a handful of minutes each (early season blowouts). Why not save a year of eligibility so he can actually have an additional season as a contributor? He can still practice and go to games. It's a smart move. I think he can be a very solid player down the line, but he's extremely raw and thin right now (and he has 3 guys in front of him at his position).

I doubt Murphy redshirts, but you never know. Olek should have done it his freshman year and supposedly was encouraged to by the coaching staff (he declined). Unlike Olek and MPIII, I think Murphy could actually be an impact player in his first season.

Mike Corey
04-19-2011, 11:43 PM
I don't understand this speculation that Duke will redshirt either MPIII or Murphy. Somebody convince me that I'm wrong. I'm not aware of any healthy, scholarship player taking a redshirt year. Football, of course. Basketball, where is the precedent? Why would either of these young men want to redshirt?

Brian Butch, Wisconsin. He opted to redshirt (http://wisconsin.scout.com/2/202783.html) despite being a McDonald's All-American. His coach explained:


"Well nothing changed from a year ago to now about him being physically prepared and knowing what he is going up against. It isn’t about his basketball IQ, it isn’t about anything other than developing strength and stamina and I don’t know how many times you could say it until people will understand but I’ll be patient."

Brian Butch weight something like 67 pounds when he graduated from high school. He never became the game-changer the Badgers had hoped for, but he did average 12-plus points per game as a senior.

FireOgilvie
04-20-2011, 12:00 AM
I'm really excited about Murphy. He's quick for ~6'8" and quite athletic. I think he's comparable to Singler (out of HS) except that he's actually quicker, which makes him well suited for the 3. Of course, Singler had an advantage in most other categories. Unfortunately, Singler's lack of quickness is what is holding him back in this year's draft.

striker219
04-20-2011, 12:18 AM
Looks like some sort of hybrid of Singler and Dunleavy! I look forward to watching him in Duke blue!

You can count me as being excited about the coming of Myle Dunlingler.

loldevilz
04-20-2011, 01:09 AM
Even if Daniels doesn't come, Josh Hairston should be able to guard some of the more ridiculously athletic SF/PF like Derrick Williams.

Count me among those that is really glad that Murphy is coming early. I think that he will be the starting small forward by the end of the year because he can defend the SF spot and stretch the floor with his shooting.

With Ryan Kelly and Alex Murphy on the roster, how 'bout having two Irishmen in the starting lineup!?

dukeballboy88
04-20-2011, 01:14 AM
And Alex and Shabazz are good friends and expressed that they would love to play together.

uh_no
04-20-2011, 01:17 AM
Even if Daniels doesn't come, Josh Hairston should be able to guard some of the more ridiculously athletic SF/PF like Derrick Williams.


TO play devils advocate, if Josh is so capable at guarding a derrick williams, then why didn't he get the nod/stop him in the game against arizona this year? Now I understand that Josh will get stronger and improve, but he isn't stopping derrick williams at the moment.

I certainly think he can get there though, he has the length...needs to get bigger though.

loldevilz
04-20-2011, 02:06 AM
TO play devils advocate, if Josh is so capable at guarding a derrick williams, then why didn't he get the nod/stop him in the game against arizona this year? Now I understand that Josh will get stronger and improve, but he isn't stopping derrick williams at the moment.

I certainly think he can get there though, he has the length...needs to get bigger though.

That seems like a question for Coach K not me. I can't explain his coaching decisions.

All I know is that Josh Hairston will probably be in the big man rotation next year and he will improve. My guess is that he will come off the bench with Miles and could help deal with the derrick williams of the world.

and btw no one stops derrick willaims. that's why he is a top 3 draft pick.

burns15
04-20-2011, 03:34 AM
I doubt Dawkins will start because if he did, the backcourt would be: Rivers, Curry and Dawkins. That would be 3 natural SGs on the floor at once. Coach K is not going to do that when he has natural PGs in his arsenal. I think a more realistic backcourt will be Cook, Rivers and Dawkins. Thornton will have to improve tremendously over the summer to get a starting position. Of course this lineup will change depending on the matchup as we may have to go bigger at the SF. In those instances, I say Rivers and Curry get the nod.

K doesnt care about positions. the best 5 playes will play regardless of postion... be it 5 SGs or 5 Cs... Duke has basketball players not PGs and SGs and SFs

Saratoga2
04-20-2011, 07:27 AM
I have been a fan of college basketball ever since I found out I wasn't good enough to play. That's better than 50 years ago and I adopted Duke because I liked the clean program and style of play more than 25 years ago. In that time, I can't remember a team that was as deep at all positions as this one is, if not as high in quality as some others.

We will have 2 legitimate starting PG's in Tyler and Quinn, with two more combo guards who are capable of playing the point, in Seth and Austin.

We will have 3 SG's including Seth, Andre and Austin. All would make most other teams and start. Perhaps we wont see a small point and shooting guard on the floor together unless the other team also goes small at these two positions.

We will have 3 SF's in Andre, Michael and Alex. All have a legitimate chance to get playing time and no one talks about them as they might have with some of our incoming players as being a development project offensively. This is before we even consider DeAndre in the picture.

We have a variety of PF's with no true C, but with options at both positions. With Mason staying and Miles we have a starting back line. Ryan is also equally capable of taking one of those positions and Marshall is a slightly taller version of his brothers, but with a little more back to the backet game already developed. Josh shouldn't be overlooked as he will probably be ready for more PT this year and probably Alex will see time as a PF as well next year.

Absolutely the deepest team in memory. We still have to await the decision of DeAndre, which should come soon, Mason who will have to decide in time for the NBA draft mechanics and I suppose there is also an undercurrent of transfers on a very deep team but I have heard nothing to indicate any are imminent. I am ready to enjoy the ride.

Matches
04-20-2011, 08:12 AM
We're going to be extremely tall, extremely talented and extremely young next season. There will be flashes of brilliance and flashes of N.C. State-ness.

Just so long as K doesn't gain 100 pounds, shave his head, and start sporting a bright blue blazer....

It'll be interesting to see how K adapts to having a teamwith 10-11 legit rotation players. The last time I really remember that being the case was 1998.

darjum
04-20-2011, 08:44 AM
I have been a fan of college basketball ever since I found out I wasn't good enough to play. That's better than 50 years ago and I adopted Duke because I liked the clean program and style of play more than 25 years ago. In that time, I can't remember a team that was as deep at all positions as this one is, if not as high in quality as some others.

We will have 2 legitimate starting PG's in Tyler and Quinn, with two more combo guards who are capable of playing the point, in Seth and Austin.

We will have 3 SG's including Seth, Andre and Austin. All would make most other teams and start. Perhaps we wont see a small point and shooting guard on the floor together unless the other team also goes small at these two positions.

We will have 3 SF's in Andre, Michael and Alex. All have a legitimate chance to get playing time and no one talks about them as they might have with some of our incoming players as being a development project offensively. This is before we even consider DeAndre in the picture.

We have a variety of PF's with no true C, but with options at both positions. With Mason staying and Miles we have a starting back line. Ryan is also equally capable of taking one of those positions and Marshall is a slightly taller version of his brothers, but with a little more back to the backet game already developed. Josh shouldn't be overlooked as he will probably be ready for more PT this year and probably Alex will see time as a PF as well next year.

Absolutely the deepest team in memory. We still have to await the decision of DeAndre, which should come soon, Mason who will have to decide in time for the NBA draft mechanics and I suppose there is also an undercurrent of transfers on a very deep team but I have heard nothing to indicate any are imminent. I am ready to enjoy the ride.

