Update on John Wall

Yeah, and not much either. This recruitment is soooo drawn out and long. I mean the way this is going, Wall's not gonna decide till November. On the Devils Den message boards, there have been 2 99 page threads about Wall (actually, mostly off topic blatter), and another one has been created. I frequently post there as well, under the name AlaskanAssassin, so holla. 

That being said, there are some twists to the story.....3 in fact.

1)Wall was cited but not arrested the other day for breaking and entering. In a vacant house. Nothing was reported missing from the house and no force was used to enter. What's this all about....weakest citation ever. I didn't know it was illegal to walk into a vacant, empty house. This really should not affect his recruitment that much, I know, some Dukies have had legal problems before playing here (Shelden accused of sexual assault, JJ with pot one time I believe). But this is definitely the weakest of the three. If K were to withdraw from the Wall Sweepstakes, then it would be a terrible mistake.

2)Eric Bledsoe, a PG we have had on the radar for a couple months, but not offered, has signed with UK. We didn't offer him because I believe Bledsoe isn't the brightest one of the bunch. According to the Devils Den, he had a 2.3 GPA, and that was the main reason we had not offered him. You almost cant even understand him when he talks. Does he drop some hints in the press conference? Does Calipari have his PG with Bledsoe or does he still want John Wall to be a part of his plans at UK. One dude asks a question to Bledsoe about if he plays with Wall there. Bledsoe's answer...."Yeah, yeah, me and Wall will get shit right". Hmm...don't think I've ever heard a high school kid cuss in his press conference. Good for him.....the only real question concerning this matter though is if Calipari will continue to pursue Wall seeing that he has signed a top PG already. We'll see.

3)Patrick Patterson is returning to UK after putting his name in the NBA draft. If Jodie Meeks does the same, that makes 16 scholarships on the team. Adding Wall makes 17. That's well a lot of scholarships......and I'm sure it's over the limit. Will Calipari, though, push some guys off the team, like he has already done, just so Wall can come? To do so would be such a prick move. Kicking a kid to the curb, who probably doesn't play though, is on scholarship but is contributing to the program every way they can, just so a prized recruit can come there is wrong. Look, Cal, you are OUT of schollys. Don't take one from a kid who is probably thrilled to be at UK, just so you can land Wall.

Well, that is pretty much what's going on with Wall right now. The most exciting part however, not mentioned above, is though that because of all the reasons above, we COULD be the leader, or in great shape to land the kid. Doesn't look like a decision is coming anytime soon though, I think last week he was supposed to cut his list, and he still hasn't! Nothing will even happen for a while though.....this whole ordeal is moving at a snail's pace. I've pretty much hit the wall (hehe) and I am bored to death with this. Every little word that Wall gives and everything that happens with him, where he eats next Tuesday night, to every time he touches a basketball will be reported and extrapolated on by the media and bulletin boards everywhere. But the sad thing is though, that NONE of it is of any worth. It is going to be forever until this kid decided where he will attend college. Stay tuned. And be warned, that anything you read on message boards, is obviously pure SPECULATION, obviously, unless it is reported by a reputable news source. Let's just hope that in the end, he ends up in Durham, we are going to need him with G leaving.

Go Duke!

Gerald to the League

Gerald Henderson has declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final season of eligibility. He hasn't hired an agent, so he can still come back to Duke. Don't count on it though, he could be taken in the lottery. Good luck to you, G, and thank you for your 3 years at Duke. You were one of my favorite players of the decade. Here's to a long and prosperous career.

Stay tuned on John Wall too, a decision should be soon from him.

Go Duke!

Recruting Update ('09), Other News

Sorry no post lately. Since it's the offseason, things are going to be down here unless there big stuff happens. First of all, lets congratulate Greg, because he, believe it or not, is being looked at by some NFL teams, and might even play college football next year. Funny how he takes  4 years off from football and then at the end of his college basketball career, teams are looking at him. I guess it speaks to his football ability. He was after all, the 2005 high school QB of the year.

Interesting, and I wish you the best in all of your post-Duke endeavors, Greg. Thank you for your time here, as well.

Anyways, here's a recruiting update for you: Our incoming freshman, the 09 class for those of you not in the know contains 2 commits, maybe another two if the John Wall saga ever ends, and if Eric Bledsoe gets accepted here. Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee, both 6-10,6-11ish are our two commits. Plumlee is obviously the brother of Miles, but he's different. He's not a big post scorer, but he has the skills to play all over the court. He is best while facing the basket, and here's a highlight vid for you. (sICK!) If you folks didn't catch the high school All-American dunk contest a couple weeks ago, here' something-Mason has some NASTY dunks. I could see him starting at the 5 for us next year. 

