Blue Devil Nation

BDN Interview Roshown Mcleod

Mark Watson — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 23:38:23 -0400

I caught up with former Duke basketball player Roshown Mcleod. Roshown took the time to sit down with the Blue Devil Nation and allowed me to probe his life. In the following interview, he tells us what he is doing these days. He then recalls his memories as a Dukie and speaks of his NBA days. Needless to say Roshown is another in a long line of former Blue Devil players that benefited from playing for Coach K and Duke University. Enjoy -

Roshwon Mcleod is working with high school prospects these days. Ro's Stats

Tell the readers of the Blue Devil Nation what you have been up to these days.

RM - I've been coaching a little bit of high school basketball in Atlanta. And then I started my own company called Next Level Players Development where I'm training and working with some of the AAU programs in the Atlanta area. This is also the first year that I will work with kids around the country. I've been working with kids like Darius Miller and Jordan Hamilton outside of the Georgia area and I work with the Stars(Georgia AAU team) go to their practices including some of the Atlanta Celtics players.

In working with them, what are you trying to teach them?

RM - Some players with great athletic skills become so individualized in the game these days, so I'm trying to teach them how to interact with the team. You have to always remember that the best team wins. So, you can have the best player but not the best team.

Do you work with them in terms of the eventual college recruitment ... what to expect?

RM - I prepare them for what coaches look for. I talk to them about school and how to position yourself to be available and how to prepare for their SATs. I tell them no matter how good they are as a player that no coach is going to change their system for you. So you have to be able to adjust and understand who you are as a player.

Do you try to help a player with his decision .. steer them in a certain direction?

RM - I leave that to the parents. I make them aware of the pro's and con's, Some of the parents, especially Mothers don't understand the business, so I lay it out for them and tell them in a way they understand the process. I let them make the best decision for their kid. At the end of the day, their the ones that have to live with it. If they know everything around them, it makes for a more comfortable decision.

Are you married?

RM - Yes, I've been married for five years. My wife is very beautiful. She's from Illinois. My son is eleven and my daughter is six, seven in August.

Tell me about your days at Duke. Tell me the one thing that stands out above everything else ...

The fellowship! I mean my old team, we were like brothers. We still keep in contact. I talk with everybody I played with during my two years there. I remember all of us trying to make each other better. That's what made us the best team in the ACC and we won back to back championships, We won a lot of games. So, the fellowship is the one thing I remember most.

Duke doesn't take a lot of transfers. You came in from St. John's ... was that a good decision for you?

RM - Transferring to Duke opened the doors for me a lot faster. My goal was to get to the NBA. I knew who I was as a player, so I felt I could play on any team. But Duke's offense allowed me to showcase what my strengths were. Scoring, being efficient and leadership skills.

What was the difference in St. Johns and Duke?

Well, if you look at St. Johns at the time, they ran a slow deliberate offense. I would often play center in their system. I knew I wouldn't end up as a center and felt I wasn't growing as a player.

At Duke I got to put the ball on the floor and shoot the three and played some center. That made the decision a lot easier, in that playing a better system of basketball.

So, Duke fit into your style?

RM - At Duke each players is taught to change positions during a game. They run a motion offense, so if you set a screen or apply yourself when you are in the post, you know what to do there. If you want to get out of the post they teach you how to come out and screen. You learn a thought process on where to be with or without the ball and what to do in every situation.

What are your memories on Coach K? Give it all to me, good and bad.

RM - (smiling) My fondest memory? He really brought out the best in me, Coach made me believe and realize that I was invincible when played at the highest level. I felt that way as an offensive player and I knew I had to work on defense. But as an offensive player he made me feel invincible, instilling that thought process into my game.

The worst memory ... we were playing the Mercer game and he put me in with the walk on's. It motivated me.

Coach K did a wonderful job preparing his team and does so to this day. I mean they won 22 games last year and that's not a great season by Duke standards. But he had a lot of young players and they'll be much tougher this season.

Do you feel like you gained a lot of life skills while at Duke and under Coach K? Did you learn things that you might carry with you the rest of your life?

RM - I really did. Coach taught us how to be well rounded people. It wasn't just about basketball at Duke, On or off the court, in the class room, he prepared every player. We would practice interviewing and stuff like that. When you have a guy like that ... who is so keen in developing you as a person, you have no choice but to be successful in life.

Who was your best friend at Duke?

RM - Chris Carrawell is a good friend. I still talk to Shane, Trajan ... I talk to them all, but Chris Carrawell, a quality guy. He's playing overseas. So he is making a good life for himself. He just got married.

I actually interviewed him last year. It was a good interview as this one is.

You look very comfortable and content. What are your hopes for the future?