I'm not sure how you feel about the group, but as they are so young it's quite possible that like UNC in the 2010-11 season, Duke may come out of the gate slowly. But by ACC tournament play and closer to the end of the season they will be a scary prospect, full of offensive mismatches and defensive flexibility.

It's a wonderful mix of player types over the roster and it's certainly an athletically gifted Duke team. Should be a fun season and it's great that Alex will be a part of all of it.

As is discussed in the captains thread, leadership will be what differentiates this teams overall potential. We have been so lucky over the past two years to have identified, strong leadership on the court.

OZZIE4DUKE
04-20-2011, 08:48 AM
Just so long as K doesn't gain 100 pounds, shave his head, and start sporting a bright blue blazer....


Post of the day!
http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/24.gif http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/24.gif http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/24.gif http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/24.gif

Sgt. Dingleberry
04-20-2011, 09:09 AM
I'm not sure how you feel about the group, but as they are so young it's quite possible that like UNC in the 2010-11 season, Duke may come out of the gate slowly. But by ACC tournament play and closer to the end of the season they will be a scary prospect, full of offensive mismatches and defensive flexibility.

Totally agree. I think we will see a lot of inconsistencies early on, but when the freshman effectively become sophomores at the end of the year, nobody will want to play us.

I am really excited to see K's plan with all of this talent. My favorite thing about K is how we adapt our style of play to capitalize on the type of talent we possess. That sounds simple, but other programs tend to recruit talent to fit their style, where K seems to recruit good kids and then create a style based on their abilities. Will we be down to a 7 man rotation by the end of the year? Will we be trying to run other teams down and play 10 or 11 kids and pressure the heck out of them?

I have zero expectations for next year, the possibilities of directions the season can go are endless. It is wide open. It is going to be a really fun year.

CDu
04-20-2011, 09:11 AM
Just so long as K doesn't gain 100 pounds, shave his head, and start sporting a bright blue blazer....

It'll be interesting to see how K adapts to having a teamwith 10-11 legit rotation players. The last time I really remember that being the case was 1998.

Of course, by season's end, Coach K had trimmed the rotation down to 8 or 9 players too.

We will likely have a greater number of talented, recruited players on the roster than we've had at any point in the last 20 years. But having a lot of solid players may be less important than having plenty of top-end talent players. That 1998 team had Langdon, Brand, Battier, McLeod and Avery (all of whom were first-round picks) and Carrawell and Wojo (who were All-ACC caliber players). Heck, Ricky Price was a 1,000 point scorer and All-ACC for Duke and he wound up barely cracking the rotation.

Next year's team could have that kind of talent, but it remains to be seen. There will be a lot of players needing to step into roles that they haven't played before. And Coach K has shown a willingness in the past to not play you if you aren't ready.

darjum
04-20-2011, 09:16 AM
Next year's team could have that kind of talent, but it remains to be seen. There will be a lot of players needing to step into roles that they haven't played before. And Coach K has shown a willingness in the past to not play you if you aren't ready.

Can you name one player on the 2011-12 roster that you are 99.99% certain will be a sure thing? My closest bet would be MP2 or AR, but one may still yet go to the NBA and the other is a freshman. Still, should be fun to find out.

_Gary
04-20-2011, 09:23 AM
And Coach K has shown a willingness in the past to not play you if you aren't ready.

I submit to you the understatement of the year. ;)

All in all, I agree with your sentiments. I'm not saying we won't be deep, but I've been around the block a bit too many times to automatically assume 10 or 11 guys are all going to play in each and every game. Historical precedent is not on the side of that assumption when it comes to Duke. The most important thing is having a strong core of players that are/become truly elite players that can carry the day both offensively and defensively. A bunch of really good players often isn't enough. You generally need a few truly magnificent players if you want to make a bid for a National Championship. Hopefully we have/find that combination of players next year. Just saying...

ChicagoHeel
04-20-2011, 10:03 AM
Of course, by season's end, Coach K had trimmed the rotation down to 8 or 9 players too.

We will likely have a greater number of talented, recruited players on the roster than we've had at any point in the last 20 years. But having a lot of solid players may be less important than having plenty of top-end talent players. That 1998 team had Langdon, Brand, Battier, McLeod and Avery (all of whom were first-round picks) and Carrawell and Wojo (who were All-ACC caliber players). Heck, Ricky Price was a 1,000 point scorer and All-ACC for Duke and he wound up barely cracking the rotation.

Next year's team could have that kind of talent, but it remains to be seen. There will be a lot of players needing to step into roles that they haven't played before. And Coach K has shown a willingness in the past to not play you if you aren't ready.

I agree with this. It's really one of the more interesting years in recent memory for Duke- lots of talent and just as much uncertainty. The roster is deep, but largely unproven. It is not clear how returning players will do now that they are no longer role players, how quickly the freshman will adjust to the college game, or how well the team will gel as a unit. I can imagine a team that struggles to find its bearings and struggles (especially early on); but I also see one that kills you with outside shooting and defensive mismatches. It will be interesting to see how K works with this team.

ChicagoHeel
04-20-2011, 10:08 AM
A bunch of really good players often isn't enough

Yes. See UNC, 2009-10 for a recent example. A bunch of good players, none of whom were ready (or able) to step up and be an elite player, made for a tough season. Throw in some injuries and some mistakes by the coaching staff and you have a full-blown NIT disaster. Don't think Duke is heading that direction, but one can always hope for the best.

Saratoga2
04-20-2011, 10:12 AM
I submit to you the understatement of the year. ;)

All in all, I agree with your sentiments. I'm not saying we won't be deep, but I've been around the block a bit too many times to automatically assume 10 or 11 guys are all going to play in each and every game. Historical precedent is not on the side of that assumption when it comes to Duke. The most important thing is having a strong core of players that are/become truly elite players that can carry the day both offensively and defensively. A bunch of really good players often isn't enough. You generally need a few truly magnificent players if you want to make a bid for a National Championship. Hopefully we have/find that combination of players next year. Just saying...

I'm not sure we had a magnificent player in o9-10, yet we won it all. We had very good players in Scheyer, Smith and Singler and Zoubek did magnifcent things at the end and Lance was very good. We also had the Plumlees in roles and Kelly. Not sure it fits the idea of a team with magnificent players. Sometimes being lucky to nnot having other magnificent teams is enough. This year was one of those, but we slipped up.

ChillinDuke
04-20-2011, 10:26 AM
I'm not sure we had a magnificent player in o9-10, yet we won it all. We had very good players in Scheyer, Smith and Singler and Zoubek did magnifcent things at the end and Lance was very good. We also had the Plumlees in roles and Kelly. Not sure it fits the idea of a team with magnificent players. Sometimes being lucky to nnot having other magnificent teams is enough. This year was one of those, but we slipped up.

I agree with this. And to add to it, I'm not even sure Butler had a "magnificent" player on that 09-10 team. Yet we were both in the finals.

I also raise Butler 10-11 (runner-up) and Michigan State 09-10 (FF) as examples of teams with many good players but no true magnificent players who made runs for titles. And that's just in the past two years.

Just sayin...it doesn't take magnificent to make a run at a title, IMHO.

BD80
04-20-2011, 10:45 AM
Totally agree. I think we will see a lot of inconsistencies early on, ...

