Greg Paulus: Bust or Great Sportsman?

The success of Greg Paulus’s basketball career is up for debate in the Duke community. Basically, there are two sides to the story. Some Blue Devil fans feel that Paulus was a rock solid ball player, strong leader, and the ultimate team guy – a player of true character. On the other hand some fans see Paulus as somewhat of a bust, a kid who simply did not live up to expectations. Now that Greg will be playing football at Syracuse, many fans have gone as far as to suggest that Paulus should never have given basketball a try. So the question is which side is right?

To answer this question one should know the background story of Greg Paulus. In 2005, Paulus entered the home of the Cameron Crazies as the top rated point guard of his class. His official ranking was 11th overall by Rivals.com and 18th overall by Scout.com. Given the high rankings, it is not surprising that high expectations were bestowed upon Paulus.

In his freshman season Paulus averaged 6.7 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.8 rebounds. His freshman assist total was good enough for 3rd all time among Duke freshman, behind only Duke greats Bobby Hurley and Jay Williams. This strong showing lead many fans and analysts to proclaim that Paulus was the next great “prototypical” Duke point guard, that is a strong leader and ball handler that would likely stay at Duke for 3-4 years. Paulus continued to show signs of success in his sophomore year despite battling injuries throughout the season. Greg increased his scoring average to 11.8 ppg and shot what would turn out to be a career high 46% from the field. Unfortunately for Paulus, during his junior season some problems began to arise. While Paulus remained a scoring threat and solid playmaker for the Blue Devils he was exposed as a defensive liability on the court. Although he was no longer injured, Paulus simply could not keep with many of the more athletic guards in the NCAA, this was especially evident against players such as Ty Lawson of cross-town rival UNC and Toney Douglas of Florida State. These defensive difficulties lead to Paulus losing his starting role as a senior and seeing greatly reduced playing time. In his new role off the bench, Greg never seemed truly comfortable and he ended up averaging career lows in many statistical categories.

Looking back it would be easy to say that Paulus was not the top PG in his class. After all the 2005 class also featured Mario Chalmers, Darren Collison, Dominic James, and Chris Douglas-Roberts. However, everyone knows that hindsight is 20-20. Truly, it seems that Greg Paulus did not quite live up to the lofty expectations placed on him when he entered the world of Duke basketball. However, Greg Paulus is a true class act. He played the game with passion and always gave 100% on the court. He led or helped lead Duke to many victories during his tenure, including a memorable performance against UNC during his junior year. Additionally, Paulus completely accepted his greatly reduced role during his senior year. This would not be an easy fact of life for anyone to accept, however we never once heard a complaint out of Greg Paulus. In terms of pure basketball skills Paulus was a little weak defensively. However, there is no denying that Greg was a strong playmaker, great 3-point shooter, and an excellent ball-handler.

Given these facts it is hard to label Greg Paulus a bust. The word bust should generally be reserved for athletes that absolutely do not work out, such as Ryan Leaf, Kwame Brown, and Darko Milicic. The college career of Greg Paulus resembled nothing even close to the pro failures of the players mentioned above. Paulus will likely never be a basketball superstar, and this is why he is now chasing a pro football career. There is nothing wrong with this decision so let’s save the word bust for those who deserve it. Thanks for playing your heart out at Duke Greg.

2011 Duke Basketball Recruits & Prospects

For Duke fans the 2011-2012 basketball season may be the last thing on their minds right now.  Many supporters of the Blue Devils are focused on how their team will perform next year without Gerald Henderson, while also trying to get a feel for how the recruits of the classes of 2009 & 2010 will perform.   However, as sports fans, it is always fun to peer into our proverbial crystal ball, as we try to determine the future of our favorite teams.  It is with this spirit that this article is written, so lets dive in and take a look at a few players that currently have a shot at being future Blue Devils in 2011.  Without further ado, the prospects of 2011 (Please note: this is simply a list of players that Duke has shown interest in possibly signing for 2011, no one on the list is 100% guaranteed to come to Duke.  In fact, Duke probably only has a realistic chance at a few of the players).

Marquis Rankin – Rankin is a talented point guard from Charlotte, NC that currently attends Zebulon B. Vance High School.  At 6 feet tall and 160 pounds Rankin is well built for the PG position considering his age.  He is very athletic and widely considered to be one of the top 5 point guards in the 2011 class.  Contact between Rankin and Duke has been limited up to this point, however both sides have expressed an interest in keeping an ongoing dialogue as Rankin continues along the recruiting process.  In an encouraging sign for Devils fans, Duke coaches are reported to have watched Marquis at an open work this spring.  Marquis is currently listed as a 4 star prospect by Scout.com and has been giving a ranking of 90 by ESPN.

