Alex Legion made it official, in that he will play his college ball with Kentucky.  The Wildcats pulled out all the stops, including a meeting with the Mayor.  Legion had originally signed with Michigan but was granted a release when former Duke player, Tommy Amaker was released and landed at Harvard.

Some of you may remember Sean Singletary stating he would return to UVA. I told my readers to go on thinking that.  The All ACC guard declared for the NBA draft yesterday.  While he hasn't signed with an agent, my sources claim that he will likely stay in, if for no other reason than the shortage of point guards.  This may be enough to make Patrick Patterson eliminate the Wahoos, in that they will be rebuilding.  Add the fact that they had a ridiculously favorable schedule last season and you can bet they will take a step back next season.  The article linked is well written and talks of Jarvaris Crittenton possibly leaving too.  For more information on the Patterson sweepstakes, you can try the premium newsletter, where the very latest awaits you.

Jai Lucas, son of former Durham native John Lucas may make his college choice by this weekend.  Here is an article that claims a decision will come soon.  Many have felt that Jai an Patrick Patterson might be a package deal.  So, if he picks the Wildcats, expect the rumor mill to be in overdrive.  Lucas is down to Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Florida and Maryland.  His brother played for the Cowboys, while his Dad flourished at Maryland under Duke alum, Lefty Driesell.

Oklahoma Coach, former Duke player Jeff Capel, hopes that Jai Lucas considers the Sooners. Freshman guard Bobby Maze left the program, but Capel has three guards signed, not to mention powerful Blake Griffen, a player that was once on the Blue Devils radar.

Huntington High School boy's basketball team will visit famed Cameron Indoor Stadium this coming  January 30th as part of a spectacular triple header.

It is called the Basketball HOF Invitational.  The main Duke target, Patrick Patterson will be on the court along with OJ Mayo, his teammate.

Huntington will play Artesia High out of Lakewood, California at 8:30 EST.

Patterson visits Cameron along with Nolan Smith and Taylor King.

The other two games feature local Durham teams that have yet to be finalized.  They will play Oak Hill Academy which features Nolan Smith.

 Taylor King returns to the house too.  Mater Dei, a traditional power from California will play a Durham school.

So, we have two signed recruits in Nolan Smith and Taylor King and Patrick Patterson who will play in one glorious night of HS basketball that will give Duke fans a early preview of things to come.

 The players will stay for the following nights home game versus Boston College.

The tournament is part of two events this season, the other being held in Syracuse, New York.  Tickets go on sale December 1st, but no prices have been set as of this morning.

Greg Procino, the event coordinator made a recent statement "We are actually doing two events this year in conjunction with colleges who have strong ties with the Hall of Fame."

Huntington coach Lloyd McGuffin recently confirmed the schedule switch. Huntington had hoped to play Artesia, ranked No. 2 in the nation this preseason by RISE magazine and The Prep Basketball Poll, at Southern Cal's Galen Center. But those plans fell through.

The Highlanders are ranked No. 3 in The Prep Basketball Poll, comprised by national high school gurus Jamie DeMoney and Jeremy Plowman, and No. 5 by RISE magazine. Oak Hill is ranked No. 1 in virtually every preseason poll released so far, and Mater Dei is ranked No. 7 by Rivals.com, one spot ahead of Huntington.

Artesia features super sophomore, 6-foot-7 point guard Renardo Sydney, who wowed press row at the Gibbons TOC tournament.  But the other three teams feature at least one senior prospect that Duke is recruiting.

Patterson team  plays Kentucky heavyweights Lexington Catholic and Scott County at the University of Kentucky's Memorial Coliseum on Jan. 13 and Feb. 2.

So, he plays at Duke and Kentucky.  For the latest on Patrick Patterson, please join the Blue Devil Nation Premium Newsletter which has a timely update coming in the next couple of days, as well as the most accurate information that can be found on his recruitment without the homering that permeates other sites. It's information without too much shoddy specualtion. If you would like  to join, the info is on the menu to your right.

