Singler and Smith: Nike Hoops Summit

[Cameron]

The Nike Hoops Summit is on Fox Sports Net right now, featuring the USA High School Team Select, consisting of both Kyle and Nolan, versus the International stars.

It's about mid way through the first quarter right now, and is pretty fast paced, which is to be expected in this type of matchup. Should be an exciting finish.

[FireOgilvie]

Can someone update this somewhat every 10 minutes of the game or so? At least note any really good plays by the Duke guys or something... Fox Sports at Duke seems to have ditched the game for "Beyond the Glory: Designated Hitters" or some POS. Blah.

[Bob Green]

I do not have access to this game so any details and game analysis would be appreciated. Thanks!

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

[Cameron]

USA leads is 28 to 13 with just over 8 minutes to play in the second quarter. Kyle has four points (He hit a long, long three ball and a free-throw.) Nolan is looking pretty good as well.

[Cameron]

Kyle just scored a layup in traffic and now has 6 points. It is now 36 to 13 Team USA. They are absolutely man handling the International Team in the inside.

On a side note, Coach K is in attendance and they showed him smiling after Kyle hit the long three ball. They interviewed him about Kyle and Nolan and Coach just stated how excited he was to be having them on campus next fall, and that Kyle has a chance to be something truly special with they way he can play all positions on the court and make it look so easy. i can't wait to get these guys rolling in Cameron!!

[dukemsu]

Kyle just scored a layup in traffic and now has 6 points. It is now 36 to 13 Team USA. They are absolutely man handling the International Team in the inside.

On a side note, Coach K is in attendance and they showed him smiling after Kyle hit the long three ball. They interviewed him about Kyle and Nolan and Coach just stated how excited he was to be having them on campus next fall, and that Kyle has a chance to be something truly special with they way he can play all positions on the court and make it look so easy. i can't wait to get these guys rolling in Cameron!!

Nice to hear K is smiling.

Boy, it's gonna be a long wait until the season starts. Having some major hoops withdrawl.

dukemsu

[LetItBD08]

FireOgilvie - I'm not getting the game on FSN now either, but supposedly it will be on at 2 am Sunday morning here at Duke if you want to tape it.

[Cameron]

Nolan just had a nice dunk. The score is now 52 to 33 Team USA with 8 minutes to play in the third quarter.

PPatt is also playing very well. He has had some nice post moves and great blocks. I mean "get out of the gym" kind of swats.

[mgtr]

In the second half, PP was impressive, Smith and Singler didn't do much.

[Fish80]

Singler was very impressive in the first half. He was all over the floor, played get D, and just looked like the best all 'round guy on the floor. When Coach K was interviewed during the game he said something to that effect, that Kyle was the best player out there because of his play all over the court.

At one point Kyle hit a three and they showed K with a big smile, both were great to see!

Unfortunately he picked up two quick fouls in the 3rd quarter and had to sit out a lot the rest of the way.

[Saratoga2]

Singler was very impressive in the first half. He was all over the floor, played get D, and just looked like the best all 'round guy on the floor. When Coach K was interviewed during the game he said something to that effect, that Kyle was the best player out there because of his play all over the court.

At one point Kyle hit a three and they showed K with a big smile, both were great to see!

Unfortunately he picked up two quick fouls in the 3rd quarter and had to sit out a lot the rest of the way.

The US team was quicker and did a better job on the boards. OJ Mayo is a talent but he also goes for the flashy passes and tends to turn the ball over by doing that.

Patrick Patterson made a lot of good plays, including one rejection where he raced down and got way up in the air to get the block off a 7 footer. Very impressive elevation. He is tenacious and ran the floor very well, which resulted in multiple dunks (maybe 6). To me, he was the most impressive of the Duke bound or potential Duke bound players.

Singler looks good and handles the ball well and plays defense. He did commit reaching and bumping fouls that weren't necessary. He also tends to defer to the other players and was slow to put up a shot when open. Good talent who needs to become more aggressive, like Scheyer in that regard.

