Big man recruiting: HS Coach says Plumlee not developing at Duke [Updated 11:30am]

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This is some fascinating reading on a morning that rumors are swirling that Amile Jefferson may make his college choice known today!

Check out this article about Mason Plumlee’s decision to return to Duke for another season.

Despite indications that he could be a first-round pick in the NBA draft, Duke post player Mason Plumlee has decided to return to the Blue Devils for his senior season.

And his former coach at Christ School disagrees with that decision.

Plumlee, the 6-10, 235-pound forward and former Christ School standout, pondered leaving the program following his junior season after averaging 11.1 points and 9.2 rebounds last season.

Plumlee couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.

David Gaines, his coach at Christ School, said he was surprised that the middle of three Plumlee brothers from Indiana who played for him and ended up at Duke didn’t leave early for the NBA.

“He’s gotten pretty good (information) from Miles’ agent (older brother Miles Plumlee, who finished his eligibility with Duke this season) and all but one source said he would be a first-round pick,” said Gaines.

“Last year I told him he shouldn’t go, (but) in my opinion he should go now. I disagree with how (Duke) is using Mason as (primarily) a screen-setter, shot blocker and rebounder. … If they are not going to develop him more as a total player, I think he should go to the NBA and learn that as a pro.”

I know that there are some people in Amile Jefferson’s camp that have a huge man-crush on Coach K. But, the prominent use of forwards in Mark Gottfried’s offense (especially when compared to the mis-use of the enormous talent that has come through the front line at Duke through the years) has GOT to mean something.

The importance for NC State’s recruitment of big men has grown in recent days after the announcement of DeShawn Painter’s transfer (link). The Wolfpack remain in contention for at least three potential big men that could step in and help immediately – UConn transfer Alex Oriakhi, JUCO prospect Andrew Young, and McDonald’s All-American Amile Jefferson.

Brett Friedlander has more on this very topic in this article today that also references the rumors about the potential departure of Jordan Vandenberg who took a redshirt last season.

The decisions of current N.C. State basketball star C.J. Leslie and top recruit Amile Jefferson took on even more meaning for the Wolfpack on Wednesday.

Thanks to the unexpected transfer of forward DeShawn Painter and the rumored departure of another big man, possibly Jordan Vandenberg, coach Mark Gottfried suddenly finds himself with a potential depth issue in the frontcourt next season.

It’s a problem that could get even worse if Leslie decides to leave school early and enter this year’s NBA draft. On the other hand, the blow could be softened considerably if Jefferson, a five-star prospect from Philadelphia, chooses State over Duke, Kentucky and Villanova.

Both decisions are expected to be made within the next few days, with Jefferson’s announcement coming as early as today.

[snip]

The urgency surrounding them got kicked up several notches Wednesday when Painter, the first man off the bench for the Wolfpack last season, asked for and was granted permission to transfer. Painter averaged 6.2 points and 4.3 rebounds last season, but his value went far beyond his statistics, as he developed into a reliable backup at both the center and power forward positions.

Without Painter, State’s only returning big men could be foul-prone senior Richard Howell, sophomores Thomas de Thaey and Tyler Harris – neither of whom played much last season, and the 7-foot Vandenberg, if he stays. Vandenberg played in only seven games in 2011-12 before being redshirted because of a shoulder injury.

The Wolfpack will also have 6-8, 230-pound McDonald’s All-America T.J. Warren as part of a nationally ranked recruiting class that could get even stronger depending on Jefferson’s upcoming decision. As an insurance policy, Gottfried is pursing 6-9 power forward Andrew Young from Monterey Peninsula Community College in California. He is expected to visit State this weekend.

Leslie, a 6-8 junior who would be a leading candidate for ACC Player of the Year honors if he returns, said Monday that he hopes to decide between entering the draft and returning to school by the end of this week.

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29 Responses to Big man recruiting: HS Coach says Plumlee not developing at Duke [Updated 11:30am]

  1. haze 04/13/2012 at 9:44 AM #

    You have to distinguish between big men now playing in the NBA and development.

