Welcome to Duke, Amile Jefferson!

[-jk]

Welcome! Here's to a fine career!

-jk

[miramar]

Dad looks great in a Duke cap. I look forward to seeing him in the stands for the next few years.

[-bdbd]

Terrible sound quality on the video - I didn't know for sure until I saw the hats!
From what I could hear he sure seems articulte and thoughtful.

I'm proposing another theory: Duke is the kind of school that grows on you. It seems like the kids who think about these decisions until very late in the process (mid-May) more often choose Duke... Thinking Lance Thomas and Amile.

Welcome to Duke Amile. Great to have you, and looking forward to great things next year!!!
Very welcome news for Duke recruiting! Sets the stage nicely for the (looking strong) 2013 and 2014 classes... :cool:

[cbnaylor]

I know many have already stated this, but I'm really looking forward to next years TEAM. I think we will see a lot more team ball. Welcome to Duke Amile and good luck.

[ThePublisher]

WOOOOHOOOO! Welcome Amile! His length will be fantastic for years to come and there is really room for him to have a nice role next year. Best thing is that he seems to be a very smart kid with his priorities straight, unlike a lot of 'student' athletes these days. Should be another excellent addition to the Duke family.

[OldPhiKap]

I know many have already stated this, but I'm really looking forward to next years TEAM. I think we will see a lot more team ball. Welcome to Duke Amile and good luck.

This x2.

WooHoo!

[roywhite]

Terrible sound quality on the video - I didn't know for sure until I saw the hats! From what I could hear he sure seems articulte and thoughtful.

I'm proposing another theory: Duke is the kind of school that grows on you. It seems like the kids who think about these decisions until very late in the process (mid-May) more often choose Duke... Thinking Lance Thomas and Amile.

Welcome to Duke Amile. Great to have you, and looking forward to great things next year!!!
Very welcome news for Duke recruiting! Sets the stage nicely for the (looking strong) 2013 and 2014 classes... :cool:

Boy, you're right about the sound quality....after he announced, I couldn't make out the words, but I was pretty sure his choice was (one syllable) University....looked good for our side. :D

Kudos to Amile for showing up on time, not doing the hat shuffle thing, and announcing it straight out.
I'm no longer bothered by how long this process took.:)

Welcome, indeed!

[loldevilz]

He was definitely the one I wanted the most. The guy has skills and is very very long. He is exactly what Duke needs. I bet he plays minutes from day 1. He may even get minutes over Hairston and Murph (less likely).

In a few years our team will be ridiculous:

Marshall
Amile
Murp
Jones
Sulaimon

That's a very nice core.

[camion]

The freshman (including redshirts) class looks pretty darned good doesn't it?

Welcome Amile. I think you'll like it at Duke.

[watzone]

Here is an article where Andrew speaks of what kind of player and kid Amile Jefferson is - http://bluedevilnation.net/2012/05/philadelphia-express-amile-jefferson-to-duke/ Big, much needed grab for Duke.

[revmel53]

Amile Jefferson is a good player, but not a great one - yet... We need his length and athleticism, and because he is not great, we will have him for three or four years... Bazz would have been one and done... This team is shaping up to be a strong one - again I say it will be a better TEAM than last year... Let the games begin...

[roywhite]

Here is an article where Andrew speaks of what kind of player and kid Amile Jefferson is - http://bluedevilnation.net/2012/05/philadelphia-express-amile-jefferson-to-duke/ Big, much needed grab for Duke.

Thanks, Mark....now 'fess up; did you have a good idea how this recruitment was going to play out?

[elvis14]

I don't know why but this makes me really happy! Really helps complete our roster.

[tdrake51]

It is going to be so nice watching a team with a little versatility. Amile will be a nice change of pace off the bench. I could also see him getting big minutes against more mobile PFs if he is ready and picks up the defense.

[pfrduke]

Great news! Helps contribute quite a bit to the team's size and versatility next year, and hopefully he'll be a stalwart over his 4-year career.

[juise]

Per Dave Telep's Tweet (http://twitter.com/#!/davetelep):


Dave Telep ‏ @DaveTelep
Just got off with Amile. Kid is more excited than relieved. Excitement came thru phone. NC State pushed Duke hard here. He had tough call

[subzero02]

How does Amile compare to silent G?

[lotusland]

The various articles linked on the front page have Amile at 6'6, 6'7, 6'8 and 6'9. Hopefully this just means he's still growing. Maybe he's 6'10 by now:D.

Either way I was glad to read his HS coach quoted as saying he was more comfortable playing with his back to the basket. You don't hear that said about many HS players these days. One recruiting analyst compared his game to Antawn Jamison. I hope he's right!

[Indoor66]

The various articles linked on the front page have Amile at 6'6, 6'7, 6'8 and 6'9. Hopefully this just means he's still growing. Maybe he's 6'10 by now:D.

Either way I was glad to read his HS coach quoted as saying he was more comfortable playing with his back to the basket. You don't hear that said about many HS players these days. One recruiting analyst compared his game to Antawn Jamison. I hope he's right!

If he is 6'10", I am sure that Daniel Ewing will get an immediate T.

[-bdbd]

This one really picked me up. Duke hadn't had a commitment in a while, and especially one that was a "surprise" to many (myself probably included). He seems like a quality PERSON, well-spoken and obviously had considered implications on all sides. He fills a specific need at Duke. NCSU was his clear #2.


http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=178&f=2515&t=8993362&p=12

On a funnier note, Pack Pride is in meltdown mode. I've not been over there much before. But the tone seems pretty different than IC. Not sure how to describe it. IC tone seems more "entitled," whereas PP is more angry/rough-around-the-edges... Lot's of invectives thrown at AJ, and Coach K. To be fair, there are some posters wishing him well too (but that's a minority).

Welcome AJ!!!!


---------------------------

lotusland
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Member

various articles linked on the front page have Amile at 6'6, 6'7, 6'8 and 6'9. Hopefully this just means he's still growing. Maybe he's 6'10 by now



Lotus: He just grew a couple inches in MY book!!! ;)

[gwlaw99]

This one really picked me up. Duke hadn't had a commitment in a while, and especially one that was a "surprise" to many (myself probably included). He seems like a quality PERSON, well-spoken and obviously had considered implications on all sides. He fills a specific need at Duke. NCSU was his clear #2.


http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=178&f=2515&t=8993362&p=12

On a funnier note, Pack Pride is in meltdown mode. I've not been over there much before. But the tone seems pretty different than IC. Not sure how to describe it.


Did they go into "we should leave the ACC mode"?

[freedevil]

Amile's announcement makes this video much more entertaining... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJGivAmaXyQ[/VIDEO])

[fayfan20]

Here's an updated story with a lot of quotes from Jefferson:

http://blogs.fayobserver.com/accbasketball/May-2012/Amile-Jefferson-picks-Duke-over-N-C--State,-Villan

[watzone]

Thanks, Mark....now 'fess up; did you have a good idea how this recruitment was going to play out?

I started getting good vibes last evening and Jefferson never said a thing negative to Duke to my knowledge. We work the philly are sources when necessary. But nobody knew for sure until it came out of his mouth. We were confident enough to have an article ready to go. Everybody sold Duke short, even their own fans.

[Saratoga2]

I kept quiet while this was going on but can say that I am very pleased with Amile's decision. I think it will be good for him and for the team, a win/win situation. Depending on Andre's decision, we have a great need for a small forward to supplement where we are currently low on players. While he is thin right now, he will strengthen under the Duke physical training program and he has the physical tools to become a fine college player. Welcome to him and to his family.

[SmartDevil]

Welcome, Amile ! I think you and Duke are both going to benefit from this smart choice. You're going to help Duke achieve (and love the time you invest in the Duke experience) and K and the staff are going to help you develop and stand out!

I see very good things ahead. And, frankly, I thought you would choose Duke because I've had the impression your intelligence makes you a good decision maker....an element of you that will prove valuable throughout your basketball future as well.

[J4Kop99]

Great news! Can't wait to see him out there.

[FerryFor50]

I think it's funny how NCSU fans are overreacting. Was their top 5 class already not enough? And CJ Leslie coming back?

Maybe they should focus on maintaining respectability rather than expecting it.

[davekay1971]

Congratulations to Amile and welcome to Duke! I've been quiet about his recruitment but now that he's in the family, I'm delighted to see him coming to Duke. He'll provide some depth at the 3/4 positions, and may well grow into a starting option at the 4 as an athletic stretch player giving us a tall, athletic combination at the 3/4 with Alex for the next couple seasons. Add that to Marshall in the low post and, regardless how the 2013 class shapes up, we'll have a nice front line.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I think it's funny how NCSU fans are overreacting. Was their top 5 class already not enough? And CJ Leslie coming back?

Maybe they should focus on maintaining respectability rather than expecting it.


Yeah, NC State is just fine. They got Rodney Purvis who is one of the best scorers in the country coming in to compliment CJ Leslie.

A great pickup for us though! So happy to know we got our Lance Thomas clone in :)

[SupaDave]

I started getting good vibes last evening and Jefferson never said a thing negative to Duke to my knowledge. We work the philly are sources when necessary. But nobody knew for sure until it came out of his mouth. We were confident enough to have an article ready to go. Everybody sold Duke short, even their own fans.

Actually I knew it was a done deal when he mentioned Gene Banks in the article about the Philly tourney. That was a big indicator for me. He had done his research. He had done his DUKE research. I stopped posting after that article.

[jimsumner]

Yeah, NC State is just fine. They got Rodney Purvis who is one of the best scorers in the country coming in to compliment CJ Leslie.



"Hey, C.J. nice play. Looking good."

"Thanks, Rodney. I appreciate the compliment."

[wtm001]

Only video I can found of the announcement. A lot clearer than the stream.

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

[roywhite]

Only video I can found of the announcement. A lot clearer than the stream.

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

well, the audio was clearer. :)

nice to hear the very positive crowd reaction

[MCFinARL]

"Hey, C.J. nice play. Looking good."

"Thanks, Rodney. I appreciate the compliment."

hahahahahahahahahaha!

Sorry for a "pointless" post but I can't give you pitchforks right now and this gave me a laugh.

[MChambers]

"Hey, C.J. nice play. Looking good."

"Thanks, Rodney. I appreciate the compliment."

That's like the old UNC running back interview, right? I'd give you a sport, but you're probably maxed out.

[ncexnyc]

Welcome to Duke Amile. I hope this arrangement is mutually beneficial to both parties.

[dukeman28428]

Amile:

Thanks for choosing Duke and we look forward to seeing you play in Cameron.

Duke is a special place and you will be happy here.

Let's get it done!!!!!!!!!!

[jipops]

His commitment certainly helps us, especially with his length. But it may be wise to be cautious with the expectations. As Dave Telep has mentioned, he is more of a complimentary player right now than an impact player. It may take him year or two before he becomes a regular rotation player. He doesn't appear to have a lot of explosiveness or bounce and the release on his jumper looks kind of slow, but you've got to love that 7-ft wingspan. Hopefully he finds full enjoyment at Duke and we have ourselves a very productive 4 year guy. The demeanor he has already exhibited is very encouraging.

[jimsumner]

His commitment certainly helps us, especially with his length. But it may be wise to be cautious with the expectations. As Dave Telep has mentioned, he is more of a complimentary player right now than an impact player. It may take him year or two before he becomes a regular rotation player. He doesn't appear to have a lot of explosiveness or bounce and the release on his jumper looks kind of slow, but you've got to love that 7-ft wingspan. Hopefully he finds full enjoyment at Duke and we have ourselves a very productive 4 year guy. The demeanor he has already exhibited is very encouraging.

Folks, the word is complementary. Not complimentary.

[NSDukeFan]

Folks, the word is complementary. Not complimentary.

But he has had some great things to say about coach K. :D

[jimsumner]

The official press release from Duke.

"Five-star forward Amile Jefferson, a senior at Friends’ Central School in Philadelphia, Pa., signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at Duke University beginning in the 2012-13 season, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff announced on Tuesday.

“We are ecstatic about Amile joining us,” Krzyzewski said. “He is a perfect young man for Duke University. His educational background at Friends' Central School prepared him so well for Duke, and his high school coach prepared him well to play at Duke. He is going to be able to help us right away. He is a winner, they won four straight state titles, and he is an easy guy to play with because he will do anything to help his team win.”

A 6-7, 190-pound power forward, Jefferson averaged 19.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game as a senior at Friends’ Central. He ranks as the No. 25 recruit and No. 4 power forward in the 2012 class according to ESPN.com, the No. 21 recruit and No. 3 power forward by Scout.com and the No. 36 recruit and No. 7 power forward by Rivals.com.

“Coach K brings an energy to our team that I want to bring back to him,” Jefferson said. “When he looks in my eyes, I want him to see the energy that I see in his eyes.”

Jefferson is the 57th McDonald’s All-American to commit to Duke and the 55th under head coach Mike Krzyzewski. He will be one of six former McDonald’s All-Americans on the 2012-13 edition of the Blue Devils. Jefferson is joined in the 2012 class by guard Rasheed Sulaimon, while redshirt freshmen Alex Murphy and Marshall Plumlee are also expected to make a significant impact next season.

“Our class is really four great youngsters with Amille, Rasheed [Sulaimon] and then Alex [Murphy] and Marshall [Plumlee] redshirting,” Krzyzewski said. “With those four guys ready to play, they are going to help us immensely. They are talented and all have great character.”

Duke returns nine letterwinners from a 2010-11 squad that went 27-7 and reached the NCAA Tournament for the 17th consecutive season. Jefferson will team with a front court that includes senior forwards Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly, junior forward Josh Hairston and redshirt freshmen Murphy and Marshall Plumlee."

[Chris Randolph]

Great news here. Very excited about this signing. Had been a little bummed with the misses on a few recruits and transfers the last few months. But this is awesome! Getting excited for next season more and more

[Newton_14]

Wow, this was quite the pleasant surprise indeed! I had resigned myself to the fact that the choice was going to be NC State. I did allow myself a small glimmer of hope this morning when Dave Telep stated on The Insiders that it was definitely down to State and Duke, but Telep refused to call it either way. I was expecting Telep to call it for State but instead he said he did not have enough to call it either way. All the State sources were stating it was a done deal though.

Welcome to Duke Amile Jefferson indeed, and congrats to K and Staff for closing the deal. Who knows how much he contributes this year, but Amile is right in that there isn't anyone else on the roster quite like him. You can't teach length. He will provide valuable depth this season, and help balance out scrimmages in practice at the very least. If he can grasp the Duke defense early, he could garner some minutes defending some of the quicker forwards in the league. Definitely an important player in 2013-14 season.

I look forward to watching Amile play in the early season games to see how he stacks up and how fast he is able to pick of the Duke scheme's on offense and defense.

I just have one important question.... what is the proper pronunciation of his name?

[NM Duke Fan]

"He is going to be able to help us right away."

That is nice to hear from coach K!

I am personally more excited about getting Amile than I would have been about some of the more highly touted one and done type players. A likely 3-4 year player with outstanding character, educational goals, and already a good level of skill, that is the foundation of the program. A seven foot wing span makes me wonder what kind of shot blocking he is eventually going to bring to the game. And keep in mind he has never really seriously partaken of weight training, which when done right can augment explosiveness.

In sum, I really like this 4 player class!

[gumbomoop]

Having posted a number of times about Amile on this and other threads, I'm delighted with his decision. I had no idea which university he would choose, so I neither predicted this nor, quite, expected it, given the rumor-vibes re NCSt, and, frankly, the "logic" of a possible lean toward UK, given their very thin numbers for next season.

Although early on there was great hope about recruiting one of the several talented centers in the class of 2012, Mason's return, not to mention Marshall's expected development, has taken most of the sting out of the "disappointing" college choices of TP and others. Further, although Shabazz is obviously a wonderful talent, I myself have been more enthusiastic about 3 other players: Rasheed Sulaimon, Amile Jefferson, and Alex Poythress. Two out of three, along with Marshall and Alex, sure makes for lots of talent-ready-to-break-out.

Sulaimon, Jefferson, and Poythress are just [I]interesting players. Not, I'll admit, as interesting as the really different game of Kyle Anderson, but interesting nonetheless, because Sulaimon, Jefferson, and Poythress are all multi-skilled, long, combos, willing defenders, smart, with good handles. Now maybe there are many such players in, say, the consensus top 30 in the class of 2012. Maybe most who are in that top 30 are there precisely because of the very attributes that drew my own attention toward our guys and Poythress.