 Scan down here for Patterson interview!

While I have no firm confirmation, JJ Hickson has supposedly canceled his visit to Florida.  Many thought Hickson may have committed on this visit and that would have been good for Duke in the Patterson sweepstakes.

Meanwhile, NC State may be the winner.  Hickson has them listed in his top four.  The Pack have Chris Wright in mind too.  Wright reportedly has a press conference set and new Pack coach Sydney Lowe is hoping to get a foundation to build upon.

I can see this fit for the two.  I can see this fit because Wright was a shoot first PG when I saw his play in AAU games where he was the PG for Boo Williams, which was Devil target Patrick Patterson's team.

That's the beauty of going to the events, you get a much better feel for the National scene and meet a lot prospects.

Anyhow, the Pack may be the beneficiary if Hickson shuns the Gators, but then this is recruiting and anything can happen.

I met writer Rob Harrington briefly during the  Peach Jam Classic.  IMO, he is one of the best in the business, maintaining balance.  Here is an excellent USA Today article on RECRUITING which covers Kyle Singler and Patrick Patterson among others. 

It's pretty brazen to say things like we expect Love to select UCLA this week, but I'd be shocked if it does not come to fruition.  UNC made a good impression at the Tournament of Champions in Chapel Hill, but big Kevin Love is destined to wear a Bruin uniform.  I have felt this way for months, but sources close to the situation have told me that he will make Ben Howland very happy in short order.

Kevin has torn up many of the AAU events over the Summer.  He was very impressive backing down most anyone at the TOC on his way to winning the tournaments MVP, where his talented Southern Cal All Stars took the event.  He continued to play well in Vegas this weekend, along side soon to be Dukie Taylor King.

If I am wrong on this one, I will take my crow fried, but a check around many premium boards will tell you that many of them feel as if I do, meaning I will dine with company.

While it would not surprise me if his camp delays the decision again, the talented big kid will likely play his ball in Cali.  There has been no offcial announcement set as of today.

 Big Love should be a Bruin

 Love with MVP trophy

 Southern Cal All Stars  - Larger Images of the Southern Cal All Stars are listed under TOC Pictures and may be viewed as a slideshow.

Patrick Patterson had one of his least effective games, but Boo Williams still advanced with a 81-51 rout of the Charlotte Royals.  Patrick had 6 points and 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in limited action.

Just after that, Kyle Singler led his Portland Legends to a 84-65 win, to advance.   Singler sat for much of the game, including the last six minutes.  He took a nasty spill and tweaked his ankle, having to ice it down afterward.  Kyle tossed in 20 points grabbed 9 boards, had 3 assists and a blocked shot.

 Singler

It is the first opportunity I have had to see Singler, and I am very impressed.  He is adept in every facet of the game and is very polite off the court.  There is a really nice interview going out Sunday, two in fact from Kyle, where he covers many things.  This will be for newsletter subscribers only. 

Both teams must win tonight to advance to tomorrows games.  Coach Collins and Wojo took in both pro sects performances, as did Romar and many others.

Don't feel too sorry for Patrick Patterson having an off game or judge him from the stats in today game listed above.  He leads the event with 10 blocks and is second in rebounding with 42.

Eric Gordan leads the tournament in scoring at 27.3 per game.  He is in a battle with Kalin Lucas as I type.  For those who do not know ... there are six courts all in the same facility, each with a game in progress. Coaches are allowed at this event and share space with scouts and media.  The event is held in North Augusta, South Carolina, but most people stay in Augusta Georgia home of the Augusta National, and other golfing events.  The area is very green and nice, but is outrageously hot, being 97 degrees today. 

You can see things like UF coach Donavan going to Hooters, and Roy Williams scouting Derick Rose.  As for Rose, he is considering skipping college and playing a year in Europe.  There is a ton of overall talent in the event and I will touch on that later.