Nolan didn't stand out in the game. He did score some points but there was none of the plays that make you take notice. The kid Flynn at point guard really looked good. I hadn't heard of him until that game. He had 10 assists to tie Paulus record for the game.

[bluffcitydevil]

Hi,
I live in Memphis and was able to attend the Hoop Summit here today. First, Singler was the first American player out for warmups. As he finished his individual warmup he walked over towards where I was sitting. I said "Kyle!" and he looked up at me. Then I said "Can't wait to see you at Duke" and he smiled and reached out to shake hands with me. In part because of foul trouble he only played about 16 minutes of the total forty. I kept a shooting chart for Kyle and this is how he fared. In the first half he made a three point basket from the right wing as well as a made lay-up. He also missed a three-pointer from the left wing during the first half. During the second half, he made a lay up and missed a three pointer from the left wing. He gave a good pump fake on a World team defender which led to a defensive foul. His first foul was caused by diving for a loose ball so I can live with that. He moved well without the basketball and had good communication while out on the court. With about two minutes left in the game in a blowout for the Americans he had a nice offensive rebound and put back. On the negative side he was gasping for breath on the free throw line after having been in the game for about 50 seconds. Also he did not shoot before the shot clock expired but the Crazies will help in that area!

[Patrick Yates]

Smith and Singler looked good. It is hard to judge them for various reasons.

Singler is the type of kid who needs to know the system and his teammates to excell. It has been well documented that he is a good, not great, athlete. These types of all-star games are geared towards great athletes. Once KS gets to Duke and learns the system, and his teammates, he will be gangbusters.

Smith is hard to guage for another reason, that being he is a step below a few of the elite players in his class. This is no knock on him, but he simply is not as good as Rose and Mayo. Mayo is a gunner who will DESTROY chemistry in USC next year. Seriously, if you are a USC player right now, and there is a chance to get drafted, at all, in either round, go pro now. He is a cancer. Still, in an all star setting, the kid does have great skills. Polished shooter, handler, and passer. His athleticism is approximate with NS, but Mayo is a better shot, and is simply bigger.

As for Rose, no shame is being worse than him. He is a tremendous PG. Maybe the best one since Kidd (considering that Jason Williams was more of a lead guard than a true PG). Calipari said it, the kid could get 30, easy, but gets the others involved. If you are Conley, as good as you are, you will go behind this kid in the Draft. Rose is a better athlete, is ideal size, and has more offensive firepower.

Smith is a good to great athlete, with good skills, and a great motor, he simply is not as good as Rose, or Mayo. He is approximate with Flyn, an athlete whose freewheeling style meshes with the All star rythem.

As for Bayless, I think he is a very good player with great potential headed to the wrong program. I hate to say it, but Roy would be great with this kid by forcing him to play D and run the point (I say Roy, because K would allow him function like J Will, only Bayless is not that talented nor that unselfish, so it would be a moderate success). The kid needs a disciplined system and that aint Arizona. Lute will let him indulge his selfishness and prevent him from maxing out his potential. I forsee another Arenas, a supremely talented scorer who never really wins anything.

KS and NS will be great in Duke's system. I think these are system kids who will do well at Duke soon (especially KS), and in a few years when NS is one of the Nation's premier players.

Patrick Yates

liked PP's game, I just wish he were 1.5 inches taller and 10 lbs heavier. If that were the case he would be ideal at Duke.

[gw67]

I caught snippets of the game while watching the meltdowns at Augusta. My take:

Singler - He is the perfect wing for Duke and, like Deng, may be one of the top players on the team as soon as he steps on the floor. He can dribble, pass and shoot, and he moves well for a big kid. Based on this and the McDonalds game, it appears that he likes to play on the perimeter. I was not overly impressed with either his defense or his inside play. A couple of his fouls were because his guy got by him and he reached.

