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jimsumner
10-28-2015, 11:57 AM
Went to the women's basketball media day yesterday.

You may have noticed some injury issues.

Mercedes Riggs and Kendall Cooper were involved in a fender-bender and both suffered concussion-like issues. Riggs was cleared for practice yesterday and Cooper is expected to get the green light sometime in the next few days.

Duke is continuing to bring Angela Salvadores along slowly. No guarantee she'll play in the first exhibition game and McCallie says it might be December before she's fully up to speed.

Lynee Belton is practicing, no brace. She is expected to be 100 percent by early December.

Oderah Chidom is 100 percent healthy after shoulder surgery late season.

Amber Henson is not practicing full-time but not because of her knees. She's in a Master's program, with lots of classes. She says missing some practice time is helping keep her knee healthy. She played 30 minutes in the scrimmage over the weekend and feels she can play a lot more than in the past. Says she hasn't felt better since she started having knee surgeries; she's had six, btw.

Don't ask me about the scrimmage. I was in Virginia for football and missed it. But apparently freshman wing Crystal Primm had a breakout game and she has been practicing at that level. So, she could be in the rotation.

More later.

Question. How much interest is there in women's hoops on this board? Is it worth my time to update on women's hoops?

killerleft
10-28-2015, 12:03 PM
I know I would love to hear more about the women's side. Fingers crossed regarding injuries, because we've got the players to do some damage in the ACC this year.

CameronBornAndBred
10-28-2015, 12:05 PM
Question. How much interest is there in women's hoops on this board? Is it worth my time to update on women's hoops?
Big YES and thanks so much for the update.

That is very cool about Henson's reason to tone down practice time, I'm not sure I've ever heard that before in an elite program. (And I do consider Duke to have an elite program.)

I was nervous opening this thread up, happy to see nothing too major.

devildeac
10-28-2015, 12:08 PM
Went to the women's basketball media day yesterday.

You may have noticed some injury issues.

Mercedes Riggs and Kendall Cooper were involved in a fender-bender and both suffered concussion-like issues. Riggs was cleared for practice yesterday and Cooper is expected to get the green light sometime in the next few days.

Duke is continuing to bring Angela Salvadores along slowly. No guarantee she'll play in the first exhibition game and McCallie says it might be December before she's fully up to speed.

Lynee Belton is practicing, no brace. She is expected to be 100 percent by early December.

Oderah Chidom is 100 percent healthy after shoulder surgery late season.

Amber Henson is not practicing full-time but not because of her knees. She's in a Master's program, with lots of classes. She says missing some practice time is helping keep her knee healthy. She played 30 minutes in the scrimmage over the weekend and feels she can play a lot more than in the past. Says she hasn't felt better since she started having knee surgeries; she's had six, btw.

Don't ask me about the scrimmage. I was in Virginia for football and missed it. But apparently freshman wing Crystal Primm had a breakout game and she has been practicing at that level. So, she could be in the rotation.

More later.

Question. How much interest is there in women's hoops on this board? Is it worth my time to update on women's hoops?

Well, it is called Duke Basketball Report so... ;)

Seriously, I have a moderate amount of interest in following them, along with many other Duke sports/topics when the threads are posted and I think it's worth your time and effort to keep us updated. Please be sure you title your threads properly :rolleyes:. I must admit when I saw this title, more bad injuries came to mind that seems to have been their "theme" for the last few years. I was greatly relieved to read your encouraging updates. Thank you again.

wandalee
10-28-2015, 12:17 PM
Please keep providing the updates. You have insight that most of us don't get. I attend most of the women's games, but there is little information provided locally in the Herald-Sun.

I'm really excited about this season. It will be so nice to have some guards to go along with our bigs!

Indoor66
10-28-2015, 01:16 PM
I enjoy the women's updates. Please continue.

Class of '94
10-28-2015, 01:32 PM
Thank-you for the update and please keep them coming. Is there anything physically wrong with Angela? Why is she being brought along slowly? I know she had a busy summer and was wondering if she was injured. Also, out of curiosity, what is Lynee recovering from and how did she get injured?

Bob Green
10-28-2015, 01:33 PM
Question. How much interest is there in women's hoops on this board? Is it worth my time to update on women's hoops?

I'm interested so please keep the updates coming!

budwom
10-28-2015, 02:02 PM
good grief, all those injuries and we haven't even started the season? Maybe they should be packed in styrofoam peanuts until their first game.

Kedsy
10-28-2015, 02:05 PM
Question. How much interest is there in women's hoops on this board? Is it worth my time to update on women's hoops?

