Blue Devil Nation

Olek Czyz Link

Mark Watson — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:58:00 -0400

Olek is on campus.

This site will be moving!!!!! ATTENTION!

Mark Watson — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:15:00 -0400

Attention! We have a new home!

We are trying to contact the new server owners of this site. If you are out there, e-mail me at watzonebdp@gmail.com.

There is a new site in the works, bookmark this address http://bluedevilnation.wordpress.com/

The address will change to bluedevilnation.net in the coming days. There is a chance we may still use this site, but be sure to mark down the new addresses.

We will be taking down some pictures for bandwidth issues. All photos will remain on this site as a perk for BDN Premium Members. In fact, we plan to keep the archives here if at all possible. All new premium members will have access to both sites.

What happened? The server which we used has new owners and we don't know who they are. Bandwidth restrictions shut us down a week ago. Still stop by this site for some news, but we will be building a new site and it is up. Be patient for the new site is a shadow of what it will be. In the end, it'll be better than ever for we have a lot planned and will have some changes in store. For one we will be getting back to original articles and always have game recaps from our perspective. Look for podcasting as well. For now, both sites will be up and running. We may also be venturing in another direction with a spin-off site concerning recruiting in time.

If you are an existing member or you have just joined, you have access to both sites and the premium only message board. Need help? E-mail me at the address above but be patient.

Want to join BDN Premium? The rates ares till the same which is 36.00 for 3 months, 60.00 for six and 100.00 for a year. That's 8.33 a month at the yearly rate. Lock in now, for we may have a small rate hike.

Will we still have the free Dukecentric cool stuff? Of course we will, but we are concentrating on getting the site up the way we want it.

Blue Devil Nation is now two years old and we are thankful to loyal readers and supporters. We've come a long ways since being called the Blue Devil Chatter Box, a name that lasted a week. You, the Blue Devil Nation has made the site what it is today and we thank you for that!

So, sorry for the disappearing act! In the end, we will have an easy to remember URL and more. We will not have a free message board. We feel there are plenty of places to have fan discussion. We recommend the Duke Basketball Report Forums, the first real Duke site on the net and the one with the biggest fanbase.

BTW, our premium section is loaded with new information as is our premium discussion forum. The paypal links are in the menu to your left.

Duke Football hosts juniors and gets a local commitment

Mark Watson — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Charles Westfall covered the Duke Football Camp on Saturday. Here are his thoughts -

Familiarity can be a comforting thing. That thought struck me as I lumbered down the steps of Wallace Wade for the second edition of Duke's Junior Day. Because as I approached the field, you could hear chants of "do not round your cuts, son", "nice catch, #35", and "finish, finish, finish....I don't care if you're going to win that drill, you will complete it". These were the types of things that I heard the Saturday before.

Duke's Junior Day is considered an evaluation type of camp, but there were subtle teaching points going on. If you walked over to the practice field, then you could spot Mike MacIntyre telling his offensive line proteges to "always have your hands open and making a small target. Your hands have to be your camera. Remember what the guy said in the movie The Patriot: Aim small, miss small". Receivers were instructed to keep their cuts sharp and not cross their hands when catching a ball. Simple, but important stuff.

Though the names of the 270 attendees weren't provided, the effort by the players and coaches to do the right thing was always visible. Coaches and players from Hillside, Southern Durham, Myers Park (Charlotte), R J Reynolds (Winston-Salem), and players who ventured outside the state from places like Pittsburgh eagerly lined the field.

Not surprisingly, there was an abundance of talent making a mark. A tall receiver from the Midwest surprised campers and coaches alike with his separation. A local product, Kendrick Williams, prevented a receiver from getting off the line by utilizing good leverage. In fact, I spoke with one local coach who said that 10 skill players showed up to the camp. He calmly told me that "we've got several guys at this camp who can run and hit, and are quick as lightning". After witnessing these kids, I looked up and half jokingly said, "Coach, do you have any players that don't run a 4.4". He said, with a big grin, "Yeah, they're just not here today".

