Well, the football Devils are about to kick off their season versus Richmond next week, but basketball recruiting is in full swing with two major prospects visiting in September. I confirmed that Patrick Patterson a 6-8, 230 pound West Virginia power forward has scheduled his official visit to the Duke campus the weekend of of the Virginia football game and will arrive on the weekend of September 29th.
Patrick dropped UNC and a few other schools over the past week and lists Florida, Kentucky, Wake, UVA, West Virginia and Duke as finalists. Coach K will have an in home visit with the Patterson's on September 12th. Many Duke fans were up in arms when a UF site recently omitted Duke after an interview with Patrick, but there is nothing to worry about. Interestingly, that same sites rep sat beside me at the Peach Jam, unaware of who I was and swore it was between UK and Florida. Now, one may have taken him at his word, but I sat there and watched him give three players stats in
Patrick's column.
That is pretty much what one gets in the world of recruiting coverage. For every solid analyst, such as Mike Sullivan, there is some goober that couldn't tell the difference in the players they are watching and their stat lines prove it.
September 22nd will bring Kyle Singler to campus for the weekend. Kyle is a 6-9, 215 Medford, Oregon product.
Patrick's Mom said "he is supposed to be the next Dirk Nowitzki."
I won't put that much pressure on him, but she isn't far off in her analogy. Singler has a unique inside-outside game and watches film of Larry Bird on a regular basis with his Dad.
I saw Kyle for the first time at the Peach Jam Festival, which is one of the better recruiting events, and asked him if the process had become tiring. Kyle stated that he was looking forward to some time off and that calls and interviews were indeed taking their toll. After starring for the USA U-18 team, he would shuttle to another flight and this pretty much is the life of many AAU prospects.
Kyle's assistant high school coach said "I have said all along that Kyle was an intuitive kid and that he will go where he relates well to the people and staff." He went on to say "Kyle is a special
player ... the best I have coached."
Kyle has a serious inside outside game, passes the ball with flair, has a good handle, sweet shot and a smart basketball demeanor.
Patrick passes the ball exceptionally well for a big man, too.
He plays good team ball and hits the boards with authority and blocks shots at will, having had seven versus Gary Johnson, and Jai Lucas talented team at Peach Jam.
The scary thing is Patterson's numbers would have been higher had he been fed more by PG Chris Wright and not played on a very talented front line. Still,
Patrick's rise over the Summer got the attention of much of the national media and he soared in the ratings on a camp to camp basis.
It is obvious that Duke wants both players and feels they could flourish together in the motion offense and man to man system which they employ. They dropped some talented players to focus on these two and are hoping they join Nolan Smith and Taylor King to form a team that would likely play for a few championships.
Speaking of Taylor King, he stated while in Cameron for the Tournament of Champions "I just want to be myself."
I want to be the best Taylor King I can be."
This was in an interview I did with him after he torched his opponent from inside and out while UCLA commit Keven Love had to sit out with foul trouble and Southern
Cal's talented All Stars pulled out a close win.
He played for the AAU's best team and is now preparing for his Mater Dei season.
Dukes other commit, Nolan Smith fell a bit in some rankings, but not too many people are worried. He battled back from an injury, participated with Taylor and Kyle on Team USA U-18 and started to work on his PG skills, as Duke seemingly backed off Anthony "Noopy" Crater. Smith love the atmosphere at Duke and that usually translates well on the court. He was very close to Johnny Dawkins in the process.
So, Duke is hoping these four talented players form the nation's top recruiting class next season and after visits from Patterson and Singler, we should know more.
The next exclusive installment for our long time allies, the DBR, will focus on the talented 2008 class which features Greg Monroe, Samardo Samuels, Drew Gordon, Luke Babbitt and a few others on the radar. A lot will depend on the aforementioned decisions, but we will let you know what is happening.
If you would like more on in depth coverage on recruiting, please visit the Blue Devil Nation
and sign up for the premium/newsletter before the coming visits. We talked to Patrick Patterson last evening and have an update on the status of his visit. We recently did interviews with #9 rated Samardo Samuels and the ever improving Reno product, Luke Babbitt.
We have not sat on our hands and are actively bringing top notch information to the Blue Devil Nation. Should you join, you will also see interviews with Kyle Singler, and the top player in 2008, Greg Monroe. You will see break downs of their games and get lots of tidbits, including how we think the pecking order may go.
If that is not enough, there are interviews with Taylor King and Nolan Smith and some football coverage on what to expect in the coming season. Also, be sure to view our one of a kind photo galleries and expect maximum coverage of all things Duke Athletics. You also get to read the work of a talented young writer named Michael Corey, who also writes for GoDuke.com. We are actively trying to make the Blue Devil Nation a must see destination for Duke fans and assure you that our premium section is as good as anyone, updated often with diligent accuracy.