In any case, Duke has 3 new guys next year who possess multiple skills and who can play more than one position. And the fourth, Marshall, has been and will continue to be allowed to develop gradually, playing important backup minutes in 2012-'13, and major/starter's minutes for 2-3 years thereafter.

I'll give Rasheed some credit, too for encouraging Amile to come to Duke. Just a very nice feeling this evening.

[Rich]

well, the audio was clearer. :)

nice to hear the very positive crowd reaction

Perfect framing by the step stool

[Gthoma2a]

Congrats, and welcome, Amile. I am really glad to see him come here. He has the length to do some awesome things. I hope we can develop him like how UNC did Henson (Henson isn't a freak athlete, but he has the length to get the ball in the basket around the rim with ease). I have heard that he defends really well. We know he has length. I don't see the speed of his release being a huge problem. Henson doesn't have a fast release, but he gets it off. I would say Ryan Kelly falls in that category, too. I would like to see us use him just to have a defender who can go man, use his length to disrupt and try to create turnovers. If we can be an active defensive team that runs, we can beat teams that may be playing better than us on any given night. I am just excited about next year.

[jipops]

Folks, the word is complementary. Not complimentary.

I comend you for the correction.

[UrinalCake]

The various articles linked on the front page have Amile at 6'6, 6'7, 6'8 and 6'9. Hopefully this just means he's still growing. Maybe he's 6'10 by now:D.

Either way I was glad to read his HS coach quoted as saying he was more comfortable playing with his back to the basket. You don't hear that said about many HS players these days. One recruiting analyst compared his game to Antawn Jamison. I hope he's right!

Yeah, one link had him at 6'7, 190 while another said 6'9, 205. That's a pretty big difference. I'll assume for now that the second number is more up-to-date 8-).

Over the last few weeks I hadn't gotten too worked up over him, as I viewed him as more of a guy who would be useful in later years. But the more I read about him, the more excited I am to have him for this coming season. I think he'll be more than just a good guy to have in practice, he'll get a few minutes of floor time per game, provide a different skill set than anyone else on the team, and best of all he sounds like a real high-character guy who really wants to be at Duke!

As for the comparison to Jamison, I'm strangely okay with that. Jamison is one of my favorite Carolina guys, if such a thing exists.

[MCFinARL]

Yeah, one link had him at 6'7, 190 while another said 6'9, 205. That's a pretty big difference. I'll assume for now that the second number is more up-to-date 8-).

Over the last few weeks I hadn't gotten too worked up over him, as I viewed him as more of a guy who would be useful in later years. But the more I read about him, the more excited I am to have him for this coming season. I think he'll be more than just a good guy to have in practice, he'll get a few minutes of floor time per game, provide a different skill set than anyone else on the team, and best of all he sounds like a real high-character guy who really wants to be at Duke!

As for the comparison to Jamison, I'm strangely okay with that. Jamison is one of my favorite Carolina guys, if such a thing exists.

Agree with this. He was a rare beacon of sanity and maturity on the otherwise completely dysfunctional Wizards for several years.

[Starter]

"Hey, C.J. nice play. Looking good."

"Thanks, Rodney. I appreciate the compliment."

I think you need a comma after C.J. It's either that, or "Nice" needs to be capitalized. (I just always keep in mind that nobody's perfect, especially on message boards. But overall, I have nothing but complimentary things to say about your posts and work.)

As for Amile being an instant contributor as Krzyzewski has suggested, I hope so. There's definitely an opening in the Duke frontcourt left by the graduation of Miles. I've never actually seen Amile play live, but I do feel like if Kentucky was recruiting him as hard as they were, he probably has the ability to play right away in some capacity. I look forward to getting a better handle on what he brings to the table.

[jimsumner]

I think you need a comma after C.J. It's either that, or "Nice" needs to be capitalized. (I just always keep in mind that nobody's perfect, especially on message boards. But overall, I have nothing but complimentary things to say about your posts and work.)

As for Amile being an instant contributor as Krzyzewski has suggested, I hope so. There's definitely an opening in the Duke frontcourt left by the graduation of Miles. I've never actually seen Amile play live, but I do feel like if Kentucky was recruiting him as hard as they were, he probably has the ability to play right away in some capacity. I look forward to getting a better handle on what he brings to the table.

Well, I am quoting college kids. :)

[Starter]

Well, I am quoting college kids. :)

LOL! Word.

[Kedsy]

Folks, the word is complementary. Not complimentary.

Don't worry, Jim. Most of us got your joke the first time.

[FerryFor50]

Agree with this. He was a rare beacon of sanity and maturity on the otherwise completely dysfunctional Wizards for several years.

Definitely. I *wanted* to hate Jamison, especially because it was so easy to hate Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse. But you just couldn't. Seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

[WakeDevil]

"He will be one of six former McDonald’s All-Americans on the 2012-13 edition of the Blue Devils."

Nobody is a former MAA, and nobody is a former winner of a golf tournament, etc.

[BD80]

Folks, the word is complementary. Not complimentary.

It sounded write to me :rolleyes:

[juise]

"He will be one of six former McDonald’s All-Americans on the 2012-13 edition of the Blue Devils."

Nobody is a former MAA, and nobody is a former winner of a golf tournament, etc.

That press release also referred to last season's team as 2010-11. Must be a new press release writer because the last one went pro early. These one and dones are killing the department. :p

[ricks68]

I'm surprised that no one has referred to one quote Amile made that must have influenced his decision to attend Duke:

"It's been a really tough decision for me. At the end of the day, I made my decision based on my future on and off the court. I think this school will prepare me for the next phase of my life, and I'm proud to say I will be attending Duke University."

My favorite kind of attitude for a Duke recruit, and what I think is also the attitude of most of our recruits-----------especially the ones that turn out so well.:D

They understand the advantages of a Duke education.:)

ricks

[Greg_Newton]

I'm late to the party, but this is great news - I'm not sure I'm sold on him being a regular next season, unless he packs on some serious muscle this summer, but I think he'll be a GREAT asset to our program as a SO-SR. FWIW, my thoughts on what we're getting, having seen him play a couple of times:

First off, IMO, he's in no way a wing/SF. What he is is a long, skinny 6'8-6'9 PF (he's not only 6'7 in "basketball height") who isn't that much of an above the rim player, but has incredibly quick feet and hands for his size and an incredibly intuitive sense of how to score the ball around the rim. Brick Oettinger had some interesting things to say about him, including an Antawn Jamison comparison (style-wise) and a great point about how quick he gets the ball up on the glass (often before the defender can get their hands up to contest the shot). Whereas the Plumlees seem to get a little more methodical when they're posting up around the rim, for example, Amile seems to get quicker and more intuitive; he just feels his way out finds a way to get the ball past the defender and to the rim whenever a sliver opens up. He often "quick-shoots" guys, as Brick said.

It's more about what he will be than what he is, at this point. I'm excited to see how his game evolves as he starts to catch up strength-wise, which should also give him a little more vertical explosiveness. He was completely physically overmatched against Kaleb Tarczewski last winter, for example, but he's not afraid to bang in the post and gives it everything he's got, even with his slight frame.

If he can bulk up, I think it will not only and help him get him on a more level playing field when defending/rebounding with opposing bigs, it will make his intuitive scoring ability in the post that much more effective. IMO, he's the most natural post scorer we've had in a long time, and how well he's able to translate that will depend on how much he can progress physically.

[Olympic Fan]

I think it is hilarious how many State fans have reacted to Amile's decision by suggesting that he's going to be the next Lance Thomas.

I know they think that's a negative, but if Jefferson's career matches Thomas -- 101 starts in 140 games for teams that averaged 28.8 wins a season, won two ACC championships and was the starting forward on a national championship team ... yeah, that would be okay.

Seriously, I think Jefferson is a lot like Ryan Kelly of Duke and/or Milton Jennings of Clemson -- both were (like Jefferson) McDonald's All-Americans ... both were (like Jefferson) too-skinny-power-forwards who had to put on weight ... both played little as freshman, started to contribute as sophs and were very solid ACC players as juniors last season (and, I think, will be two of the best power forwards in the ACC next season).

From what I've seen of Mr. Jefferson, I would expect his career to follow a similar track.

PS As for his real size, I too have seen everything from 6-7 to 6-9 and a wide variety of weights listed. But I think it's significant that Duke's press release listed him as 6-7, 190. Until Duke changes it, that's what I'm going with.

[Jim3k]

PS As for his real size, I too have seen everything from 6-7 to 6-9 and a wide variety of weights listed. But I think it's significant that Duke's press release listed him as 6-7, 190. Until Duke changes it, that's what I'm going with.


The 2012 McDonald's All-American roster (http://mcdonaldsallamerican.com/2012_Team_Rosters.pdf) (PDF) lists him as 6-9, 205. If McDonald's measured and weighed him, that seems more likely accurate than Duke's press release, since Duke hasn't done that yet and it's in Duke's interest to downplay his real size as long as it can.

We either need some cinder blocks in back of him or known entities such as Mason or Ryan standing next to next to him. :D

I wonder if he will enroll in summer school and play in pickup games. We can get a bead on his size then.

Oh...and Welcome to Duke, Amile!

[gep]

With all of this enthusiasm... and I'm one of therm... I just hope that with his "apparently needed developement", especially strength, that he views his freshman year as a learning and building process... and that the Duke University degree will be more than enough to keep him from thinking towards that "dreaded" transfer thought... :confused: I hope I'm not putting a "damper" on this... but I've gone through this before... as all of you have. In other words... cautiously optimistic, but optimistic nonetheless. GO DUKE!!!

[juise]

With all of this enthusiasm... and I'm one of therm... I just hope that with his "apparently needed developement", especially strength, that he views his freshman year as a learning and building process... and that the Duke University degree will be more than enough to keep him from thinking towards that "dreaded" transfer thought... :confused:

Impressive. The board has Amile on the transfer watch within 12 hours of committing. New record! ;)

[gep]

Impressive. The board has Amile on the transfer watch within 12 hours of committing. New record! ;)

Sorry to all... I did not ever mean to be negative or pessimistic. But, I've been "bitten" before, and remain "cautiously optimistic". My cup is *always* half-full... GO DUKE!!!

[Greg_Newton]

Amile's not 6'7 in "basketball height", no matter what our press release says.

Some interesting comparisons of high school profiles - shows how much room for development Amile's physique has, if he puts the work in.

Amile Jefferson: 6'9 200 (http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=4310165)
Josh Smith 6'8 195 (now listed 6'9 225) (http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=447770)
Marcus Morris 6'8 210 (now listed 6'9 235) (http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=2122827)
Derrick Williams: 6'7 195 (now listed 6'8 241) (http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=3127032)

[Dukeface88]

I think it is hilarious how many State fans have reacted to Amile's decision by suggesting that he's going to be the next Lance Thomas.

I know they think that's a negative, but if Jefferson's career matches Thomas -- 101 starts in 140 games for teams that averaged 28.8 wins a season, won two ACC championships and was the starting forward on a national championship team ... yeah, that would be okay.



Well, our other freshmen reportedly include a Nolan Smith clone and a Kyle Singler clone. Now we just need Marshal to grow a beard, convert Matt Jones into a point guard who makes funny faces, and we'll have the whole set.

[roywhite]

Welcome to Duke Amile Jefferson indeed, and congrats to K and Staff for closing the deal. Who knows how much he contributes this year, but Amile is right in that there isn't anyone else on the roster quite like him. You can't teach length. He will provide valuable depth this season, and help balance out scrimmages in practice at the very least. If he can grasp the Duke defense early, he could garner some minutes defending some of the quicker forwards in the league. Definitely an important player in 2013-14 season.

I look forward to watching Amile play in the early season games to see how he stacks up and how fast he is able to pick of the Duke scheme's on offense and defense.

I just have one important question.... what is the proper pronunciation of his name?

Last name, same as the 3rd President of the U.S.

Ohhhh....you mean his first name; my understanding and easy connection is that he is skinny and needs to eat "a meal" or two extra. ;)

[dukedoc]

Last name, same as the 3rd President of the U.S.

Ohhhh....you mean his first name; my understanding and easy connection is that he is skinny and needs to eat "a meal" or two extra. ;)

Amile doesn't lend itself too easily to nicknames. Certainly short phrases, but not nicknames per se. Anyone have any ideas? We've got the generic AJ. But beyond that, I'm stuck. Amile on wheels? :p

[MCFinARL]

Amile doesn't lend itself too easily to nicknames. Certainly short phrases, but not nicknames per se. Anyone have any ideas? We've got the generic AJ. But beyond that, I'm stuck. Amile on wheels? :p

Shane Ryan of Grantland, getting excited on Twitter yesterday, has already suggested "Amile ticket," "Hap Amile," and "Karma Amileon" but, while amusing, these don't really seem like they would catch on.

FWIW, at the announcement yesterday, it sounded like his schoolmates were cheering for "Mile" (pronounced "meal").

[Indoor66]

Amile doesn't lend itself too easily to nicknames. Certainly short phrases, but not nicknames per se. Anyone have any ideas? We've got the generic AJ. But beyond that, I'm stuck. Amile on wheels? :p

Maybe we can just call him Amile. Welcome to Duke, Amile.

[dukedoc]

Maybe we can just call him Amile. Welcome to Duke, Amile.

Novel concept. Call a young man by his actual name. Will have to think on that :)

I like it. Let's let him be. If his personality and/or play warrant a nickname in the future, we'll be at the ready. But for now, he'll just be, you know, himself.

(btw: my initial post rushing for a nickname was meant in jest, poking fun at the incessant practice among fans to do so, just to clarify)

[CameronBornAndBred]

My favorite quotes...

"I definitely wanted to take a look at the school," Jefferson said. "Duke is a once in a lifetime opportunity and something you don't pass up on."

"Once Coach K started recruiting me, I did not talk to an assistant coach," Jefferson said. "That definitely shows the coach wants you and every conversation I had with him seemed genuine. I felt like I can become a better person and player at Duke University."http://espn.go.com/college-sports/recruiting/basketball/mens/story/_/id/7934242/amile-jefferson-commits-duke-blue-devils

[El_Diablo]

Amile Worm?

[SupaDave]

Amile doesn't lend itself too easily to nicknames. Certainly short phrases, but not nicknames per se. Anyone have any ideas? We've got the generic AJ. But beyond that, I'm stuck. Amile on wheels? :p

You've gotta be kidding me. Where's that Duke creativity?

As soon as I saw his name I couldn't get Lil Wayne's "A Milli" out of my head. I'm ill!! He's Amile! Lots of room here.

And since he reps in the vein of former Philly legends: Amiladelphia

And a personal favorite since he reminds me of JJ Walker: Dynomite!!!

[MCFinARL]

Amile Worm?

That might be the worst nickname idea ever! :D

[Jderf]

Amile Worm?

That might be the worst nickname idea ever! :D

With his length, maybe "Amilepede?"

[wilko]

Amile Worm?

Real Deal Amile -
**As a child of the 70's I'm kinda saddened that in 4 pages of this thread (granted cant read or remember them all) No one has referenced the "Moving on Up" song..

[slower]

That might be the worst nickname idea ever! :D

Yes, but never underestimate the ability of folks on this board to come up with something even worse.

[El_Diablo]

That might be the worst nickname idea ever! :D

I thought that's what we were going for (based on the other ideas so far). So do I win? ;)

Edit: I kinda like Amilepede!

[roywhite]

I'm afraid the name is going to be irresistible for headline writers:

Duke win by Amile
Key shot missed by Amile

etc.

[fgb]

amillionare?

air-mile?

[UrinalCake]

The 2012 McDonald's All-American roster (http://mcdonaldsallamerican.com/2012_Team_Rosters.pdf) (PDF) lists him as 6-9, 205. If McDonald's measured and weighed him, that seems more likely accurate than Duke's press release, since Duke hasn't done that yet and it's in Duke's interest to downplay his real size as long as it can.

Maybe they weighed him after downing a couple big macs 8-)

I don't see why Duke would want to downplay his real size. Wouldn't it be better to advertise that we landed a big guy? At any rate, perhaps the height discrepancy is due to being in shoes or not? Those two inches would make a big difference for a guy who projects to play mostly inside, as would the 15 lb.

[dukedoc]

You've gotta be kidding me. Where's that Duke creativity?

As soon as I saw his name I couldn't get Lil Wayne's "A Milli" out of my head. I'm ill!! He's Amile! Lots of room here.