RM - I had a tough time dealing with the way my NBA career ended due to injury. I had a pinched nerve in my knee which caused me to have a drop foot. I continued to try and play but my leg kept going numb. I eventually ruptured my Achilles tendon by over compensating. I then figured out that if I was going to be happy in basketball, I'd have to figure out another way to apply myself. So, I started coaching to get back in the game. Basketball has given me a lot and hopefully in the future somebody may want to bring me on their staff. I'd like to find a program that I could help, using my personality.

So, you are open to an assistant coaching job?

RM - Oh yeah. If the right opportunity comes along. I coached at Fairfield under former Duke assistant Tim O'Toole for one year. That's when I realized I wasn't ready yet. I was thinking like a player and not like a coach. So, I spent time with my family but eventually came back to the game realizing how much I missed it. Now, I'm prepared mentally. It's tougher being a coach than it is being a player, so you have to prepare.

What is your best memory from your days in the NBA?

RM - Actually playing in the play offs with the Hawks in my rookie year. They had such a veteran team. The experience I got from Tyrone Corbin, Grant Long and Dekembe Mutombo, even Coach Rick Mahorn. I'll carry that with me the rest of my life. I can share those experiences with the kids I work with now.

If you had it to do over again ... would you do anything different?

RM - Except going to Duke out of high school? I considered Duke. He (K) had one scholarship and gave it to Joey Beard. I wanted to wait for my decision and check every opportunity. St. Johns was a good choice at the time, but things change. It ended up being Duke after all. So, I am happy. If I can share my experiences and information with youngsters and their families, then I am doing the right thing.

You seem morally grounded and such ...

RM - My Mom passed away back in 2000. She was an Evangelist. She really traveled and spoke the word of God. I was forced to build my own personal relationship when she passed. I didn't realize I was a part of her blessing, Now that I am older, be more responsible and have more responsibilities. The only way to get through it is with a higher power. My personal relationship with God has really put me here. I tell my kids to play for something bigger than yourself.

Do you still watch Duke to this day?

RM - I go to about six games a year and I watch every game on TV.

If someone were to ask you about Duke would you give the Blue Devils a high recommendation?

RM - Oh, no doubt. Duke will always be one of the elite programs. They've really established something over the last twenty years. They were a little down last season, but they'll be back.

Were you able to get up with the Duke staff this week?

RM- Yes. I was able to get with Jeff Capel, the coach of Oklahoma, Wojo and Johnny Dawkins. We were able to share our experiences. You can take those conversations and what you learn and share them with others or apply them to what you are doing right now. It's good to hear somebody elses perspective about it.

Okay, I'm treading on uneasy ground here. Tell me something about Coach Dawkins and Wojo that nobody else knows?

RM - (laughing) Coach Dawkins loves motorcycles, but his wife won't let him get one.

Wojo?

RM - He's the son he never had. (again snickering before becoming serious). Wojo is a competitor, but until you get him out of a competitive environment, you don't realize how nice of a guy he is.

Well, I have to figure out if I can print that. (sly) Thanks for your time and best of luck in the future.

RM - Thank you, Mark.

Thanks for a great interview Ro!

Donovan to Magic

Mark Watson — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 12:31:20 -0400

Donovan to the NBA! Was anyone really surprised here? I know I wasn't. What I find interesting is the players reactions, not to mention a Fathers. John Lucas is quoted as saying that he would have to see who the new coach was and access the situation. Does this mean John would now have Jai leave for say Kentucky?

John goes on to say that he is not surprised, that he thought Donovan was going to the NBA anyway. I find that a bit odd in that he sang a different tune at his sons press conference. You can forget that though... its not nearly as interesting as Jai's quotes, saying he thought Donovan would be there in the same article where his Dad claims to have thought he would leave. Am I missing something here?

I wonder if Donovan's wife will take to the podium and say, "we shocked the world," as Mrs. Patterson did after her son announced? Nah! Because this was no surprise. Donovan had been flirting with the NBA for a couple of years now. While you can't knock his success at Florida, you can rest assured that the hints dropped here that Billy cared about Billy ring true.

Perhaps he will enjoy more success than his mentor Rick Patino in Boston. He may even return to the college ranks as did Patino, especially after his financial windfall. Who knows for sure? You can rest assured though, that he knew that Florida is a football school. Two consecutive national titles couldn't change that.

While I certainly don't think Florida will not continue to have some success on the hardwood, I do see a falloff and yes, even if they hire the VCU coach;) I could be wrong on that, so we will have to wait an see, but many of the nations prospects will hesitate if they want a hoops school. That of course is my opi.