We are bringing a bucket of freshmen (6?), we have 2 rising sophs who have little game experience, we lose our 2 senior AA leaders, we have 4 rising juniors who are still searching for their roles on the team and to become impact players and leaders, our sole rising senior has been wildly inconsistent.

Boy, I wish there was some way the staff could get the team a little bit of extra time together, for on the court and off-court work and bonding.

Seems like Coach K is always a step ahead. Maybe its that West Point logistics and leadership training. Preseason trips generally give teams an advantage, but Duke seems to get the absolute maximum out of the trips. China will be so useful for this group, as well as a boon for the Duke brand (and the business school). Kudos again to Coach K and his staff.

Welcome Alex! Great choice in coming early to be a part of this next wave. Enjoy the ride!

ChicagoHeel
04-20-2011, 10:57 AM
I agree with this. And to add to it, I'm not even sure Butler had a "magnificent" player on that 09-10 team. Yet we were both in the finals.

I also raise Butler 10-11 (runner-up) and Michigan State 09-10 (FF) as examples of teams with many good players but no true magnificent players who made runs for titles. And that's just in the past two years.

Just sayin...it doesn't take magnificent to make a run at a title, IMHO.

Certainly there are any number of teams that have made a title run without a true star/ magnificent player. Of course, defining a "magnificent" player can be difficult a priori because it is often the fact that a player was in the Final Four that makes us remember him as an elite college player- plus it usually bumps up his draft status which factors into our definition of elite. But just thinking back to the National Champions over the last decade or so, they usually have either a truly elite player (Melo/ Syracuse) or a couple of top first round draft picks. Duke last year (and maybe Maryland) were the exceptions that overcame the absence of an elite star by having lots of very solid, experienced talent and a true sense of team. And, really, Singler last year wasn't that far outside the elite category. In any case, none of this rules out Duke next year- Rivers may really shine and there is clearly enough talent around him to make a run.

CDu
04-20-2011, 10:58 AM
We are bringing a bucket of freshmen (6?), we have 2 rising sophs who have little game experience, we lose our 2 senior AA leaders, we have 4 rising juniors who are still searching for their roles on the team and to become impact players and leaders, our sole rising senior has been wildly inconsistent.

Boy, I wish there was some way the staff could get the team a little bit of extra time together, for on the court and off-court work and bonding.

Seems like Coach K is always a step ahead. Maybe its that West Point logistics and leadership training. Preseason trips generally give teams an advantage, but Duke seems to get the absolute maximum out of the trips. China will be so useful for this group, as well as a boon for the Duke brand (and the business school). Kudos again to Coach K and his staff.

Welcome Alex! Great choice in coming early to be a part of this next wave. Enjoy the ride!

Agreed on all counts. The team is fairly green, and the players with experience have been very inconsistent. The preseason trips will be very helpful in getting this team to figure itself out on the court. As will the non-conference season and the early part of the ACC season.

duke79
04-20-2011, 10:58 AM
Interesting side note in the "Projo.com" article (linked on the main page) on Alex Murphy leaving high school early to enroll at Duke (and I don't know if their information is correct). The article states that Alex has left St. Mark's School in Massachusetts (my alma mater) and enrolled at the public high school in the Rhode Island town where his parents live, so that he could "graduate" on time to enroll at Duke. Not that it really matters, I guess, but it raises the question of whether or not St. Mark's School had agreed to let him graduate a year early and whether Duke required him to officially graduate from a high school before allowing him to enroll a year early - even though he will have finished four years of high school this Spring, having stayed back in the 9th grade when he transferred to St. Mark's. I don't know if Duke has a policy of allowing prospective students to enroll as Duke students if they have not officially graduated from high school. I'm thinking that Duke does not and I'm also guessing that St. Mark's School did not agree to allow Alex to graduate early, which is why he has apparently transferred to the public high school in his home town. Frankly, having attended St. Mark's myself and then Duke, it is extremely rare (if ever) for St. Mark's to allow any students to graduate early - I can think of only one case that I knew of - one of my classmates who was the smartest human being I've ever encountered was admitted to Harvard after his Junior year in high school and he left early to attend Harvard (and skipped his Freshman year at Harvard because of his AP scores), although, if my memory serves me right, I believe that St. Mark's did not give him his high school diploma until the following year when his original class graduated. I vaguely remember him coming back to pick up his diploma, after his first year at Harvard. Again, I realize this is totally irrelevant to the fact that Alex Murphy is coming to Duke next year but an interesting side note, nonetheless.

gwlaw99
04-20-2011, 10:59 AM
I'm not sure how you feel about the group, but as they are so young it's quite possible that like UNC in the 2010-11 season

Call me crazy, but I see Cook as our Kendell Marshall and starting point guard by January.

CDu
04-20-2011, 11:02 AM
Call me crazy, but I see Cook as our Kendell Marshall and starting point guard by January.

He certainly could be. He could also be our freshman version of Sean Dockery (or anywhere in between). As with many of the players, there's quite a lot of uncertainty.

COYS
04-20-2011, 11:22 AM
Certainly there are any number of teams that have made a title run without a true star/ magnificent player. Of course, defining a "magnificent" player can be difficult a priori because it is often the fact that a player was in the Final Four that makes us remember him as an elite college player- plus it usually bumps up his draft status which factors into our definition of elite. But just thinking back to the National Champions over the last decade or so, they usually have either a truly elite player (Melo/ Syracuse) or a couple of top first round draft picks. Duke last year (and maybe Maryland) were the exceptions that overcame the absence of an elite star by having lots of very solid, experienced talent and a true sense of team. And, really, Singler last year wasn't that far outside the elite category. In any case, none of this rules out Duke next year- Rivers may really shine and there is clearly enough talent around him to make a run.

Time for me to sing the praises of Scheyer once more. Scheyer was definitely an elite player, last year. Without the odd traveling call on Singler in the Final when he started to slip and quickly passed to Scheyer who knocked down a three that didn't count, it would almost certainly have been Scheyer and not Singler who won FF MOP. Scheyer's offensive rating was top 10 in the country (for the second time in his career and third year in a row in the top 20) even with the additional ball handling duties he undertook in 2010. The fact that his rating stayed so high even after suffering through a shooting slump in the mid-season is a testament to all the other things he did (assists, hit free throws, value the ball, and basically make plays for others). He was an elite defender even if his strength wasn't in flashy on-the-ball pressure in the open court. His court sense is in the Battier-realm. No, he didn't become a high lottery pick, obviously, and his path to the NBA has been incredibly bumpy thus far. But Scheyer was definitely an elite player last year.

Ok, so back to Murphy =).

CDu
04-20-2011, 11:34 AM
Time for me to sing the praises of Scheyer once more. Scheyer was definitely an elite player, last year. Without the odd traveling call on Singler in the Final when he started to slip and quickly passed to Scheyer who knocked down a three that didn't count, it would almost certainly have been Scheyer and not Singler who won FF MOP. Scheyer's offensive rating was top 10 in the country (for the second time in his career and third year in a row in the top 20) even with the additional ball handling duties he undertook in 2010. The fact that his rating stayed so high even after suffering through a shooting slump in the mid-season is a testament to all the other things he did (assists, hit free throws, value the ball, and basically make plays for others). He was an elite defender even if his strength wasn't in flashy on-the-ball pressure in the open court. His court sense is in the Battier-realm. No, he didn't become a high lottery pick, obviously, and his path to the NBA has been incredibly bumpy thus far. But Scheyer was definitely an elite player last year.

