2020 Duke men's basketball recruiting

[JasonEvans]

If Cassius is tracking to be a second round pick, unless he just dislikes school, I would think his affluent parents would be encouraging him to come back to work toward his degree, to get stronger and work on his ball handling, and try to play himself into a first round pick next year like a Luke Kennard.

I would add one other thing... it could be in the family's best interests for Cassius to stick around and help introduce dad to future NBA first round draft picks. Jerome Stanley has mostly been a NFL agent up until now, but he has had a few basketball clients and he could be interested in getting more into that arena. To be clear, I am not at all saying this is something tricky or sneaky that the family is doing, merely pointing out that this could be a way for Jerome to get his foot in the door with some prominent basketball prospects.

[DevilHorse]

Not yet mentioned in this thread is the presence of Will Avery around the team. Will was one of the first players to leave the team early, and in most people's opinions, before he was ready. He signed a 3 year contract with the Timberwolves and was out of the league after that. Although he was drafted 14th overall, he was still a project. Would he have had a higher peak had he stayed a year or two longer at Duke? He never did make it back to the NBA, although he did play in Europe.

Will might provide some perspective on either Jumping to the league too early, or getting your money while you can. He is an interesting voice of experience.

Larry
DevilHorse

[BD80]

Not yet mentioned in this thread is the presence of Will Avery around the team. Will was one of the first players to leave the team early, and in most people's opinions, before he was ready. He signed a 3 year contract with the Timberwolves and was out of the league after that. Although he was drafted 14th overall, he was still a project. Would he have had a higher peak had he stayed a year or two longer at Duke? He never did make it back to the NBA, although he did play in Europe.

Will might provide some perspective on either Jumping to the league too early, or getting your money while you can. He is an interesting voice of experience.

Larry
DevilHorse

Particularly if Will is still in anything close to playing shape!

Here's this "old" guy who hasn't played competitively in close to 10 years and never really made it in the NBA, STILL able to show the youngsters a thing or two … it may make them realize that the step up to the NBA isn't a shallow ramp but a serious climb.

[SkyBrickey]

Particularly if Will is still in anything close to playing shape!

Here's this "old" guy who hasn't played competitively in close to 10 years and never really made it in the NBA, STILL able to show the youngsters a thing or two … it may make them realize that the step up to the NBA isn't a shallow ramp but a serious climb.

I'm not sure if Avery is still in playing shape, but Scheyer and Nolan both look like they could lace them up and play.

[CDu]

Particularly if Will is still in anything close to playing shape!

Here's this "old" guy who hasn't played competitively in close to 10 years and never really made it in the NBA, STILL able to show the youngsters a thing or two … it may make them realize that the step up to the NBA isn't a shallow ramp but a serious climb.

At age 40 and not having played competitively since 2011, I am guessing Avery doesn’t have much on the kids currently playing at Duke.

[JasonEvans]

Avery, Scheyer, Nolan, Nate, and CWell regularly play with the managers in games of 2-on-2 and 3-on-3, I believe. I doubt they play with the players much at all and the players would probably clean their clocks.

[DavidBenAkiva]

I'm not sure if Avery is still in playing shape, but Scheyer and Nolan both look like they could lace them up and play.

Doesn't look half bad for a 40-year old man, if you ask me.

[gam7]

Pretty great analysis of our title-winning guard combos. I just wanted to add one thing about 2015: it's pretty amazing how great of a SG Quinn Cook was that year. He shot 40% from 3, on 6.6 attempts per game. Adding in the ball-handling/mentoring duties that he shared with Tyus that year...what a season for an all-time favorite Blue Devil. I think it was after the UNC overtime win when Quinn interrupted Tyus's post-game interview to proclaim "best backcourt!" He was right; they were great.

Incidentally, Cook's O-Rating (per T-Rank) was 127.3 that season, a seriously impressive number...that was second on the team, to Marshall Plumlee's 137.4. Amazing what shooting 100% from 3 for the year will do .

Remember the hand-wringing over whether Duke should prioritize Myck Kabongo (who had just de-committed from Texas) or Quinn Cook from that 2011 high school class? Raise your hand if you wish we had gone with Kabongo... (I think I was leaning in favor of Kabongo at the time, and am happy to admit that I was dead wrong.)

[DevilHorse]

Avery, Scheyer, Nolan, Nate, and CWell regularly play with the managers in games of 2-on-2 and 3-on-3, I believe. I doubt they play with the players much at all and the players would probably clean their clocks.

No doubt in the search for valuable SECONDS.

Larry
DevilHorse

[Hingeknocker]

Remember the hand-wringing over whether Duke should prioritize Myck Kabongo (who had just de-committed from Texas) or Quinn Cook from that 2011 high school class? Raise your hand if you wish we had gone with Kabongo... (I think I was leaning in favor of Kabongo at the time, and am happy to admit that I was dead wrong.)

Lol, YES, I remember this like it was yesterday. Seeing Myck Kabongo's name in a 2020 Recruiting thread should be a good reminder of two things: 1) Us message board posters don't really know what we're talking about, and 2) However the recruiting chips fall, the decisions and priorities of the Duke staff tend to work out pretty well.