Smith - I like Smith but he was probably the 5th best guard on the US team. Again, he can dribble, pass and shoot, gets after his guy on defense, and he runs the floor well. Like Singler, Smith will be a very positive addition to the Devils next year.

Patterson - He looked very good. While he appeared shorter than his listed 6-8, he was strong on defense against bigger players and he runs the floor very well. If he comes to Duke, he will likely start from day one.

Given my druthers, the player that I would like to see play for Duke was a 6-10 kid from Israel (can't reacall his name). He was a combination of Singler and Patterson. He is skilled, moves well for his size and is not bashful about mixing it up.

gw67

[gw67]

USAbasketball provides box score and sory in link below:

http://usabasketball.com/

gw67

[Kewlswim]

I caught snippets of the game while watching the meltdowns at Augusta. My take:

Singler - He is the perfect wing for Duke and, like Deng, may be one of the top players on the team as soon as he steps on the floor. He can dribble, pass and shoot, and he moves well for a big kid. Based on this and the McDonalds game, it appears that he likes to play on the perimeter. I was not overly impressed with either his defense or his inside play. A couple of his fouls were because his guy got by him and he reached.

Smith - I like Smith but he was probably the 5th best guard on the US team. Again, he can dribble, pass and shoot, gets after his guy on defense, and he runs the floor well. Like Singler, Smith will be a very positive addition to the Devils next year.

Patterson - He looked very good. While he appeared shorter than his listed 6-8, he was strong on defense against bigger players and he runs the floor very well. If he comes to Duke, he will likely start from day one.

Given my druthers, the player that I would like to see play for Duke was a 6-10 kid from Israel (can't reacall his name). He was a combination of Singler and Patterson. He is skilled, moves well for his size and is not bashful about mixing it up.

gw67


Hi,

I seem to recall that fairly recently Maryland was recruiting a semi-religious (maybe very religious) Jewish kid who was referred to as the "Jewish Jordan," I thought he was offered a scholarship. Then for some reason, maybe it was made public I don't remember, he didn't show up at Maryland. There is a point to my post.

If Duke went after a kid from Israel and there were games on Friday, would he play? I seem to remember the ACC office was going to make some sort of accomodations for the kid so that Maryland wouldn't play games on Friday. Furthermore, a kid from Israel isn't necessarily Jewish nor is he necessarily religious. Lastly, if the ACC office would do something for Maryland it stands to reason it would do the same for Duke. Maybe that was why the youngster didn't go to Maryland, maybe they didn't get the games changed so he had to play on Friday?

GO DUKE!

[NYC Duke Fan]

Kyle just scored a layup in traffic and now has 6 points. It is now 36 to 13 Team USA. They are absolutely man handling the International Team in the inside.

On a side note, Coach K is in attendance and they showed him smiling after Kyle hit the long three ball. They interviewed him about Kyle and Nolan and Coach just stated how excited he was to be having them on campus next fall, and that Kyle has a chance to be something truly special with they way he can play all positions on the court and make it look so easy. i can't wait to get these guys rolling in Cameron!!

I Think I heard similar sentiments from Coach K 2 years ago after watching McRoberts play in a high school tournament. That is not to say that Singler won't be a terrific player at Duke but it is a long way from high school in Oregon to playing in the ACC.

I for one think that Gerald Henderson is going to be a go to player this coming year and is going to be a star, but last year there were also thoughts that he was going to be a big star from day 1 at Duke.

[MChambers]

You must be thinking of Tamir Goodman:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamir_Goodman

I remember the circumstances under which he decided not to play for Maryland slightly differently. His religion and the effect on his ability to play was part of it, but the Washington Post articles also suggested that Maryland cooled on him when it became clear he wasn't really the Jewish Jordan.