Count me as one that is glad the Donovan and Patterson situations are over. They had far more press than they deserved, because deep down they knew what was going to happen for awhile. I suppose one could argue if both weren't self serving, but it wouldn't be that compelling.

Players comments on Donovans departure

Welcome Coach McCallie

Mark Watson — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:58:58 -0400

Joanne P. McCallie was introduced to the Blue Devil Nation during a press conference today. The backdrop was Cameron Indoor Stadium, a venue that has played host to many memorable moments over the years.

It wasn't that long ago when the women's program was in it's infancy. Debbie Leonard had passed the torch to Gail Goestenkors and she proceeded to ...

Duke Assistants answer question for the Blue Devil Nation

Mark Watson — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 15:45:52 -0400

Duke Assistant Coaches, Chris Collins and Steve Wojciechowski were kind enough to answer a few questions for Blue Devil Nation Premium Members.

You will love this question and answer session with the Duke Basketball Assistant Coaches! It's quite rare to get open and honest answers straight from the horses mouth!

Keep reading, as you are about to finally find out that ...

Thoughts on Duke and VCU

Mark Watson — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 00:43:23 -0400

Why hide? Duke fans have enjoyed unparalleled success and if you can't get through one tough season by Duke standards, you are not a true fan.

Yep, this is where many jump off the bandwagon. It's happened before ,,, 12 years ago. Shortly thereafter Duke went on a miraculous roll before facing rebuilding again this season.

That is rebuilding the Duke way. Despite being handed the ACC's toughest slate, Duke managed 22 wins which many schools would die for. Still, it will be sure to cause a stir on message boards from upset fans.

Upset? Yes, I am and that's what happened on the court too, but I am able to put this in perspective. VCU had a wonderful gameplan. They pressured Paulus, swarming the ball at all times and they disrupted the passing lanes all night long.

Greg had a career high 25 points but had more turnovers than assist due to the Rams pressure. Unfortunately, Greg finished the season with more TO's than assists, but his injury really did play into that.

No matter how you cut it, VCU deserved the win. They played older and stronger and seemed to have an sense of urgency in their game. More importanlty, they communicated well on the court as a team. Hindsight is worthless, but they were the perfect team to face Duke, having three quick guards and just enough down low clip the Devils.

There are a lot of players that might stand out to fans looking to place some blame, and there are some players who will catch grief for their absence statistically, but the real culprit was a lack of what Coach K has stressed -- that being communication or talking on defense.

Add some key missed free throws and the lack of a three point threat other than Paulus, and you have a recipe for disaster. And then there are the turnovers that have plagued the Devils during an untypical four game losing streak which ended their season.

There is more ... seven points from the bench, VCU hitting 56.3% from the three point stripe, being outscored on the break 21-6, missed lay ins when the game was on the line and TO's when the game was on the line.

You have to give McRobert's his due. He was a one man wrecking crew down low. Interestingly, like Paulus, McRoberts scored his career high 22 points. Add 12 boards, 4 assists and 5 blocked shots and you have his best effort of the season.

McRoberts career high not enough for Duke to overcome the scrappy Rams.

It was 1996 when Duke last went out in the first round. Before that it was a couple of times in the eighties, but take a moment to realize the success we have had. Duke has dominated a league that includes UNC for ten or so years running.

It happens! At some point there had to be a drop off and players such as Deng leaving early has made Duke hustle to catch up. Now comes the off season questions ... Will Josh McRobert's return? Will Patrick Patterson see how well he fits on this team? Which players will work hard on their games in the off season?

I will answer the last question now. Duke is already planning for next year. That's the way it is at Duke. You may not hear about it, but Coach K will be watching a lot of film and will continue to teach his youthful players the Duke way.

That Duke way has been temporarily lost. Paulus and Nelson, McRoberts were the only players with any PT returning. Next year it will be different. Duke will have a few older players mixed with some outstanding newcomers.

No matter who leaves or who comes in, Duke will head right back to the top of the ACC and will be a legitimate top ten team. Help is on the way in Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and Taylor King.

Add these players to a Paulus that doesn't suffer a pre season injury, three players in Thomas, Scheyer and Zoubek that will work on their strength, a senior for gosh sakes in Nelson and you have the core for a scrappy bunch. Oops! Let's not forget McClure and a fast improving Henderson and Pocius. That's more bodies than we have had in three years and while young, look for Duke to remember the lessons learned.

Should McRobert's stay or Patterson sign, Duke will be knocking on the door much closer to April. Another year and Duke is a National Title contender if not the odds on favorite. Heck, if you ask Coach K he will tell you that winning the title is the goal next season.

So Duke haters should enjoy this while they can because Duke will now start to get older and wiser. Players bodies will mature and well, Duke will be better ... much better.