Next up is Ryan Kelly. He's similar to Mason in the way that he has a long, wiry frame, and also doesn't have the muscle to do work down low against bigger C's, although he does look like he has a couple nifty moves in the paint. Kelly, along with Plumlee the Second, is also a very versatile player, and can run the court very well, but he is best suited to play as a high post-big, or even a wing. Why is that ? He won the 3 pt shooting contest, and prior to that, I had no idea he could rain like that. Sweet. Second coming of Mike Dunleavy? We'll see. Here's Kelly in action. Both Kelly and Plumlee though, need to put on muscle.

Besides the two that have already committed, there are two other prospects that we are looking at right now. John Wall, who you all know about, if you don't, now you do. Yeah, thats right. This kid is DIRTY. He looks like to me, though, like a once every 4-5 years type of talent at the point. Being a one and done aside, if he found his way to Durham, that could be HUGE for us, K said to him that he'd be used like Jason Williams. Unfortunately, Kentucky (probably the favorite), with news coach Calipari, is also pushing hard for him. So are a couple other schools. Baylor, (yes, Baylor), UNC might be in it, N.C State, his hometown team......the winner of the Wall sweepstakes is LUCKY. There's practically a new twist in his long, drawn out recruitment though, everyday, so Google him to read the 10000000000s of articles on his recruitment to get the story. Props to him, though, he has all of these schools at his feet, and he's milking everything he can out of it.  

Next up is Eric Bledsoe, another PG, our fallback option if you will. One thing though, Bledsoe's grades are in question, as he has not been accepted to the university, I believe. Bledsoe looks like he'd be a good PG, almost like a Duhon type, simply from what I've read. I'd like him here if Wall goes elsewhere, but his grades are keeping him back. Here's a vid of him. Pretty good.

Well, that's whats going on in our 09 recruiting, and the John Wall saga continues on......

Tune in next time to see where Wall lands. $20 says at the way its going right now, he doesn't decide till October. 

Go Duke!

Not-So Special Edition: NCAA National Championship Game: (1) North Carolina vs (2) Michigan State

I can pretty much say it in a sentence. However much mental anguish it causes, I do not think UNC will be stopped tonight, even in Michigan State's backyard. Some optimistic people are on the contrary, though, like Seth Davis. I wish I was that optimistic. Even after Davis' take on the game, I can't see a way Michigan State will derail this runaway freight train that is the Powder Blue Pussies. The only possible way I can see Sparty prevailing in front of a partisan MSU crowd will be if UNC stops THEMSELVES. It will have to be a off shooting night, with maybe other factors like foul trouble, or repeated defensive lapses for UNC for MSU to have a real chance in this one. It's always great though, when UNC gets a team in the championship game that they beat by 35 (98-63) in December. Thankfully, that was not the same MSU team, as they have improved dramatically since, and they were playing sans Goran Suton, who is a key piece of the team. Yeah, MSU looked pretty good shutting down UConn, abusing them in transition and even outboarding UConnvicts' stable of big men. But are they up to the task, doing it AGAIN and derailing the preseason anointed "Greatest Team of All Time". Maybe, but that's a big maybe. They are going to have to slow the game down, lock down the 3 pt line, cause UNC is damn near impossible to beat when Ellington and Green can sit back and knock down treys. The'yre also, maybe most importantly going to have to disrupt LOLson as well, prevent him from being the catalyst of the O, slowing him down in transition, or keeping an eye on him in case he pops a couple. Also, their going to have to outrebound Hansbitch, Thompson, Davis & co on the blocks. This is extremely important as well. Michigan St is going to HAVE to get offensive rebounds. That will keep the Holes out of top gear, because if they control the boards, they're just going to push it up and kill the Spartans. Michigan State looks like they have the stars lined up for them, with the almost-home court advantage, huge crowd, and hot streak going on. I honestly think they will not be able to slow down UNC, and thus many a Ty Lawson fast break layup will do them in. Unless, they can do something about it, of course. Look, anything can happen though. 

You won't find any of that "root for the ACC bullshit" here, though. Although some Duke fans might be pulling for the Holes to glorify the ACC, I won't. Absolutely not. I quit that bullshit years ago, after seeing UNC win has given the bandwagon fan population of Chapel Hell leeway to gloat and act like complete asses. I have to deal with these delusional, bandwagon UNC "fans" who couldn't tell Roy Williams apart from his NFL counterpart almost every day, the'yre everwhere. I don't want to give them reason to make my life miserable, with their absurd logic, douchebaggery, and the "DOOK SUX" cries. And that is 75% of UNC's fans, by the way. I don't understand why there are Duke fans who are rooting for UNC tonight. Obviously, they've never had to deal with these delusional, dim witted Wal-Mart fans. THE'YRE OUR ARCHRIVAL. THE HATED TAR HOLES. HOW CAN ANY REAL DUKE FAN CHEER FOR THEM, IN A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, NO LESS?