[VaDukie]

I think Henderson will be that guy next year, as he absolutley carried us against Maryland and UNC late in the year. He had a couple of "you can't guard me, don't even try" shots that looked like Kobe. If he gets past his asthma, he scores 15 a game without trying.

I think Singler will be special because by all indications he has a great attitude, and he won't be needed to carry the burden from day one - I think the expectation to be the go to guy and the criticism that he wasn't living up to that billing really affected McRoberts.

Anyway, I'm very excited about next year. How can we wait 7 months for more Duke basketball?

[Kewlswim]

You must be thinking of Tamir Goodman:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamir_Goodman

I remember the circumstances under which he decided not to play for Maryland slightly differently. His religion and the effect on his ability to play was part of it, but the Washington Post articles also suggested that Maryland cooled on him when it became clear he wasn't really the Jewish Jordan.

Hi,

I didn't know all the circumstances. I have a hard enough time keeping track of the Duke players.

GO DUKE!

[mgtr]

I agree with the thoughts expressed here about Henderson, but don't forget that Marty can also take to the hole. And if Thomas get some offense over the summer -- watch out!

[Cameron]

^^After watching Marty's play against State in the ACC Tourney and his highlight reel dunk against VCU, I really hope he gets some major PT next season. To be honest, that dunk was really the only highlight of my March... The replays they showed of it throughout the remainder of the Tournament, however, gave me goosebumps every time. You could see just how much he loves representing Duke out there. And we need that energy out there on the court next season, especially after how 2007 turned out.

[mgtr]

I don't wish injury or ill health on anyone, not even UNC, but it warmed my heart to hear that Marty had a problem and that it had been dealt with. I am very optimistic about next season. Only a little over six months until the start of practice!

[Boston Dukie]

Right on

I think with Singler and Henderson you have two players who both have the potential to be "special" using Coach K lingo (not ready to put Nolan Smith or Patrick Patterson in this category yet, but hope to be wrong). I am not saying they will be, but in order to get there, they need the minutes and opportunity to grow

So I just hop eK realizes it is a rebuilding year next year, and Henderson and Singler get the most minutes on the team, are allowed to make mistakes as part of the learning process

I love Nelson, he is a warrior, but if he needs to play less minutes to develop the younger guys, than so be it (same for McClure).

I also think Scheyer while very solid, has limited upside, so also wouldn't mind if he lost minutes

I guess what I am saying is that I hope K is really willing to sacrifice a few wins next year to capture the real prize the following year and the year after that

[mgtr]

I agree about Nelson, I think we have already seen the best he will be. I wonder about Scheyer, however. Redick started as a shooter and ended up a shooter and a scorer. Scheyer started this year as a scorer, but may have the potential to be a shooter as well. If he isn't special, he will at least be solid. I agree about Henderson and Singler (especially Henderson, who could be another Grant Hill, which is a lot).

[Bob Green]

Scheyer (33.7) and Nelson (31.9) both averaged over 30 mpg this past season. I expect both to play less minutes next year due to the late surge displayed by Gerald Henderson, Jr. and the talent level of the incoming freshman. This comment is not intended to be negative toward the contribution of Scheyer and Nelson (my favorite Blue Devil) but simply a statement that next year's team will be deeper. Scheyer and Nelson are both crucial to Duke's success in 07-08. A healthy Pocius also increases the competition for playing time. I will be suprised if anyone other than Paulus averages over 30 mpg.