Speaking only for myself, I am very interested, both in the women's team and in your updates. It's a lot harder to get good info on the women's team than on the men's. So I really appreciate you spending the time.


Don't ask me about the scrimmage. I was in Virginia for football and missed it. But apparently freshman wing Crystal Primm had a breakout game and she has been practicing at that level. So, she could be in the rotation.

Excellent news about Crystal. Adding this to your earlier report about Haley Gorecki playing like a starter and it looks like Duke might have an embarrassment of riches this season. Azurá and Becca are pre-season All-ACC, Angela should be a star, once she gets acclimated, and I've heard great things about Kyra, too. I'm looking forward to seeing an Amber Henson who isn't slowed by injury, and Oderah was playing great before she hurt herself last season. Kendall would be a key rotation player on a lot of teams, and Lynee' was a top ten recruit playing her best game the day she got hurt. That's a very solid 10-woman rotation, including eight former top-25 recruits (five top 10), without even counting Erin, Faith, or Mercedes. Wow.


Thank-you for the update and please keep them coming. Is there anything physically wrong with Angela? Why is she being brought along slowly? I know she had a busy summer and was wondering if she was injured. Also, out of curiosity, what is Lynee recovering from and how did she get injured?

Lynee' tore her ACL in a game last season. The fact that she's playing now without a brace is great news.

Class of '94
10-28-2015, 02:33 PM
Lynee' tore her ACL in a game last season. The fact that she's playing now without a brace is great news.


Thanks Kedsy for the insight concerning Lynee. I hope she is able to quickly get back to the level of play before she was hurt. And you're right, this team could be loaded and have a special year.

chrishoke
10-28-2015, 02:38 PM
Please keep the updates coming.:D

jimsumner
10-28-2015, 02:39 PM
Speaking only for myself, I am very interested, both in the women's team and in your updates. It's a lot harder to get good info on the women's team than on the men's. So I really appreciate you spending the time.



Excellent news about Crystal. Adding this to your earlier report about Haley Gorecki playing like a starter and it looks like Duke might have an embarrassment of riches this season. Azurá and Becca are pre-season All-ACC, Angela should be a star, once she gets acclimated, and I've heard great things about Kyra, too. I'm looking forward to seeing an Amber Henson who isn't slowed by injury, and Oderah was playing great before she hurt herself last season. Kendall would be a key rotation player on a lot of teams, and Lynee' was a top ten recruit playing her best game the day she got hurt. That's a very solid 10-woman rotation, including eight former top-25 recruits (five top 10), without even counting Erin, Faith, or Mercedes. Wow.



Lynee' tore her ACL in a game last season. The fact that she's playing now without a brace is great news.

As I said earlier, I missed the scrimmage. But I have seen a couple of practices and talked to a lot of people and I think Gorecki is going to be a big surprise. She's not the kind of player who rates high in wow-factor. But she is a 6-0 guard, with a great skill set and a high basketball IQ. The only question is can she guard ACC wings? The ACC is loaded with athletic wings in the 5-10 to 6-1 or so range.

But she reminds me and some other people an awful lot of Georgia Schweitzer. Similar body, similar style, similar skills. And we're talking an ACC Player of the Year. Not saying its going to happen this year. But compared to Salvadores and Lambert, she was a bit under the radar and maybe she shouldn't be.

That said, Azura Stevens and Rebecca Greenwell are the alpha dogs on this team. Stevens' potential is off the charts. She's listed as 6-5 but is closer to 6-6 and she does things that 6-6 women players simply do not do. Swiss Army Knife. She needs to refine her handle and develop a solid face-up jumper. But I see her as a national POY contender down the road. She's got that potential. And her summer with the national team helped her immensely. Much more confident, much more assertive.

Greenwell? She will benefit enormously from having more ball-handlers to share the load. I think she can do great things off the ball.

It's a young team and at best it might be center-by-committee. And some talented players are going to be sitting. But McCallie used the word "options" several times yesterday and that's one thing last year's team simply didn't have down the stretch.

One other note. Duke has moved those 6:30 tip-offs back to 7:00. Lots of complaints.

NSDukeFan
10-28-2015, 03:56 PM
As I said earlier, I missed the scrimmage. But I have seen a couple of practices and talked to a lot of people and I think Gorecki is going to be a big surprise. She's not the kind of player who rates high in wow-factor. But she is a 6-0 guard, with a great skill set and a high basketball IQ. The only question is can she guard ACC wings? The ACC is loaded with athletic wings in the 5-10 to 6-1 or so range.