And since he reps in the vein of former Philly legends: Amiladelphia

And a personal favorite since he reminds me of JJ Walker: Dynomite!!!

I had a slow start this morning but my creative, albeit strange, Duke compatriots are clearly picking up my slack. :)

[MCFinARL]

Yes, but never underestimate the ability of folks on this board to come up with something even worse.


I thought that's what we were going for (based on the other ideas so far). So do I win? ;)

Edit: I kinda like Amilepede!

You have my vote so far, but as slower points out, it ain't over till it's over.

[UrinalCake]

On a funnier note, Pack Pride is in meltdown mode. I've not been over there much before. But the tone seems pretty different than IC. Not sure how to describe it. IC tone seems more "entitled," whereas PP is more angry/rough-around-the-edges... Lot's of invectives thrown at AJ, and Coach K. To be fair, there are some posters wishing him well too (but that's a minority).

I flipped through that thread as I enjoy reading forums from other schools. The very beginning of the thread contains posts from earlier in the day, and what's amazing to me is how many people were SURE that Amile was going to State. They quoted numerous tweets from supposedly reputable "insider" sources that proclaimed he was going there. Just goes to show, you never really know for sure until an announcement is made.

[El_Diablo]

You have my vote so far, but as slower points out, it ain't over till it's over.

Just as long as we're not reduced to "A-mile Jeff-er-son" clap-clap clap-clap-clap. It truly doesn't get any worse than that. :)

[watzone]

Actually I knew it was a done deal when he mentioned Gene Banks in the article about the Philly tourney. That was a big indicator for me. He had done his research. He had done his DUKE research. I stopped posting after that article.

Without giving away too much I can tell you that he really liked Duke for a long time. He visited the first annual Countdown to Craziness and glowed when our cameras hit him up. He would have pulled the trigger for Duke earlier had they offered then. Duke thought they had him about a month or so ago but he delayed his decision but in reality this one was not nearly as close as the general public sees it for he has been a Duke lean all along but played it close to the vest. Still, the delay made NCS and others think they were the favorites and the media then grabbed it and made it seem that way as well. The reason for that is uninformed media in recruiting circles and people commenting on it that are clueless. It was assumed that the NCS momentum would continue and when I am out on the AAU circuit, their insiders were certain he was theirs. In fact, they insisted while I told every national type that asked me he would end up at Duke which they will atttest to and that wasn't a product of wishful thinking. I must admit that the delay made me pause as well and think it was closer but what I have gleaned since then paints a different story. Not one time did I call him to another school when others jumped all over the Pack bandwagon in that I knew he really liked the Blue Devils. His Dad was big on Duke as well as were some who surrounded him at his school. He visited Duke in an unofficial manner twice. He had a hard time saying no to people because he's a good kid and hates to disappoint. There are more interesting details that I have to save for members. One more thing of beauty is that he never really gave Kentucky the time of day for he just didn't fit that school.

[devildeac]

I'm afraid the name is going to be irresistible for headline writers:

Duke win by Amile
Key shot missed by Amile

etc.

Danged pessimist!

I think those headlines/storylines will be: "Jefferson wins another game for Duke on last minute put back. He is proving to be quite a meal ticket for the Devils."

[El_Diablo]

With respect to Lil Wayne, we might be better off refering to an artist with a little more talent. So why not Amilli Vanilli?

[roywhite]

Without giving away too much I can tell you that he really liked Duke for a long time. He visited the first annual Countdown to Craziness and glowed when our cameras hit him up. He would have pulled the trigger for Duke earlier had they offered then. Duke thought they had him about a month or so ago but he delayed his decision but in reality this one was not nearly as close as the general public sees it for he has been a Duke lean all along but played it close to the vest. Still, the delay made NCS and others think they were the favorites and the media then grabbed it and made it seem that way as well. The reason for that is uninformed media in recruiting circles and people commenting on it that are clueless. It was assumed that the NCS momentum would continue and when I am out on the AAU circuit, their insiders were certain he was theirs. In fact, they insisted while I told every national type that asked me he would end up at Duke which they will atttest to and that wasn't a product of wishful thinking. I must admit that the delay made me pause as well and think it was closer but what I have gleaned since then paints a different story. Not one time did I call him to another school when others jumped all over the Pack bandwagon in that I knew he really liked the Blue Devils. His Dad was big on Duke as well as were some who surrounded him at his school. He visited Duke in an unofficial manner twice. He had a hard time saying no to people because he's a good kid and hates to disappoint. There are more interesting details that I have to save for members. One more thing of beauty is that he never really gave Kentucky the time of day for he just didn't fit that school.

Good stuff, Mark.

I suspect Amile is the kind of kid who will find Duke a great fit and hopefully get involved with the full University experience.
I expect him to relate verrrry well to Coach K and develop quite nicely from a basketball standpoint, but even aside from that, I'll guess he will be regarded as a quintessential all-around Duke guy, almost like Shane Battier.

[UrinalCake]

Just as long as we're not reduced to "A-mile Jeff-er-son" clap-clap clap-clap-clap. It truly doesn't get any worse than that. :)

No, the absolute worst would be calling him "A-Jeff." Seriously, I hate that.

[MCFinARL]

With respect to Lil Wayne, we might be better off refering to an artist with a little more talent. So why not Amilli Vanilli?

Wow. Lil Wayne may be suing you for defamation. And that's saying something.

Amile Zola?

[OldPhiKap]

Dial Amile.

[juise]

Sounds like this kid is the full Amile deal.



(Yes, I'm aware that was terrible.)

[Kedsy]

First off, IMO, he's in no way a wing/SF.

If Andre ends up redshirting, the obvious minutes for Amile would be at SF. Are you saying that's not going to happen? Despite Friends Central being 15 minutes away from me, I've never seen him play. But from reports of his quick hands and feet, it sounds like he could possibly defend the position. Would it be possible for him to play on the perimeter on defense but down low on offense? If he could, that would seem to fit well with Ryan Kelly playing on the perimeter on offense but down low on defense.

[Jderf]

If Andre ends up redshirting, the obvious minutes for Amile would be at SF. Are you saying that's not going to happen? Despite Friends Central being 15 minutes away from me, I've never seen him play. But from reports of his quick hands and feet, it sounds like he could possibly defend the position. Would it be possible for him to play on the perimeter on defense but down low on offense? If he could, that would seem to fit well with Ryan Kelly playing on the perimeter on offense but down low on defense.

But in that situation, wouldn't Alex be the prime candidate to slide over to the 3, opening up more minutes for Amile at the 4?

Although I suppose your suggestion would provide us with some incredible length. 6'11, 6'10, and 6'9 with a 7 foot wingspan. That's one surrriously long front court right there.

[FerryFor50]

Without giving away too much I can tell you that he really liked Duke for a long time. He visited the first annual Countdown to Craziness and glowed when our cameras hit him up. He would have pulled the trigger for Duke earlier had they offered then. Duke thought they had him about a month or so ago but he delayed his decision but in reality this one was not nearly as close as the general public sees it for he has been a Duke lean all along but played it close to the vest. Still, the delay made NCS and others think they were the favorites and the media then grabbed it and made it seem that way as well. The reason for that is uninformed media in recruiting circles and people commenting on it that are clueless. It was assumed that the NCS momentum would continue and when I am out on the AAU circuit, their insiders were certain he was theirs. In fact, they insisted while I told every national type that asked me he would end up at Duke which they will atttest to and that wasn't a product of wishful thinking. I must admit that the delay made me pause as well and think it was closer but what I have gleaned since then paints a different story. Not one time did I call him to another school when others jumped all over the Pack bandwagon in that I knew he really liked the Blue Devils. His Dad was big on Duke as well as were some who surrounded him at his school. He visited Duke in an unofficial manner twice. He had a hard time saying no to people because he's a good kid and hates to disappoint. There are more interesting details that I have to save for members. One more thing of beauty is that he never really gave Kentucky the time of day for he just didn't fit that school.

I blame the ability for anyone and their mother to be able to post on the internet and pretend it's news.

[gumbomoop]

First off, IMO, he's in no way a wing/SF. What he is is a long, skinny 6'8-6'9 PF (he's not only 6'7 in "basketball height") who isn't that much of an above the rim player, but has incredibly quick feet and hands for his size and an incredibly intuitive sense of how to score the ball around the rim.


If Andre ends up redshirting, the obvious minutes for Amile would be at SF. Are you saying that's not going to happen?.... Would it be possible for him to play on the perimeter on defense but down low on offense? If he could, that would seem to fit well with Ryan Kelly playing on the perimeter on offense but down low on defense.

I don't think there's a substantial difference between these 2 views. Greg_Newton is correct that Amile isn't, right now, a classic wing/SF. But precisely because G_N is also correct that Amile seems to have quick feet, he could, if necessary, guard some opposing wing/SFs. Which is what Kedsy says, adding that when they're on the floor together, Amile and Ryan could shift positions from O to D.


But in that situation, wouldn't Alex be the prime candidate to slide over to the 3, opening up more minutes for Amile at the 4? Although I suppose your suggestion would provide us with some incredible length. 6'11, 6'10, and 6'9 with a 7 foot wingspan. That's one surrriously long front court right there.

This Alex-Amile stuff might complicate things. For most of us think, I think [?], that Amile and Alex will play more or less the same position, wing/SF. So it's not a matter of Alex sliding to the 3, for, with Mason's return, Alex has already slid there. Yes? So, again, it's not a matter of Alex's moving that would allow Amile more minutes at the 4. Rather, it's the presence of Ryan and Josh at the 4, and the need for some competition/backup minutes at the SF, that slots Amile into the SF spot.

On D, especially. If by chance both Alex and Amile are on the floor together - probably not a lot, maybe a little - then, yes, Alex is the 3 on both ends, Amile the 4.

[UrinalCake]

Would it be possible for [Amile] to play on the perimeter on defense but down low on offense? If he could, that would seem to fit well with Ryan Kelly playing on the perimeter on offense but down low on defense.

I don't think that we'll see Ryan playing the "3" on offense. He'd be too easy to defend by a smaller guy, at least until he develops his post game a little farther. Right now the biggest weapon he brings is hitting wide-open threes because he's being guarded by a "4." He also likes to stand in the high post and distribute the ball, which would be less effective with two other bigs on the floor.

[CDu]

But in that situation, wouldn't Alex be the prime candidate to slide over to the 3, opening up more minutes for Amile at the 4?

If Dawkins redshirts we have 40 mpg available this year at the SF spot and probably 10 mpg available at the PF spot. Murphy will be playing the SF spot a lot regardless. But he's probably not going to play 30+ mpg (whereas Kelly will). And Hairston will be in the mix at PF too. As such, there are more minutes available at SF than at PF. As such, (I think) Kedsy was suggesting that Jefferson might find more of his minutes next year at SF than at PF.


Although I suppose your suggestion would provide us with some incredible length. 6'11, 6'10, and 6'9 with a 7 foot wingspan. That's one surrriously long front court right there.

We'll have a very long frontcourt with Murphy as well. If our SF position is manned by two guys who are 6'7"-6'8" (or taller), height is not going to be a concern next year.

The question is then just whether or not Jefferson has the quickness to defend at SF. I think that's in doubt. But if Dawkins redshirts, we may very well find out.

[CDu]

I don't think that we'll see Ryan playing the "3" on offense. He'd be too easy to defend by a smaller guy, at least until he develops his post game a little farther. Right now the biggest weapon he brings is hitting wide-open threes because he's being guarded by a "4." He also likes to stand in the high post and distribute the ball, which would be less effective with two other bigs on the floor.

He'd still likely be guarded by a PF. He'd just spend his time on the perimeter. Which is largely what he does now. And Jefferson would be guarded by a SF, but would spend more time along the baseline.

I'm not sure if it would work either. But playing more along the perimeter doesn't mean you're a 3. It just means you're a perimeter-oriented offensive player (which is very much true for Kelly).

[gumbomoop]

I don't think that we'll see Ryan playing the "3" on offense. He'd be too easy to defend by a smaller guy, at least until he develops his post game a little farther. Right now the biggest weapon he brings is hitting wide-open threes because he's being guarded by a "4." He also likes to stand in the high post and distribute the ball, which would be less effective with two other bigs on the floor.

This is a good point. But maybe the key issue is that we're talking in these last several posts about 3 guys, none of whom fits perfectly into the position to which we might like to assign him.

[1] Ryan -- Of the 3, he's closest to being a one-position guy: he's a 4. But, alas, for purposes of perfect analysis, he's also a solid 3-bomber, more characteristic of a wing/SF. Thus, UrinalCake is right that Ryan isn't likely to "play" the 3, really at all. Except that, he might be on the floor for a few minutes with Amile and, say, Mason or Marshall. Not a lot, just a few odd moments. Odd, because in that scenario, Ryan, the logical 4, might profitably drift out to the corner or anywhere outside the 3-pt line; in which case Amile moves inside.

[2] Alex -- Until Mason's decision to return, and in the absence of Tony Parker [How quickly we forget.....], Alex was certainly "slotted" into the 4. Indeed, at one worrying moment, it appeared that our bigs next season might consist of Josh, Marshall, and Alex. Fine human beings, each and every one, but not a lot of experience there. But that's all changed now. With Mason back, Alex is now "slotted" at his new "best" position, the 3/wing/SF. Which he "is," if not quite of the perfectly "classic" variety.

[3] Amile -- On several threads over the past 6 weeks, we've had a debate about what Amile "is." The problem is, he certainly isn't a classic "power" forward/4. And lo and behold, we don't need him to be that in 2012-'13, as much as we need him to be able to defend, and rebound [or at least block out....] from, the 3-spot.

My guess is that we just won't see Amile on the floor for extended minutes with 2 other bigs.

[Bluealum]

My guess is that we just won't see Amile on the floor for extended minutes with 2 other bigs.

It would really be interesting to see if a slimmed down Hairston can split time with Alex at the 3. Josh showed a high motor and decent shooting touch but did not appear to have good instincts for shooting in traffic around the rim. If this can work we have very natural backups at each position as well as good height and a veteran starter or backup at each spot.

Then:

C: Mason (30); Marshall (10)
PF: Ryan (30); Amillle (10)
SF: Alex (25); Josh (15)
SG: Seth (25); Raheed (15)
PF; Quinn (25); Tyler (15)

The above makes for a 10 deep rotation with size, experience, and talent. Obviously it would be unprecedented for the 10th man on a K team to average 15 min, but unprecedented is not impossible, and the makeup of this team might encourage this.

[UrinalCake]

This is a good point. But maybe the key issue is that we're talking in these last several posts about 3 guys, none of whom fits perfectly into the position to which we might like to assign him.

I agree, and will add that Mason doesn't fit perfectly into the 5 spot either, he's better off as a 4. But based on our personnel, the only conceivable scenario in which he would play the 4 is if Marshall is on the floor with him.

The good news is that we have tremendous flexibility and I would expect us to switch a ton on defense. At any point in time I would expect us to have two of (Alex, Amile, Josh, and Ryan) on the floor plus one of (Mason and Marshall). That's a lot of size and length. If Dawkins is available, he'll give us a much different look when he's in.

[Greg_Newton]

I just hope he can hit his FTs, so other teams can't resort to the "Whack-A-mile" strategy. :p

Kedsy - if this makes any sense, when I've seen him, he's looked like he's had extremely quick hands/feet/movements within contained spaces, but he's never stood out as explosive vertically, laterally or going front a standing start to sprint. I do think that having some actual muscles in his legs will help this discrepancy over time, but he's never looked like anything ilke Poythress or Terrance Jones in terms of being a true combo to me. Much more like a more coordinated and intuitive/less athletic CJ Leslie in that sense, IMO.

I'm not saying it will be impossible for him to get some backup minutes at the 3 against bigger SFs - and I would be thrilled if he shows up with the athleticism and defensive ability to do so - I just don't think it's all likely given how deep our rotation already is and that he'd be a physically-underdeveloped freshman playing out of position (we've got seven locks, plus Josh and MP3, plus a possible Dre).

The interesting flip side to that, however, is that he'll almost certainly be playing the 3 against Murphy in practices if Dre takes the year off (and on that note, I think the fact that he would give us a legitimate 5 v. 5 practice game is a not-insignificant result of this commitment). Plus, he seems like he's got a great work ethic and attitude, so you never know.