Ok, so back to Murphy =).

At the risk of speaking for ChicagoHeel, I think the poster meant "big-time NBA prospect" and not elite college player. You don't win a title without elite college players. The two exceptions in Heel's example (Maryland and Duke) both still had elite college players (Dixon was All-American caliber).

johnb
04-20-2011, 11:58 AM
Interesting side note in the "Projo.com" article (linked on the main page) on Alex Murphy leaving high school early to enroll at Duke (and I don't know if their information is correct). The article states that Alex has left St. Mark's School in Massachusetts (my alma mater) and enrolled at the public high school in the Rhode Island town where his parents live, so that he could "graduate" on time to enroll at Duke. Not that it really matters, I guess, but it raises the question of whether or not St. Mark's School had agreed to let him graduate a year early and whether Duke required him to officially graduate from a high school before allowing him to enroll a year early - even though he will have finished four years of high school this Spring,

That factoid struck me as well. It seems unlikely that Duke has an inelastic policy of not taking students who don't get hs diplomas. My read is that Murphy wanted the diploma, the private school refused to make an exception about requirements, and so he went back to his home high school that accepted his 4 years of hs credits at the 2 other schools. I also went to a St. Mark's (though one in Texas), and a guy from my class also left school a year early. The school didn't give him a diploma, despite his being first in the class at the time (narrowly ahead of a guy who went on to get a PhD in math from Princeton). I think their decision embittered my classmate, who has gone on to do good things.

Not knowing any of the details, I feel free to make them up, and so it would seem to me that the school made a mistake in not granting an exception. While it might appear to indicate academic rigor, it's not as if they would have to make frequent exceptions. Like the smart guy in your hs class (and mine), guys with his talent level don't come along very often, and it would have been very easy for them to say, "ok, you can walk with your class at graduation and get an official diploma once you've taken, say, the 2 semesters of English that are currently keeping you from graduating." That does set a precedent (which was already in place with guy who went to Harvard), but they can certainly evaluate on a case-by-case basis the next time one of the top 15 high players in the country decides to attend their school and opt to graduate a year earlier than planned but still after 4 years of high school, a tiny likelihood that just went down by virtue of their apparent intransigence.

oldnavy
04-20-2011, 12:06 PM
I look forward to seeing this team grow as well. Usually when we have depth we tend to pressure on defense more which leads to fast breaks. I hope to see a lot of that next year. Also, the competition during practice should help everyone get better.

I think Seth Curry may be the next player that steps up. He could have a Nolan like Junior year....

JimBD
04-20-2011, 12:06 PM
I'm excited about Alex coming to Duke next year and very optimistic about DeAndre. I hope Alex and DeAndre will both be significant contributors to Duke next year.

As for redshirting, I have not heard any legitimate reason why Alex might redshirt his first year. I have heard arguments that a year of redshirting would give him a chance to adjust to college, develop his body and basketball skills, and play against top competition in practice. Well, he can do all of that whether or not he redshirts. Unless I'm missing something, the only reason for redshirting would be if Alex thinks he might be at Duke five years, and redshirting would give him an extra year of eligibility. But in my opinion, if he is as good as I've heard and a potential NBA draftee, he is not likely to be at Duke for five years.

Matches
04-20-2011, 12:34 PM
I submit to you the understatement of the year. ;)

All in all, I agree with your sentiments. I'm not saying we won't be deep, but I've been around the block a bit too many times to automatically assume 10 or 11 guys are all going to play in each and every game. Historical precedent is not on the side of that assumption when it comes to Duke.

I don't disagree - I don't expect 10-11 guys to be playing by March, either, but K will have more options than he has since at least that '98 season. It should be fun to watch things shake out.

I do expect we'll be back to a pressing, running style since foul problems won't be quite as big a deal...

gwlaw99
04-20-2011, 01:21 PM
I'm excited about Alex coming to Duke next year and very optimistic about DeAndre. I hope Alex and DeAndre will both be significant contributors to Duke next year.

As for redshirting, I have not heard any legitimate reason why Alex might redshirt his first year. I have heard arguments that a year of redshirting would give him a chance to adjust to college, develop his body and basketball skills, and play against top competition in practice. Well, he can do all of that whether or not he redshirts. Unless I'm missing something, the only reason for redshirting would be if Alex thinks he might be at Duke five years, and redshirting would give him an extra year of eligibility. But in my opinion, if he is as good as I've heard and a potential NBA draftee, he is not likely to be at Duke for five years.

Good points! Do you think those arguments apply to Marshall though?

Spam Filter
04-20-2011, 02:34 PM
How many times have we had the discussion of how deep we're going to be this year

Seems like an annual off season proclamation "We're REALLY going to be deep, this time we mean it."

I remain skeptical until I see it.

Rudy
04-20-2011, 02:47 PM
As for redshirting, I have not heard any legitimate reason why Alex might redshirt his first year. I have heard arguments that a year of redshirting would give him a chance to adjust to college, develop his body and basketball skills, and play against top competition in practice. Well, he can do all of that whether or not he redshirts. Unless I'm missing something, the only reason for redshirting would be if Alex thinks he might be at Duke five years, and redshirting would give him an extra year of eligibility. But in my opinion, if he is as good as I've heard and a potential NBA draftee, he is not likely to be at Duke for five years.
When was the last time a Duke player red-shirted for a non-medical reason?

Herbie
04-20-2011, 02:53 PM
With Murhphy's move up a year, doesn't that mean that a Daniels' commit would take the last scholly for next year, effectively ending any and all speculation that Kyrie would change his mind and come back for next year?

geraldsneighbor
04-20-2011, 03:06 PM
With Murhphy's move up a year, doesn't that mean that a Daniels' commit would take the last scholly for next year, effectively ending any and all speculation that Kyrie would change his mind and come back for next year?

Yes, that would officially definitely finally mean Kyrie can absolutely not return.

tommy
04-20-2011, 03:18 PM
How many times have we had the discussion of how deep we're going to be this year

Seems like an annual off season proclamation "We're REALLY going to be deep, this time we mean it."

I remain skeptical until I see it.

You didn't see it this past year? We had nine guys that played significant minutes in key games. Confidently going to your ninth man? That is a deep team.

_Gary
04-20-2011, 03:28 PM
I'm not sure we had a magnificent player in o9-10, yet we won it all. We had very good players in Scheyer, Smith and Singler and Zoubek did magnifcent things at the end and Lance was very good. We also had the Plumlees in roles and Kelly. Not sure it fits the idea of a team with magnificent players. Sometimes being lucky to nnot having other magnificent teams is enough. This year was one of those, but we slipped up.

You know, I was going to work into that short post a quick comment about "exceptions" to the rule - and clearly I should have. In a one and done tournament there's always a measure of "luck" involved (both good and bad depending on one's perspective and rooting interest) and there's no doubt that last year when we won we didn't necessarily have a magnificent player. Having said all that, I do think the combo of all our guys were playing at about the highest level they could and as a group they performed magnificently. But yes, there are always qualifiers and exceptions.

InSpades
04-20-2011, 03:28 PM
Yes, that would officially definitely finally mean Kyrie can absolutely not return.