But she reminds me and some other people an awful lot of Georgia Schweitzer. Similar body, similar style, similar skills. And we're talking an ACC Player of the Year. Not saying its going to happen this year. But compared to Salvadores and Lambert, she was a bit under the radar and maybe she shouldn't be.

That said, Azura Stevens and Rebecca Greenwell are the alpha dogs on this team. Stevens' potential is off the charts. She's listed as 6-5 but is closer to 6-6 and she does things that 6-6 women players simply do not do. Swiss Army Knife. She needs to refine her handle and develop a solid face-up jumper. But I see her as a national POY contender down the road. She's got that potential. And her summer with the national team helped her immensely. Much more confident, much more assertive.

Greenwell? She will benefit enormously from having more ball-handlers to share the load. I think she can do great things off the ball.

It's a young team and at best it might be center-by-committee. And some talented players are going to be sitting. But McCallie used the word "options" several times yesterday and that's one thing last year's team simply didn't have down the stretch.

One other note. Duke has moved those 6:30 tip-offs back to 7:00. Lots of complaints.
I don't watch many women's games, but enjoy reading up on them and would certainly appreciate any posts you make about them.

BD80
10-28-2015, 04:12 PM
Add me to the list that appreciates the reports on the women's team.

Kinda amusing that Amber misses basketball for academic excellence, and yet her brother played for a program that was a bit skewed in the opposite direction

CameronBlue
10-28-2015, 04:24 PM
I didn't click on the thread link to exercise my finger--I use my Mr. Digit Hand Puppet (mostly when I'm driving) for that--yes keep em coming. I'm trying very hard to understand our Coach and these updates help.

gumbomoop
10-28-2015, 05:17 PM
Enthusiastic "Yes!" re regular updates.

Lots of perimeter talent and depth on this team. If a couple of the interior players come along nicely, this looks a top 5-6 team by NCAA tourney time. Maybe a year away because of youth, but by season's end they could wear opponents down.

Is that too optimistic?

Kedsy
10-28-2015, 06:05 PM
Enthusiastic "Yes!" re regular updates.

Lots of perimeter talent and depth on this team. If a couple of the interior players come along nicely, this looks a top 5-6 team by NCAA tourney time. Maybe a year away because of youth, but by season's end they could wear opponents down.

Is that too optimistic?

I don't think it's too optimistic. I think it's about right. With all-conference caliber guard play, four 6'4 interior players who were all top 20 recruits, and a 6'6" wing with whom very few teams in the country can match up, Duke will be a team nobody will want to play in the Tournament (except maybe UConn, who has a matchup nightmare of its own).

And then in 2016-17, only losing Amber and Mercedes but gaining Lexie Brown plus a new recruiting class, that team will be a legit favorite to make the Final Four.

Now, if we can only escape major injury for a couple seasons (knock on some hard, fibrous surface).

jimsumner
10-28-2015, 06:38 PM
I inadvertently omitted assistant coach Al Brown from the report. He's back, he's fine and fully engaged. I do think Duke missed him down the stretch. A calming presence.

A follow-up on Amber Henson. If you go to women's basketball games and you're inclined to hang around after the game and get a word in with the players, put her at the top of the list. She's as intelligent, as engaging and as articulate as any athlete I've ever talked to. Off-the-charts nice.

Just don't keep her long. She has lots of homework and a knee to ice. :)

Jim3k
10-28-2015, 06:39 PM
Add me to the list that appreciates the reports on the women's team.



Add me, too.

dudog84
10-28-2015, 06:48 PM
Put me down as one who appreciates your insights on any of the sports, but probably most on our women's team since there is so little coverage elsewhere.

jimsumner
10-28-2015, 07:01 PM
Another aside. If you see a really tall, young woman working in the ticket office, it's likely Katie Heckman. She's 6-4, recruited out of Colorado. She tore up a knee in preseason her freshman season, had follow-up surgery and never saw the floor at Duke. Had she stayed healthy, she would be a senior this season.

I think she's still on scholarship but is required to help out around the office.

msdukie
10-28-2015, 08:03 PM
I don't think it's too optimistic. I think it's about right. With all-conference caliber guard play, four 6'4 interior players who were all top 20 recruits, and a 6'6" wing with whom very few teams in the country can match up, Duke will be a team nobody will want to play in the Tournament (except maybe UConn, who has a matchup nightmare of its own).

And then in 2016-17, only losing Amber and Mercedes but gaining Lexie Brown plus a new recruiting class, that team will be a legit favorite to make the Final Four.