[roywhite]

I just hope he can hit his FTs, so other teams can't resort to the "Whack-A-mile" strategy. :p



Don't recall seeing any FT stats or observations about how he looks at the line. Anyone with some info?
Seems to me that if a kid comes in with a good stroke and good results at the line, it usually carries over pretty well, even for a freshman. On the other hand, if he comes in with shaky form and results at the line, it's likely to continue to be a problem for at least the first year or two....so many other things to learn, probably won't improve much at the line until the rest of the game slows down.

[CDu]

It would really be interesting to see if a slimmed down Hairston can split time with Alex at the 3. Josh showed a high motor and decent shooting touch but did not appear to have good instincts for shooting in traffic around the rim. If this can work we have very natural backups at each position as well as good height and a veteran starter or backup at each spot.

Then:

C: Mason (30); Marshall (10)
PF: Ryan (30); Amillle (10)
SF: Alex (25); Josh (15)
SG: Seth (25); Raheed (15)
PF; Quinn (25); Tyler (15)

The above makes for a 10 deep rotation with size, experience, and talent. Obviously it would be unprecedented for the 10th man on a K team to average 15 min, but unprecedented is not impossible, and the makeup of this team might encourage this.

Hairston has played PF or C throughout his high school and college career. I see no reason to assume he has the ability to play the SF position defensively. Further, I'd be much more inclined to believe that a lighter, more offensively gifted Jefferson (who won't be strong enough to play the PF spot next year) will be more suited to be the backup SF than Hairston (who certainly won't be quick enough and isn't skilled enough for the SF position).

[DUKIE V(A)]

Amile is a great get for Duke. Very versatile, can defend multiple positions. Seems to be an outstanding, well-rounded person. The team is looking strong for next year. Should be More versatile and improved defensively compared to last year. The pieces seem to fit a bit better.

[Bojangles4Eva]

Hairston has played PF or C throughout his high school and college career. I see no reason to assume he has the ability to play the SF position defensively. Further, I'd be much more inclined to believe that a lighter, more offensively gifted Jefferson (who won't be strong enough to play the PF spot next year) will be more suited to be the backup SF than Hairston (who certainly won't be quick enough and isn't skilled enough for the SF position).

I very much agree. Although I can't say I have seen Amile play (sans highlights on youtube), Josh really doesn't have the look of a 3. I think he would suffer in this position both offensively and defensively.

[Kedsy]

If Dawkins redshirts we have 40 mpg available this year at the SF spot and probably 10 mpg available at the PF spot. Murphy will be playing the SF spot a lot regardless. But he's probably not going to play 30+ mpg (whereas Kelly will). And Hairston will be in the mix at PF too. As such, there are more minutes available at SF than at PF. As such, (I think) Kedsy was suggesting that Jefferson might find more of his minutes next year at SF than at PF.

Yes, thank you, this is exactly what I was suggesting. Without Andre in the mix (and obviously that's not going to resolve itself for a few months), we have a very deep backcourt and a pretty deep "big" rotation. But we'll have 10 to 20 minutes available at SF. So if Amile can defend that position, I expect that's where his minutes will come from.


Kedsy - if this makes any sense, when I've seen him, he's looked like he's had extremely quick hands/feet/movements within contained spaces, but he's never stood out as explosive vertically, laterally or going front a standing start to sprint. I do think that having some actual muscles in his legs will help this discrepancy over time, but he's never looked like anything ilke Poythress or Terrance Jones in terms of being a true combo to me. Much more like a more coordinated and intuitive/less athletic CJ Leslie in that sense, IMO.

I'm not saying it will be impossible for him to get some backup minutes at the 3 against bigger SFs - and I would be thrilled if he shows up with the athleticism and defensive ability to do so - I just don't think it's all likely given how deep our rotation already is and that he'd be a physically-underdeveloped freshman playing out of position (we've got seven locks, plus Josh and MP3, plus a possible Dre).

Thanks for your insights. The thing is our rotation is deep at every position except SF (assuming Andre redshirts). Are you basically suggesting Amile won't play very much at all? That might be right, if he's not ready. But if he is ready, it would seem the place for him to find minutes would be at SF. You point out that his lateral quickness is not his strongest quality, though, so I have no idea if he'll be capable of playing there.


The interesting flip side to that, however, is that he'll almost certainly be playing the 3 against Murphy in practices if Dre takes the year off (and on that note, I think the fact that he would give us a legitimate 5 v. 5 practice game is a not-insignificant result of this commitment). Plus, he seems like he's got a great work ethic and attitude, so you never know.

I agree that Amile gives us someone to play opposite Alex in practice and that's huge. But if he's able to do that adequately, wouldn't that imply he could be an option there in the games, too?

[Kedsy]

It would really be interesting to see if a slimmed down Hairston can split time with Alex at the 3. Josh showed a high motor and decent shooting touch but did not appear to have good instincts for shooting in traffic around the rim. If this can work we have very natural backups at each position as well as good height and a veteran starter or backup at each spot.

Then:

C: Mason (30); Marshall (10)
PF: Ryan (30); Amillle (10)
SF: Alex (25); Josh (15)
SG: Seth (25); Raheed (15)
PF; Quinn (25); Tyler (15)

The above makes for a 10 deep rotation with size, experience, and talent. Obviously it would be unprecedented for the 10th man on a K team to average 15 min, but unprecedented is not impossible, and the makeup of this team might encourage this.

I agree with CDu that this is unlikely. Even Josh's freshman year, when he hadn't bulked up yet, he didn't appear to have the ability to defend SF, and his offensive game looked more like a PF's as well.

As far as the 10 deep rotation, it might happen in the early cupcake games, but although anything is possible we've had plenty of teams where the makeup of the team might have seemed to encourage a deep rotation and K has never succumbed to the temptation. I'll be very surprised if this year is any different.

[OZ]

With all these well meaning and well thought through posts analyzing what Amile can or can not do; what he will or will not be able to do; whether he will play a lot of minutes or non at all; whether he is 5-10, 6-7, 6-8, 6-9 or 7'; whether he is heavy enough to play the 3 or 4; or will have to wear shoe weights to sit on the bench.... I am becoming thoroughly confused as to what his abilities are. Therefore, in such complex situations as this, I am going to do what I always do; I am going to take the assessment of this guy and celebrate Amile's coming to Duke...

"Our class is really four great youngsters with Amille, Rasheed [Sulaimon] and then Alex [Murphy] and Marshall [Plumlee] redshirting," Krzyzewski said. "With those four guys ready to play, they are going to help us immensely. They are talented and all have great character."


So, now I am going to give this a rest, enjoy Lacrosse; and get ready for some football!

[johnb]

It would really be interesting to see if a slimmed down Hairston can split time with Alex at the 3. Josh showed a high motor and decent shooting touch but did not appear to have good instincts for shooting in traffic around the rim. If this can work we have very natural backups at each position as well as good height and a veteran starter or backup at each spot.

Then:

C: Mason (30); Marshall (10)
PF: Ryan (30); Amillle (10)
SF: Alex (25); Josh (15)
SG: Seth (25); Raheed (15)
PF; Quinn (25); Tyler (15)

The above makes for a 10 deep rotation with size, experience, and talent. Obviously it would be unprecedented for the 10th man on a K team to average 15 min, but unprecedented is not impossible, and the makeup of this team might encourage this.

That seems like a reasonable estimate, though I'd add in about a 6-15 minute/person margin of error. Depending on how people play, I'd expect
Mason (24-36); Marshall (4-15)
Ryan (24-36) Amile (4-20)
Alex (4-20), Josh (4-15)
Seth (20-30) Rasheed (10-20)
Quinn (20-30) Tyler (10-25)

I'm assuming Marshall, Amile, Alex, and Josh are competing to be among the 7 or 8 guys who will get the big minutes in 2013 close games (4 minutes being a euphemism for DNP's in close games), that the others have played themselves into big minutes (though that could change) and that the coaches would be unlikely to have decided minutes beyond this until practice starts. I'm also assuming they will focus on getting the best 5 on the court at all times, and, while there'd be an effort to get 2-3 big guys and 2-3 smallish guys on the court at once, they're more interested in making the other team match up to us than us matching a traditional 1-5 lineup.

Of course, I'd love to know what they actually think 5 months prior to practice and would also love to know how often they're really surprised...

[lotusland]

I don't think that we'll see Ryan playing the "3" on offense. He'd be too easy to defend by a smaller guy, at least until he develops his post game a little farther. Right now the biggest weapon he brings is hitting wide-open threes because he's being guarded by a "4." He also likes to stand in the high post and distribute the ball, which would be less effective with two other bigs on the floor.

If Ryan and Amile are playing together with MP2/MP3 at 5 then Ryan's position on offense is really dependent on the defense. If they put a wing on Ryan he goes inside for the mismatch. If they put a big him then he plays on the perimeter and Amile takes the wing down low. For that reason the defense is better off defending Ryan with a wing because there is only one mismatch but if they put a big on Ryan and wing on Amile we have a mismatch at both positions on offense.

This assumes that Amile can guard the 3 and that he is ready to score in the post as a frosh against either a wing or a PF. We really don't know if Amile will be any more ready to play as a frosh than Silent G was this year. It's not a knock against him if he's not. We have a crowded roster at every position including the 3 if Sheed plays alongside Seth and another PG so it won't surprise me if he doesn't get meaningful minutes after the conference schedule starts. If he is ready to defend the 3 and score in the post I like our lineup with Ryan, Amile and another 5 for a few MPG.

[mailman2927]

while i don't post often, i predict that amile will have a more productive career than tony parker and mcgary.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

while i don't post often, i predict that amile will have a more productive career than tony parker and mcgary.

I agree 100% on your prediction. I still don't see why TP would go to UCLA with Josh Smith being their for 2 more years and Shabazz being 1 and done. The book seems to be out on McGary and I just don't see Michigan's system using him effectively(yes, I know I sound like a NCSU fan).

I'd like to add that I see alot of Tyler Thornton in Amile, as far as personality and demeanor(i.e. Leadership Qualities). So I believe we'll be seeing more of Amile than maybe many expect.

[UrinalCake]

I'd like to add that I see alot of Tyler Thornton in Amile, as far as personality and demeanor(i.e. Leadership Qualities).

This reminds me of the time a reporter asked Steve Francis about his new teammate, Yao Ming. Francis replied "We're very similar people, except that he's 7'6 and Chinese."

I like what you're saying though, and hope that Amile can provide some intangibles that were lacking last season.

[ice-9]

I haven't really been keeping up on the blow-by-blow of Amile's recruitment, but now that we have him I checked out his highlight videos and recruiting analyst opinions (thanks to those who provided them in this thread).

Wow, he's a really interesting player. His highlight video is the first one I've seen where not every point is a slam dunk, three pointer, or crazy shot. They showcased what Amile does best and can do night-in, night-out: get to the basket and make these floaters / teardrop shots in the face of solid defence. The video and the analyst reports reminded me of this great basketball player I know....

...me! :rolleyes:

OK OK, obviously I'm not a very good player or anything, but I've got a poor man's version (OK, really really really poor) of Amile's game -- developed out of necessity because I'm short, without a reliable jumpshot unless from the free throw line in, but quick and with a decent touch around the basket in my younger days when I had more lift. So I sort of feel like I "get" Amile and can see how he can be used most effectively in an offence.

In a traditional half court offence, he'll like to start anywhere between the elbow and inside the three point line (closer the better but depending on what spacing is available), where he can dribble and pull-up, drive all the way in for a floater/layup/dunk, or go for the jumpshot once the defender has learned to back off. He won't really be the kind of post player that calls for the ball down low and bangs a la Shaq, though he can probably do it well with the right match-up. He'll be awesome in a motion offence where he can cut free to the basket and then make plays, and he'll be great on the fastbreak.

He will KILL defenders who don't have lateral quickness, and he'll be able to score against guys bigger and taller than him because of his quick feet and quick hands. On offence, he's a PF who can start from the perimeter and finish in the paint. He'll be a perfect complement to Mason, who can pass and anchor the paint, but they'll need to play with perimeter players who can shoot from outside (hello Dawkins, Rasheed, and even Kelly!).

He'll probably be a lousy SF on offence unless he can develop that long-range jumpshot (which I still don't have LOL).

Kinda excited we have a guy like him (like me), I'll definitely be keeping an eye out. :)

[JNort]

Just wanted to say I was wrong about him going to State and will love seeing him for the next 4 years at Duke. May he bring more banners to Cameron Indoor and tears to unc fans everywhere.

[NYC Duke Fan]

Amile is a great get for Duke. Very versatile, can defend multiple positions. Seems to be an outstanding, well-rounded person. The team is looking strong for next year. Should be More versatile and improved defensively compared to last year. The pieces seem to fit a bit better.

I agree that Jefferson is a good get for Duke, maybe not ," great", but that is only semantics.

However, he does not solve Duke's weakness which as a poster on another Board describe as, " Duke does not have a guard that could defend a ham sandwich".

Duke was hurt by guards who could waltz into the paint without any stoppage and I do not think that Jefferson will solve that problem. Hope Coach K can because he didn't last year.

[JNort]

I agree that Jefferson is a good get for Duke, maybe not ," great", but that is only semantics.

However, he does not solve Duke's weakness which as a poster on another Board describe as, " Duke does not have a guard that could defend a ham sandwich".

Duke was hurt by guards who could waltz into the paint without any stoppage and I do not think that Jefferson will solve that problem. Hope Coach K can because he didn't last year.

Quinn Cook fully healed from a serious injury plus he will get to go through the offseason workouts. Alex Murphy provides the size and speed to match other Sf's so we wont be stuck with 3 guards. Another year of an improved Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee in the paint.

[Greg_Newton]

Thanks for your insights. The thing is our rotation is deep at every position except SF (assuming Andre redshirts). Are you basically suggesting Amile won't play very much at all? That might be right, if he's not ready. But if he is ready, it would seem the place for him to find minutes would be at SF. You point out that his lateral quickness is not his strongest quality, though, so I have no idea if he'll be capable of playing there.

Thing is, even if Andre redshirts, it's still a bit of a numbers game. I mean, you've got to think there's no way that any of Cook, Thornton, Sulaimon, Curry or Murphy gets left out of the rotation; that means Amile would realistically be, at best, the 6th man in the 1-3 spot rotation. Assuming there is, at minimum, one post backup player in the rotation, that puts the minimum rotation at 9. I just don't see K going 6 deep on the perimeter to play a frosh PF at SF.

But yeah, while I love his potential, I've never really seen him as a big contributor as a freshman. I think he'll be battling with the less-advanced of Josh and Marshall for the 4th big man spot, and may see decent minutes against teams with CJ Leslie/DeShaun Thomas type of PFs if he develops at a decent pace. I'll be thrilled if he makes a big physical jump and locks himself into the rotation right away, but I'm not exactly expecting it.


I agree that Amile gives us someone to play opposite Alex in practice and that's huge. But if he's able to do that adequately, wouldn't that imply he could be an option there in the games, too?

That's a big "if", though. To be the 10th man guarding Alex, he just has to be better than whichever 6'1 walk-on is next on the depth chart (assuming no Dre). I don't know if we have anyone who will be able to guard Alex adequately - Sheed is probably the only other option, but I assume he'll be matched up with Seth.


Don't recall seeing any FT stats or observations about how he looks at the line. Anyone with some info?
Seems to me that if a kid comes in with a good stroke and good results at the line, it usually carries over pretty well, even for a freshman. On the other hand, if he comes in with shaky form and results at the line, it's likely to continue to be a problem for at least the first year or two....so many other things to learn, probably won't improve much at the line until the rest of the game slows down.

Jeez, it was just a whack-a-mole joke! :p

[ice-9]

I agree that Jefferson is a good get for Duke, maybe not ," great", but that is only semantics.

However, he does not solve Duke's weakness which as a poster on another Board describe as, " Duke does not have a guard that could defend a ham sandwich".

Duke was hurt by guards who could waltz into the paint without any stoppage and I do not think that Jefferson will solve that problem. Hope Coach K can because he didn't last year.

Rasheed has a reputation of being a good defender that might help address that.

[oldnavy]

If he is a defensive stopper; Stonewall Jefferson yeah wrong general but close enough to confuse our rivials.

If he is an all around good - great player; Amile yondollar man!

If he dishes out a great assist ; Amile pass

Or if we want to go stupid we could call him the Black Crane or the Black Egret or Osprey or some other dumb bird name...

[roywhite]

As we look at our late season recruiting targets --- Shabazz Muhammad, Tony Parker, and Amile Jefferson --- seems to me things have worked out fine.