Drills ranged from defensive lineman hitting obstacles and taking precise cuts to cornerbacks alternating between press and zone coverage on wide receivers. Offensive linemen diligently used "step slide" techniques instead of "hopping" from one foot to the next. Defensive linemen speared tackling dummies with purpose. At the end of the day, sprints between the linebackers, tight ends, quarterbacks, linemen, cornerbacks/wideouts really punctuated the day. The kids were straining to finish in the top 3 of each race for nothing other than pride.

Some things to note:

Danny Parker, Colin Jones, Thad Lewis, Alfred Williams, and Kinney Rucker were on hand to assist the "campers". All looked to be in fine shape. Colin even took some time to speak to this reporter's nephew who was attending the camp, and offered a lot of encouragement and some good advice. Coach Cutcliffe made a special point to recognize these individuals.

Hillside product Corey Gattis verballed an offer to Duke after the event, and this is particularly significant. The last very talented recruit to matriculate to Duke (and someone can feel free to correct me) was Emmitt Tilley. Tilley starred at Duke, and later became a standout linebacker for the Miami Dolphins.

Boynton lighting up the NBA Top 100

Mark Watson — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:34:00 -0400

Duke has long been after Kenny Boynton who is one of the nation's premier prospects. BDN Premium is covering the NBAPA Top 100 Camp and I can tell you first hand that he has not disappointed. His scoring numbers going into today are 16, 17, 15, 13, 12 and 16. Keep in mind that he is on a star studded team, which includes Brandon Knight, Daniel Orton, Deron Lamb, Damon Powell ... you get the picture. He plays for just one half of the games total minutes. His team is 3-0 going into today's playoff. Members of BDN Premium will get complete coverage and a bevy of interviews starting next week. Of course, we already have a chat with Travis McKie and Jamil Wilson up.

Kenny Boynton poses with his teammate and friend Brandon Knight during a break at the NBAPA Top 100 Camp

BDN Premium talks recruiting with McKie

Mark Watson — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -0400

BDN Premium talked to 2010 prospect Travis McKie about his recruitment. To read the entire article you must be a subscriber. We will have lots of coverage having already secured multiple interviews. Paypal links are in the menu to your left.

Have a lot of schools been in contact?

Yeah. Wake Forest, Oklahoma, VCU ... I keep forgetting, everytime I have an interview I leave some schools out. North Carolina called Monday.

How many letters have you gotten of late?

A lot. I will look at them when I get home. I got a letter from Duke recently.

So, you would be open to Duke if they came in?

Duke is a great school. I mean Coach K, one of the top five college coaches ever. We can't say that around here (as a UNC family member of another player turned around while both laughed)

To read the entire interview and more, subscribe to Blue Devil Nation Premium!

Quarterback prospect has interest from Duke, Missouri and NC State

Mark Watson — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:42:00 -0400

Charles Westphal caught up with a quarterback prospect who visited during the Duke Football Camp.

Josh Byrum (2009) QB - Victory Christian, Charlotte, N.C.

1) How did the Duke camp go, Josh? How did you feel about the guys that you were "repping" against?
Josh: I really liked it. Coach Roper worked with me. The other QB's were really good, but the thing that surprised me the most about the camp was the speed (ie of the receivers and defensive backs).

2) As you self evaluate, what were some of the things that you needed to work on?
Josh: I'm always working on my technique--specifically my drops.

3) How about your footwork?
Josh: I'm always working on that. (Josh politely indicated that improving footwork is something that is habitual).

4) How do your classify yourself as a QB? Are you pro-style or a dual guy?
Josh: Pro style.

5) Where else have you camped?
Josh: I camped at Missouri a few weeks. ago. The camp went very well. I received good coaching there, also.

6) So what are the schools that have confirmed interest?
Josh: NC State, Duke, and Missouri

7)What are your goals going into the season?
Josh: Just getting it all together. Last year, I threw for 12 or 13 TD's and for 1300 passing yards. We run a lot of our offense out of the I formation. We were 6-4 last season, and I feel confident that we'll be in the playoffs.

8) So, I'm assuming that with that formation that it naturally gives you time to set up play action?
Josh: Absolutely. Also, we have a good set of running backs as well.

