Duke Basketball Media Day 2011-12

[watzone]

There will be quite a bit of information hitting tomorrow, so a new thread is in order. Let's start it off with this Andre Dawkins interview - http://bluedevilnation.net/2011/10/bdn-video-checks-in-with-duke-junior-andre-dawkins/

[watzone]

Here is one more interview with Duke freshman point guard Quinn Cook. Coach K said that he his knew had healed and that he's ready to go - http://bluedevilnation.net/2011/10/bdn-goes-one-on-one-with-duke-freshman-quinn-cook/

[Kedsy]

There will be quite a bit of information hitting tomorrow, so a new thread is in order. Let's start it off with this Andre Dawkins interview - http://bluedevilnation.net/2011/10/bdn-video-checks-in-with-duke-junior-andre-dawkins/

Thanks, Mark. Interesting that Andre said when he was younger he mostly played in the post.

[watzone]

Thanks, Mark. Interesting that Andre said when he was younger he mostly played in the post.


That was news to me as well and I have been talking with him since he was 15 years old. He's really quiet off the court, but he is cool too. When at Boo Williams he always had the young ladies hanging close and was uses in their system as an outside shooter and not much else. He remains great friends with Kendall Marshall to this day. He will play a key role for this seasons team

[jimsumner]

K had some interesting comments.

Team healthy. Cook is ready to go.

Team strengths should be depth, balance and three experienced bigs. Rivers is the guy who can break down defenders off the dribble. Everybody else will need help getting shots. Proper spacing will be vital.

Duke will get the big guys involved in the offense, without giving up the trademark perimeter prowess. K thinks Duke may have to remind everyone not to forget the big guys. K expects the bigs to take up a lot of space on defense and block a lot of shots.

Says everybody is under the radar. Duke needs some guys who are above the radar, all the time.

Austin not as ready as Kyrie but China trip was good for Austin.

Because of the NBA lockout, lots of current pros hanging around. Look for some Friday, J.J. and Henderson among them. Having guys like Grant, Battier and Dunleavy imparting words of wisdom to the youngsters is an asset not available to most programs. Not pick-up games as much as off-court interaction.

Mason came in for some specfic praise. "at a really good spot. Right there."

Seth primarily will be at the point. But he will play some off the ball, with Thornton or Cook at the point.

Because of the China/Dubai trip, Duke will have to be careful to give the team enough rest. More days off.

Not one person asked about Knight and the record. K just doesn't care and everyone knows it.

Lots of talk about expansion and getting it right. Says Boeheim needs a cup of coffee before he answers questions. After that, he's okay. :)

K seems to think 16 is a good number, with at least an 18-game conference schedule. Expects divisions but says pod system makes him "vomit." Never actually heard that word in a presser.

In the soon-to-be 14-team conference, K would like two divisions and a 19-game schedule. No, not a typo. Play the six teams in your division twice, the seven teams in the other division once. Recognizes the home/road problem but doesn't think it's a problem.

Later.

[Duvall]

In the soon-to-be 14-team conference, K would like two divisions and a 19-game schedule. No, not a typo. Play the six teams in your division twice, the seven teams in the other division once. Recognizes the home/road problem but doesn't think it's a problem.

Easily solved - nine home games, nine road games, and one game in Madison Square Garden.

[pfrduke]

Easily solved - nine home games, nine road games, and one game in Madison Square Garden.

I suspect you're being somewhat tongue in cheek, but a single-neutral-site, 2-day, 7-game opening weekend event for ACC play would be pretty neat, and possibly a way to further enhance media attention on the conference.

[Reilly]

I suspect you're being somewhat tongue in cheek, but a single-neutral-site, 2-day, 7-game opening weekend event for ACC play would be pretty neat, and possibly a way to further enhance media attention on the conference.

They could call it the Big Four(teen) ...

[Kedsy]

I suspect you're being somewhat tongue in cheek, but a single-neutral-site, 2-day, 7-game opening weekend event for ACC play would be pretty neat, and possibly a way to further enhance media attention on the conference.