Shabazz is clearly an impact player but also clearly a one-and-done player. Yes, he's a terrific player, but a team probably needs to structure the game around him, since he is very likely to need/demand the ball and take a lot of shots. Which can work, but is not easy (recall the discussions we had this past season about Austin).

Tony Parker?....who knows for sure how he'll pan out...ranging somewhere between a very productive inside player who scores and rebouds to a coaching headache who plays inconsistently and ends up unhappy or transferring.

Amile seems like a good multi-year player who will fit well at Duke and fit well in the team concept; I think he and Coach K will communicate easily. Amile adds a number of positive elements to the team, including potential for inside scoring, rebounding, and defense.

[davekay1971]

Agreed 100% with Roywhite. I'm not crying over the loss of Bazz, because, while he'd sure be fun to watch for a year, he is likely to be a one-and-done kid, and we likely have a very viable option at the 3 with Alex Murphy. Will Murphy be able to dominate a game like Bazz is expected to be able to do? Probably not...but he is likely to be a very good player at that position. And he's likely to develop there for the next few years, which (ahem, 2010) has it's advantages.

As for Parker, and this really isn't sour grapes, nothing sat right with me about him for the last several months. He seemed to be, probably a perfectly good kid, but immature, out of shape, and either being fed or developing a signficant over-estimation of his own abilities. Not only that, but we've got 2 good low-post options in Mason and Marshall Plumlee. Not that we can't use another low-post banger, but we don't desperately need one this year, now that Mason has come back.

Jefferson, on the other hand, seems to really have a strong connection to Coach K, a sense of maturity, and a strong desire to develop as a player. That implies that he'll be willing to spend a year learning and growing, and then we may have a great option at the 4 next year. A starting front line of Marshall, Jefferson, and Murphy in 2013-2014 could be a really, really good front court...and then there are those 2013 recruits who may come in and rmake our 3/4 spots really big, athletic, and dominating.

Part of recruiting is landing the best available talent...and part of it is putting pieces together that will develop over the next 3-4 years. I believe that Coach K has always been exceptionally good at the latter.

[Jderf]

Part of recruiting is landing the best available talent...and part of it is putting pieces together that will develop over the next 3-4 years. I believe that Coach K has always been exceptionally good at the latter.

And he ain't too bad at the former, either. :D

[-bdbd]

As we look at our late season recruiting targets --- Shabazz Muhammad, Tony Parker, and Amile Jefferson --- seems to me things have worked out fine.

Shabazz is clearly an impact player but also clearly a one-and-done player. Yes, he's a terrific player, but a team probably needs to structure the game around him, since he is very likely to need/demand the ball and take a lot of shots. Which can work, but is not easy (recall the discussions we had this past season about Austin).

Tony Parker?....who knows for sure how he'll pan out...ranging somewhere between a very productive inside player who scores and rebouds to a coaching headache who plays inconsistently and ends up unhappy or transferring.

Amile seems like a good multi-year player who will fit well at Duke and fit well in the team concept; I think he and Coach K will communicate easily. Amile adds a number of positive elements to the team, including potential for inside scoring, rebounding, and defense.

Roy, almost exactly the same thoughts that I've been expressing with friends. But one other important point - neither of those "misses" wound up going to the evil empire either (NC@ch nor KY). They both went out west, never to be heard from again (hopefully). By that I simply mean it is unlikely that we'll ever have to play against them again. Same with McGary - not like he chose MD or somebody we'd have to worry about every year!

I'm sure that both of those guys we missed will turn out to be fine players, and I still wish we'd landed them, but you're spot on that AJ seems the most mature/articulate of the lot and the likeliest to haver the biggest overall impact in college. Yeah for our team!! OK, we can put away the torches and the pitchforks folks... :rolleyes:

[InSpades]

I'm amazed at all the talk of "he probably won't contribute much early". While certainly possible... isn't it also possible that he comes in and surprises everyone? Freshman all over the country come in and contribute big minutes for good teams every single year. Why can't it happen at Duke? I mean, aside from the obvious guys you know will contribute big minutes right away (Rivers, Irving, etc.). He's a top 25 recruit according to at least some people.

I think we've been a little bit unlucky of late with guys coming in and not quite living up to their billing. Not to knock anyone on the team but aside from Austin and Kyrie our freshman haven't contributed *that* much the past few years. I'm not ready to discount Amile's potential impact before he even arrives on campus. I hope he comes in and challenges for a starting spot right away!

[UrinalCake]

I'm also happy we got him. As a thought exercise, consider the following: suppose you could pick any two of the following players. You can only have those two:

Mason Plumlee
Austin Rivers
Mitch McGary
Tony Parker
Shabazz Muhammad
Amile Jefferson

I don't want to disparage any of these guys, especially our own players, but I think you could make a case that Mason and Amile are the two you would pick. I would absolutely take Mason over any of the other big guys. He's experienced, knows the Duke system, and has shown steady improvement. Shabazz is the next guy I'd consider, but as others have said he's a one-and-done and will demand the ball. Without him or Austin I'm looking forward to seeing us share the ball and have a stronger team concept. And Jefferson looks like a great kid with great potential.

[Indoor66]

I think we've been a little bit unlucky of late with guys coming in and not quite living up to their billing.

Maybe fan expectations are what is a bit out of whack.

[Kedsy]

Thing is, even if Andre redshirts, it's still a bit of a numbers game. I mean, you've got to think there's no way that any of Cook, Thornton, Sulaimon, Curry or Murphy gets left out of the rotation; that means Amile would realistically be, at best, the 6th man in the 1-3 spot rotation. Assuming there is, at minimum, one post backup player in the rotation, that puts the minimum rotation at 9. I just don't see K going 6 deep on the perimeter to play a frosh PF at SF.

I suppose it depends on whether Coach K wants to again play long stretches with three small guards in the lineup. Last year, with a perimeter going 6'0, 6'1, 6'4 much of the time, we had pretty much the smallest 1 to 3 in Coach K's time here. And we had serious defensive problems. Assuming Alex won't play more than 25 or 30 minutes (and that Andre is redshirting), either Amile picks up the slack or we're again going with 6'0, 6'1, 6'4. Maybe Rasheed is such a good defender that it'll be fine, but maybe the problem was at least in part due to playing such a small lineup, and if that's the case it seems to me playing Amile at SF for 10 to 15 minutes would make some sense. Although obviously if he's not capable of defending the position it won't happen.

[BD80]

I may be a bit behind, but has Parker's "school selection announcement" ended yet?

Just judging by the way they handled their announcements, I am extremely pleased Amile chose Duke

[MCFinARL]

I may be a bit behind, but has Parker's "school selection announcement" ended yet?

Just judging by the way they handled their announcements, I am extremely pleased Amile chose Duke

AMEN to this. Tony Parker may well turn out to be a very good basketball player, but his announcement, along with other statements he made in interviews, etc., suggested he has some pretty high (not to say inflated) expectations for his own career trajectory. Many possibilities for disappointment there, along with the risk that any shortfall would be blamed on Duke by both Tony and others. Amile, on the other hand, doesn't give off any danger signals and appears to have a balanced set of goals and expectations.

[Kedsy]

AMEN to this. Tony Parker may well turn out to be a very good basketball player, but his announcement, along with other statements he made in interviews, etc., suggested he has some pretty high (not to say inflated) expectations for his own career trajectory. Many possibilities for disappointment there, along with the risk that any shortfall would be blamed on Duke by both Tony and others. Amile, on the other hand, doesn't give off any danger signals and appears to have a balanced set of goals and expectations.

More than just balanced. He seems incredibly mature for his age. One of the articles linked from the front page (http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/Amile_Jefferson.html?cmpid=137039688#ixzz1v9elNXVH ) quoted him as follows:



"I thought going out of state would be best for me," he said. "When you face challenges and obstacles, you can't just come home. You have to stick with it, fight through it. I think I'll grow from that."

To me, that's an amazing bit of self-awareness for a teenager.

[Greg_Newton]

I suppose it depends on whether Coach K wants to again play long stretches with three small guards in the lineup. Last year, with a perimeter going 6'0, 6'1, 6'4 much of the time, we had pretty much the smallest 1 to 3 in Coach K's time here. And we had serious defensive problems. Assuming Alex won't play more than 25 or 30 minutes (and that Andre is redshirting), either Amile picks up the slack or we're again going with 6'0, 6'1, 6'4. Maybe Rasheed is such a good defender that it'll be fine, but maybe the problem was at least in part due to playing such a small lineup, and if that's the case it seems to me playing Amile at SF for 10 to 15 minutes would make some sense. Although obviously if he's not capable of defending the position it won't happen.

Don't get me wrong, I hated how small/slow we were on the perimeter last year and I think your suggestion is an interesting possibility, but I think the bottom line will end up being that Sheed will simply be a better 3rd perimeter player than Amile for the few minutes that Murphy is out of the game.

Since that small lineup was good enough to go 26-5 (pre-injury) full-time last year, I'd imagine it wouldn't be the end of the world for a similar one to get 10-15 minutes a game next year as backup, with everyone a year older, and a better defender in the "Rivers" slot. I'd expect to see Sheed in with Tyler in those situations, who was often our SF defender last year anyway.

We should be one of the biggest teams in the country the rest of the time, so it could be a decent change of pace for next year's squad. And if Quinn steps up like we all hope, it might also be a good way to get Tyler on the floor.

[Kedsy]

Don't get me wrong, I hated how small/slow we were on the perimeter last year and I think your suggestion is an interesting possibility, but I think the bottom line will end up being that Sheed will simply be a better 3rd perimeter player than Amile for the few minutes that Murphy is out of the game.

Since that small lineup was good enough to go 26-5 (pre-injury) full-time last year, I'd imagine it wouldn't be the end of the world for a similar one to get 10-15 minutes a game next year as backup, with everyone a year older, and a better defender in the "Rivers" slot. I'd expect to see Sheed in with Tyler in those situations, who was often our SF defender last year anyway.

We should be one of the biggest teams in the country the rest of the time, so it could be a decent change of pace for next year's squad. And if Quinn steps up like we all hope, it might also be a good way to get Tyler on the floor.

Yeah, OK. I guess the hope is that adding Rasheed, Amile, and Alex to the mix will increase our defensive versatility and in that vein it doesn't matter so much how that versatility is employed.

It would also simplify our rotation (assuming Andre redshirts), in that the three seniors could get around 30 minutes each, and the remaining four perimeter players split 90 minutes (something along the lines of 25 each for Quinn & Alex and 20 each for Rasheed and Tyler), while Josh, Amile, and Marshall split the remaining 20 big man minutes and are essentially the 8th, 9th, & 10th men, with one of them emerging as a 10 to 15 minute guy by the end of the season to give us an 8-man rotation. That sounds more sensible than what I was suggesting, now that I'm looking at it.

Of course if Andre decides not to redshirt, I think the rotation would get more complicated again.

[Greg_Newton]

Agreed - it's funny, I actually just posted an almost identical minutes breakdown to ^that on another site. The more I think about it, the more it seems like Josh and Amile will be battling for those final 10 to 15 minutes (perhaps depending on whether the opposing PF looks more like CJ Leslie or Richard Howell), while MP3 is largely an understudy again with the understanding that he needs to be ready to start in 2014. Seeing there will always be at least one 6'10-6'11 senior on the floor for us, Josh and Amile seem like they'd probably be better fits for the shortened rotation. It'll be especially interesting to see who matches up with Thomas when OSU comes to town in 6 months.

As hard as it is to do a feel-good minutes-projection that is somewhat realistic, an 8-9 man rotation with the 8th/9th men not getting big minutes seems plausible. But throw in Dre, and I have no clue...

[MCFinARL]

More than just balanced. He seems incredibly mature for his age. One of the articles linked from the front page (http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/Amile_Jefferson.html?cmpid=137039688#ixzz1v9elNXVH ) quoted him as follows:



To me, that's an amazing bit of self-awareness for a teenager.

I agree; thanks for pointing that out.

[comdytrd]

Awesome, baby!

[ACCBBallFan]

Yeah, OK. I guess the hope is that adding Rasheed, Amile, and Alex to the mix will increase our defensive versatility and in that vein it doesn't matter so much how that versatility is employed.

It would also simplify our rotation (assuming Andre redshirts), in that the three seniors could get around 30 minutes each, and the remaining four perimeter players split 90 minutes (something along the lines of 25 each for Quinn & Alex and 20 each for Rasheed and Tyler), while Josh, Amile, and Marshall split the remaining 20 big man minutes and are essentially the 8th, 9th, & 10th men, with one of them emerging as a 10 to 15 minute guy by the end of the season to give us an 8-man rotation. That sounds more sensible than what I was suggesting, now that I'm looking at it.

Of course if Andre decides not to redshirt, I think the rotation would get more complicated again.

Another way to get to about the same place.

Assume everyone returning played as much as they are capable of this year (not necessarily as well as they are capable with off-season improvement), except Quinn increases his 12 MPG:

Seth (30)
MP2 (28)
Ryan (26)
Tyler (21)
Josh (09)

Then figure out who takes the minutes of

Andre (22) - Alex
Miles (21) - Amile and MP3
Austin (33) + Quinn (12) allows 45 MPG to split between Sheed and Quinn

At this point, I am assuming Josh and MP3 are 9th and 10th in the rotation, if Sheed is as good as advertised and Amile is not a year away from gaining the necessary strength to compete at ACC level.

If MP3 is more advanced than I am assuming, good problem to have. Josh is the more known upside of the three you mentions as 8-9-10.

[SupaDave]

At this point, I am assuming Josh and MP3 are 9th and 10th in the rotation, if Sheed is as good as advertised and Amile is not a year away from gaining the necessary strength to compete at ACC level.

It's a lot more likely that Josh will be the 2nd or 3rd off the bench. Usual game situations outside of foul trouble can dictate a big and a small coming out simultaneously.

[gumbomoop]

.... I think the bottom line will end up being that Sheed will simply be a better 3rd perimeter player than Amile for the few minutes that Murphy is out of the game.


Yeah, OK. I guess the hope is that adding Rasheed, Amile, and Alex to the mix will increase our defensive versatility and in that vein it doesn't matter so much how that versatility is employed.... Josh, Amile, and Marshall split the remaining 20 big man minutes and are essentially the 8th, 9th, & 10th men, with one of them emerging as a 10 to 15 minute guy by the end of the season to give us an 8-man rotation.... Of course if Andre decides not to redshirt, I think the rotation would get more complicated again.


At this point, I am assuming Josh and MP3 are 9th and 10th in the rotation, if Sheed is as good as advertised and Amile is not a year away from gaining the necessary strength to compete at ACC level.

Amile's decision has led to this interesting summer discussion of rotation and PT next season. Many posters have chimed in on this preview, but I've excerpted the above 3 tag quotes, both because they're very recent and because they are pretty close to each other, yet with some variations.

First off, we all agree that if Andre returns, all rotation/PT prognostication goes back to square one. That out of the way, we can move on to the likely central rotation/PT questions, which seem to be:

1. Will Quinn be healthy and emerge as the main PG, supported by Tyler? It seems that the default position/answer to this question is "Yes, we [many, many posters] think so." That puts Seth as the main SG; so, not much discussion needed re Seth.

2. Will Alex start at wing/SF, and play roughly 25 mpg? Consensus answer seems to be, "Yes."

3. Who will back up Alex? Because we are all so happy with Amile's decision to come to Duke, there's somewhat more enthusiasm [than months ago] about his abilities and possibility of solid PT his first year. As one who has posted enthusiastically about Amile and his different game, I want to say carefully that I would not predict Amile as anything higher than #9 in mpg. I think, purely in terms of mpg, Amile and Marshall begin the season as the likely 9-10 guys.

3a. Thus, sticking here only to pre-ACC, I'd guess Amile at 7-10 mpg backing up Alex. I'd give Rasheed 10 mpg as Seth's wing/SG backup, and maybe 5-8 mpg as Alex's wing/SF backup. This agrees, roughly, with Greg_Newton's tag quote point, except that I'm guessing Alex will be out of the game for 15, rather than a "few minutes." So, I agree with G_N's general observation that Rasheed will get more mpg than Amile, as Rasheed, IMO, is more ready than Amile, and can play either wing slot, including some mpg in a 3-guard lineup. Repeat: 3-guard for maybe 10-12 minutes; not our regular lineup, but we might see some of it.

