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Patrick Yates
12-07-2007, 03:21 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/columns/story?columnist=francisco_joel&id=3145263

Our recruit for next year did not exactly sparkle in a big time game against another local superstar last week. While not great, there is a small silver lining. Apparantly, Olek thrives in an open court style of play, which will make him a great bench contributor next year, even if only for arround 10 mpg. Hopefully, he can hone his other skill over the ensuing 4 years.

Patrick Yates

Bob Green
12-07-2007, 03:39 PM
This Reno Gazette-Journal article (http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071205/PREPSPORTS/712050455/1050)contains the same basic information but with a local flavor including comments from Olek's coach.

whereinthehellami
12-07-2007, 04:16 PM
Youch. I can see having a bad night on one end but that is brutal on both ends. Granted he was going against Babbit who is a highly ranked but only 4 points on offense (1-14) and to give up 34 is an eye opener. Hopefully he can bounce back from that and continue his development.

dukelifer
12-07-2007, 04:24 PM
He can get all the bad games out of his system in high school. He will be okay- but the good news is that he knows he has things to work on. Often HS athletes think they are complete. He is already a great athlete and could easily blossom into a very solid player in time- something like a David Noel.

1Devil
12-08-2007, 10:02 AM
It's foolish to read too much into one game. But it would also be foolish to expect anything from Olek next year, with Thomas, Zoubek, King and presumably Singler in front of him. Olek should be a 4-year player and hopefully will be a good contributor in his latter years.

Patrick Yates
12-08-2007, 11:58 AM
I think Czyz is the type of recruit that I have been whining (girl like) about for years. He is all about the upside. Unlike many of our recruits (though this is begining to change a little), Olek is nowhere near as good as he is going to be in a few years.

Babbit is a kid who has decent(ish) athleticism. To compensate for not being physically superior, he has honed his b-ball skills. He can dribble, shoot, and pass. But, how much better can he ever get? His shooting percentage will go up a little, he might get 1 more apg, or a couple more rpg over the course of his career. He will never be a great defender, and his size/athleticism will prevent him from ever being a true threat near the goal.

Olek is the opposite. He is a stud athlete (at least, a stud leaper). His b-ball skills are nowhere near his athleticism. How much better can he get? Tons better. His shooting percentage can go up 10 or percentage points. Once he learns to dribble, shoot, and pass at a higher proficency, he can be a stud. His athleticism will enable him to always be a threat at the rim, which will open up a midrange J when it develops. He can be a great defender, both on the perimeter and in the paint.

Olek will not be a big contributor from Day 1. Heck, he might not make significant contributions until his Jr. year. But eventually, if he puts in the work, he can be a star. His athleticism and size will make him a nightmare matchup. He will be too skilled for a big to guard, too big for a college wing. A elite, pro-level wing (think one and done) will be the only type who has an advantage over him, and there aren't many of those arround. And by then, his experience may be able to offset a superior skill/athletisicm type player.

I am thrilled that Duke is taking in a kid who might one day be significantly better in the future. I only brought this one bad performance up so that we can begin to manage expectations for Czyz early, despite what ever else we might hear this year or over the summer.

Patrick Yates

hondoheel
12-08-2007, 01:01 PM
^In other words, he will be a good replacement for Pocious. ;)

Jumbo
12-08-2007, 03:30 PM
^In other words, he will be a good replacement for Pocious. ;)

Who is Pocious?

Lord Ash
12-08-2007, 03:52 PM
It's okay, he'll be fine.

devildeac
12-09-2007, 08:51 PM
Who is Pocious?

He is the young man next to McLcure on the bench;)

Saratoga2
12-09-2007, 09:49 PM
I think Czyz is the type of recruit that I have been whining (girl like) about for years. He is all about the upside. Unlike many of our recruits (though this is begining to change a little), Olek is nowhere near as good as he is going to be in a few years.

Babbit is a kid who has decent(ish) athleticism. To compensate for not being physically superior, he has honed his b-ball skills. He can dribble, shoot, and pass. But, how much better can he ever get? His shooting percentage will go up a little, he might get 1 more apg, or a couple more rpg over the course of his career. He will never be a great defender, and his size/athleticism will prevent him from ever being a true threat near the goal.

Olek is the opposite. He is a stud athlete (at least, a stud leaper). His b-ball skills are nowhere near his athleticism. How much better can he get? Tons better. His shooting percentage can go up 10 or percentage points. Once he learns to dribble, shoot, and pass at a higher proficency, he can be a stud. His athleticism will enable him to always be a threat at the rim, which will open up a midrange J when it develops. He can be a great defender, both on the perimeter and in the paint.