That's not entirely true. He (or another teammate) could always pay his own way ala Lee Melchionni. If only there was a teammate whose dad maybe had a high profile job that paid him millions of dollars a year... It's an unlikely situation but not entirely unheard of (though Melchionni did it because of a stupid NCAA rule, not because we had too many scholarship players).

airowe
04-20-2011, 03:34 PM
That's not entirely true. He (or another teammate) could always pay his own way ala Lee Melchionni. If only there was a teammate who's dad maybe had a high profile job that paid him millions of dollars a year... It's an unlikely situation but not entirely unheard of (though Melchionni did it because of a stupid NCAA rule, not because we had too many scholarship players).

That's not the case anymore. As the 5/8 rule changed, so did the rule allowing recruited players to pay their own way. Because all of our players were recruited, they count against the scholarship totals, regardless of whether they're given free education.

That said, if Kyrie wants to play at Duke next year, he'll play at Duke next year. I think he plays professionally.

yancem
04-20-2011, 03:48 PM
That's not the case anymore. As the 5/8 rule changed, so did the rule allowing recruited players to pay their own way. Because all of our players were recruited, they count against the scholarship totals, regardless of whether they're given free education.

That said, if Kyrie wants to play at Duke next year, he'll play at Duke next year. I think he plays professionally.

If a school can't have more than 13 "recruited" players (regardless if the school pays or the player pays) then how could Irving return if we sign Daniels? Would Duke ask Murphy to wait a year or would a current player possibly lose their scholarship? Or could one of the freshman pay their own way and red shirt or only practice with the team while being a team manager? I don't see how that would work. Not that I see Irving coming back but stranger things have happened and I would hate for him to decide he wanted to come back but not be able to. Of course, I would also hate to say no to Daniels on the small possibility that Irving changes his mind.

airowe
04-20-2011, 04:00 PM
If a school can't have more than 13 "recruited" players (regardless if the school pays or the player pays) then how could Irving return if we sign Daniels? Would Duke ask Murphy to wait a year or would a current player possibly lose their scholarship? Or could one of the freshman pay their own way and red shirt or only practice with the team while being a team manager? I don't see how that would work. Not that I see Irving coming back but stranger things have happened and I would hate for him to decide he wanted to come back but not be able to. Of course, I would also hate to say no to Daniels on the small possibility that Irving changes his mind.

The two could not happen as far as I know. I don't really anticipate this being an issue.

johnb
04-20-2011, 04:56 PM
No way Murphy transfers schools and is then asked to delay graduation for a year.

NSDukeFan
04-20-2011, 06:50 PM
If a school can't have more than 13 "recruited" players (regardless if the school pays or the player pays) then how could Irving return if we sign Daniels? Would Duke ask Murphy to wait a year or would a current player possibly lose their scholarship? Or could one of the freshman pay their own way and red shirt or only practice with the team while being a team manager? I don't see how that would work. Not that I see Irving coming back but stranger things have happened and I would hate for him to decide he wanted to come back but not be able to. Of course, I would also hate to say no to Daniels on the small possibility that Irving changes his mind.


The two could not happen as far as I know. I don't really anticipate this being an issue.

Wouldn't coach K just call Calipari to find out the ethical way to manage that situation? ;)

MarkD83
04-20-2011, 08:34 PM
The discussion in the past few posts probably needs to be moved to the Kyrie declares thread.

I will add one more thought. I am liking Kyrie even more than I already did because he made his decision early. He did Coach K and Duke a great favor because they could actively pursue the recruitment of Daniels and the option of Alex Murphy coming early without having to dance around the number of scholarships issue.

Kyrie thank you for your skills, your enthusiasm and your decisiveness.

(p.s. I just noticed that I have three pitch forks and am a sixth man. I hope this does not mean I am using up a DBR scholarship.)

BD80
04-20-2011, 08:39 PM
Wouldn't coach K just call Calipari to find out the ethical way to manage that situation? ;)

Can't, Cleveland State is already on double-secret probation

devildeac
04-20-2011, 09:39 PM
Wouldn't coach K just call Calipari to find out the ethical way to manage that situation? ;)

Calipari and ethical in the same sentence? Surely you jest.;)

darjum
04-21-2011, 01:11 AM
Calipari and ethical in the same sentence? Surely you jest.;)

At some point UK will certainly hear about Calipari and ethics in the same sentence, they just won't like it that's all ;)

bobmarco
04-21-2011, 01:55 PM
I find it interesting that I've heard nothing from K or Duke on the Murphy announcement. Have I just missed it? :confused:

El_Diablo
04-21-2011, 02:18 PM
I find it interesting that I've heard nothing from K or Duke on the Murphy announcement. Have I just missed it? :confused:

NCAA rules prohibit an institution from publicly commenting on a recruit until after he signs an LOI, and he wasn't eligible to sign an LOI in the fall period. He could sign one during the spring signing period (allowing public comments), or he can just quietly matriculate over the summer.

diamond dave
04-21-2011, 03:00 PM
I just don't see him redshirting next season. It is very unusual for a basketball player to take a redshirt year absent injury or academic problems. This is a highly recruited young man who, I guess, is willing to compete for playing time now.

Out of curiousity, has there ever been a scholarship player at Duke who redshirted their first year without an injury? I can't think of one but it is certainly possible.

The one that I can recall (and I know I'm dating myself with this one) is George Burgin back in 1986. He came to Duke at about 7'1" weighing, I believe, 210 pounds. Redshirted on the Dawkins/Alarie 1986 team, essentially to put on some weight, but he never was able to fill out his frame. Ended up being a real good practice player that Laettner and Ferry had to learn to shoot over. I remember him having to duck through just about every doorway in the Engineering Building.

Diamond Dave
E'90

Leck
04-22-2011, 10:54 AM
on the recruiting ranking side of things...dave telep and espn just updated their 2011 espn 100. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=6389471.

murphy came in at #40...which gives us 5 top 40 prospects for next year w/ the possibility of still landing the D.A.D. things are looking up!

Kedsy
04-22-2011, 10:56 AM
on the recruiting ranking side of things...dave telep and espn just updated their 2011 espn 100. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=6389471.

murphy came in at #40...which gives us 5 top 40 prospects for next year w/ the possibility of still landing the D.A.D. things are looking up!

Marshall Plumlee is a top 40 prospect? I didn't think he was ranked that high.

Rich
04-22-2011, 11:03 AM
on the recruiting ranking side of things...dave telep and espn just updated their 2011 espn 100. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=6389471.

murphy came in at #40...which gives us 5 top 40 prospects for next year w/ the possibility of still landing the D.A.D. things are looking up!

DAD not on the list. Is he not considered that high or is there another reason?

airowe
04-22-2011, 11:15 AM
DAD not on the list. Is he not considered that high or is there another reason?

He's considered a PostGrad, which aren't ranked in ESPN's rankings.

jimsumner
04-22-2011, 12:10 PM
The one that I can recall (and I know I'm dating myself with this one) is George Burgin back in 1986. He came to Duke at about 7'1" weighing, I believe, 210 pounds. Redshirted on the Dawkins/Alarie 1986 team, essentially to put on some weight, but he never was able to fill out his frame. Ended up being a real good practice player that Laettner and Ferry had to learn to shoot over. I remember him having to duck through just about every doorway in the Engineering Building.

Diamond Dave
E'90


Kenny Blakeney also redshirted as a freshman. Blakeney had minor knee surgery later that season but it was a scope and the decision to redshirt had already been made.