3b. I realize this may garner some disagreement, but unless [a] Alex is so valuable that he can play 30+ mpg, and/or Amile adapts remarkably well - at least on D - at the wing/SF, [3] and/or Josh gets some mpg at wing/SF, then Rasheed is going to play more than just a couple of minutes at wing/SF. And by definition, for however many mpg Rasheed backs up Alex at wing/SF, for those mpg Duke is playing with 3 guards on the floor. IMO, none of [a], , or [c] is likely.

4. Do we think we can plausibly pick the top 6? The answer seems to be, "Yes. It's Quinn/Tyler, Seth, Alex, Ryan, Mason."

5. Then, who emerges among guys 7-10? Here, an emerging consensus that Rasheed may be likely #7. Beyond that, not really a clear consensus. I'll guess Josh will nip ahead of Amile and Marshall, garnering a few more mpg pre-ACC, and probably beyond.

IMO, all 10 guys will get some PT pre-ACC. All 4 of Josh, Rasheed, Marshall, and Amile will get a chance to impress enough to be the 7th guy. And then the 8th. By ACC-time, I'll guess K will have settled on a 9-man rotation, with [here I disagree a little with ACCBBallFan] Marshall nipping Amile for #9.

Thus, by [B][B]late-season, something like:


PG - Quinn 25, Tyler 15
wing/SG - Seth 30, Tyler 7, Rasheed 3
wing/SF - Alex 25, Rasheed 12, Amile 3
PF - Ryan 28, Josh 12
C - Mason 28, Marshall 9, Josh 3


It wouldn't be a surprise [to anyone?] if Seth, Ryan, and/or Mason get a couple minutes more than in my list, which would in turn cut down, marginally, the minutes of Josh, Marshall, and ..... somebody.

[luvdahops]

Amile's decision has led to this interesting summer discussion of rotation and PT next season. Many posters have chimed in on this preview, but I've excerpted the above 3 tag quotes, both because they're very recent and because they are pretty close to each other, yet with some variations.

First off, we all agree that if Andre returns, all rotation/PT prognostication goes back to square one. That out of the way, we can move on to the likely central rotation/PT questions, which seem to be:

1. Will Quinn be healthy and emerge as the main PG, supported by Tyler? It seems that the default position/answer to this question is "Yes, we [many, many posters] think so." That puts Seth as the main SG; so, not much discussion needed re Seth.

2. Will Alex start at wing/SF, and play roughly 25 mpg? Consensus answer seems to be, "Yes."

3. Who will back up Alex? Because we are all so happy with Amile's decision to come to Duke, there's somewhat more enthusiasm [than months ago] about his abilities and possibility of solid PT his first year. As one who has posted enthusiastically about Amile and his different game, I want to say carefully that I would not predict Amile as anything higher than #9 in mpg. I think, purely in terms of mpg, Amile and Marshall begin the season as the likely 9-10 guys.

3a. Thus, sticking here only to pre-ACC, I'd guess Amile at 7-10 mpg backing up Alex. I'd give Rasheed 10 mpg as Seth's wing/SG backup, and maybe 5-8 mpg as Alex's wing/SF backup. This agrees, roughly, with Greg_Newton's tag quote point, except that I'm guessing Alex will be out of the game for 15, rather than a "few minutes." So, I agree with G_N's general observation that Rasheed will get more mpg than Amile, as Rasheed, IMO, is more ready than Amile, and can play either wing slot, including some mpg in a 3-guard lineup. Repeat: 3-guard for maybe 10-12 minutes; not our regular lineup, but we might see some of it.

3b. I realize this may garner some disagreement, but unless [a] Alex is so valuable that he can play 30+ mpg, and/or Amile adapts remarkably well - at least on D - at the wing/SF, [3] and/or Josh gets some mpg at wing/SF, then Rasheed is going to play more than just a couple of minutes at wing/SF. And by definition, for however many mpg Rasheed backs up Alex at wing/SF, for those mpg Duke is playing with 3 guards on the floor. IMO, none of [a], , or [c] is likely.

4. Do we think we can plausibly pick the top 6? The answer seems to be, "Yes. It's Quinn/Tyler, Seth, Alex, Ryan, Mason."

5. Then, who emerges among guys 7-10? Here, an emerging consensus that Rasheed may be likely #7. Beyond that, not really a clear consensus. I'll guess Josh will nip ahead of Amile and Marshall, garnering a few more mpg pre-ACC, and probably beyond.

IMO, all 10 guys will get some PT pre-ACC. All 4 of Josh, Rasheed, Marshall, and Amile will get a chance to impress enough to be the 7th guy. And then the 8th. By ACC-time, I'll guess K will have settled on a 9-man rotation, with [here I disagree a little with ACCBBallFan] Marshall nipping Amile for #9.

Thus, by [B][B]late-season, something like:


PG - Quinn 25, Tyler 15
wing/SG - Seth 30, Tyler 7, Rasheed 3
wing/SF - Alex 25, Rasheed 12, Amile 3
PF - Ryan 28, Josh 12
C - Mason 28, Marshall 9, Josh 3


It wouldn't be a surprise [to anyone?] if Seth, Ryan, and/or Mason get a couple minutes more than in my list, which would in turn cut down, marginally, the minutes of Josh, Marshall, and ..... somebody.


I come at it a little differently:

Seth, Mason and Ryan - 90 minutes combined
Quinn and Tyler - 40 minutes combined
Alex and Rasheed - 45 minutes combined
Amile, Josh and Marshall - 25 minutes combined

My guess is that at least by mid-season, the last group breaks down 15, 5 and 5, with:

- Amile as the 3rd big and seeing occasional time at WF (~5 mpg) depending on matchups
- Ryan seeing some time at the 5 (~5 mpg)
- Josh and Marshall seeing mostly mop-up duty or foul-induced PT
- Rasheed serving as the primary backup at WF

FWIW, I did a very unscientific survey of PFs and WFs rated between 15 and 25 in the RSCI over the past two years, and the averages (across 7 players) were 20.1 mpg, 6.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg. The "peer group" included Kyle Witjer, Chane Benehan, Branden Dawson, Dorrian Finney-Smith, DeShawn Thomas, Jereme Richmond and Patric Young.

[luvdahops]

I come at it a little differently:

Seth, Mason and Ryan - 90 minutes combined
Quinn and Tyler - 40 minutes combined
Alex and Rasheed - 45 minutes combined
Amile, Josh and Marshall - 25 minutes combined

My guess is that at least by mid-season, the last group breaks down 15, 5 and 5, with:

- Amile as the 3rd big and seeing occasional time at WF (~5 mpg) depending on matchups
- Ryan seeing some time at the 5 (~5 mpg)
- Josh and Marshall seeing mostly mop-up duty or foul-induced PT
- Rasheed serving as the primary backup at WF

FWIW, I did a very unscientific survey of PFs and WFs rated between 15 and 25 in the RSCI over the past two years, and the averages (across 7 players) were 20.1 mpg, 6.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg. The "peer group" included Kyle Witjer, Chane Benehan, Branden Dawson, Dorrian Finney-Smith, DeShawn Thomas, Jereme Richmond and Patric Young.

Hadn't quite finished my thoughts from above. In terms of past Duke players, I look at Tony Lang (4.3ppg 2.6rpg in 12mpg as a frosh) and Lance Thomas (4.0ppg, 2.5rpg in 15mpg) as arguably the best comps for Amile. So 15mpg and say 5ppg, 3rpg don't strike me as unreasonable expectations for Amile next year.

[jimsumner]

Amile's decision has led to this interesting summer discussion of rotation and PT next season. Many posters have chimed in on this preview, but I've excerpted the above 3 tag quotes, both because they're very recent and because they are pretty close to each other, yet with some variations.

First off, we all agree that if Andre returns, all rotation/PT prognostication goes back to square one. That out of the way, we can move on to the likely central rotation/PT questions, which seem to be:

1. Will Quinn be healthy and emerge as the main PG, supported by Tyler? It seems that the default position/answer to this question is "Yes, we [many, many posters] think so." That puts Seth as the main SG; so, not much discussion needed re Seth.

2. Will Alex start at wing/SF, and play roughly 25 mpg? Consensus answer seems to be, "Yes."

3. Who will back up Alex? Because we are all so happy with Amile's decision to come to Duke, there's somewhat more enthusiasm [than months ago] about his abilities and possibility of solid PT his first year. As one who has posted enthusiastically about Amile and his different game, I want to say carefully that I would not predict Amile as anything higher than #9 in mpg. I think, purely in terms of mpg, Amile and Marshall begin the season as the likely 9-10 guys.

3a. Thus, sticking here only to pre-ACC, I'd guess Amile at 7-10 mpg backing up Alex. I'd give Rasheed 10 mpg as Seth's wing/SG backup, and maybe 5-8 mpg as Alex's wing/SF backup. This agrees, roughly, with Greg_Newton's tag quote point, except that I'm guessing Alex will be out of the game for 15, rather than a "few minutes." So, I agree with G_N's general observation that Rasheed will get more mpg than Amile, as Rasheed, IMO, is more ready than Amile, and can play either wing slot, including some mpg in a 3-guard lineup. Repeat: 3-guard for maybe 10-12 minutes; not our regular lineup, but we might see some of it.

3b. I realize this may garner some disagreement, but unless [a] Alex is so valuable that he can play 30+ mpg, and/or Amile adapts remarkably well - at least on D - at the wing/SF, [3] and/or Josh gets some mpg at wing/SF, then Rasheed is going to play more than just a couple of minutes at wing/SF. And by definition, for however many mpg Rasheed backs up Alex at wing/SF, for those mpg Duke is playing with 3 guards on the floor. IMO, none of [a], , or [c] is likely.

4. Do we think we can plausibly pick the top 6? The answer seems to be, "Yes. It's Quinn/Tyler, Seth, Alex, Ryan, Mason."

5. Then, who emerges among guys 7-10? Here, an emerging consensus that Rasheed may be likely #7. Beyond that, not really a clear consensus. I'll guess Josh will nip ahead of Amile and Marshall, garnering a few more mpg pre-ACC, and probably beyond.

IMO, all 10 guys will get some PT pre-ACC. All 4 of Josh, Rasheed, Marshall, and Amile will get a chance to impress enough to be the 7th guy. And then the 8th. By ACC-time, I'll guess K will have settled on a 9-man rotation, with [here I disagree a little with ACCBBallFan] Marshall nipping Amile for #9.

Thus, by [B][B]late-season, something like:


PG - Quinn 25, Tyler 15
wing/SG - Seth 30, Tyler 7, Rasheed 3
wing/SF - Alex 25, Rasheed 12, Amile 3
PF - Ryan 28, Josh 12
C - Mason 28, Marshall 9, Josh 3


It wouldn't be a surprise [to anyone?] if Seth, Ryan, and/or Mason get a couple minutes more than in my list, which would in turn cut down, marginally, the minutes of Josh, Marshall, and ..... somebody.

I will absolutely be gob-smacked if Hairston and Marshall Plumlee are playing 24 mpg at the end of the season, while Jefferson is playing 3 mpg.

I would expect Kelly to get any minutes at the 5 not taken by the Plumlees. I don't see Hairston playing the 5 unless Marshall is simply incapable of contributing.

I like Hairston and I think he brings positive energy when he plays within himself, e.g. when he's not trying to split a double team off the dribble 30 feet from the basket, or jack up 3s. And we can't discount the possibility that he'll make a big jump. Stranger things have happened. And, it sure would make Duke better.

But up to this point, I do not think he's made a strong case for major PT. Jefferson is longer, quicker and more skilled. I think there's a very good chance that Jefferson passes Hairston to become the first big off the bench and I think it will happen by the beginning of the ACC season.

[gumbomoop]

Amile, Josh and Marshall - 25 minutes combined

My guess is that at least by mid-season, the last group breaks down 15, 5 and 5, with:

- Amile as the 3rd big and seeing occasional time at WF (~5 mpg) depending on matchups
- Ryan seeing some time at the 5 (~5 mpg)
- Josh and Marshall seeing mostly mop-up duty or foul-induced PT
- Rasheed serving as the primary backup at WF

FWIW, I did a very unscientific survey of PFs and WFs rated between 15 and 25 in the RSCI over the past two years, and the averages (across 7 players) were 20.1 mpg, 6.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg. The "peer group" included Kyle Witjer, Chane Benehan, Branden Dawson, Dorrian Finney-Smith, DeShawn Thomas, Jereme Richmond and Patric Young.

Am I right in assuming that your survey is for the purpose of indicating what we might expect from a player with Amile's guru-ratings? If so, very interesting. As I've posted several times on Amile's intriguing skill-set, when I started thinking about how much PT he'd actually get, I disappointed myself in pushing him toward #10.

So, I can honestly say, I hope you're right and I'm wrong on Amile's PT. Your prediction has its own controversy, if mild enough: your view that Amile will play ahead of Josh at the 4, and not too much at the wing/SF, means that, with Rasheed at the wing/SF, Duke goes 3-guard some each game. In my post, I noted that this may draw some disagreement. We'll see soon enough.

[luvdahops]

Am I right in assuming that your survey is for the purpose of indicating what we might expect from a player with Amile's guru-ratings? If so, very interesting. As I've posted several times on Amile's intriguing skill-set, when I started thinking about how much PT he'd actually get, I disappointed myself in pushing him toward #10.

So, I can honestly say, I hope you're right and I'm wrong on Amile's PT. Your prediction has its own controversy, if mild enough: your view that Amile will play ahead of Josh at the 4, and not too much at the wing/SF, means that, with Rasheed at the wing/SF, Duke goes 3-guard some each game. In my post, I noted that this may draw some disagreement. We'll see soon enough.

Your assumption is correct. The survey was admittedly unscientific, but all 7 of those players were immediate rotation member for major programs. And yes, my prediction does have its own controversy, as you note. I think many of us expect that Amile will be better than Josh, if not right away, then by mid-season. And I will shocked if we don't play at least some 3-guard each game, though I am hopeful that Amile has the mobility and lateral quickness to play more than just spot minutes on the wing.

[gumbomoop]

I like Hairston and I think he brings positive energy when he plays within himself, e.g. when he's not trying to split a double team off the dribble 30 feet from the basket, or jack up 3s. And we can't discount the possibility that he'll make a big jump. Stranger things have happened. And, it sure would make Duke better.

But up to this point, I do not think he's made a strong case for major PT. Jefferson is longer, quicker and more skilled. I think there's a very good chance that Jefferson passes Hairston to become the first big off the bench and I think it will happen by the beginning of the ACC season.

I find myself in the awkward position of hoping you and luvdahops are right, and I'm wrong about Amile. [Others will not find this awkward.] To be clear, I am not saying Amile is overrated. But he is inexperienced. And, IMO, he's hardly an obvious immediate-impact player. Right? Not an obvious immediate-impact player. Not likely to play as much as, say, Rasheed.

I certainly agree with both of you about Amile's skill-set. I saw him only once, but he struck me as an unusual player. In several posts, I gushed about how intriguingly good are his skills. Definitely longer and quicker than Josh. And it's certainly plausible that, by end-season, Amile will have moved ahead of Josh and even Marshall in terms of PT.

[CDu]

I find myself in the awkward position of hoping you and luvdahops are right, and I'm wrong about Amile. [Others will not find this awkward.] To be clear, I am not saying Amile is overrated. But he is inexperienced. And, IMO, he's hardly an obvious immediate-impact player. Right? Not an obvious immediate-impact player. Not likely to play as much as, say, Rasheed.

I certainly agree with both of you about Amile's skill-set. I saw him only once, but he struck me as an unusual player. In several posts, I gushed about how intriguingly good are his skills. Definitely longer and quicker than Josh. And it's certainly plausible that, by end-season, Amile will have moved ahead of Josh and even Marshall in terms of PT.

Yeah, it's interesting to note that Hairston was a similarly-rated recruit (#32 in a very deep class) to Jefferson (#20 in a supposedly weak class). They both were listed in the ~6'8", 200lb range coming out of high school (if anything, Hairston was probably a little bigger). Now, Hairston has an additional two years of experience over Jefferson, along with a lot of added strength. But I'd guess Jefferson is quicker, may have longer arms, and has a more interesting offensive game.

I think it comes down to where the minutes are needed most. If it's at SF, then the answer is simple. If it's at PF, then I'd think Hairston's strength and experience would keep him in the mix.

[jimsumner]

Yeah, it's interesting to note that Hairston was a similarly-rated recruit (#32 in a very deep class) to Jefferson (#20 in a supposedly weak class). They both were listed in the ~6'8", 200lb range coming out of high school (if anything, Hairston was probably a little bigger). Now, Hairston has an additional two years of experience over Jefferson, along with a lot of added strength. But I'd guess Jefferson is quicker, may have longer arms, and has a more interesting offensive game.