The player who should be most concerned with his PT is Dave McClure. Hopefully, he is shooting a 1000 jump shots a day in the off season because Gerald Henderson, Jr. is going to get some of his minutes and Nolan Smith and Taylor King are not going to sit on the bench while McClure averages 4.2 ppg in 21.7 mpg. If McClure doesn't learn to score he is going to sit.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

[Cameron]

and Nolan Smith and Taylor King are not going to sit on the bench

Thank you. This is nothing against McClure, because I love the heart and intensity he shows as a player; he bleeds Duke Blue out there every night. But, I'm glad someone sees the potential King has for next season. He could be a wonderful scorer off the bench for us, a guy that could come in and hit two or three triples in a row when are starters are resting, which is exactly the kind of guy we needed all last year. Not too many people are giving him much of a chance to see the floor next season, or at least not a lot of the fellow Duke fans I have come across. But, I don't think they could be further from the truth. Taylor will be a key guy next season offensively. Not a 12 or 13 points per game scorer like Jon was, but he will be solid in that sniper's role from 20 to 25' :)

[whereinthehellami]

The player who should be most concerned with his PT is Dave McClure. Hopefully, he is shooting a 1000 jump shots a day in the off season because Gerald Henderson, Jr. is going to get some of his minutes and Nolan Smith and Taylor King are not going to sit on the bench while McClure averages 4.2 ppg in 21.7 mpg. If McClure doesn't learn to score he is going to sit.

I think McClure is the key to next year. I think he was the biggest suprise this past year. A healthy McClure gives Duke what they need the most, a frontcourt presence. He is tough, smart on the defensive end and really goes after it on the glass. Granted he needs to hit the open jumpers (he showed that at times) but I don't think offense is gong to be an issue with the returning guys next year. We need help in the frontcourt on defensise and rebounding. I think McClure is the best option that Duke currently has. I thought he did a good job on Hansborugh in Cameron. If you look at shooting percentages Mcclure and Henderson are about the same. While Henderson plays bigger than he is, he is only 6-4. Of course Henderson has more potentail but McClure is very savy and will be a red-shirt junior. I'd like to see both of Henderson and McClure get at least 20 minutes a game next year.

[whereinthehellami]

Thank you. This is nothing against McClure, because I love the heart and intensity he shows as a player; he bleeds Duke Blue out there every night. But, I'm glad someone sees the potential King has for next season. He could be a wonderful scorer off the bench for us, a guy that could come in and hit two or three triples in a row when are starters are resting, which is exactly the kind of guy we needed all last year. Not too many people are giving him much of a chance to see the floor next season, or at least not a lot of the fellow Duke fans I have come across. But, I don't think they could be further from the truth. Taylor will be a key guy next season offensively. Not a 12 or 13 points per game scorer like Jon was, but he will be solid in that sniper's role from 20 to 25' :)

I really would like to see Duke go in the other direction. Duke has alot of guys that can do damage off the dribble and are good passers with high basketball IQ's. Paulus, Scheyer, Nelson, Smith, Henderson, and Singler all fit that bill and have the possibility of giving the opponent's defense fits. I'd like to see Duke get back to attacking the rim, work the mid-range game, fast break, and sprinkle in the 3-pointer. The thought of King coming in cold off the bench and launching a barage of 25 footers doesn't make me long for next year. I'm also concerned about his foot speed and reaction time, though I'm intrigued by his rebounding potential.

[Patrick Yates]

I have never been a fan of McClure. I admit that he has great heart and tries hard, and bleeds Duke Blue. But he has limitations. Next Year, if he cannot shoot, and Dribble, and Pass, better than this year, he is a complete liability on Offense. This year, everytime he got the ball other than when he was point blank, I got scared. His decision making with the ball in his hands is sub par. When he is in, it is 4 vs 5 when we are on offense. His defender can slouch off and help defend other players. This leads to some open shots, but 4 ppg in 20 min is not sufficient to make up for being a man down on offense, especially when he his turnovers or bad decisions negate the points. His athleticism is limited. If he cannot shoot he is a liability.

Yes, he plays good defense, and tries hard, but that is not enough. We expect more from him than he can deliver.

For many years, Duke fans have searched, often in vain, for another Hurley, Hill, or Laetner, espeically the latter. Well, there is another player to add to that list: Battier. Everytime we see a scrappy player who hustles, D's up hard, and goes all out, we get giddy with visions of a new Battier. We did this with McClure and Boykin.