Albeit my negativism, I really, REALLY want Michigan State to win this game. Nothing would make as happy right now, seeing the Tar Holes handed a crippling championship game loss while heavily favored, and Hansblow going out a loser. Let's just hope it will happen, : )

Sorry I don't though.... : (

North Carolina 684, Michigan State, 13

SETH CURRY TO DUKE

Seth Curry, brother of Stephen , yes, has decided to transfer to Duke from Liberty. Curry was the leading scorer among freshman in all of D-I this year. What a welcome addition to the team, he will join the team after sitting out next year. Then in 2010, that team will be just dirty. With what looks like a monster recruiting class in the works, we are sitting real pretty right now! And if John Wall made his way here, that would just be crazy!

STAY TUNED and Go Duke!

Villanova Vanquishes the Devils

Well........let's get a quick show of hands out there and see who thought this one would have ended up a 24 pt shellacking by Nova. No one? Oh, just what I thought. Yes, though, many people did call for Nova to win, but in a blowout? Didn't see that coming. Well, anyway......A Scheyer 3 and Lance's bucket represented the first 5 points of the game, but sadly, it went completely sour from there. The team just looked physically overmatched, Nova played some awesome D. It was a shame we pretty much drew the matchup from hell here has Villanova just caused problems everywhere on defense with their length, athleticism, and depth. It reminded me of the '06 LSU loss, we were completely hounded everywhere we went, and we shot awfully. Gerald sure helped his NBA stock alot by shooting a torrid 1-15. He's still thinking about going to the Association. Well, at least Singler is coming back, he said. That's the silver lining to this huge cloud here, but we are still hoping G comes back. If he does, then we are going to have a helluva squad next year.

Sorry for not talking about the game that much....there really is not that much to say except we were completely handled on both ended of the floor. It's such a shame for the seniors (Greg, Dave, and Marty) to have to go out like this, ending their time here. Especially for Greg, who represented this program so well, gave everything he could to this team for 4 years, and handled his role change so well this year. Best of luck in all of your future endeavors, guys.

Something interesting was that Coach K has actually came out and said that he is acknowledging the fans' and alumni's rumblings about recruiting. It has definitely been painfully obvious that this is an incomplete team. G and Singler are pretty much the only NBA talent on the team. Look back to the late 90's-early 00's. Almost every player in the starting lineups then made it in the NBA. This program no longer is home to the top talent in the nation. No point. While Scheyer performed admirably in that position to close out the year, he is not the long term answer. Hell, we only have one more year with him. No center. Look, the point/center prospects that we recruit/sign (Shaun Livingston) always end up elsewhere. Greg Monroe? At Georgetown. Patrick Patterson? At Kentucky. Greg Echenique? At Rutgers. It is beyond me, why none of these kids would want to play for three teams that were NIT quality or worse this year, over one of the nation's top programs, and more puzzlingly with a vacancy at center. Look, nobody wants to be the center at Duke? With no centers already there? What is this coming to? My hope is that the '10 class will turn into something special with Thornton, Dawkins, Hairston, and hopefully Harrison Barnes. 