A case can be made that Eric Meek and perhaps Casey Sanders should have been held out as freshmen. Meek was recovering from being hit by a car while jogging. Had Crawford Palmer not transferred to Dartmouth, Meek would have redshirted in
1992. Given that Duke had Laettner and Parks in 1992, there was no compelling reason for Meek to have played that year. IMO. He could have been a fifth-year senior in 1996, a season when Duke could have used his size and experience.

Playing Sanders made more sense just because of the massive attrition following '99 and Duke's lack of depth in 2000. But he was so not ready. Imagine Sanders as a fifth-year senior in 2004. Lots more depth inside, Deng can play more 3.

Oh well. We all know what they say about hindsight.

yancem
04-22-2011, 12:55 PM
I would think that Duke has several players that could benefit from a red shirt season next year. MP3 isn't likely to get a lot of playing time and certainly could use the extra year to build some muscle. If Daniels does come to Duke, either of Murphy and Gbinije could use the year to get comfortable with the Duke system since one of them probably won't get too much pt. If (and yes it is a BIG IF) Irving returned, either of Thornton and Cook could take advantage of a red shirt season. Actually, it could be argued that Cook might be better off red shirting regardless so that he can really get his knee back into shape. Also, Hairston may find playing time limited next year as well

I'm not saying at any of the above would be interested in or should red shirt but there certainly are a couple of possible candidates.

MCFinARL
04-22-2011, 01:39 PM
Marshall Plumlee is a top 40 prospect? I didn't think he was ranked that high.

ESPN has Marshall at 34--ahead of both Cook (37) and Murphy (40).
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/recruiting/rankings/_/class/2011

Scout has him at 67 and Rivals at 82--so there is apparently no consensus on MP3.

DukieinSoCal
04-22-2011, 01:47 PM
on the recruiting ranking side of things...dave telep and espn just updated their 2011 espn 100. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=6389471.

murphy came in at #40...which gives us 5 top 40 prospects for next year w/ the possibility of still landing the D.A.D. things are looking up!

I don't know if I buy the ranking on Murphy. He was ranked the #15 junior before he decided to graduate early. I understand a small drop in the rankings since he's being compared to players a year older but #15 would indicate that he's highly skilled, ready to make an immediate impact in college, a shoo-in for most All-American honors. #40 makes him seem more like he needs time to develop physically or skill-wise and will likely not make a big impact as a freshman.

I know rankings don't really matter, but I think Alex is very similar to Kyle, probably even a bit more athletic from what I've seen. And Kyle was ranked even higher. Wasn't he #5-6 in his class?

I think Alex has a good chance of winning the starting SF spot at some point in the season and becoming a solid contributor his freshman year. He has great size and skill, perfect for a SF in our system.

dcar1985
04-22-2011, 02:02 PM
I would think that Duke has several players that could benefit from a red shirt season next year. MP3 isn't likely to get a lot of playing time and certainly could use the extra year to build some muscle. If Daniels does come to Duke, either of Murphy and Gbinije could use the year to get comfortable with the Duke system since one of them probably won't get too much pt. If (and yes it is a BIG IF) Irving returned, either of Thornton and Cook could take advantage of a red shirt season. Actually, it could be argued that Cook might be better off red shirting regardless so that he can really get his knee back into shape. Also, Hairston may find playing time limited next year as well

I'm not saying at any of the above would be interested in or should red shirt but there certainly are a couple of possible candidates.


You've come to that conclusion how? because of the highlight video posted on DBR a week or so ago of Daniels?

MChambers
04-22-2011, 02:13 PM
I don't know if I buy the ranking on Murphy. He was ranked the #15 junior before he decided to graduate early. I understand a small drop in the rankings since he's being compared to players a year older but #15 would indicate that he's highly skilled, ready to make an immediate impact in college, a shoo-in for most All-American honors. #40 makes him seem more like he needs time to develop physically or skill-wise and will likely not make a big impact as a freshman.

I know rankings don't really matter, but I think Alex is very similar to Kyle, probably even a bit more athletic from what I've seen. And Kyle was ranked even higher. Wasn't he #5-6 in his class?

I think Alex has a good chance of winning the starting SF spot at some point in the season and becoming a solid contributor his freshman year. He has great size and skill, perfect for a SF in our system.
Guess it might depend on what you think a rating or ranking is measuring. Is the ranking measuring how good a player will be in his college career, or how good he will be in November of his freshman year, or how good an NBA player it will be? Murphy may get off to a bit of a slow start, but it sounds like he's very talented and long-term should have a great career at Duke, perhaps as soon as the end of his freshman year, and in the NBA.

DukieinSoCal
04-22-2011, 02:15 PM
I don't know if I buy the ranking on Murphy. He was ranked the #15 junior before he decided to graduate early. I understand a small drop in the rankings since he's being compared to players a year older but #15 would indicate that he's highly skilled, ready to make an immediate impact in college, a shoo-in for most All-American honors. #40 makes him seem more like he needs time to develop physically or skill-wise and will likely not make a big impact as a freshman.

I know rankings don't really matter, but I think Alex is very similar to Kyle, probably even a bit more athletic from what I've seen. And Kyle was ranked even higher. Wasn't he #5-6 in his class?

I think Alex has a good chance of winning the starting SF spot at some point in the season and becoming a solid contributor his freshman year. He has great size and skill, perfect for a SF in our system.

I just looked up Kyle's recruiting page and it turns out he was #4 in his class, the exact same size as Alex(6'8", 215#) and almost the exact same description. Good shot, good basketball IQ, good all-around skills, etc. The only bad thing that it says about Kyle is that he's not super quick or explosive(paraphrasing). Nothing like that is said about Alex.
I wonder if Alex's ranking is partially a reaction to Kyle's struggles his senior year. Are the recruiting experts looking for more athleticism, explosiveness now?

dcar1985
04-22-2011, 02:18 PM
I just looked up Kyle's recruiting page and it turns out he was #4 in his class, the exact same size as Alex(6'8", 215#) and almost the exact same description. Good shot, good basketball IQ, good all-around skills, etc. The only bad thing that it says about Kyle is that he's not super quick or explosive(paraphrasing). Nothing like that is said about Alex.
I wonder if Alex's ranking is partially a reaction to Kyle's struggles his senior year. Are the recruiting experts looking for more athleticism, explosiveness now?

Even though he's committed to Duke and they're similarly sized doesn't make them the same person....recruiting experts don't base rankings off the performance of players they're compared to....that would be pretty much retarded......If Alex had committed to some other school they would be finding some player that attended that school to compare him to

DukieinSoCal
04-22-2011, 02:25 PM
Even though he's committed to Duke and they're similarly sized doesn't make them the same person....recruiting experts don't base rankings off the performance of players they're compared to....that would be pretty much retarded......If Alex had committed to some other school they would be finding some player that attended that school to compare him to

I'm not saying they're the same player or that players are compared to other players from the same schools. I'm just saying that they seem very similar in their size, skill sets, projected positions/roles/impact for us.

And I don't think it's too far-fetched that recruiting experts think of Kyle somewhere in the back of their mind when they're evaluting Alex. All these experts are always making comparisons, anyways, and Kyle and Dunleavy are the 2 names that come up the most often.

dcar1985
04-22-2011, 02:30 PM
I'm not saying they're the same player or that players are compared to other players from the same schools. I'm just saying that they seem very similar in their size, skill sets, projected positions/roles/impact for us.

And I don't think it's too far-fetched that recruiting experts think of Kyle somewhere in the back of their mind when they're evaluting Alex. All these experts are always making comparisons, anyways, and Kyle and Dunleavy are the 2 names that come up the most often.