Newsflash people, Shane was approximately 20-30% more gifted than either of those two players. Since Shane hustled, and was so nice, and loved Duke so much, we tend to forget that he was a 6-8, 230 lb player with good skills and above average athleticism. Boykin and Mclure are 6-7, 215 lb, sup par athletes who are not nearly as skilled as Battier.

We may be loathe to admit it, but heart and hustle are not enough. If that was all it took, WoJo would be one of the greatest guards ever to play in the ACC (HE ISN'T). There has to be a baseline of ahtlecism, and neither of these guys have it. McClure is most valuable as a practice player and a guy who can provide a LIMITED NUMBER of minutes in order to rest superior players.

I said last summer, that any team that relies on McClure for a big contribution is a team that is not going to be successful at the level Duke expects (competitive for the FF).

I believe the team has a greater chance for success next march, and certainly beyond, if K plays King and LT more to develop them. It may cost a few wins early, but it will pay off late in the season.

Also, the bit about Paulus and Smith is right on. We will see many 3 and 4 guard looks next year, especially without PP coming in.

Patrick Yates

[whereinthehellami]

Newsflash people, Shane was approximately 20-30% more gifted than either of those two players. Since Shane hustled, and was so nice, and loved Duke so much, we tend to forget that he was a 6-8, 230 lb player with good skills and above average athleticism. Boykin and Mclure are 6-7, 215 lb, sup par athletes who are not nearly as skilled as Battier.

I said last summer, that any team that relies on McClure for a big contribution is a team that is not going to be successful at the level Duke expects (competitive for the FF).

I'm not sure I remember anyone comparing McClure to Battier. McClure came in as a role player whereas Battier came in as a much Ballyhooed star.

I guess it all comes down to what Duke needs the most next year. Sure I'd like to see McClure take the ball to the hole more like Henderson but I'd settle for him to be the 5th option on offense and just hit the open jumper (which he showed some earlier in the year). But I don't think Duke needs another offensive weapon as much as they need a scrappy, defensive, glue type guy.

For those who have pencilied in Henderson over McClure as a starter lets look at the stas from last year.

Player\Mins\Points\Rebounds\Assists\Turnovers\Stea ls\Blocks

Henderson\618\219\92\35\43\16\10

McClure\716\138\163\18\41\39\24

Keep in mind I'm looking at this from a frontcourt point of view. McClure had nearly twice as many rebounds as Henderson, more than twice as many steals and blocks. Henderson also had more turnovers in around 100 hundred less minutes than McClure, which goes somewhat against McClure being a turnover machine on the offensive side of the ball. Granted Henderson has more potential and should improve over the summer but don't give up on McClure. I think McClure was almost two different players last year. I think when he re-injured his reconstructed knee he lost alot of aggression and confidence. Before the injury he was all over the place and was hitting some open mid-range shots. After the injury he continued to battle but seemed to have lost somethning in his confidence and looked to pass pretty quickly on the offensive end. If McClure can stay healthy I can see him coming back to his pre-injury form and suprising more people with his solid play in an area that Duke needs some serious help in, the frontcourt.

[Troublemaker]

I agree that Dave's offense needs to improve for him to continue playing good minutes, but any loss of minutes will be due to Kyle Singler and not Taylor King.

Dave was a part-time starter at the 4. Singler is a top-5 talent that will almost certainly play the 4 next season. Therefore, Dave will lose some minutes there to Kyle. However, I'd be willing to bet that Dave will still be ahead of both LT and King as the primary backup to Singler. Dave is a very good defender in Duke's system when healthy, and that's not something Coach K is going to overlook. And if Dave develops a bit of a jumpshot, I'll guarantee that he plays ahead of the other two.

[whereinthehellami]

I agree that Dave's offense needs to improve for him to continue playing good minutes, but any loss of minutes will be due to Kyle Singler and not Taylor King.