Now, if we can only escape major injury for a couple seasons (knock on some hard, fibrous surface).

You are assuming that Amber doesn't take her 6th year.

msdukie
10-28-2015, 08:05 PM
Question. How much interest is there in women's hoops on this board? Is it worth my time to update on women's hoops?

As a season ticket holder, plenty of interest in women's hoops and the updates. Thanks!

Pghdukie
10-28-2015, 08:32 PM
With MBB starting up and Football in full swing, now WBB - I for 1 realize the amount of time and effort that Jim puts into his reports. They are always of high quality and inciteful. Thanks and keep the faith. Now if we could only put butts in the seats on Saturdays. Again, Thanks Jim

Kedsy
10-28-2015, 09:03 PM
You are assuming that Amber doesn't take her 6th year.

That's a good point. Did she get the special dispensation from the NCAA to do that?

jimsumner
10-28-2015, 09:18 PM
That's a good point. Did she get the special dispensation from the NCAA to do that?

Amber was granted two redshirts. From an eligibility standpoint, she's a fifth-year junior; technically, she's a grad student. She says she hasn't made a decision and she didn't decide to come back this year until after the season ended.

But my understanding is that she is in a one-year M.A. program. Not sure what she would do academically next year. Another one-year M.A. program? Who knows?

With her knee issues, I can't see her playing professionally so she's likely looking at the end of her playing career when she finishes at Duke.

I should note that Texas post player Ciera Johnson committed to Louisville a few weeks back. She was a Duke target. There's a good chance that Duke is finished with this class although they are at least considering whether it makes sense to pursue a grad-student post-option.

CameronBornAndBred
10-28-2015, 10:50 PM
Another aside. If you see a really tall, young woman working in the ticket office, it's likely Katie Heckman. She's 6-4, recruited out of Colorado. She tore up a knee in preseason her freshman season, had follow-up surgery and never saw the floor at Duke. Had she stayed healthy, she would be a senior this season.

I think she's still on scholarship but is required to help out around the office.
You noted earlier that Azura is really tall. I'm 6-4, and at a recent football game I asked Azura to take a pic with me. She dwarfed me. The girl she was with that took the photo for me, I didn't recognize, but she was also a little taller than I am. Maybe Katie?
If so or if not, both were full of smiles. Always trips me out to look up at a woman. (Literally, I look up to many figuratively.)

Kedsy
10-28-2015, 10:53 PM
I should note that Texas post player Ciera Johnson committed to Louisville a few weeks back. She was a Duke target. There's a good chance that Duke is finished with this class although they are at least considering whether it makes sense to pursue a grad-student post-option.

I believe we're bringing in #9 recruit Leaonna Odom for 2016-17. Do we have any other recruits? Not that we really need any.

brevity
10-28-2015, 11:01 PM
With MBB starting up and Football in full swing, now WBB - I for 1 realize the amount of time and effort that Jim puts into his reports. They are always of high quality and inciteful.

The in-season WBB threads do incite a regular amount of conflict, but that's hardly Jim's fault.

Which, by the way, is another reason these reports have value on DBR. I like WBB threads based on factual information, rather than shouting matches about who loves the program the most.

jimsumner
10-28-2015, 11:11 PM
I believe we're bringing in #9 recruit Leaonna Odom for 2016-17. Do we have any other recruits? Not that we really need any.

She's the only class of 2016 player to commit to Duke. And likely will be the only one.

But don't forget Lexie Brown. She's a 5-9 guard who transferred from Maryland. She has to sit out this season as a transfer and will have two years of eligibility.

She's good. Real good. She was an All-American last season. Jasmine Thomas might be a good Duke analog. But she could be better.

And Odom is 6-1. So, Duke will be absolutely loaded at the wing next season. Will there be enough minutes to go around? TBD. But let's cross that bridge if and when we come to it.

And keep in mind that Duke has a long-standing commitment from Mikalya Boykin, a 5-9 guard from the class of 2017. She's quite well thought of.

Lid
10-29-2015, 09:49 AM
Count me as one more who really appreciates and enjoys your updates. If you're writing, I'm reading.

Last year was the first year we haven't had season tickets in a while... thinking I need to change that pronto. Sounds like a fun team.

OZ
10-29-2015, 11:38 AM
Question. How much interest is there in women's hoops on this board? Is it worth my time to update on women's hoops?

From one of the more silent readers... YES; and thank you.

dukie’s_daughter
10-29-2015, 01:15 PM
From one of the more silent readers... YES; and thank you.
Add one more to the list... Silent reader and very appreciative,