Yep! We fell out of the top 25. The sweet 16 streak was broken and there is a first round loss in what is considered the first upset of the tournament ... but add a little more. Okay, lets don't ... but after all the success Duke Basketball has had ... I can get over this down year by fans standards.

I thought we'd do a little better this season ... sure did! But I see the building blocks and K has never let us down before after one of the few so called lapses in the past and the future will be no different.

Until then, it is Duke against the world. Be prepared for a lot of haters taking shots. Be classy! Don't fall prey to the baiters with no lives other than hating Duke. That is hating Duke because they set the standard with their success. Yep! Beating Duke is an event, but don't look for it to continue for it may be awhile before Duke suffers double digit losses in a season. They will be back ... history is proof of this. Go Devils!

Growing Pains

Mark Watson — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 14:16:59 -0500

Okay, there is no sugar coating how painful last nights loss was for a Duke fan. Maryland swept Duke aside in route to their sixth straight win, putting Duke firmly planted in sixth position in the ACC.

On this night, three Maryland seniors and three juniors took advantage of a young Duke team, yet the Devils still could have won if ...

Well, there are a lot of ifs, but the one thing Duke sorely lacked was communication. This was especially true on the defensive end, where the Maryland sets were successful all evening.

Don't think communication wasn't a problem on offense either, despite the Blue Devils scoring much more than their average. A quick look at the stats shows just nine assists. Nine! So, while Duke scored some points, they failed to find each other. Proof of this is no player had more than two assists.

To show how telling this stat is, look to Maryland freshman, Greivis Vasquez. I am forced to learn the spelling of his name after he dished out three more assists than the entire Duke team, his total being twelve.

Twelve assists are made easier when your team is running the court and constantly finding holes in the defense. You would being hard pressed to find anyone who thought Maryland would throw up a bushel of points on a team that ranks with the Nations best with points allowed.

It was one of those nights for Duke. Despite the score being close, it felt as if we were being whipped the whole game. The crowd had a hard time finding moments to get in the game. Every time Duke made it close, before you could get a good clap in the Terps scored on an outlet pass to Strawberry. If Strawberry wasn't there, it would be a kick out for a wide open Mike Jones three.

The experience was especially bad for those watching on TV. ESPN made it to the game at the 13:59 mark of the first half. This made it feel as if the emotion meter was on empty or jarred from the outset.

It didn't take long to see that Duke was in for a long night and that the cards would have to fall just right for a win. Unfortunately, Duke could never stop the Terps momentum and here is the other fixable problem which kept Duke from victory.

When Duke cut into the lead, they took their own momentum away on the offensive end. There didn't seem to be a continued intensity and the hard work would go to the wayside as Duke would take an off balanced or ill advised one and done shot. That allowed Maryland to take Uncle Mo right back with their quickness to the ball and boards.

This goes back to nine assists and shows that this team still has a ways to go with their offensive execution. And there is no reason for Duke to have let up the open looks on the defensive end. You can bet that this will be addressed in practice this week.

Getting back to ESPN for a moment, you know it is one of those nights when they cut to NFL news on a split screen missing a ton of action. Add to that, a total glitch in the final moments, meaning you could only witness the entire game having been in Cameron.

So choose your word ... frustrating, dismayed ... they all apply. This was after all the last home game this season. Duke wanted to maintain momentum going into the ACC Tournament, but with a trip to Chapel Hill, it may get worse.

There were some bright spots worthy of mention. Duke never gave up, despite the lack of communication and execution on defense.

Gerald Henderson showed flashes of brilliance and Paulus continues to shoot the ball quite well. Add Zoubeks good minutes too.

I attribute this loss to growing pains and think fans might look back on it as a learning experience. I know the team will break down and grade the film this week and will work hard to rectify the problems. This is a tireless staff and there is a lot of hooping left in these young Devils.

One day, our eighteen and nineteen year old kids will be the vets, but until that time, fans will have to allow time for growth and that can be painful to those who are spoiled.

Keep in mind that this is new for both the fans and coaches and be happy that Duke rebuilds with a 22-8 record. It has been a long time since Duke hasn't had players battle tested in the line up. Rest assured though, that many of these guys will find their groove and that Duke is not going anywhere.

In fact, the future looks brighter than ever. Until then, it is still comforting to see we had a chance to win despite a superb Maryland performance.

The Blue Devils will regroup. As fans, we need to do the same and realize that it's time for the next play. Just remember that this young team has played three games in nine days and that they are indeed, NCAA bound, which is the sole goal for many programs.

There will be another bounce of the ball. There will be plenty more victories and there will be some growing pains along the way. Anyway you cut it, I am still proud and steadfast to the blue and white.