Dave was a part-time starter at the 4. Singler is a top-5 talent that will almost certainly play the 4 next season. Therefore, Dave will lose some minutes there to Kyle. However, I'd be willing to bet that Dave will still be ahead of both LT and King as the primary backup to Singler. Dave is a very good defender in Duke's system when healthy, and that's not something Coach K is going to overlook. And if Dave develops a bit of a jumpshot, I'll guarantee that he plays ahead of the other two.

Who do you at the 5? I think you go with McClure and Singler in the froncourt, sprinkling in Zoubek, Thomas, King. Whatever you do its going to be ugly on defense and rebounding. At least we should have some fouls to give.

[DukieUGA]

Some others have expressed being down on Scheyer, i'm not sure why, the kid had a good Fr year playing out of position alot. He's not a shooter as JJ was but i think he got the wrong label just cuz he bears a physical resemblance to JJ.
I agree with BG about McClure, he needs to score more or he won't be playing as much as he did this past year. He's a nice player and he filled an important gap admirably last year but he must show more O to complement his fine D if we expect him to play in the 20+ min range. Winthai loves McClure apparently, and that's fine, but in your stat comparison you failed to notice that Henderson had 2x the Ast of McClure in fewer minutes and only +2TOs. They play different positions, so it's not a totally legit comparison anyway, but McClure is not a good ball-handler nor a particularly good decision-maker withe ball. The blocks and steals are nice, as was his high 3pt %, indicating that he was very selective about it, but also good selection. His low FT% however, is not a positive for a post guy. Your assertion that Duke has lots of guys that can do damage off the dribble is, IMHO, flat-out wrong. We had, as of last year, 2 guys that could do any damage off the dribble and one had some problems w/TOs and/or forcing himself into bad situations ('tho he did improve on this somewhat towards the end of the year) and the other played limited minutes, and b/c he was a Fr, didn't always make the best decisions withe ball. Marty woulda been a 3rd but didn't play enough to warrant that much consideration, i like what i see in him and i hope he plays a LOT more this year. This year may be different, i hope it is in terms of off-the-dribble play.
Troublemaker, i don't think that the rotation will work quite the way you see it. I think that Singler/King/LT/McClure/Z will pretty much rotate through 2 positions, rather than one backing up the other, they'll all play together in some way or another. There's a whole lot of versatility in on-court presence by picking combinations of 2 of those 5, i wouldn't be surprised to see all of them start at some point in the year. However, i think Singler and King will also grab some minutes in away-from-the-rim positions that LT/McClure/Z really won't get. I think PG is pretty much set with Paulus starting and Nolan resting him sometimes, sometimes both will play together. Nelson/Scheyer/Nolan/Henderson/Pocius will all play either 2 gaurd or a hybird 2-3 guard at times and other than Pocius, don't be surprised to see all of them start at some point next year. I see a whole lot of versatility from these guys and i can easily see K experimenting with lots of different starting lineups and in-game line-ups, especially early. I certainly expect the rotation to tighten up a lot around the half-way point of the ACC season. Of course K is a HOF coach and i'm just some guy posting on a message board, so by the time the season rolls around K might have a totally different vision of what these guys can handle and what they're gonna do.

[Troublemaker]

Who do you at the 5? I think you go with McClure and Singler in the froncourt, sprinkling in Zoubek, Thomas, King. Whatever you do its going to be ugly on defense and rebounding. At least we should have some fouls to give.

I see Zoubek and Thomas splitting time at the 5. While I don't doubt that a small lineup with Singler at the 5 will be played at times, I'm hoping that Zoubek or Thomas will be occupying the 5 the majority of the game (say, 25 minutes vs 15 minutes of smallball [Singler at the 5], or 30 vs 10).