[CDu]

Remember the hand-wringing over whether Duke should prioritize Myck Kabongo (who had just de-committed from Texas) or Quinn Cook from that 2011 high school class? Raise your hand if you wish we had gone with Kabongo... (I think I was leaning in favor of Kabongo at the time, and am happy to admit that I was dead wrong.)

To be fair, maybe the 2012 and 2013 seasons end differently if we have Kabongo instead of Cook. Kabongo was definitely further along than Cook in his first two years.

That said, I am happy that I had no real idea about either guy at the time, so I don't think I offered myself a chance to put my foot in my mouth on that one. Not to say I haven't put my foot in my mouth on others (I was REALLY sold on Sulaimon, for example).

[jimsumner]

To be fair, maybe the 2012 and 2013 seasons end differently if we have Kabongo instead of Cook. Kabongo was definitely further along than Cook in his first two years.

That said, I am happy that I had no real idea about either guy at the time, so I don't think I offered myself a chance to put my foot in my mouth on that one. Not to say I haven't put my foot in my mouth on others (I was REALLY sold on Sulaimon, for example).

Ditto on Sulaimon. I thought he was the next Nolan Smith.

Cook didn't do much as a freshman in 2012. He came in with some knee problems and it took some time to get that fixed. But he was pretty good in 2013, third-team All-ACC, MVP of that tournament in the Bahamas, averaged 12 points and 5 assists and played solid D. Was Kabongo that much better in 2013?

[JayZee]

I'm not sure if Avery is still in playing shape, but Scheyer and Nolan both look like they could lace them up and play.

Duke (MBB or BluePlanet or something) had a recent video where Scheyer just destroyed Javin at horse. Yeah, I know it's Javin, but Jav also made some comment on how Scheyer kills everyone or something like that. Jon and Nolan are both NBA caliber players not too removed and in good shape. I bet they hold their own against the current players.

[CDu]

Ditto on Sulaimon. I thought he was the next Nolan Smith.

Cook didn't do much as a freshman in 2012. He came in with some knee problems and it took some time to get that fixed. But he was pretty good in 2013, third-team All-ACC, MVP of that tournament in the Bahamas, averaged 12 points and 5 assists and played solid D. Was Kabongo that much better in 2013?

Yep, Smith was the exact comp I had too.

As for 2013, it is hard to say. Kabongo averaged 14.5, 5.5 assists, 5 rebounds, with 2 steals that year for a bad Texas team lacking help for him. I don’t know how that would have translated to Duke.

I mean, I am definitely not disappointed with the results with Cook thanks to 2015. But it is possible that 2012 and 2013 have a different feel with Kabongo.

Things definitely worked out great the way they did. Just saying it might have also worked out (just in a different way) with Kabongo instead.

[kAzE]

Avery, Scheyer, Nolan, Nate, and CWell regularly play with the managers in games of 2-on-2 and 3-on-3, I believe. I doubt they play with the players much at all and the players would probably clean their clocks.

Which players? I'd take Jon and Nolan in a game of 2 on 2 vs virtually anyone on the team other than maybe the specific combo of Vernon and Tre. Jon is 32 and Nolan is 31, both guys were NBA caliber players in their prime, and Jon especially is a knockdown shooter.

[Indoor66]

Damn whippersnappers.

[jimsumner]

Yep, Smith was the exact comp I had too.

As for 2013, it is hard to say. Kabongo averaged 14.5, 5.5 assists, 5 rebounds, with 2 steals that year for a bad Texas team lacking help for him. I don’t know how that would have translated to Duke.

I mean, I am definitely not disappointed with the results with Cook thanks to 2015. But it is possible that 2012 and 2013 have a different feel with Kabongo.

Things definitely worked out great the way they did. Just saying it might have also worked out (just in a different way) with Kabongo instead.

Definitely possible for 2012. I've described that as a team with nothing but shooting guards and power forwards. A bit of an exaggeration to be sure. But not completely. Lots of talent but strangely put together. It needed a quality point guard to pull it together.

For the record Duke thought they could get Seth Curry to make the same kind of transition to point guard that Scheyer had made a few years earlier.

[heyman25]

Not yet mentioned in this thread is the presence of Will Avery around the team. Will was one of the first players to leave the team early, and in most people's opinions, before he was ready. He signed a 3 year contract with the Timberwolves and was out of the league after that. Although he was drafted 14th overall, he was still a project. Would he have had a higher peak had he stayed a year or two longer at Duke? He never did make it back to the NBA, although he did play in Europe.

Will might provide some perspective on either Jumping to the league too early, or getting your money while you can. He is an interesting voice of experience.

Larry
DevilHorse

Does Avery intern or have a basketball staff job? I have seen him at quite a few televised games

[Pghdukie]

Sierra Canyon is loaded. Kuminga sprains an ankle. Sierra beating St. Patrick by 30.

[Saratoga2]

Sierra Canyon is loaded. Kuminga sprains an ankle. Sierra beating St. Patrick by 30.

at 6'8". mobile and explosive, Kuminga looks like he could help Duke if he so chooses. Too bad about the ankle, but even with him in, Sierra Canyon would have won that game. Fertile recruiting ground there.