True and most of that is for people like you, who take those comparisons to heart, but as far as evaluating talent and where hes ranked their looking at Murphys individual game not as in comparison to another player he seems similar too in some past class. Which is how he went from ranked 15th in c/o 2012 to around 40th being compared to c/o 2011 players...Even still I like his game alot and think he'll have a big impact during his time at Duke....definitely more excited about Alex than the possibility of Daniels coming (still not drinking the kool aid)

rotogod00
04-22-2011, 02:58 PM
I don't know if I buy the ranking on Murphy. He was ranked the #15 junior before he decided to graduate early. I understand a small drop in the rankings since he's being compared to players a year older but #15 would indicate that he's highly skilled, ready to make an immediate impact in college, a shoo-in for most All-American honors. #40 makes him seem more like he needs time to develop physically or skill-wise and will likely not make a big impact as a freshman.

I know rankings don't really matter, but I think Alex is very similar to Kyle, probably even a bit more athletic from what I've seen. And Kyle was ranked even higher. Wasn't he #5-6 in his class?

I think Alex has a good chance of winning the starting SF spot at some point in the season and becoming a solid contributor his freshman year. He has great size and skill, perfect for a SF in our system.

All it means is that the 2011 class is deeper than the 2012 class. He's the same player, but he's being compared against a different group.

rotogod00
04-22-2011, 02:59 PM
I just looked up Kyle's recruiting page and it turns out he was #4 in his class, the exact same size as Alex(6'8", 215#) and almost the exact same description. Good shot, good basketball IQ, good all-around skills, etc. The only bad thing that it says about Kyle is that he's not super quick or explosive(paraphrasing). Nothing like that is said about Alex.
I wonder if Alex's ranking is partially a reaction to Kyle's struggles his senior year. Are the recruiting experts looking for more athleticism, explosiveness now?

I can guarantee you that Kyle Singler has absolutely nothing to do Alex's ranking

rotogod00
04-22-2011, 03:01 PM
I'm not saying they're the same player or that players are compared to other players from the same schools. I'm just saying that they seem very similar in their size, skill sets, projected positions/roles/impact for us.

And I don't think it's too far-fetched that recruiting experts think of Kyle somewhere in the back of their mind when they're evaluting Alex. All these experts are always making comparisons, anyways, and Kyle and Dunleavy are the 2 names that come up the most often.

And Singler may have been #40 if he came out this year too

G man
04-22-2011, 04:03 PM
And Singler may have been #40 if he came out this year too

I assume you were making light of the previous comments, but the 07 class was stacked!

In order according to Rivals:

Michael Beasley, Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, Kyle Singler, Kevin Love, Bill Walker, Deandre Jordan, Donte Green, JJ Hickson, James Harden.

I would have to say that is a deep class.

rotogod00
04-22-2011, 04:11 PM
I assume you were making light of the previous comments, but the 07 class was stacked!

In order according to Rivals:

Michael Beasley, Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, Kyle Singler, Kevin Love, Bill Walker, Deandre Jordan, Donte Green, JJ Hickson, James Harden.

I would have to say that is a deep class.

Indeed I was

dukelifer
04-22-2011, 04:23 PM
I don't know if I buy the ranking on Murphy. He was ranked the #15 junior before he decided to graduate early. I understand a small drop in the rankings since he's being compared to players a year older but #15 would indicate that he's highly skilled, ready to make an immediate impact in college, a shoo-in for most All-American honors. #40 makes him seem more like he needs time to develop physically or skill-wise and will likely not make a big impact as a freshman.

I know rankings don't really matter, but I think Alex is very similar to Kyle, probably even a bit more athletic from what I've seen. And Kyle was ranked even higher. Wasn't he #5-6 in his class?

I think Alex has a good chance of winning the starting SF spot at some point in the season and becoming a solid contributor his freshman year. He has great size and skill, perfect for a SF in our system.

He is said to have a high bball IQ and is athletic- that is a usually a good combo- see Manu Ginobli (who was also not highly ranked as a pro by the gurus). He is the son of a former NBA player and his mother played professionally in Europe- so he has good genes. He has good size and bounce- making him a challenging match-up. I think he will be just fine.

turnandburn55
04-24-2011, 09:42 PM
Playing Sanders made more sense just because of the massive attrition following '99 and Duke's lack of depth in 2000. But he was so not ready. Imagine Sanders as a fifth-year senior in 2004. Lots more depth inside, Deng can play more 3.

That may have happened in reality... Boozer/Christensen with Horvath in a spot role since Sanders really wasn't ready. What people forget, though, was that Boozer broke his foot the first time in the 1999 preseason and it wasn't clear when he'd return.

duke1983
04-25-2011, 12:31 PM
via Jerry Meyer from Rivals...

"Jerry, always a great job on the trail. With Alex Murphy joining Duke's 2011 class, what chance do they have of landing DeAndre Daniels who plays basically the same position?

- Lawrence from Spartanburg

The message I am getting from Daniels and also from sources around his recruitment is that it will not affect his decision even though early playing time is a high priority for Daniels. The working assumption from Daniels' camp is that Murphy will redshirt his first year at Duke.

I would also add that Daniels is much more ready to play next year in the ACC than Murphy is.

So Kansas and Texas fans are still left hoping that they can sign Daniels. Duke is the assumed leader at this point, but there have been number of changes in Daniels' tumultuous recruitment"

yancem
04-25-2011, 02:10 PM
You've come to that conclusion how? because of the highlight video posted on DBR a week or so ago of Daniels?

No I come to that conclusion based on what I've heard about him from people that evaluate high school recruits for a living. I try to formulate very few opinions based on highlight videos. I know that there are some that are not that high on Daniels but the fact is that there are several people in recruiting circles that feel that Daniels is a potential one and done type talent and that he is more ready to contribute next season than Murphy and maybe Gbinije. Also, there have been rumors for months that Murphy would likely red shirt if he came early so I don't think I can be too far off base

Regardless, I don't I don't think that it is very likely that all three get significant playing time next season. There are too many other talented and more experienced players that will be on the roster. And let's also keep in mind that K is still recruiting Daniels fairly hard even though he knows that Murphy and Gbinije will be on the roster next season. I can only assume that he has a reason for still wanting Daniels to come to Duke and I don't think that it is to sit on the bench.

dcar1985
04-25-2011, 03:57 PM
No I come to that conclusion based on what I've heard about him from people that evaluate high school recruits for a living. I try to formulate very few opinions based on highlight videos. I know that there are some that are not that high on Daniels but the fact is that there are several people in recruiting circles that feel that Daniels is a potential one and done type talent and that he is more ready to contribute next season than Murphy and maybe Gbinije. Also, there have been rumors for months that Murphy would likely red shirt if he came early so I don't think I can be too far off base

Regardless, I don't I don't think that it is very likely that all three get significant playing time next season. There are too many other talented and more experienced players that will be on the roster. And let's also keep in mind that K is still recruiting Daniels fairly hard even though he knows that Murphy and Gbinije will be on the roster next season. I can only assume that he has a reason for still wanting Daniels to come to Duke and I don't think that it is to sit on the bench.

I can respect that. I keep track w/ just about every evaluator worth a penny but I also don't believe they're the end all be all and they definitely aren't always right....I consider myself a pretty good evaluator of talent even though its not my chosen profession so I usually go w/ what I see out of a player and also learn what I can from those who get to see these kids play more often......Never heard Daniels being mentioned as a one and done anything, he might be one of those players that jump when they should stay but not because he's a solid lottery pick.