9) Did you get to visit with Coach Cut?
Josh: Not really, he was overseeing everything. Coach Roper was very solid, though.

Thanks, Josh
Josh: Thank you, sir.

Blue Devil Nation Premium is on the scene! Jamil Wilson interview is up!

Mark Watson — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:51:00 -0400

If you have been sitting on the sidelines thinking about joining Blue Devil Nation Premium, now might be the time to try us out. We just put up a Jamil Wilson interview fresh from the NBAPA Top 100 Camp where some of the nation's top high school stars are playing in an invite only tournament. Wilson is on the Duke recruiting radar and we get down business with our coverage to give you the scoop.

Mark Watson - Do you have a dream school?

Jamil Wilson - Grant Hill was my favorite player and obviously he went to Duke, so I mean, Duke was always a dream school of mine. It's not like a guarantee I am going there, but it's definitely an option. Duke was probably my dream school.

Read the entire interview and more by becoming a member of our premium section. He had some good things to say about Coach K and the Blue Devils!

Jamil Wilson defends his man during a game which just concluded.

This was but the first of many interviews. In fact, Kenny Boynton, Nate Lubick, Brandon Knight, Travis McKie, Josh Hairston, Terrell Vinson and a few names we'll keep to ourselves will soon follow. We will be dropping camp notes along the way as well. So, what are you waiting for? It's time to sign up by going to one of the three paypal links in the menu to your left.

Blue Devil Nation Premium Subscriber Rates -

3 months - 36.00 6 months - 60.00 or a full year for 100.00

Our member retention rate is as good as it gets and we work hard to bring you up close and personal with all things Duke Athletics. Once you join, we will send a user ID and another one for our Premium Only Message Board, where you can discuss recruiting and the latest happenings with other Duke fans.

Here is Kenny Boynton, Josh Hairston, Brandon Knight and Terrell Vinson from today's event. BDNP will always bring you pictures to go with our coverage.

Al Featherston on 2008 Olympic Games

Bob Green — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:09:00 -0400

Al Featherston has written another great article over at Go Duke. This one focuses on Coach K and the 2008 Olympic Games. The Olympic Team will be announced on Monday and their first game is on August 10th against host China.

Various links

Bob Green — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 05:27:00 -0400

The NBPA Top 100 Camp is being held in Charlottesville, VA. Duke recruiting targets Kenny Boynton and Brandon Knight are both in attendance as are Jamil Wilson and Terrell Vinson. ESPN has a nice preview of this event which features more than 100 of the nation's best prep basketball players.

In more news out of Charlottesville, Virginia forward Mamadi Diane will be out for a couple of months following foot surgery. Meanwhile, Sammy Zeglinski is healthy and ready to take on a larger role for the Cavaliers.

Davidson's Jason Richards worked out for the New York Knicks and hopes to be drafted or picked up as a free agent. Richards led the nation in assists with 8.1 per game.

Clemson and Oliver Purnell have finalized a contract extension. Coach Purnell has the Tigers program moving in the right direction and keeping him happily employed is a good move by the University.

Georgia Tech Coach Paul Hewitt would like to see the basketball season shortened so players can play less and study more.

NBA early entry links

Bob Green — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:52:00 -0400

The deadline for withdrawing from the NBA draft has passed and the college basketball world is a buzz with who is in and who will return to school so enjoy these dozen links, from newspapers, around the country, starting in Chapel Hill. Other notable players that have opted to stay in school include A.J. Abrams at Texas, Chase Budinger at Arizona, and Robert Dozier at Memphis.

Notable names staying in the draft include Mario Chalmers at Kansas, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute at UCLA, J.J. Hickson at N.C. State, and Ryan Anderson at California.

Mike DeCourcy says, "In one afternoon, with one press release, the entire nature of the 2008-09 season changed." Luke Winn weighs in with "Winners and Losers," while Adam Zagoria says, "Size Carolina up for rings." While Adam is stating that tongue-in-cheek, I will remind readers that every team is still going to lace up their Chuck Taylor's...uh...I mean their Air Jordan's next season.