Olek will not be a big contributor from Day 1. Heck, he might not make significant contributions until his Jr. year. But eventually, if he puts in the work, he can be a star. His athleticism and size will make him a nightmare matchup. He will be too skilled for a big to guard, too big for a college wing. A elite, pro-level wing (think one and done) will be the only type who has an advantage over him, and there aren't many of those arround. And by then, his experience may be able to offset a superior skill/athletisicm type player.

I am thrilled that Duke is taking in a kid who might one day be significantly better in the future. I only brought this one bad performance up so that we can begin to manage expectations for Czyz early, despite what ever else we might hear this year or over the summer.

Patrick Yates


Maybe Olek with be the rugged inside player with a little more height than Brockman and more athleticism. If he gains proficiency, he can be a valuable inside player.

yancem
12-10-2007, 10:04 AM
I think Czyz is the type of recruit that I have been whining (girl like) about for years. He is all about the upside. Unlike many of our recruits (though this is begining to change a little), Olek is nowhere near as good as he is going to be in a few years.

Olek is the opposite. He is a stud athlete (at least, a stud leaper). His b-ball skills are nowhere near his athleticism. How much better can he get? Tons better. His shooting percentage can go up 10 or percentage points. Once he learns to dribble, shoot, and pass at a higher proficency, he can be a stud. His athleticism will enable him to always be a threat at the rim, which will open up a midrange J when it develops. He can be a great defender, both on the perimeter and in the paint.

Olek will not be a big contributor from Day 1. Heck, he might not make significant contributions until his Jr. year. But eventually, if he puts in the work, he can be a star. His athleticism and size will make him a nightmare matchup. He will be too skilled for a big to guard, too big for a college wing. A elite, pro-level wing (think one and done) will be the only type who has an advantage over him, and there aren't many of those arround. And by then, his experience may be able to offset a superior skill/athletisicm type player.


Patrick Yates


I too am excited that Olek will be coming to Duke and think that is a good idea to recruit 1-2 four year/project/potential type guys each year. They ensure that you have decent quality juniors and seniors around each year.

One caution though, I believe that Casey Sanders was the last raw but "big potential/upside" recruit. While he ended up to be a solid contributor, he never became a stud. unfortunately, sometimes potential and reality never meet.

Shammrog
12-10-2007, 10:07 AM
I too am excited that Olek will be coming to Duke and think that is a good idea to recruit 1-2 four year/project/potential type guys each year. They ensure that you have decent quality juniors and seniors around each year.

One caution though, I believe that Casey Sanders was the last raw but "big potential/upside" recruit. While he ended up to be a solid contributor, he never became a stud. unfortunately, sometimes potential and reality never meet.

That is true; but sometimes racking it up in high school never pans out in college, either (see Joey Beard, Chris Burgess). I wouldn't read too much one way or the other in HS games, especially one bad game! Coach K and staff see enough potential to offer a scholarship, and we know he has the physical tools. I would say K/et al's record is pretty good.

Karl Beem
12-10-2007, 11:10 AM
I too am excited that Olek will be coming to Duke and think that is a good idea to recruit 1-2 four year/project/potential type guys each year. They ensure that you have decent quality juniors and seniors around each year.


True, but it would be nice to keep them (Thompson, Boateng, Boykin).

Patrick Yates
12-10-2007, 02:33 PM
I too am excited that Olek will be coming to Duke and think that is a good idea to recruit 1-2 four year/project/potential type guys each year. They ensure that you have decent quality juniors and seniors around each year.

One caution though, I believe that Casey Sanders was the last raw but "big potential/upside" recruit. While he ended up to be a solid contributor, he never became a stud. unfortunately, sometimes potential and reality never meet.

Casey was a great guy and a good kid, but there was just no urgency in him with regards to B-ball. His situation was wierd, and Olek does not fit this at all. Casey's parents were famous artists (music, art, literature, something creative), who were very secure financially. I remember that his Dad had never been to a game, cause it wasn't his thing (and sparing Casey the whole your dad is famous thing). His Mom watched some, but admitted she didn't really "get" the sport.

This was just weird. Not wrong, but weird. Casey obviously realized that if B-ball did not turn out ok, then that was OK.

Olek is not like this. I have to beleive he is coming to Duke for the sole purpose of being the best basketball player he can be, and hopefully getting to the pros (while getting a top notch education, just in case). And his body is much more developed than Casey's When he arrived as a Frosh, Casey was nipping 7ft and under 200 lbs, I don't care what the roster guide said. He never really put on weight until his Sr. year. Case was devastated by the the early defections of Elton and Burgess. Supposedly the plan was to redshirt the nowhere near ready Casey. That might have turned his whole career arround, but we will never know.

