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Amile Jefferson to Wait Until February; Duke Latest to Call

By Adam Zagoria on January 30, 2012, 5:56PM

Amile Jefferson will hold off on announcing his college choice until after his season ends, which could be early next week.

“He’s trying to finish up these last few high school games and then he’s going to make a decision,” Malcolm Musgrove, Jefferson’s father, told SNY.tv Monday evening.

“He has three more games and then the playoffs. His season could be over next Tuesday.”

SNY.tv reported that a source close to Jefferson’s recruitment said the 6-foot-7 Philly Friends Central forward would likely choose between Duke or N.C. State, and that he was leaning “60/40″ to Duke. (more…)

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Source: Amile Jefferson is 60/40 Duke Over N.C. State

By Adam Zagoria on January 23, 2012, 12:34PM

Philly Friends Central forward Amile Jefferson is still mulling his college options, but at least one source close to the recruitment believes it will come down to Duke or N.C. State.

“I think it’s 60/40 Duke,” the source said.

In this interview with FiveStarBasketball.com, Jefferson lavished praise upon Duke and  Coach K.

“Duke’s a great program, it pretty much speaks for itself,” Jefferson said. “Basketball, academic-wise and really all walks of a college experience, that’s really one of the places you would want to be. (more…)

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Coach K, Calipari Watch Shabazz Drop 37

By Adam Zagoria on January 16, 2012, 8:07PM

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Kentucky coach John Calipari were the biggest names on hand Monday when Shabazz Muhammad dropped a game-high 37 points in Bishop Gorman’s 73-65 win over DeMatha Catholic at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass.

“It gives you a little pressure,” Muhammad told MassLive.com. “But when I start playing the game I just zone in. Coach K and Coach Calipari, those are the two best coaches in the game. You look at those guys and you have a little jitters.” (more…)

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Duke Now Going After Amile Jefferson

By Adam Zagoria on January 11, 2012, 4:29PM

The Amile Jefferson recruitment just got a little more complicated.

Alex Schwartz of NBE reports that Duke is now going after the 6-foot-7 Philly Friends Central forward who plans to sign in the spring.

Duke head man Mike Krzyzewski and assistant Chris Collins watched Jefferson play Tuesday, as did Villanova head coach Jay Wright and assistant Billy Lange.

“They got in touch with me and my father,” Jefferson told NBE of Duke. “They had been looking [at me during my] . . . sophomore year . . . The school speaks for itself.” (more…)

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Duke’s Rivers Giving Pops Advice on Celts Trades

By Adam Zagoria on December 11, 2011, 10:14AM

NEW YORK – The best thing about the NBA lockout for Austin Rivers was that it brought him even closer to his father.

Without the Boston Celtics to coach, Doc Rivers attended his son’s first eight games at Duke, including making that, ahem, tough trip to Maui.

“My first eight games he was at every single game front and center supporting me, which is really neat,” Austin said after scoring a team-best 18 points despite fouling out in No. 5 Duke’s 86-80 win over Washington on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

“I’ve never once been part of an NBA lockout, and the fact that my dad got to come to my games for once was pretty neat because he usually never got to. Back in my high school and my whole life, he’s come to one to three games a year.”

Click here to read the full column at SheridanHoops.com.

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Duke’s Alex Murphy Ready for Redshirt

By Adam Zagoria on December 10, 2011, 6:54PM

NEW YORK — Alex Murphy re-classified from the class of 2012 to bypass his final year of high school and become a member of Duke’s 2011 recruiting class.

Yet it certainly appears that the 6-foot-8 Murphy will redshirt this season and actually start his college career in 2012.

“It’s still to be determined but a redshirt is most likely that’s going to be the plan,” Murphy told SNY.tv after No. 5 Duke beat Washington, 86-80, Saturday at Madison Square Garden. (more…)

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Matt Jones Working on Julius Randle to Duke

By Adam Zagoria on December 05, 2011, 5:29PM

Matt Jones has already committed to Duke.

Now he’s working on his Texas Titans teammate Julius Randle to join him in 2013.

“I’d probably tell him, since it’s our last year together playing AAU, ‘J, I know you are going to miss me. But if you come to Duke, you don’t have to, we’ll be right there together,’” Jones told Harrison Sanford of FiveStarBasketball.com(more…)

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Matt Jones to Duke

By Adam Zagoria on November 28, 2011, 7:33PM

Matt Jones, the Rivals No. 6 shooting guard in the Class of 2013, pulled the trigger for Duke on Monday.

“After long consideration with my parents and people around me , we felt it was best that I commit to DUKE UNIVERSITY !” Jones tweeted.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Jones out of DeSoto, Texas also held offers from North Carolina, Ohio State, Kansas, Texas, Baylor, Oklahoma, Missouri and Colorado, according to ESPN.

“I committed because of how they play,” Jones told Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop. “Academics was a big factor, too. I felt like the coaches could take me to the next level, as well. It felt like a home away from home and my whole family liked Duke and the decision. It was the right timing.” (more…)

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Duke Looking for Big Score with Muhammad, Parker

By Adam Zagoria on November 28, 2011, 1:51PM

At the moment, Duke does not have a Top 25 recruiting class for 2012.

That’s because their class currently consists of just one player — Rasheed Sulaimon, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Houston Strake Jesuit.

But the Blue Devils could shoot up dramatically in the rankings if they land one, or both, of their targets for the spring signing period: Shabazz Muhammad and Tony Parker.

“Me and him in the same program would be a really good thing and we would win a lot of games,” Muhammad, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2012, told Five Star Basketball in an exclusive interview.

Click here to read the full story at FiveStarBasketball.com.

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Behind the Scenes, Coach K Thanks Former Players

By Adam Zagoria on November 15, 2011, 11:33PM

NEW YORK — In a cordoned off area at Madison Square Garden, far removed from the ESPN cameras and the horde of reporters covering the game, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski shared a private moment with his family.

The group included not only his wife Mickie, and his immediate family, but his extended Duke family, too.

Former players Bobby Hurley, Jay Williams, Shane Battier, Mike Dunleavy, Jay Bilas, Carlos Boozer, Elton Brand, Billy King, Roshown McLeod and many others listened in as Coach K told them all career victory No. 903 — the one that moved him past his mentor Bob Knight and into first place on the all-time Division 1 wins list– was a “program win.”

“I hope all you former players still view me as your coach the way I still view Coach Knight as mine,” Coach K told them after his Duke squad beat Michigan State, 74-69. “I’ve never called him anything else.”

Ah, Coach Knight. (more…)