"It was a vintage Cameron game."

Mark Watson — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:40:30 -0500

Those were the words of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski after the Blue Devil's fourth straight conference win.

With just one tenth of a second left on the game clock, the ball rolled off Dave McClure's fingertips into the rim as Cameron erupted.

McClure sprinted down court, as Jon Scheyer recognized the mismatch and got him the ball.  Dave puts the shot in here with one-tenth of a second left on the clock.

Players piled on the hero just under the winning basket in jubilation. A quick look in that direction provided a look at fans with their hands on top of their heads, lots of teeth flashing and a bit of bouncing.

Yep! Grown men were seen high fiving one another as their wives and girlfriends clapped along. Children were jumping up and down and ushers were gushing ... and that was simply the upper deck.

The bench and the crowd erupted in a deafining roar. Fans could be seen giving one another a high five as Coach K showed some rare emotion. You can clearly see the joy and togetherness of the team in this picture from the Associated Press.

Just below, students were howling, memories of their school work having temporarily subsided. Some were red faced, some falling all over each other and some so giddy with excitement that they could do no more than look on with their hands covering their mouths.

After McClure's basket dropped through the basket and the buzzer echoed, one could see Coach K arms raised, red faced and smiling as he defied his age with some pretty good leaps while turning to the crowd. By the time he turned back around, he regained his composure, but before he did, one saw a smile almost bust wide open, but then his steely composure kicked back in.

It was a rare look at a different side of Coach K letting his hair down. But why not?

Earlier in the week he had met with students or the Cameron Crazies in an attempt at unification. It is no secret that the Clemson game was huge for Duke.

This is just after the basket and right befor the entire team piled on Dave for making the gam winning shot. Marty Pocius was on of the first players there. He is still not 100% ready since injuring his ankle.

In the meeting he told them that the team was young and needed their support as they grew. Whatever else he said worked because the Crazies and the upper deck did their job on this night and were rewarded for their cheering with a finish that will be remembered for a long time.

Oliver Purnell pumped in crowd noise during Clemson practices in preparation, but in the end, there was nothing like the real Crazies.

Let's go back to the huge McClure basket. It wouldn't have been possible without the heady play by Jon Scheyer.

In the timeout, K said, okay guys next play wanting all eyes on him.  He then designed a play to allow Scheyer options. He wanted the freshman guard to push the ball up and either dish off or take the shot. With Jon being the teams top free throw shooter, this made sense.

When the ball was inbounded, McClure was the first Duke player down recognizing that he was matched with a smaller player.

Jon quickly took the ball up in a cool manner and saw that the Clemson defense was designed to surround him. He made a move to free himself for the pass and scatter the Tiger defenders. The rest is history, as McClure finished it off and the celebration began.

"It feels great ... I have never made a game winning basket and to see my teammates and how happy they were ... it just feels great," were the words Doug McClure used to Bob Harris in their locker room chat.

Moments before that, ESPN reporters had stopped McClure just after the celebration and how appropriate.

Dave had done a question and answer with GoDuke.com this week. He did a pre game interview during the Duke Radio Network broadcast and ended up doing the post game interview too.

Then one has to go back to my rant article earlier this week, where some thought Pocius should get more of Dave's minutes. Wait a minute, I am grandstanding ... this doesn't belong here, so we return you to your regular programming.

If you didn't know before, then you know now why McClure was on the floor at crunch time. He is a key ingredient on this team. A player who defers to other first, but is willing to do whatever it take to win the game for his team. He is the consummate role player.

Doug finished the game with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 blocked shot and 1 steal. What you couldn't see measured was his defense or his heart and Dave McClure has much heart.

This was a team effort though. Make no mistake about that.

When many review the game they choose to start with Josh McRobert's stray pass or an ample amount of mistakes. I choose to talk of his 17 points and 12 rebounds against a talented and deep front court.

All I can say is that if you were not happy with this win, then you are really not getting it.

Mistakes will be made in any game and you can point to this one or that one. This "is" a young team. They have not played together long.

Another player who showed their toughness was captain DeMarcus Nelson. This kid isn't afraid of anybody and battled his way to 8 rebounds and 13 points.

I led off his stat line with his 8 rebounds because a big difference in the game was that the Blue Devils out-rebounding the taller, athletic Tigers rather handily.

There was a lot of attention coming in on whether the Clemson front line would have their way and when Lance Thomas went out early in the game and Zoubek struggled it didn't look good.

Lance had been battling sickness all week long. In fact Jon Scheyer and "G" Henderson all battled a bug too.

Despite those issues, the errant pass from McRobert's, some untimely shots, a slow start to the second half, Duke found a way to win.