As for Olek, his body is close to where it needs to be. He has shown flashes of skills (something Casey never did in HS). Olek could wash out, but I would bet that would be a result of far superior talent continuing to enter the program, and that is unlikely. We'll get good players, but I mean kids who are one-and-done level superstars at his postion all during his career, and I do not see that.

Casey is a name that inspires doubt about the possible development of a raw athlete, but I think he is a bad example. Not only for Olek, but for all raw athletes. Casey situation was so different from even the average Duke player, that it doesn't translate well.

Patrick Yates

Bob Green
12-10-2007, 03:47 PM
One caution though, I believe that Casey Sanders was the last raw but "big potential/upside" recruit.

Casey Sanders was a McDonald's All-American.

kydevil
12-10-2007, 06:38 PM
Maybe Olek with be the rugged inside player with a little more height than Brockman and more athleticism. If he gains proficiency, he can be a valuable inside player.

He is gonna need to grow more to be bigger than Brockman.

AtlDuke72
12-11-2007, 09:57 AM
While I hope that Cysz is a diamond in the rough, and have no reason to believe that he will not become a good player for the Devils, I think it is silly to ignore that Babbitt scored 34 points to his 4 and then assume that Babbitt has no up side. Basically, it is hard to argue with recruiting the most talented players possible since there is never any guaranty that any kid will turn out to be a good or even productive college player.

Jim3k
12-11-2007, 08:08 PM
Just noted that on Saturday December 15 (time unknown), Duke recruit Olek Czyz's Reno HS will be playing Oakland HS at Saint Mary's College in Moraga, CA (just east of Oakland in the East Bay).

In addition, Reno HS is playing in a 3-day affair at the Bishop Gorman Holiday Classic at Bishop Gorman HS in Las Vegas, NV -- Thurs, Fri, Sat December 20,21 and 22. Times not known here, either.

Although Saint Mary's is nearby, I won't be able to go. Anyone want to volunteer and give us a report?

Vegas is out of my territory, but we do have DBR readers there, too.

Volunteers?

Jim3k
12-11-2007, 08:51 PM
Looks like Reno High already played Oakland on Dec. 9 (and lost)

My info came from the Reno High calendar on the Web, but seems to have been changed. So it's too late for the Oakland game.

Bob Green
12-11-2007, 09:05 PM
Looks like Reno High already played Oakland on Dec. 9 (and lost)

My info came from the Reno High calendar on the Web, but seems to have been changed. So it's too late for the Oakland game.

Do you have a link to the game results? I can't find anything on the web that shows this game as complete. The Reno Gazette-Journal has thorough coverage of high school sports, but nothing about this game has been posted. Thanks!

Bob Green
12-11-2007, 10:18 PM
Looks like Reno High already played Oakland on Dec. 9 (and lost)

My info came from the Reno High calendar on the Web, but seems to have been changed. So it's too late for the Oakland game.

Oakland beat Reno, 56-52, last year (Dec 9, 2006). This year's game is December 15, 2007. I found the info on maxpreps.com.

Jim3k
12-11-2007, 11:10 PM
Thanks for the clarification, Bob. I didn't realize that 2006 results were still up. I guess it confused me.

I guess that means my December 15 info re the Oakland HS game at Saint Mary's is still good. (Not that it was ever very informative.)

Those HS websites are really fraught with problems. They are hard to find, don't carry what you're looking for, and the information is fluid. Often the scheduled times are not posted, or if they are, they are subject to change without notice. Understandable, but still annoying.

dkbaseball
12-11-2007, 11:18 PM
Jim, I'm in New Orleans through the end of the year. When I get back to Reno, I'll check Czyz out (say that five times fast). I have talked to teachers at his high school who say he's a phenomenally motivated kid, and has picked up American English so fast in four years you can't tell he isn't a native.

Jim3k
12-11-2007, 11:23 PM
MaxPreps says the Oakland game at Saint Mary's is at 5 p.m. on Sat., Dec. 15.

It also says that the first game in Las Vegas is on Thursday, Dec. 20, is at 6:30.

It also mentions the Desert Heat Classic which I think is in Palm Springs. Dec.26, 27, 28, and 29. Reno's game on the 26th is at 9 p.m.

Volunteers?

Jumbo
12-16-2007, 08:11 PM
Casey's parents were famous artists (music, art, literature, something creative), who were very secure financially. I remember that his Dad had never been to a game, cause it wasn't his thing (and sparing Casey the whole your dad is famous thing). His Mom watched some, but admitted she didn't really "get" the sport.

Casey's parents were not famous artists. Casey's dad plays the jazz guitar, but hardly is "famous." You're right about his dad not going to high school games, but it was because he wanted hoops to be "Casey's thing."