I think it comes down to where the minutes are needed most. If it's at SF, then the answer is simple. If it's at PF, then I'd think Hairston's strength and experience would keep him in the mix.

Hairston and Jefferson provide an interesting contrast. Hairston played at 6-7, 235. Jefferson's exact dimensions seem to be somewhat in dispute but he's certainly taller and thinner than Hairston, with a reach advantage greater than the height discrepancy suggests.

I don't think it's unfair to Hairston to suggest that he could slim down to his benefit, improving quickness and conditioning. Jefferson, on the other hand, needs to bulk up. Meet in the middle, around say 225 or so.

Hairston has an advantage in bulk and experience, Jefferson in pretty much everything else. I think Jefferson closes the bulk and experience gap easier than Hairston closes the everything-else gap.

I'm certainly not predicting imminent stardom for Jefferson. I expect Mason, Kelly and Murphy to start in the front court and I do expect to see some three-guard lineups, presumably with Sulaimon at the 3.

So, we're talking about the 20-30 mpg at the 4/5 not absorbed by Mason and Kelly and whatever minutes remain at the 3 when Murphy and Sulaimon are through; I'm assuming Dawkins sits out. If he plays, he plays lots of 3 and the equation changes.

Marshall is a bit of a wildcard. If he can play a productive 8-12 mpg, then Duke likely doesn't need anyone other than Plumlees at the 5, excluding end-of-game-best-foul-shooters lineups. If not, I suspect Kelly is a better option than Hairston or Jefferson at the 5. Hope we don't have to find out.

So, we shall see. K has long argued that intense practice competiton for PT benefits both the team and the individuals involved. That's a good scenario for what promises to be a mutually beneficial competition for PT.

[gumbomoop]

So, we shall see. K has long argued that intense practice competiton for PT benefits both the team and the individuals involved. That's a good scenario for what promises to be a mutually beneficial competition for PT.

I wish we could see, literally, the practices. Of course I do. Do some of you insiders get to see practices regularly? Irregularly? Double-secret, off-the-record, no-comment basis only?

The mutually beneficial competition should be something to see. I can imagine, as that's my only choice, some intensity for sure. Tyler will make Quinn earn the starting job. Rasheed's length and D-footwork should provide some challenge to Seth; and Seth's quick hands might surprise Rasheed, whose handle is good enough, but not yet great enough. Alex needs a challenger, and Amile is likely the designated challenger. I assume Josh and Ryan have gone at each other a good deal already. And I have the strong impression that Marshall irritates Mason a whole lot. Mason has an appropriately studious look to him, whereas Marshall yaks at him a lot. Mason came back to beat up Marshall. That's the only logical explanation.

Wish we could see it.

[ACCBBallFan]

Your assumption is correct. The survey was admittedly unscientific, but all 7 of those players were immediate rotation member for major programs. And yes, my prediction does have its own controversy, as you note. I think many of us expect that Amile will be better than Josh, if not right away, then by mid-season. And I will shocked if we don't play at least some 3-guard each game, though I am hopeful that Amile has the mobility and lateral quickness to play more than just spot minutes on the wing.

I took your process and limited it to Duke players with similar RSCIHoops.com ratings. I realize that Taylor King for example had a totally different physique and type of game than Amile, but that is equally true of Patrick Young for example in your sample for different reasons.

RSCI Season GP GSI Min TR Ast TO Blk St Pts
28 2006-07 33 32 1112 110 61 52 5 39 402 6-5 WG Jon Scheyer
29 2001-02 35 00 636 078 47 29 1 32 227 6-3 WG Daniel Ewing
18 2004-05 33 02 634 150 27 47 9 28 206 6-3 WG DeMarcus Nelson
15 2008-09 34 12 563 077 23 29 1 21 144 6-4 WG Elliot Williams
19 2007-08 34 01 500 052 45 49 5 18 202 6-3 WG Nolan Smith
22 Average 34 09 689 093 41 41 4 28 192 6-3.6 WG Duke Average
17 6-3 WG Rasheed Sulaimon 20 MPG 6 PPG

RSCI Season GP GSI Min TR Ast TO Blk St Pts
18 2009-10 34 01 480 104 30 32 30 18 125 6-11 PF Mason Plumlee
20 2006-07 31 18 463 076 01 43 03 17 124 6-8 WF Lance Thomas
24 2007-08 34 00 330 068 14 19 14 11 186 6-7 WF Taylor King
14 2009-10 35 00 227 038 13 08 14 08 041 6-9 PF Ryan Kelly
32 2010-11 27 00 165 033 03 08 01 04 039 6-8 PF Josh Hairston
28 2011-12 19 00 111 016 03 08 01 03 033 6-6 WF Michael Gbinije
23 Average 30 03 296 056 11 20 11 10 103 6-8.2 PF-WF Duke Average
20 6-8 WF Amile Jefferson 10 MPG 3.4 PPG

[Greg_Newton]

Thought these were decent videos to get a sense of how he plays in HS. They don't show much of his post game, but they're more realistic than the ballislife stuff.

Scouting video (every play where he produced a positive or negative statistic) (http://vimeo.com/35038406)

6-7 minute AAU highlight video (http://vimeo.com/27240473)

(Thanks to ben33323 and dukeswift for originally posting them on TDD)

[ncexnyc]

Welcome to Duke Amile. I hope this arrangement is mutually beneficial to both parties.

It seems that I forgot to read the memo about welcoming a new recruit to Duke, as my post wasn't enthusiastic for someone. They wrote, "Don't hurt yourself with excessive enthusiasm." Had I realized I needed to be more uptempo I would have broken out the pompoms.

I guess I was trying to temper my excitement as we saw what happened last year with Gbinije, but alas from what I'm reading on this last page my opinion and concern about overhyping this kid is in the minority. Some interesting predictions being made about a kid that hasn't set foot on the court yet.

[jimsumner]

It seems that I forgot to read the memo about welcoming a new recruit to Duke, as my post wasn't enthusiastic for someone. They wrote, "Don't hurt yourself with excessive enthusiasm." Had I realized I needed to be more uptempo I would have broken out the pompoms.

I guess I was trying to temper my excitement as we saw what happened last year with Gbinije, but alas from what I'm reading on this last page my opinion and concern about overhyping this kid is in the minority. Some interesting predictions being made about a kid that hasn't set foot on the court yet.

Some folks are predicting that he'll come off the bench and play maybe 15 mpg.

That doesn't seem excessively optimistic to me.

[Troublemaker]

I guess I was trying to temper my excitement as we saw what happened last year with Gbinije

Considering the Duke-signee relationship works out well 95+% of the time, your previous comment hoping things turn out "mutually beneficial" does seem a bit understated.

I think Amile's going to have a blast at Duke. As far as I can tell from his interviews, he's a "Duke kid" through and through. Not saying Gbinije wasn't, but Amile just especially seems like a perfect match with this program.

[Troublemaker]

I think Amile could potentially be a key player even in his freshman season. Two things he might provide:

(1) The option for Duke to play a switch-everything-from-1-to-4 lineup that is a changeup from the MP2-Kelly pairing. Obviously Mason and Ryan will receive the most frontcourt minutes but I think it's important to have the ability to play a more versatile lineup when needed against certain opponents and also generally as a changeup / momentum-changer. In my mind, Thornton + Sheed + Murphy + Amile with either Ryan or Mason at center could be that sort of a changeup. I think Ryan's going to be the backup center, btw, and I think Duke fans will be very happy with that lineup. We might not want Ryan to play 30 minutes at center (thank you Mason for returning), but he can cause headaches for opponents playing 5-10 minutes there as a changeup to the regular lineup.

(2) The option for Duke to not play small on the perimeter unless we really want to. Sheed won't have to play at the "3" at all now, unless it just proves to be an effective lineup. One of Murphy or Amile will start at the 3 and one will be a backup at the 3/4.

Basically Amile potentially provides options. Without him on the roster, Duke would be more rigid wrt lineup possibilities. With Amile, Duke can potentially have more fluid and versatile lineups.

[turnandburn55]

I'm also happy we got him. As a thought exercise, consider the following: suppose you could pick any two of the following players. You can only have those two:

Mason Plumlee
Austin Rivers
Mitch McGary
Tony Parker
Shabazz Muhammad
Amile Jefferson

I don't want to disparage any of these guys, especially our own players, but I think you could make a case that Mason and Amile are the two you would pick.

... I hate to play Debbie Downer, but I was almost expecting you to say those would be the last two you would pick. If you only get two, you take Austin and Shabazz.

I'm certainly not complaining with what we have, as I could also envision a scenario in which we had neither, which would be far, FAR worse. But let's not call it what it isn't... this is hardly landing Dunleavy, Boozer, and Jay Dubs.

[gwlaw99]

Watching those two videos it looks like he is a good shot blocker, a good slasher, and is very comfortable and poised posting up. I can see him posting up opposing teams small forwards a lot. I only saw average athleticism though.

[Greg_Newton]

... I hate to play Debbie Downer, but I was almost expecting you to say those would be the last two you would pick. If you only get two, you take Austin and Shabazz.

I'm certainly not complaining with what we have, as I could also envision a scenario in which we had neither, which would be far, FAR worse. But let's not call it what it isn't... this is hardly landing Dunleavy, Boozer, and Jay Dubs.

It's an interesting dilemma in that one-and-done era, though. I'm coming more and more around to the idea that the perfect recruit is a Mason Plumlee/Nolan Smith/Kyle Singler type of talent; a top 25 (or higher) talent out of HS who eventually develops into an NBA-caliber player, but is in it for the long haul. Having a high "college effectiveness-to-NBA effectiveness ratios" is a pretty huge plus these days.

[Sixthman]

It's an interesting dilemma in that one-and-done era, though. I'm coming more and more around to the idea that the perfect recruit is a Mason Plumlee/Nolan Smith/Kyle Singler type of talent; a top 25 (or higher) talent out of HS who eventually develops into an NBA-caliber player, but is in it for the long haul. Having a high "college effectiveness-to-NBA effectiveness ratios" is a pretty huge plus these days.

In fact, it's fairly clear that there are actually great college players who are nominal in the NBA and vice versa. This a particularly interesting when it comes to the whole "big man" debate. Duke actually does a great job in taking the 6'8 "big man" coming out of high school who is not ready to be dominate at the college level, has no hope of being a 4 or 5 in the NBA, and making him a great college player who has a serviceable NBA career.

[DukieInBrasil]

It's an interesting dilemma in that one-and-done era, though. I'm coming more and more around to the idea that the perfect recruit is a Mason Plumlee/Nolan Smith/Kyle Singler type of talent; a top 25 (or higher) talent out of HS who eventually develops into an NBA-caliber player, but is in it for the long haul. Having a high "college effectiveness-to-NBA effectiveness ratios" is a pretty huge plus these days.

I like that metric. I'd like to see what variables you would use to calculate that, and how one might be able to predict that for HS recruits. Of course you want a high college-effectiveness component b/c we want Duke to win championships. The NBA-effectiveness component is important by helping land great recruits.

[lotusland]

It's an interesting dilemma in that one-and-done era, though. I'm coming more and more around to the idea that the perfect recruit is a Mason Plumlee/Nolan Smith/Kyle Singler type of talent; a top 25 (or higher) talent out of HS who eventually develops into an NBA-caliber player, but is in it for the long haul. Having a high "college effectiveness-to-NBA effectiveness ratios" is a pretty huge plus these days.

Absolutely right. All of those kids made more of an impact over their career. Also Duke has had 4 wonderful one and done players but none of them won it all. I don't think Duke could or should follow the UK model. To contend for a championship we need juniors and seniors leading the way either with or without one and done impact players.

[MCFinARL]

In fact, it's fairly clear that there are actually great college players who are nominal in the NBA and vice versa. This a particularly interesting when it comes to the whole "big man" debate. Duke actually does a great job in taking the 6'8 "big man" coming out of high school who is not ready to be dominate at the college level, has no hope of being a 4 or 5 in the NBA, and making him a great college player who has a serviceable NBA career.

This is why I find the whole Coach-K-doesn't-develop-as-many-NBA-players-as-[fill in the blank] meme so irritating. In fact, Coach K has done a terrific job of developing players who were not obviously naturally suited to the NBA--between sizes, between positions, atypical skill sets--into, as you note, serviceable NBA players. Kids whose expectations are anywhere near realistic should be flocking to Duke.

[dukelifer]

Watching those two videos it looks like he is a good shot blocker, a good slasher, and is very comfortable and poised posting up. I can see him posting up opposing teams small forwards a lot. I only saw average athleticism though.

He is fundamentally sound and very coordinated for someone with that length. Not a leaper but he looks to rely on positioning and timing to get his shot off in traffic- which he does pretty easily. He also have very good form on his free throws. He is going to be a very good player at Duke. He will need seasoning but he brings a lot to the table and looks to be very coachable. His length is really going to be an asset in K's defense. If Duke's D can improve markedly over last year - they will be a very good team.

[sagegrouse]

This is why I find the whole Coach-K-doesn't-develop-as-many-NBA-players-as-[fill in the blank] meme so irritating. In fact, Coach K has done a terrific job of developing players who were not obviously naturally suited to the NBA--between sizes, between positions, atypical skill sets--into, as you note, serviceable NBA players. Kids whose expectations are anywhere near realistic should be flocking to Duke.

K also seems to do a good job coaching NBA players. -- sage

[Gthoma2a]

Since I saw the Austin and Shabazz on the same team idea, I have to say that if it was 15 years ago and we had Kyrie and Austin, but then somehow got Bazz, we would have a true excess of assets (guys didn't leave early often then). We would have a team with incredible talent, but I would dare to say that it could very well end up being a nightmare for all involved. Bazz takes the ball and dominates the game on scoring. Austin loves to get isolation plays set up for him and Kyrie is incredible at everything, but likes to have the ball in his hands. With all of these things in mind, I would rather have a guy like Sulaimon than Rivers on a team with guys like that. Rasheed plays well, but doesn't have to have the ball in his hands to impact the game (his defense is great, even when his offense isn't on). I think that is one of the great things for guys who aren't one and done players. It is rare that you get multiple one and done guys that can play together. Usually it is best to have them as a centerpiece on a team of other working parts.

[ACCBBallFan]

I think Amile could potentially be a key player even in his freshman season. Two things he might provide:

(1) The option for Duke to play a switch-everything-from-1-to-4 lineup that is a changeup from the MP2-Kelly pairing. Obviously Mason and Ryan will receive the most frontcourt minutes but I think it's important to have the ability to play a more versatile lineup when needed against certain opponents and also generally as a changeup / momentum-changer. In my mind, Thornton + Sheed + Murphy + Amile with either Ryan or Mason at center could be that sort of a changeup. I think Ryan's going to be the backup center, btw, and I think Duke fans will be very happy with that lineup. We might not want Ryan to play 30 minutes at center (thank you Mason for returning), but he can cause headaches for opponents playing 5-10 minutes there as a changeup to the regular lineup.

(2) The option for Duke to not play small on the perimeter unless we really want to. Sheed won't have to play at the "3" at all now, unless it just proves to be an effective lineup. One of Murphy or Amile will start at the 3 and one will be a backup at the 3/4.

Basically Amile potentially provides options. Without him on the roster, Duke would be more rigid wrt lineup possibilities. With Amile, Duke can potentially have more fluid and versatile lineups.

All true.

In addition, with Ryan and Mason moving on, Duke will at least now have 4 guys as a nucleus in front court pending new addiitions, Josh for one more year after this one, and MP3, Alex and Amile for 3 more.

With PT to offer, Duke should attract one or more big men and continue to play a big SF.

If not, can at least go with these 4 at C/PF (very small backup center) and a 3 guard set. This is assuming Seth is the only guard Duke loses and Dre returns from red-shirt rather than plays and graduates this year.

Sulaimon, Jones, and Cook plus Dawkins and Thornton for one more year after this one, plus any new additions on perimeter.

[wtm001]

I was going through my pictures and saw this picture I took from CTC. Anybody see it?

[UrinalCake]

... I hate to play Debbie Downer, but I was almost expecting you to say those would be the last two you would pick. If you only get two, you take Austin and Shabazz.