It's pretty obvious how Duke won.  They won with the leadership of upper class-men, Nelson, McRobert's, Paulus 13 points, 5 assists, McClure (who I think may be a Captain before the season is out) with a pinch of Scheyer thrown in for good measure.

Upper class-men you say? Well, a junior and some sophs are our veterans!

Yes, I am happy. I am satisfied. I am aware of the bad pass. I am aware that three of the freshman had off games. I am aware of a bit of shoddy shot selection and I am aware Clemson came back.

I choose to give the Tigers credit for their effort and I choose to see the many positives that I will discuss a bit later.

I will leave the worrying to others who want to write about how lucky we were, when in fact it was almost destined by effort because this is a night that the Dukies would not accept anything other than a victory and were resilient when it counted.

My cup runneth over, my glass is completely full. I pass the pitcher of happiness to those who are hard to satisfy in hopes that they join the many who realize how special this team is, despite knowing losses loom large in the demanding schedule which lies ahead.

Yes, this was a night when the crowd lingered long after the game wanting to immerse themselves in the atmosphere and remember the experience.

It was a night when people lingered in the parking lot and talked to complete strangers. It was a night that made the old feel young and the young feel feisty and full of energy.

I saved the best for last. That being the sight of Assistant Coach Chris Collins hopping around Cameron like the energizer bunny on steroids.  It was another testament to the staff which has been together longer than any in college basketball allowed and showed the passion and togetherness of the whole team.

As Coach K said, "It was a vintage Cameron win."

Another rant ...

Mark Watson — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:46:11 -0500

Okay! I admit that I am a homer, but that certainly doesn't mean that I can't stand back and be objective.

Objectivity has been a developed skill, one that has gotten better with the wisdom that comes with age.

There was a time when wisdom and elders were respected, but times have changed. Perhaps it is the advent of the internet. With the world wide web, one has a plethora of information at their finger tips and I suppose that creates a comfort zone of knowledge, but it takes more than that to make calculated and accurate statements or assessments.

Until you have seen years of basketball, you may not get what I am saying. Ask any long time fan if their views on Duke Basketball has changed over the years and they are sure to say yes. They will be quick to tell you that they are happy with the success of the program and that it wasn't an overnight thing. IOW, they have actually experienced losing more than three out of nineteen games.

That has been the case with me. In my youth, I too was quick to criticize or jump to a conclusion, but I realize that I didn't have enough information or experience to justify my blurbs.

As I said, the internet was not around during the Bubas and Foster eras, so discussion took place in social settings and people were dependent on newspapers. In fact there was very little radio that. covered sports.

That brings me to why I am ranting again. In the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill), there are two major sports radio shows. On average, two of the three people on these shows despise Duke. Oddly, much of the Duke criticism comes from the flagship station for Duke basketball.

If that is not enough anti Duke rhetoric, there is the Duke Campus radio station. I happened upon it while scanning the waves last evening what I heard was in my opinion, was ridiculous.

The station has been around about as long as I have. It has gone from rock to jazz to ... well, a lot of changes since the mid seventies.

Three Duke students were doing a good job emulating some of the spoiled unhappiness that permeates message boards in their discussion of Duke Basketball.

Despite the fact that Duke has won three consecutive ACC contests, they, like local talk shows can only talk about how weak the competition was.

Nevermind the fact that Duke won all three games by twenty points. It simply wasn't enough.

One of the three went into Coach K stating, "He is not a good X and O's coach." Uh, is this an original comment? If not, can you elaborate on your statement?

Most students would be thrilled with Coach K, but not "some" of ours. Oh, and to be fair, this is a stance many Duke fans take too.

Far too many newcomer Duke fans talk about things they couldn't possibly know about. My favorite is Christian Laettner. So many urban legends have been passed down on the best player in NCAA Tournament history that it is hard to keep up with.

People hear these ridiculous, uninformed things and take them as truth. As my pal, Jim Sumner would say -- history revisionists.

Back to the radio show ... the next statement was a jewel. "I think Pocius should be getting McClure's minutes, we need the offense."

Are you kidding me? If you can't see that McClure is the consummate team player, then you need to quit the brew. David's invaluable to this team and his work ethic is phenomenal.

Pocius is a great offensive threat for sure, but until he gets the system down and where to be without the ball, he will languish on the bench. If that weren't enough the three then fumble for Gerald Henderson's height.

One would think that one of the three young men running a Duke sports show would know how tall he was without looking. Afterall, you are making it all sound so simple ... all the answers spoken in an authoritative manner, yet it takes three to figure out a top ten recruits height?