Rodney Hood – Hailing from Meridian, MS is 6’7” 180 pound Rodney Hood.  A unique skill set allows Hood to spend time at both the shooting guard and small forward positions.  So far, Rodney has demonstrated strong ball handling skills and a good shot with 3 point range.  Although he has decent defensive skills overall, Hood’s abilities on this end of the floor are a little less developed, and working on his rebounding capabilities would help round out his game.   Reportedly, the Blue Devils initiated contact with Rodney.  Hood’s interest in Duke is not well known at this point in time, however the Duke staff will be keeping him on their radar for the time being.  Hood received a grade of 87 by ESPN scouts and is listed as a 4 star prospect by Scout.com

Quinn Cook – Rapidly rising in the class of 2011 prospects is point guard Quinn Cook.  Quinn is from Hyattsville MD, attends DeMatha Catholic High School, and is listed at 6’0” 170 pounds.  One of the intriguing things about Cook is that he is a great passer and leader on the floor, that also has the ability score a significant amount of points and create his own shot.  Duke has shown a fair amount of interest in Cook from a relatively early point in the recruitment process.  Cook himself stated that he was planning a visit to Duke during the spring or summer.   When asked what he was looking for in a program Cook listed exposure, tradition, family environment, and coaching staff as important factors.   Currently, Cook is listed as a 3 star prospect by Scout.com and graded a 93 by ESPN Scouts.

Quddus “Deuce” Bello – This shooting guard from Westchester County Day School is considered to be one of the most athletic players of the class of 2011.  Bello is well built at 6’3” 170 pounds and already has an almost complete offensive game.  Simply put, he knows how to get past defenders and has excelled at scoring.  His quickness and size also allow him to play strong defense against opponents.  Duke is one of many schools that have a healthy interest in Bello.  For his part, Bello has been relatively tight-lipped so far regarding what schools are leaders in his recruitment.  ESPN scouts give Bello a 96 overall rating while Scout.com currently gives him 4 stars.

Quincy Miller – Miller is a North Carolina native that attends the Quality Education Academy.   At 6’8” 180 pounds Miller will likely need to bulk up before college but he has plenty of time to accomplish that task.  The truly special thing about Miller is his intense passion for the game and high energy level.   With the ability to play the 3 or the 4 Miller has strong short and mid range games on the offensive end.   Defensively, Miller has shown some serious shot blocking and altering abilities.   Miller’s high energy and versatility are something that Duke often seeks out in its forwards and the Blue Devils have been active in recruiting Quincy up to this point.  Another potential factor working in favor of the Blue Devils is that Brian Clifton is an advisor to Quincy.   Reportedly, Clifton developed a very good impression of Duke during the John Wall recruitment process.  Scout.com list Miller as a 3-Star prospect while ESPN scouts give him an 89.

Tony Kimbro – If the Blue Devils need it they likely have a fairly decent connection to Kimbro through 2009 Duke recruit Mason Plumlee, as both men are products of Chirst School in Arden, NC.  Kimbro is a 6”4” 180 pound shooting guard and is considered by scouts to be both strong and explosive.  Additionally, Kimbro has shown good rebounding and perimeter shot blocking abilities at this point in his career.   In recent months Tony has said on a few occasions that Duke, Louisville, and Oklahoma State are his top 3 schools.   The Duke camp has been quiet publicly on his recruitment at this stage of the game, although more is expected to be known in the coming months.   Kimbro is a 3 star Scout.com prospect and received a grade of 91 from ESPN scouts.

James McAdoo – One of the most highly touted prospects of the class of 2011 is big man James McAdoo.   Even though it will be over 2 years before this big man sets foot on a college campus the 6’8” 205 pound McAdoo has already received 8 scholarship offers.   Also hot on McAdoo’s trail are Duke and North Carolina.  While both of these big guns have yet to officially offer him scholarships, it is widely believed that both of these programs rank high on McAdoo’s list of potential schools.  McAdoo has already taken unofficial visits to both programs.

The recruiting game is likely to continue for some time with McAdoo.  His speed and length allow him to play the 3 or the 4 spots on the floor, and he is a true inside and outside player, that also possesses strong rebounding skills.  According to both Rivals.com and Scout.com McAdoo is a 5 star prospect, meanwhile ESPN gave him an overall grade of 98.

Trevor Lacey – This 6’3” 175 pound player is another one of the top shooting guards of the class of 2011.  Lacey is thought to have one of best shooting ranges of the class of 2011 and he has shown the ability to consistently knock down the deep ball.  Duke has been and contact with Lacey and let him know that they would like to keep in touch as they continue to evaluate their needs for 2011.  Overall, Duke is not believed to be a current leader for Lacey’s services, but that may change if Duke becomes more aggressive in their campaign as they continue to evaluate their roster needs.   Lacey currently garners a grade of 98 from ESPN scouts and a 4 star ranking from Scout.com

Marshall Plumlee – Marshall is the younger brother of current Duke players Mason and Miles Plumlee.  While he may be the youngest he is actually the tallest of the 3 brothers.   Marshall is  listed at 6’11” tall and 195 pounds.  Although he is very talented Plumlee is a bit of a work in progress at this stage of the game.  He will need to need to add some bulk before stepping on to a college court.  With that said, Plumlee has showed defensive prowess so far in his young career.  He is a good rebounder, has shot blocking ability, and has been known to take charges on many occasions.  Although Plumlee does not have an official offer from Duke yet, the door is clearly open for him to learn more about the program through his brothers.  The Duke staff is looking into Plumlee, as well as other big men for the class of 2011.  Assuming Plumlee continues to round out his game going forward, it is very likely that this Scout.com 4 star prospect will factor into Duke’s 2011 recruiting.

Overall, Duke fans should be very excited about this list as the prospects mentioned all possess quality basketball skills.  Certainly, Duke will not be able to sign many of these players.   As a lifelong Blue Devil fan though, I would definitely love to see a couple of these guys in Duke uniforms come 2011.   Go get-em Coach K!