Expect a lot of news forthcoming, If you are a recruiting fan, I urge you to try the newsletter which goes out Sunday via E-Mail and hardcopy to those who have requested it.  You will not see this information anywhere else on the net unless it is leaked.

I will update as soon as possible, but I am now on the way to see super Greg Monroe, another player we will cover extensively in the newsletter.  Not to worry, there will be some free stuff and we will get back to great articles very soon.  I will also continue to refine the site as time permits and will have some great pictures in that I believe in illustration.

Coach K was in on the first day, but is attending business involving Team USA.  Kyle Singler said he loved playing for the U-18 USA team and that he'd play for his country again, should he have the chance.

I am hoping for an interview with former Maryland Player John Lucas and his son Jai.  I will also be chatting with new Oklahoma Coach Jeff Capel.  So much to do, so little time ...catching up will be fun though.  That is, after a five hour drive back;)

Singler and Monroe went head to head in a much anticipated match up that was one of the weekends showcase games.

Kyle Singler arrived late in Indy and according to our source "He was ever so slightly off in his game, yet he still knew where to be at all times."  "He is a very well rounded player that is way ahead of the curve in many areas of the game, and he gets better or shows me new things everytime I see him."  "He looked great in San Antonio last week, and I imagine he was a bit tired here arriving late."  "He missed a few shots he'd normally hit, however, he looks good when he kicks in a unique extra gear."

He went on to say "Greg Monroe was amazing in tonights game!"  "He's had a great weekend, but he really turned it on ... I am not sure if he missed a shot and he dominated the glass."  "His offensive moves were way better than I had seen in the past."  He did not have any stats on the match, but did say that Coach K indeed took in this game, as did Team USA U-18 and Washington Coach Romar.  Monroe is certain to rise on many recruiting lists, not that he has that far to go before he tops the list.

Samardo Samuels didn't hut himself over the weekend either.  We should have an in-depth report on this kid later.

In other briefs, Nolan Smith continued to show he can really rebound for a guard.  Smith nabbed 5 boards and scored 21 points and dealt three assists in the All Star Game.  Eric Gordon had a nice line too, netting 22 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in the same game, which earned him All Star MVP.  Travis Releford won the MVP for his group.  The talented guard showed off an all around game and mentioned interest in several schools, including Duke.  Another Duke prospect is Luke Babbitt.  Babbitt impressed me in Richmond, showing an all around game, especially offensively and he didn't have guards that were feeding him the ball.  It remains to be seen how interested Duke is in many of the players mentioned, but they seem to be in good overall shape, with many options available to them,  Keep in mind though, in recruiting,  kids can change their minds with in a very short time.  Wojo attended the Adidas Camp.

    Shawn Siegal on the ABCD Camp

I took the Love photo at the TOC in Chapel Hill. He was the MVP of that event, too.

This week will remain busy on the recruiting trail with the Nike Peach Jam in North Agusta, SC.  Later in July, Las Vegas is the place to be, where three events Reebok Big Time, the Main Event and Adidas Super 64 will take place July 22-26.  Needless to say, that'll be well attended by coaches and media.

The AAU National Championship takes place July 27 to August 1st in Florida.  Los Angeles will be the home for Reebok Summer West and Adidas Best of Summer, both July 27th to the 31st.  As you can see, July is a very important month for recruiting.

Update from Saturday -  Taylor King averaged 22 PPG on Saturday, rebounding the ball with a passion.  He was 4 of 8 from the three point stripe and 16 of 26 over the two games.  He had 28 rebounds in the two games, showing he is not soft.

He is currently tied as the camp's top rebounder.  Of course, his team has had many injuries and he is playing extended minutes.