What a cool idea. But wouldn't that mean that some teams you'd only play at home once every three years (or alternatively you'd have to give up the home and home for a division rival)?

[pfrduke]

What a cool idea. But wouldn't that mean that some teams you'd only play at home once every three years (or alternatively you'd have to give up the home and home for a division rival)?

Yes, but the alternative is having an uneven number of home/road games, so I think it's worth it. And it would definitely be cross-divisional games - that way you get 6 home/6 away in your division, and 3 home/3 away/1 neutral out of division.

[Reilly]

The new, season-opening 14-game tournament should be held, at first, at the new, outlying schools' cities: Year 1 (Carrier Dome); Year 2 (Pittsburgh); Year 3 (Boston), Year 4 (Miami) ... keep it rotating around the edges of the conference footprint w/ the newer entrants. Let that be their introduction to ACC b'ball.

Save the year-end ACC tournament for North Carolina, just as Gary Williams would want it.

[CDu]

Thanks, Mark. Interesting that Andre said when he was younger he mostly played in the post.

Definitely interesting, but I took that as he played post "growing up" (i.e., in youth leagues and maybe even some of middle school). I don't think that would be incredibly uncommon. If he was a taller kid growing up and wasn't one of the best ballhandlers on his youth team (neither would be shocking to me), he probably was asked to guard the other tall kids and play the post. I could see him getting to age 12/13/14 and realizing "I'm not going to be tall enough to be a post player - I should get really good at shooting," and then getting better and better at shooting.

I suspect that since high school he's been a perimeter shooter. Still, it's always interesting to hear the paths that these kids take in terms of basketball from age 8 to age 14 (we tend to now be able to access quite a bit about their high school years thanks to those who follow the high school and AAU circuits). But it's my guess that these kids have very different experiences in their early years (with many not playing any organized team ball until high school, and many others playing very different positions than they do now).

[ChillinDuke]

I suspect you're being somewhat tongue in cheek, but a single-neutral-site, 2-day, 7-game opening weekend event for ACC play would be pretty neat, and possibly a way to further enhance media attention on the conference.

What a great idea! I would love to see something like this. Definitely would get media attention, an event that people and TV viewers could get excited for.

[watzone]

Here is a brief 1 on 1 with Alex Murphy - http://bluedevilnation.net/2011/10/bdn-video-goes-1-on-1-with-alex-murphy/ As most can tell, I have known these guys for a bit from following them on the AAU circuit.

[Son of Jarhead]

I suspect you're being somewhat tongue in cheek, but a single-neutral-site, 2-day, 7-game opening weekend event for ACC play would be pretty neat, and possibly a way to further enhance media attention on the conference.

I like it! Perhaps moved around between NYC, DC, Charlotte, Atlanta, Orlando??? Would need to be in December, maybe on a weekend, with 3 games on a Friday or Sunday, and 4 games on Saturday, but with care to avoid messing up trips to holiday tourneys. Definitely cross divisional, 7 year rotation on match-ups, and maybe look for a match-up (probably always Duke vs. X, since they all hate us so;-) each year that is somewhat compelling for the game site locals. {As as example, Duke vs. Syracuse in NYC would draw local interest from New Yorkers, but I know that's an idea that is VERY dependent on who is in what division.} I will be very interested in seeing what the divisions look like. Somewhat random (as with the current football divisions) or geographical? Mmmm, ok.... Regardless of my ramblings, excellent idea you have there, pfrduke! Somebody send it to Swofford.

[SilkyJ]

is there a video link to K's comments/presser?

[dcar1985]

Thanks, Mark. Interesting that Andre said when he was younger he mostly played in the post.

Nah not really...In HS as a freshman I played the 5 for a season, all 5'11 of me lol..

[watzone]

Austin Rivers shows off his new tattoo's - http://bluedevilnation.net/

[watzone]

Here is another 2 minute clip, this time with Mason Plumlee - http://bluedevilnation.net/2011/10/bdn-goes-1-on-1-with-mason-plumlee-2/ Coach K said, "He's right there," in reference to him breaking out.