I agree w/ the fact that he's more ready to play than Murphy, he's got a year on him in terms of experience and development of his game, now Gbinije on the other hand (also a 5th year player) I feel like is just the better all around player, there's just not alot of flash to his game which can cause all the little things he does to be overlooked.

I for one see Dre seeing the most time at the 3 based on the assumption that he puts in the work needed during the summer to improve his handle and cup game BUT if that doesn't happen I expect Gbinije to be ready to step into the spot or if Daniels commits for them to battle it out and best man wins....I just don't like the notion of people throwing Daniels into a starting spot already and blowing him up as some Kevin Durant clone.....he's FAR from it and he's not the defensive presence that Henson is either (I keep hearing that comparison alot)

As far as K recruiting him hard, I dont think K promises anybody time I think he sees a good player still uncommitted who has interest in the program so why not go after him....K may recruit to certain roles or needs in his team but I doubt he recruits anyone to sit on the bench.

yancem
04-25-2011, 07:44 PM
I can respect that. I keep track w/ just about every evaluator worth a penny but I also don't believe they're the end all be all and they definitely aren't always right....I consider myself a pretty good evaluator of talent even though its not my chosen profession so I usually go w/ what I see out of a player and also learn what I can from those who get to see these kids play more often......Never heard Daniels being mentioned as a one and done anything, he might be one of those players that jump when they should stay but not because he's a solid lottery pick.

I agree w/ the fact that he's more ready to play than Murphy, he's got a year on him in terms of experience and development of his game, now Gbinije on the other hand (also a 5th year player) I feel like is just the better all around player, there's just not alot of flash to his game which can cause all the little things he does to be overlooked.

I for one see Dre seeing the most time at the 3 based on the assumption that he puts in the work needed during the summer to improve his handle and cup game BUT if that doesn't happen I expect Gbinije to be ready to step into the spot or if Daniels commits for them to battle it out and best man wins....I just don't like the notion of people throwing Daniels into a starting spot already and blowing him up as some Kevin Durant clone.....he's FAR from it and he's not the defensive presence that Henson is either (I keep hearing that comparison alot)

As far as K recruiting him hard, I dont think K promises anybody time I think he sees a good player still uncommitted who has interest in the program so why not go after him....K may recruit to certain roles or needs in his team but I doubt he recruits anyone to sit on the bench.

Having not seen Daniels play in person, I'm certainly not qualified to judge his level of play. I can only go by what I hear and I specifically asked a recruiting evaluator that I respect about Daniels vs. Murphy and he is very high on Daniels. He's high on Murphy as well but feels he needs a little more time to develop. He is also the one who mentioned the one and done possibility. I think that many people are hesitant about Daniels because he is a late bloomer and is at IMG and hasn't gotten as much exposure as some of the other top recruits. That being said he certainly is not a lock to start or be a major contributor. My point was that Duke has 4 players that primary position will be the 3 and not all of them can/will get minutes so red shirting one of the freshman might make sense.

It is also because of the crowding at the 3 spot that makes me think that Daniels may have the talent to get major minutes and possibly start. I don't see certain role or need that Daniels brings to the table that isn't already covered by Dawkins, Gbinije or Murphy. So, unless K sees him as simply being more talented, I'm not sure why Duke is still recruiting him. If he can't at least beat out Gbinije and Murphy (and have a good chance at Dawkins) then we might as well hold the scholarship for 2012. Since Duke is still recruiting him, I have to think that the staff think he could be special.

lotusland
04-25-2011, 07:56 PM
Kenny Blakeney also redshirted as a freshman. Blakeney had minor knee surgery later that season but it was a scope and the decision to redshirt had already been made.

A case can be made that Eric Meek and perhaps Casey Sanders should have been held out as freshmen. Meek was recovering from being hit by a car while jogging. Had Crawford Palmer not transferred to Dartmouth, Meek would have redshirted in
1992. Given that Duke had Laettner and Parks in 1992, there was no compelling reason for Meek to have played that year. IMO. He could have been a fifth-year senior in 1996, a season when Duke could have used his size and experience.

Playing Sanders made more sense just because of the massive attrition following '99 and Duke's lack of depth in 2000. But he was so not ready. Imagine Sanders as a fifth-year senior in 2004. Lots more depth inside, Deng can play more 3.

Oh well. We all know what they say about hindsight.

Shav should have redshirted his freshman year IMO. I know he left before using all of his eligibility but I think playing while hampered by the injury probably caused him lose confidence while watching his draft stock drop. Unlike Burgess I always thought Shav's shot looked good but he just needed a little more confidence. He had the ability to get to the basket so if the defense had to honor his perimeter shot he could have been big-time. Of course McBob may have started over him if he had stayed anyway.

JasonEvans
04-26-2011, 07:31 AM
Shav should have redshirted his freshman year IMO. I know he left before using all of his eligibility but I think playing while hampered by the injury probably caused him lose confidence while watching his draft stock drop. Unlike Burgess I always thought Shav's shot looked good but he just needed a little more confidence. He had the ability to get to the basket so if the defense had to honor his perimeter shot he could have been big-time. Of course McBob may have started over him if he had stayed anyway.

Shav's best games at Duke were the first two games of his career. If he had redshirted, we might have never gotten to see him dominate Army and Davidson.

--Jason "some people were sooo taken with those first couple games they made ridiculous pronouncements about Shav's future" Evans

roywhite
05-05-2011, 01:33 PM
Alex Murphy is official.

He signed his LOI as reported by goduke.com (http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=205147256)

Welcome, Alex!

hughgs
05-05-2011, 06:53 PM
--Jason "some people were sooo taken with those first couple games they made ridiculous pronouncements about Shav's future" Evans

LOL, yeah, we should've banned those posters!

CharlestonDevil
05-19-2011, 02:55 PM
that Deandre Daniels will not be a Blue Devil, what does that do to the probability that Murphy will be redshirting?

I would assume it decreases those chances, although it would still probably be a better idea.

JimBD
05-19-2011, 03:31 PM
that Deandre Daniels will not be a Blue Devil, what does that do to the probability that Murphy will be redshirting?

I would assume it decreases those chances, although it would still probably be a better idea.

Redshirting his first year would give Murphy a fifth year at Duke to use up four years of eligibility. But why redshirt? Do you really expect him to still be at Duke after four years? I hope he has graduated and/or is in the NBA by then.

Kedsy
05-19-2011, 03:44 PM
Redshirting his first year would give Murphy a fifth year at Duke to use up four years of eligibility. But why redshirt? Do you really expect him to still be at Duke after four years? I hope he has graduated and/or is in the NBA by then.

I don't see what graduation would have to do with it. From what everyone says about him, though, it seems possible he'd be in the NBA by then. But you never know.

Ultimately, the decision has to be whatever's best for Alex.

watzone
05-26-2011, 11:13 AM
http://bluedevilnation.net/2011/05/alex-murphy-prepares-for-his-duke-arrrival/ I caught up with soon to be Dukie Alex Murphy the other day and he shared some of his thoughts about graduating early and the coming summer.

watzone
08-07-2011, 08:44 PM
http://bluedevilnation.net/2011/08/bdn-video-alex-murphy-checks-in/ A new Alex Murphy interview.