Friday - Taylor King - #154 – 76ers - #40 Rivals.com (#7 SF)

Huntington Beach, CA – 6’8” – 2007 – Duke

With Rose injured, King definitely tried a bit harder today.  He was also more conscious of shooting less, and being more of a team player.  In the afternoon game, he was really effective going to the glass, and he’s now 3^rd on the rebounding per game list.  He doesn’t necessarily block out the best, but he seems to have an eye for where the ball is coming off the rim, and he finds a way to get it (also, it didn’t hurt his stats that he got extended minutes in the afternoon game with Rose out.)  His shot wasn’t really “on”, but I was more impressed with his good effort. He even tried to take a charge (which I thought he got though he was called for blocking). Sean Siegal

Anthony Crater - #32 – Jazz

Flint, MI – 6’2” – 2008

Same old from Crater yesterday.  The kid makes great passes that leave you shaking your head and is now 2^nd in camp with 5.0 assists per game.

Sean took in King in front of Duke Assistant Wojciechowski.

Justin Young on  Patrick Patterson, 2007 – Some things will never change. If it seems like every week during the summer, the term beast or warrior gets tossed around for the West Virginia native, it's because it's true. And for some reason, it doesn't hurt to keep reminding people. Patterson is one of the most coveted big guys in the country and a must see recruit for the likes of Florida, Kentucky, Duke, Wake Forest, etc, etc, etc. He brings out the head coaches and in the evening session, he gave them plenty to get excited about. Patterson's offense is coming along at a great pace and his offensive post play at Nike camp has been spectacular.

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

Watzones favorite link of the day- Henderson and UNC's Ellington

Introducing Jon Scheyer

Eric Gordan has reopened his recruitment

Or has he?-

Duke Athletics Links

The Mothership, DBR and more links

I had the opportunity to cover the most recent Bob Gibbon's Tournament of Champions, that was held in the Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill area which is known to locals as the Research Triangle area.  The Southern California All Stars won their second consecutive title having only one true test of their mettle. These guys were loaded and feature sharp shooting Taylor King, soon to be a Blue Devil after his final season at Mater Dei. http://Taylor King

Kevin Love was named the MVP, although my vote would have gone to his teammate Brandon Jennings, a flashy PG from Compton, California.  Love is a heavy UCLA lean in my opinion, but still lists the North Carolina. My take is that UNC is already loaded up front with a truckload of talent coming in this years class, which is often considered to be the best in the land along with Ohio State, who features the monsterously talented Greg Oden.

Anyhow, even if the Mule, Tyler Hansbrough leaves UNC as expected after this upcoming season,  I can't see any of the other front line guys following him to the NBA from a class that features Brandon Wright, Alex Stephenson and Deon Thompson.  That could mean Love would languish on the bench for a season if he chooses to play his college career in Chapel Hill and I don't think he is up for that.

A friend of mine made a comment on the aformentioned Oden a couple of years ago while viewing his game in the Triangle area, laughingly stating "I want to see his birth certificate."  As I watched Oden, it was clear that he was indeed a man among boys.   Ohio State will likely hover in the Top 5 all season long in 06-07.

Recent Ohio State recruit David Lightly  found trouble with a B.B. Gun incident in Cleveland.  Expect a few Driving Miss Daisy signs to appear in Big Ten country if the SF suits up this season.  Scout.com ranks him number eight at his position.

 I have some pictures from the TOC up which were taken with a pawltry 2.4 mega pixel camera and were not edited in any way, as you can see by the darkness, etc.  There are a few Duke targets pictured, like Anthony Crater, a young Michigan Hurricanes PG who plays a very smooth and unselfish game.

Despite the flaws, the pictures still give a pretty good view of Taylor King and his fellow Southern Cal All Star teammates which I will elaborate a bit more on at a later date.  Let's just say they have no less than seven future college players on their team.  Click on the pictures to enlarge or view as a slide show, but keep in mind that the larger pictures are a better view with your computers scrolling method. They are located to your left under TOC Pics.  I hope you enjoy them.

http://myblogdevils.eponym.com/blog/BobGibbonsTournamnetofChampions2006