Maybe on paper, and if you're looking at NBA draft position then sure, but I disagree as far as the needs of our team this year and beyond. Austin and Shabazz are very similar players. Having both on the team would be tough. Essentially the two would take turns going one-on-one against their man, and the rest of the team would stand around watching. I get that they are both amazing talents, can create their own offense, and want the ball in their hands, and those are all things that we need. And perhaps my feeling right now is a bit of an overreaction to how our season ended... but I'm really looking forward to playing better team ball next year and having a more conventional and balanced lineup.

Aside from that, I can't overstate how much we needed Mason to come back. He's our only proven inside scorer. Without him we would have zero inside game. We'd rely entirely on outside jump shots, and we've sung that tune many times already.

As for taking Amile versus Shabazz, as I said it's a tough call. Maybe I'm fooling myself as a way to be happy with what we got. But I'm feeling a little jaded on the one-and-dones. Up until this season the only one-and-done'r to win a title was Carmelo Anthony. And Kentucky only did it because they had a bunch of them, plus two sophomores who might not have been there if not for the lockout, plus a solid senior. They're a unique situation. I still think we should go after the one-and-done'rs, but I'm just as happy getting a solid four-year guy with a ton of upside.

[Gthoma2a]

I was going through my pictures and saw this picture I took from CTC. Anybody see it?

I am going to miss Mike G. I had high hopes for him. He will be a very good player.

[luvdahops]

He is fundamentally sound and very coordinated for someone with that length. Not a leaper but he looks to rely on positioning and timing to get his shot off in traffic- which he does pretty easily. He also have very good form on his free throws. He is going to be a very good player at Duke. He will need seasoning but he brings a lot to the table and looks to be very coachable. His length is really going to be an asset in K's defense. If Duke's D can improve markedly over last year - they will be a very good team.

Brick Oettinger (best guru IMHO) likened Amile to Antawn Jamison, specifically in his ability to get shots off quickly and to work his way into being effective on the glass, despite his slight frame and lack of big-time hops. I found that comparison both intriguing and exciting. Jamison killed us back in the day, even when matched up against solid defenders like Shane, C-Well and Ro McLeod, and has had a productive NBA career, albeit generally on bad teams. Also worth noting that he was much better player as a frosh, as well as over his full Carolina career, than his higher ranked and more celebrated classmate Vince Carter.

[BD80]

Brick Oettinger (best guru IMHO) likened Amile to Antawn Jamison, specifically in his ability to get shots off quickly and to work his way into being effective on the glass, despite his slight frame and lack of big-time hops. I found that comparison both intriguing and exciting. Jamison killed us back in the day, even when matched up against solid defenders like Shane, C-Well and Ro McLeod, and has had a productive NBA career, albeit generally on bad teams. Also worth noting that he was much better player as a frosh, as well as over his full Carolina career, than his higher ranked and more celebrated classmate Vince Carter.

I still can't fully comprehend how Jamison was so successfull generally, and against Duke in particular. He wasn't a great leaper or physical specimen. He was just so damn quick and decisive, he made it look like the opponents were on time-delay.

If Amile has even a hint of those offensive skills, consider me well content.

[OldPhiKap]

Brick Oettinger (best guru IMHO) likened Amile to Antawn Jamison, specifically in his ability to get shots off quickly and to work his way into being effective on the glass, despite his slight frame and lack of big-time hops. I found that comparison both intriguing and exciting. Jamison killed us back in the day, even when matched up against solid defenders like Shane, C-Well and Ro McLeod, and has had a productive NBA career, albeit generally on bad teams. Also worth noting that he was much better player as a frosh, as well as over his full Carolina career, than his higher ranked and more celebrated classmate Vince Carter.

I probably have more respect for Antawn's game than any other Heel over the last twenty or so years. Kid was a beast, and a pretty good guy from what I understand.

I'd be very happy that Amile develops into that. But all things take time, too . . . .

[Steven43]

I was going through my pictures and saw this picture I took from CTC. Anybody see it?

I don't recognize everyone in that photo. I see Amile, Austin, Quinn, and Mike G., but I'm unsure about most of the others. Can you help me out? Also, what year was that photo taken.

[BigWil06]

I don't recognize everyone in that photo. I see Amile, Austin, Quinn, and Mike G., but I'm unsure about most of the others. Can you help me out? Also, what year was that photo taken.

Looks like Sheed next to Mike G..

[wtm001]

I don't recognize everyone in that photo. I see Amile, Austin, Quinn, and Mike G., but I'm unsure about most of the others. Can you help me out? Also, what year was that photo taken.

That's pretty much everyone I recognize too. This was taken The 10-11 season, Kyle and Nolan's last.

[gumbomoop]

Imported this from Rodney Hood thread:


FWIW, Duke recruited Jefferson with the expectation that he would be part of the big-man rotation.

Amile Jefferson does like to work inside and is very good at it.

Amile is clearly, just now, not the prototypical college PF. But the one game I saw him play, he played mostly inside, and effectively. On D, he guarded 7' Kaleb Tarczewski, probably out of necessity, but willingly, even enthusiastically. On O, he sometimes had the ball on the wing, but he used his pretty good handle and nice footwork, plus his instinct for driving into the lane or along the baseline to get to or near the rim to put up a variety of shots.

Amile just does not fit anything close to a preconceived college 4. He's different. He does "look" like a prototypical college wing/SF, but certainly didn't play that way in the one game I saw. Since Duke recruited him to play inside, it would seem as if the one game I saw was the way he plays, mostly.

I assume, as do many other posters, that Alex, Rasheed, and Amile will share the wing/SF minutes this season. There's been plenty of discussion that when Amile and Ryan are on the floor together, Amile might play the 3 on D, but drift inside to allow Ryan to drift out to 3-bomb land on O. Maybe Rasheed will prove effective on the wing, so effective that he will be the primary backup to both Seth and Alex, so that Duke will play a 3-guard alignment a good bit, in which case Amile will have to compete with Josh for minutes backing up Ryan. Or maybe Amile will adapt enough, at least on D, to the wing/SF that he'll be Alex's main backup there.

Whatever happens, Amile begins his years at Duke looking physically like a wing/SF, but having played [in HS] inside. According to jimsumner's informed comment, we can tentatively assume the staff sees Amile's long-range role as a 4. Everyone concerned, staff, Amile, and, most important, EK posters, presumably expects him to fill out somewhat over the next several years.

He's different. His different-ness doesn't make him great; but it does mean he doesn't now fit easily into normal, much less "classic," definitions of positions. It makes him interesting.

[gwlaw99]

Imported this from Rodney Hood thread:



Amile is clearly, just now, not the prototypical college PF. But the one game I saw him play, he played mostly inside, and effectively. On D, he guarded 7' Kaleb Tarczewski, probably out of necessity, but willingly, even enthusiastically. On O, he sometimes had the ball on the wing, but he used his pretty good handle and nice footwork, plus his instinct for driving into the lane or along the baseline to get to or near the rim to put up a variety of shots.

Amile just does not fit anything close to a preconceived college 4. He's different. He does "look" like a prototypical college wing/SF, but certainly didn't play that way in the one game I saw. Since Duke recruited him to play inside, it would seem as if the one game I saw was the way he plays, mostly.

I assume, as do many other posters, that Alex, Rasheed, and Amile will share the wing/SF minutes this season. There's been plenty of discussion that when Amile and Ryan are on the floor together, Amile might play the 3 on D, but drift inside to allow Ryan to drift out to 3-bomb land on O. Maybe Rasheed will prove effective on the wing, so effective that he will be the primary backup to both Seth and Alex, so that Duke will play a 3-guard alignment a good bit, in which case Amile will have to compete with Josh for minutes backing up Ryan. Or maybe Amile will adapt enough, at least on D, to the wing/SF that he'll be Alex's main backup there.

Whatever happens, Amile begins his years at Duke looking physically like a wing/SF, but having played [in HS] inside. According to jimsumner's informed comment, we can tentatively assume the staff sees Amile's long-range role as a 4. Everyone concerned, staff, Amile, and, most important, EK posters, presumably expects him to fill out somewhat over the next several years.

He's different. His different-ness doesn't make him great; but it does mean he doesn't now fit easily into normal, much less "classic," definitions of positions. It makes him interesting.

He is probably quick enough to guard the 3, but will be able to post up any 3 defending him especially if Ryan pulls his man outside.

[Bob Green]

Interesting take by Brett Friedlander in the article linked on DBR's front page:

http://acc.blogs.starnewsonline.com/30317/which-hoop-freshmen-will-impact-acc-most-next-season/

This comment is nice to read:


His addition should immediately make Duke a much better defensive team than it was last season.

Hopefully, Brett is right.

[UrinalCake]

I'm excited to see what Amile can do this year, but I would argue that Rasheed is a more important recruit for Duke than Amile. He comes closer to the definition of an "athletic wing" and will defend against dribble penetration, which was our biggest weakness on defense last year. And of course we'll need others to collectively replace Austin's scoring from the perimeter. Amile will be a valuable player too, but is less critical as he'll play behind Ryan (probably) and will likely need time to gain weight/strength.

[Flyers52]

Forgive me if this has been mentioned previously, but I think Amile is going to fit the Lance Thomas mold, with more Offense... Viewing Amile on youtube, I can't help but make the comparison

[NSDukeFan]

Forgive me if this has been mentioned previously, but I think Amile is going to fit the Lance Thomas mold, with more Offense... Viewing Amile on youtube, I can't help but make the comparison

Hopefully, he will also end up starting over 100 games for teams that win over 115 games, a couple ACC titles and an NCAA championship (or more) over his career. It would also be nice if he could then make it to the NBA and be chosen to a Select Team to play against the Olympic team.

[luvdahops]

Interesting take by Brett Friedlander in the article linked on DBR's front page:

http://acc.blogs.starnewsonline.com/30317/which-hoop-freshmen-will-impact-acc-most-next-season/

This comment is nice to read:



Hopefully, Brett is right.

I am excited at the prospect of what should be a much better and more versatile team defensively, given the additions of Alex, Rasheed and Amile, plus a hopefully 100% Quinn. Collectively, they should give us much better answers for defending dribble penetration, athletic 3s and stretch 4s.

[Kedsy]

Interesting take by Brett Friedlander in the article linked on DBR's front page:

http://acc.blogs.starnewsonline.com/30317/which-hoop-freshmen-will-impact-acc-most-next-season/

This comment is nice to read:

Hopefully, Brett is right.

Hopefully, but since Friedlander considers Amile to be an "athletic wing" and the consensus here says he'll be a skinny PF, I'm not sure how much stock to put into Friedlander's words.

[Kedsy]

I am excited at the prospect of what should be a much better and more versatile team defensively, given the additions of Alex, Rasheed and Amile, plus a hopefully 100% Quinn. Collectively, they should give us much better answers for defending dribble penetration, athletic 3s and stretch 4s.

I am also getting excited. If our newcomers bring us back to having a Duke quality defense, I think our team can be really, really good next season.

[CDu]

Hopefully, but since Friedlander considers Amile to be an "athletic wing" and the consensus here says he'll be a skinny PF, I'm not sure how much stock to put into Friedlander's words.

Yeah, I'm inclined to think that Friedlander is off track here. I think that Alex Murphy will be the tall, athletic wing and Jefferson will be an athletic baseline player/PF. But if Jefferson is able to also be a tall, athletic wing, that would be terrific.

[Greg_Newton]

Whatever happens, Amile begins his years at Duke looking physically like a wing/SF, but having played [in HS] inside. According to jimsumner's informed comment, we can tentatively assume the staff sees Amile's long-range role as a 4. Everyone concerned, staff, Amile, and, most important, EK posters, presumably expects him to fill out somewhat over the next several years.

He's different. His different-ness doesn't make him great; but it does mean he doesn't now fit easily into normal, much less "classic," definitions of positions. It makes him interesting.

I really think a lot of this differentness is as simple as being considerably behind on the muscle-gaining curve, as you mention. Amile has every bit the frame, game and mindset to be a prototypical scoring, versatile college PF, he's just nowhere close to his ideal playing weight yet. Once he gets there, all of the things he already does well - along with the things he can almost pull off, but not quite - will translate that much better into overall effectiveness. Many prototypical college PFs didn't look anything close to the part coming in.

I also agree that Friedlander is way off with his assessment; not only does Amile not play like a wing (or from a perimeter perspective), he's not "athletic" the commonly used sense, either. What he is is very long, quick, smart with his movements, and tough, and possesses a very gifted PF game that can be hard to see at times because his body won't quite allow him to use it yet. Although they have very different games, I see him as a little similar to Ryan Kelly in that sense; you would have never known what an arsenal of moves Ryan had from watching him play as a scrawny, wide-eyed freshman, for example.

[chrishoke]

One question: does he have good touch on his inside shots? Boozer was, I believe the last big man at Duke who did.

[gumbomoop]

One question: does he have good touch on his inside shots? Boozer was, I believe the last big man at Duke who did.

This is a good, relevant question, as I'm pretty sure Amile's O-game is not built on jump shots. I hope others can chime in on this, as I saw him only once. In that game, he made a variety of shots in the lane and along the baseline, floaters and bank shots from different angles. He intends to get close to the rim, almost always, so he's had plenty of practice at sneaky angles, floaters, etc. I think this must mean he has plenty of practice at developing "touch" shots. He did not dominate, but exhibited enough variety of angles and moving-toward rim shots that suggests that's how he plays regularly.

An obvious issue is that he'll presumably have a tougher time getting close to the basket at the ACC-level: taller, stronger, quicker defenders. As enthusiastic as I have been about him, I don't expect him to score much his first year. I'm guessing we have enough scorers - including Alex, who definitely attacks to score, and probably Rasheed - so it's Amile's hard work on D that is likely to gain him some PT.

His touch is good, but not Boozer good, even frosh Boozer, who maybe even as a frosh used both hands pretty effectively.

[COYS]

This is a good, relevant question, as I'm pretty sure Amile's O-game is not built on jump shots. I hope others can chime in on this, as I saw him only once. In that game, he made a variety of shots in the lane and along the baseline, floaters and bank shots from different angles. He intends to get close to the rim, almost always, so he's had plenty of practice at sneaky angles, floaters, etc. I think this must mean he has plenty of practice at developing "touch" shots. He did not dominate, but exhibited enough variety of angles and moving-toward rim shots that suggests that's how he plays regularly.

An obvious issue is that he'll presumably have a tougher time getting close to the basket at the ACC-level: taller, stronger, quicker defenders. As enthusiastic as I have been about him, I don't expect him to score much his first year. I'm guessing we have enough scorers - including Alex, who definitely attacks to score, and probably Rasheed - so it's Amile's hard work on D that is likely to gain him some PT.

His touch is good, but not Boozer good, even frosh Boozer, who maybe even as a frosh used both hands pretty effectively.

To put things in perspective, Boozer was arguably the single best power forward in the NBA at using both hands with touch around the basket when he was in his prime. In fact, Boozer was almost better with his left than his right. I'd love to have someone with as much touch as Boozer or Gasol, but guys like that are rare, even in the NBA (can you imagine how many points per game Howard would score if he had Boozer's touch?). I hope Amile has good feel around the basket, but I wouldn't expect him to be as impressive as Boozer was around the basket.

[luvdahops]

I really think a lot of this differentness is as simple as being considerably behind on the muscle-gaining curve, as you mention. Amile has every bit the frame, game and mindset to be a prototypical scoring, versatile college PF, he's just nowhere close to his ideal playing weight yet. Once he gets there, all of the things he already does well - along with the things he can almost pull off, but not quite - will translate that much better into overall effectiveness. Many prototypical college PFs didn't look anything close to the part coming in.

I also agree that Friedlander is way off with his assessment; not only does Amile not play like a wing (or from a perimeter perspective), he's not "athletic" the commonly used sense, either. What he is is very long, quick, smart with his movements, and tough, and possesses a very gifted PF game that can be hard to see at times because his body won't quite allow him to use it yet. Although they have very different games, I see him as a little similar to Ryan Kelly in that sense; you would have never known what an arsenal of moves Ryan had from watching him play as a scrawny, wide-eyed freshman, for example.

If the Antwan Jamison comparisons are valid, that would suggest a combination of quickness, anticipation, tenacity and touch around the basket. Also, the ESPN profile from Dave Telep says that Amile is "a jump shot away from being a combo forward", which to me suggests that he may be capable of defending WFs from day one. Just sounds like a very unique player who is totally unlike anyone on else on the current roster, and has a skill set that will allow him to contribute right away, which is apparently K's expectation.