There was plenty more, but the aforementioned is the gist of it. So, what is my point here?

Firstly, I encourage all young Duke fans to realize how good they have it. I promise you your thoughts on many subjects will change over time and that you will look back at some of your comments, hoping not too many people remember it.

Second, if you never saw Christian Laettner play or were six years old, you probably do not have much room to comment on him. Whatever you do, try and be less critical on one of the greatest players in Duke Basketball history.

Third, I hope there are young fans that will carry the flag of fandom into the future and that one day they can relay what I have said here. Of course, that will not happen if the program declines. I am not saying don't comment, but save your harsh criticisms for a .500 team, if that ever happens again.

Oh, and if you are a student on a radio show, think about what you are saying and do a little homework. You may find out that Duke has let just five teams score over 58 points and you may realize that this young group learning defense first is natural and good in that it will carry over into the future until the offense meets your expectations. Without defense, this team would be the .500 team that you have never witnessed.

The truth is this -- Duke Basketball is in it's zenith and one day you too will speak of the golden era. This young Duke team needs your support.  They need their Crazies to lift them and quit complaining that the atmosphere of Cameron is due to sloppy play. The only thing sloppy, is the lack of support or understanding from a few spoiled, arrogant fans.

I am not trying pound new fans over the head. Instead I want to help you savor your experience through my misguided ways of days gone by. Don't look back and think you missed the opportunity.

Now, lets get ready for Clemson and Boston College, because the team needs us to cheer our best in order to win these two important games.

Oh, and don't forget to give prospect Patrick Patterson some props during the Boston College game.

Ramble

Mark Watson — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 20:56:30 -0500

The last time Duke started the ACC 0-2 was the 1995-96 season, when they dropped games to Clemson and Georgia Tech and it got worse from there.

Duke ended up with two more losses to Wake Forest and Virginia going to 0-4 before they rebounded to finish 8-8 and tied for fourth in the ACC.

Assistant Coach, Chris Collins was a captain on that team and he is sure to tell the young Blue Devils that the following season Duke went 24-9 and then 32-4.

Nobody knows for sure how the season will play out, but you can be sure that Coach K will find a way to get to his guys. Even then, there are going to be more struggles as this team rounds the learning curve.

That learning curve will be there until players not only become comfortable in their roles, but define their role. Quite simply, the four freshman have hit a temporary wall, and have to find a way to play through it.

In the freshmans defense, the sophs haven't been a lot better of late. This is basically Josh McRobert's first year of playing full time and then there is junior DeMarcus Nelson, who despite being the most consistent player this season, had his share of mishaps in the loss to Georgia Tech.

The bell has rung and Duke is waiting to see which player will step up and define their role. Who will seize the opportunity?

Clearly the most bothersome point this season is the point. I am certainly not giving up on Greg Paulus yet, but there were several Duke fans throwing him under the Chartered Flight out of Atlanta. While I understand the frustration, it isn't going to help to harp on him in a mean spirited way on the various message boards. Still, discussion of Greg's play is natural and his play will inevitably be the tale, tell.

He was suppose to run the show this season, being selected as a leader and awarded a captainship. There is a lot of responsibility in being a captain and K handed the keys to the ship to Paulus and with that comes pressure.

How Greg handles the obvious pressure that has come about will define the season. If he doesn't develop consistency, Duke will be forced to have Scheyer run the team much of the time.

If it isn't hard enough being a freshman for Scheyer, imagine playing thirty five minutes a game at a new position in the Atlantic Coast Conference while learning a new system. The fact that this is the first year he has played with his teammates doesn't help matters either.

It is imperative to show up in every game for you are the focal point of where it all needs to start. That is the book on the PG position

What concerns me most is that a funk can rub off on your teammates and it is time for young Greg to reach deep within himself, take a deep breath and let the game come to him while being aggressive in every area of your play. You know, the Nike slogan, "just do it." Regardless of his struggles, I still feel as fans, that we need to allow him the chance to play out the season before hanging him in effigy.

Strangely, there is a lack of vocal leader and communication has been a team problem on offense.

That said, the offense is obviously struggling to score. Communication is part of the problem, knowing where to be without the ball is another. The movement of the ball in the motion offense has been troublesome to those so spoiled on watching the well oiled machines but the biggest struggle is finishing easy shots. You have to hit the gimmes.

At some point, our young players will realize they may be making the game harder than it should be on offense. One good game can take the monkey of their backs and the release of pressure would give them a little more bounce in their step and that confidence generally will carries over to other important areas.

Until that happens though, the team truly needs support. I bet that many of you have never experienced two losses to open the season. If you are a young fan of the Blue Devils (30 and under) then you are probably quite spoiled, possibly even thinking it is our birthright as fans to win.

