Duke Recruiting Update and Finalists Tracker (2020)
October 4, 2019
— Vanessa DeJesus
Committed
— Agnes Emma-Nnopu (Australia)
Finalists: Boston College, Duke, Stanford, Texas (has visited all of the schools in the last week or so)
— Deja Kelly
Finalists: Duke, Minnesota, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas A&M (has taken visits to Minnesota and UNC)
— Dalayah Daniels
Finalists: UCLA, California, Duke, Oregon State, Princeton, Stanford (has taken visits to UCLA and Cal)
— Jordyn Jenkins
Finalists: Oklahoma, Washington, USC, Cal, Duke (has visited the first four listed schools, with the fourth visit taking place last weekend)
— Ugonne Onyiah
Finalists: Louisville, Arizona, Cal, USC (Duke did not make her final four)
The men's basketball head coaching position has a named endowment which was apparently named in his honor. K is the Michael W. Kryzewski Leadership Head Coach. Go read the media guide as I'm not making it up. The assistant coaches have endowed positions too, including by Pagliucas.
___________________
Mike Stein
Trinity '97, Tent #1 '97
Tampa
Not sure why we are continuing this in a Duke WBB thread, but it started in here, so here goes (from 18-19 MBB media guide):
K: The Michael W. Krzyzewski Leadership Head Coach
Nate: The Homeland Foundation Associate Head Coach
Jon: The Steve & Judy Pagliuca Associate Head Coach
Carrawell: The Pagliuca Family Assistant Coach
Zach Marcus [staff assistant]: Varadhan Family Basketball Fellow Men's Basketball Assistant
Kenny King: The Steve and Melinda Duncker Academic Support Director & Campus Relations Coordinator
___________________
Mike Stein
Trinity '97, Tent #1 '97
Tampa
Interesting. I didn't dive that deep. Had only gone to the roster sites for those 4 women's programs looking for Australians, and was surprised to see that the Stanford head and associate coaches had sponsors. Then went to goduke, and the roster pages for men's and women's teams, and it's not advertised there. Oddly, as DU82 noted, the football team roster page only shows Roper's sponsorship. Thanks to both of you for the education.
For what I can only imagine is a big chunk of change, I'm surprised the sponsors don't want it shown everywhere.
Here is the full list of what is still for sale, regarding places, in addition to Duke selling the naming rights to all coaching positions:
http://duaa-naming-01.oit.duke.edu
Also, Duke has been advertising naming the entire athletic campus for $25M for quite a while and has found no takers. The Iron Dukes are currently focusing more on raising scholarship money than focusing on selling the naming rights all over athletics.
___________________
Mike Stein
Trinity '97, Tent #1 '97
Tampa
I am reminded of the joke that ends, "We've already established that. Now we're just haggling over the price."
Wow. Chelsea Gray voted 1st team All-WNBA. Congrats. Makes me even sadder we lost her in both her junior and senior years. What might have been...
Congrats to Jasmine Thomas as well, voted to the 1st defensive team.
Gray made the All-WNBA Second Team in 2017; this was her first appearance on the All-WNBA First Team. In addition, she was named a WNBA All-Star Game starter for the first time in her third consecutive All-Star appearance.
As for Thomas, this marks the third consecutive All-Defensive First Team honor for Thomas, a top on-ball defender who tied for eighth in steals (1.41 spg). She also made the All-Defensive Second Team in 2016.
This marks the fourth straight year that a Duke graduate made the WNBA All-Defensive First Team, with Thomas making it in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and Alana Beard earning All-Defensive First Team honors in 2016, 2017, and 2018 (and with Beard winning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018).
College Sports Madness previews the Top 44 teams leading up to the unveiling of the #1 on opening day of the Women's Basketball season.
#30 -- Duke
https://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/17866
The link above has a good overall summary of last season and the goals and hopes for 2019-20 (mainly noting the need for good health for Kyra Lambert and Mikayla Boykin).
But the article also discusses the key departed players, key returning players, key new players, etc., with a healthy discussion of the 2019-20 season projection.
Women’s Basketball Holds First Official Practice
https://goduke.com/news/2019/10/10/w...-practice.aspx
Interview with Kyra Lambert (2019-20 WBB 1st Practice)
https://goduke.com/watch/?Archive=1875
Interview with Coach P (2019-20 WBB 1st Practice)
https://goduke.com/watch/?Archive=1876
Freshmen center Jennifer Ezeh and junior guard Jayda Adams will miss this season due to knee injuries.
FWIW.
Jaida Patrick goes by JP
Jada Claude goes by JC
Jayda Adams is still just Jayda.
Claude is an undersized post, 6-0, strong, very tough, great rebounder. Can she play inside in the ACC at that height?
Azana Baines has the most varied offensive game. She's 6-1, will play all three perimeter positions, loves to go to the hole, very creative around the basket.
Patrick is the best defender, an athletic 2, 3. About 5-10.
As an aside, Lambert is about two weeks away from full-practice mode. Boykin's surgery was more recent and her return is thus more down the line.