[JJweMISSu]

Zoubek just needs to not get the ball on OFFENSE

[Troublemaker]

Zoubek just needs to not get the ball on OFFENSE

Actually, his greatest asset to Duke over the next three years should be his postscoring. I know he didn't really demonstrate that after the early part of the season (B-W game, first few games), but that's his strength. I don't know if he's ever going to be comfortable playing Duke's defense but he can score if developed properly.

[Sir Stealth]

I think people undervalue DeMarcus Nelson a lot as well. I was somewhat disappointed with him this season, but hardly think he has peaked. He has shown that he has as much explosive athletic ability as anyone on the team. He is capable of playing great defense. He has shown the ability to improve his jumpshot and could do this with other parts of his game as well.

So far he has disappointing when it comes to creating his shot and being a reliable go to guy on offense. This doesn't mean that he won't be great at this next year. He certainly has the ability. It's strange that people want to throw away the contributions of an extremely talented senior when last year's team suffered with a lack of seniors. I think that the team should and will rely heavily on contributions from DeMarcus this year. Hopefully he can make a senior year emergence as a star in a way similar to Roshown McLeod, Chris Carrawell, or Dahntay Jones.

It is foolish to hope that Nolan Smith will unseat Paulus or that Demarcus will fall out of the starting lineup. People always want the unknown future at the expense of the present, but this team will only be really good if led by upperclassmen with experience. These upperclassman have as much talent as anyone coming in hopefully will excel.

[Saratoga2]

Scheyer (33.7) and Nelson (31.9) both averaged over 30 mpg this past season. I expect both to play less minutes next year due to the late surge displayed by Gerald Henderson, Jr. and the talent level of the incoming freshman. This comment is not intended to be negative toward the contribution of Scheyer and Nelson (my favorite Blue Devil) but simply a statement that next year's team will be deeper. Scheyer and Nelson are both crucial to Duke's success in 07-08. A healthy Pocius also increases the competition for playing time. I will be suprised if anyone other than Paulus averages over 30 mpg.

The player who should be most concerned with his PT is Dave McClure. Hopefully, he is shooting a 1000 jump shots a day in the off season because Gerald Henderson, Jr. is going to get some of his minutes and Nolan Smith and Taylor King are not going to sit on the bench while McClure averages 4.2 ppg in 21.7 mpg. If McClure doesn't learn to score he is going to sit.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan


The real depth of the team will be at the guard position, yet most of the stronger tounament teams were also very solid with the bigs. Florida was especially solid inside, with 5 players 6'9" or bigger and most were physically imposing.

So we will have Nelson, Paulus, Scheyer, Henderson, Pocius and Smith splitting time. I see the guards at the beginning of the season starting Paulus, Nelson and Scheyer with Henderson as the frequent sub for Nelson and/or Scheyer. Smith is likely to sub for Nelson or Paulus and Pocius may have developed to a point where he will deserve additional PT. A very deep lineup.

On the other hand, for bigs we will almost certainly play Singler at least 30 min. I can see Singler as more of a high post player. That leaves Zoubek, Thomas, McClure and King to fill in at the low post and time not taken by Singler. If Patterson comes, he will also get substantial playing time. He is a little small for the 5 but probably could handle it. It is a hard call at this time to identify the best arrangement and that will have to await the decision of PP and also to see how Thomas and Zoubek have developed.

[6th Man]

I still think if we had an adequate big man coach we could teach Zoubek how to not travel when he gets the ball. After his preseason performance it is hard for me to imagine that he is not coordinated enough to be taught. I hope a summer of lifting and working on the fundamentals will pay off for him. At the end of the season I think if we left McClure and Thomas in the gym by themselves it would have taken a while for them to score 20 points.

[GopherBlue]

You must be thinking of Tamir Goodman:

I remember the circumstances under which he decided not to play for Maryland slightly differently. His religion and the effect on his ability to play was part of it, but the Washington Post articles also suggested that Maryland cooled on him when it became clear he wasn't really the Jewish Jordan.

So which is it - not really Jewish or not really Jordan?