All I can say for those fans, is be patient and take a step back to realize how good you have had it and that our roster is oh-so young. I promise you as the years go on that you will come to appreciate the wins more if you experience a little hunger.

Hunger, may be the keyword. You can bet that the team is every bit as dismayed by the loss as you are and that the staff that has been together longer than any in college basketball will be there searching the right buttons to push.   After all, every coach on the team has experienced adversity and they will provide leadership.

Scheyer is having to learn on the fly in the tough Atlantic Coast Conference.

Anyhow, back to hunger. I truly think that this game got the players attention and they realize they have to grow up quick. Coach K will surely have their attention now and he will not hang them out to dry. No, he will coach them until they become accustomed to each other.

There are a lot of games yet to be played and you can only take them one at a time. Next up is another road test with Miami. Not only did the Canes beat Maryland on the road, they had their way with the team we lost to in Georgia Tech.

Hopefully, Duke will find a way to get a much needed win.

Patrick Patterson Interview

Mark Watson — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:14:00 -0400

Here is a sample interview from the newsletter from the Peach Jam. It was done a couple of months back.

BDN- What do you think of the tournament so far?

PP- It's one of the toughest I've played in so far. Our team is doing pretty good. We jumped back from that loss to Portland and are trying to get our heads back on straight and play like we know we can.

BDN- What are your goals as far as your immediate future, such as this year in high school?

PP- Graduate of course, get my diploma, win another state championship and be named player of the year.

BDN- Have you thought about what you might want to study in college?

PP- Computer Business

BDN- How have things changed as your name has gone to the top of the recruiting lists?

PP- I enjoy the process. Nobody really knew about me until recently. I've just been playing great basketball and taking care of business by improving each time out. I have gone higher and higher in the rankings and it can get overwhelming with the coaches and things like that.

BDN- Has the process picked up a lot with coaches calling and so forth?

PP- Yes. Several colleges have contacted me.

BDN- Who are the latest to offer?

PP- Duke is the latest on to offer me.

BDN- When did they offer?

PP- On Tuesday.

BDN- Who did you talk to?

PP- I talked to Coach K, himself.

BDN- How did you feel about that?

PP- Me and family were driving here and I put him on the speakerphone, so he could talk to me, my Mom and my Dad.

BDN- Everything seems to be a family affair with you ...

PP- Yes. I am looking for that in a school.

BDN- You seem to improve each time I see you. You play with more tenacity and go after the ball more. You seem to get upset even when your teammates mess up. I am assuming you are really out there to win? Is that a part of your nature ...the way you go about the game?

PP- Really my coaches and people have told me I need to be a little more aggressive, especially on the offensive glass. I am trying to be more active on defense, and to talk a lot more.

BDN- You had five assist the other night ... are you becoming a point forward (smiling)?

PP- I got a little bit of passing in me. I have been working on that part of my game.

BDN- Now, who will be involved in the decision and when might people expect it?

PP- I plan on taking some visits and it'll come down to My Mom and Dad and myself.

BDN- Now you have a brother right?

PP- Naw just Early (who signed with Oklahoma). He hangs out eating Mom's food ... breakfast late at night, early in the morning. He's always there.

BDN- When you look into a campus, do you check out demographics ... what kind of are it is in?

PP- I check it out for things going on, the support you get from coaches, I am looking for a balanced situation in a diverse type of area.

BDN- At this point I know that the list has become long, but can you give me a rundown of the schools?

PP- Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Wake Forest, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Duke, Pitt, Oklahoma. Currently just came in are Florida State, Southern Cal and UC and of course there is Marshall,

BDN- What teams do you like to watch play?

PP- North Carolina, Duke and Kentucky.

BDN- How have things gone with UK and Tubby Smith?

PP- We like Tubby Smith. His wife and my Mom hit it off when they met each other.

BDN- What about Lexington? Do you like it there?

PP- Yeah, I have been to Lexington.   The people there are great and they love basketball and Coach Smith is great,

BDN- Have you visited Durham officially yet or have you set up a visit?

PP- Naw.

BDN- So what are the big things that will sway your decision?

PP- Uh, just the relationship between the Coach and the staff and how they get along with my family,   The basketball team, the campus style and education.

BDN- Are you afraid of tough education standards?

PP- No.

BDN- So you'd like to have something to fall back on ?

PP- Yes. That is what my parent stress to me a lot. They want me to get a degree. I currently carry a 3.4 and will take an academic load this year.

I appreciated your time Patrick. He said thanks and we shook hands. The austere Patterson then went on to prepare for his next game. He kept a straight face throughout the interview and is known for being hard to read, or strictly business.