Speaking of point guards, the John Wall story, the number 1 PG prospect for next year, who we have been in contact with after Kenny Boynton decided to go elsewhere, has a new wrinkle in the story. He has actually listed Duke, according to ESPN, who was considered a longshot for him, in his final two along with Memphis. He will be meeting with Coach K today, for K to make his pitch and plead for him to join him here. He actually figures to fit perfect at Memphis though, given Memphis' reputation to house one and dones for a year, and him, with Xavier Henry and DeMarcus Cousins would make a jawdropper of a class. Wall, on the other hand has been quoted by a lot of people saying that he is "not a Duke player". Why not? Don't tell me you wouldn't be elated if Wall stepped foot in Durham, if it was only for a year. Wall is actually a good kid. Sure he will probably only spend a year in college. Some Duke fans do not think he would fit the program, his character is an issue. Bullshit. Wall could come here and make a big impact on the team for a year, before the '10 class arrives. One part of the Wall saga has brought to light shadiness in his recruitment in some people's eyes. Dwon Clifton, one of his AAU coaches, was hired away last year to Baylor. Baylor then made an immediate appearance at the top of his college list. Thus rung an alarm in some people's heads that this was a shady recruitment in the making. Since then though, Baylor has pretty much faded away in his college choices. Wall also wants to attend school close to his ailing mother. Waco, Texas is a hike from Raleigh. Not gonna cut it. Durham is a good 10-15 minutes from Raleigh. Close to home indeed. Memphis, our competitor for Wall's services, is half a day away. 12 hours. Will this be a deciding factor though, it remains to be seen. Wall going to Duke would be great. He could prove everybody wrong by coming here, showing that he is his own person, not going to Baylor, where his handler Dwon Clifton, now resides. He would prove everybody wrong by saying he does not simply want to land at Memphis for a year, just to build his draft stock. At Duke, he could do that and more, and also get a nice education for a year (Something i'm sure Mrs. Wall would like.) Some people think Wall is the thuggy type, well prove them wrong, John, and look no farther then Durham. Initially in his recruitment, we were not there. But after the Boynton debacle, we took a look. And he's been to a couple games at Cameron. We were considered a longshot for him, and now I am almost shocked that he has included us in his final two. Memphis may be the favorite for him right now, but Coach K is meeting with him today to make his case. By including Duke in his top 2, that has really spoken to me about his character. He has spurned a father-figure to him (Clifton) at Baylor, and he looks like he will not be going to N.C. State. I never thought we would be this big of a player in the Wall race. Since we've gotten this far, recent recruiting failures aside (Patterson, Monroe, Boynton)why not think we can get him? Come on, John, We'd love to have you at Duke. We NEED you. 

Having John Wall would be HUGE for this program. One step closer in completing the puzzle here. 

Go DUKE!

Battle Royale in Boston: (2)Duke 30-6, vs (3) Villanova 28-7

Sweet 16! Yeah! We're back for the 10th time in 12 years!

Sorry about the lateness of this, precisely 1 hour and 16 minutes from tip. My bad. So it looks like instead of writing up a preview, I will instead link you to the fabulous preview the TwoDukies, my personal favorites, have written.

Ha! But did you think I was going to be lazy enough not to throw in my 2 cents? Not so fast, says Lee Corso. Villanova is obviously a formiddable opponent in front of us. They had to turn on the jets late to escape American the first round, followed by a shellacking of UCLA in part deux, 89-69. Villanova appears to have been the media darlings of the week, as everyone, every analyst employed by the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN, folks.) has picked the Wildcats to advance. Why no love for us? Are we overstaying our welcome? Of course not...our run is JUST BEGINNING!!!!!! Ex-Dukie Taylor King, yes the Biff look alike, and his new team shall not prevail tonight! Taylor KIng, just make like a TREE, and GET OUT OF HERE!

Despite that many recognize Scottie Reynolds as Nova's best player, 6-8 bruiser Dante Cunningham most definitely is. He and Kyle Singler look to battle out in a tussle of epic proportions. Who will get his way? Will Cunningham maximize his post edge early and often, or will Kyle drag him out to pop threes and penetrate the lane? Who knows. That is the key matchup of the game, as if Kyle with help from Brian, Dave, and Lance, are able to slow down Cunningham, that will be huge. Of course, though, if the refs allow this one to be a tough slugfest, the Nova has the advantage. Dwyane Anderson on the Cats also needs to be kept in check.

Villanova, strangely, benches Corey Fisher, who is arguably their 3rd best player. Him and Corey#2, Corey Stokes provide superior marksmanship from 3. If we can play the kind of perimeter D we had vs Texas, saturday, then we can definitely make the two a nonfactor. Also worth noting is that the battle of the PG's-a serious height deficiency for Nova lies within. Fisher who comes off the bench to assume the PG stands at 6-0, while Scheyer registers 5 inches taller. Advantage, US!

Ahhh, so what happens in the end? All of Bristol, Connecticut thinks Villanova will be the one who vanquishes the Blue Devils here, as likely as that looks to be, given Villanova's impressive showing against UCLA, I am not feeling them here. Obviously, if Nova is able to dictate a physical tempo, and the refs let it pass, we are in trouble. But I feel like this team is on a mission. Cunningham will get 20+, I think, but we will clamp down on the rest of the Wildcats to advance to the Elite 8, and possibly play Xavier (currently beating Pitt), who we beat to advance to the Final Four coincidentally the last time we were in the Elite 8, back in '04.

Besides, you know what happened the last time we beat a Wildcats team in the NCAA tournament? We won the national championship back in '01! (beating Arizona)

Come on DUKE! Let's go to the ELITE 8!!!!

Duke 70, Villanova 65