    For at least 20 years, Duke has recruited at a completely different level than NC State. This is as true of bigs (Brand, Boozer, Battier, McRoberts, Williams, Randolph, Plumlee’s) as of wings and guards. Over that time period, how many NC State recruits were good enough to get a sniff from Duke? Hickson for sure, maybe a few others like Simmons, Powell and Leslie. The point is, while Duke’s kids have shown a STRIKING lack of post-skill development, they often came in with very high floors and potential. As a result, many made the league and did well despite playing for years as screeners or 3pt shooters (see Battier, Kelly). I’d agree that only Williams and Boozer showed really significant development in the post and the list is replete with guys that never blossomed.

    At NC State, we don’t have that great a record for development, IMO. Simmons was just plain raw. Sure, he got better with actual coaching. I’d say that Powell was similar. Hickson came in a stud and left a stud, though we do get credit for ACTUALLY using him in the post. Smith clearly DID develop. Did McCauley develop? If so, he plateaued quickly. Ditto for Brandon, who actually seemed to regress.

    Importantly, that was then, this is now. Gott expressly runs an offense that EXPECTS serious post production… that’s 3/4 of the battle right there. You cannot develop if your team doesn’t utilize that skill set. Duke could do this, they just don’t. It’s not bad coaching, it’s stylistic. Nonetheless, it’s CRUCIAL. As for player specifics, Gott’s staff very clearly developed Leslie (understatement of the year). Howell also and, frankly, they supported Painter in his development & use of that signature jumper (like it or not). Real test will be Vandy. If you can get that guy to play well, you’ll have done something worthy of the development label.

  2. Lunatic Fringe 04/13/2012 at 12:25 PM #

    Duke has has 13 players since 2002 recruited at PF/C with an average of 4.46 (7 McD AAs). In that list, I would say Williams, Ryan Kelly (though more as a wing than big man), and Mason have met the expectations. Zoubeck is the only one that actually exceeded expectations in my opinion (and that happened LATE in his 4th year).

    For every Sheldon Williams you give me at Duke, I can name a couple Mike Thompson and Lance Thomas that did not pan out.

    All teams have misses or guys that do not pan out, but with Duke we are talking guys that were cream of the crop…McRoberts was the #1 PF coming out of HS, Boateng #3 Center, and Thomas #4. We are talking a period of time where Duke could pluck who they wanted to from HS ranks.

    Additionally, these guys that met expectations were all 3-4 year guys so if you are a big looking to go to Duke than expect it to be a 3-4 year commitment. Recent history shows they do not develop big men quickly at Duke.

  3. mikeak01 04/13/2012 at 1:42 PM #

    “Duke could do this, they just don’t. It’s not bad coaching, it’s stylistic. ”

    It is not bad coaching from the perspective of fans and in terms of winning.

    IT IS bad coaching from the perspective of I am an 18 year old kid that wants not only to win but also develop into a player that can have a pro-career. It is bad coaching for that kid

    This is the perspective that should matter to most top ranked kids when picking a college. You should either pick a school based on academics because you realize you most likely will not go pro OR you should pick based on furthering your ability to reach the next level. If you do the latter and are a Center you should probably determine that coach K will not teach the skills that are needed for you…..

    And also – history for the school is 100% irrelevant. History for the coach and the system currently in place is 100% relevant

  4. rtpack24 04/14/2012 at 10:15 AM #

    It is simple. Duke’s style of ball dictates the development of the players. They run their offense to get an open 3 so unless you are a big that can consistently knock down a 3 you are going to set picks and rebound. David Gaines spoke the truth and he should know 3 of his big men have gone to Duke. Just show Jefferson of game film of Duke playing, it should not take him long to draw his own conclusions. As far as unwritten rule on leaving recruits alone once they committed is long gone. Most coaches now like it when someone committs so they know who they are up against. Early signing period was created to stop or slow down all the backstabbing that was going on after a kid committed.

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