Year in and year out, the Duke Blue Devils have established themselves as a national power house with one of the country’s best collegiate men’s basketball programs. As is the case in any collegiate sport regardless of the division (I, II, III), a huge part of a team’s success is how well they recruit. Naturally, once you establish yourself as a top program, as Duke has, it becomes easier to sign the best of the best each year. With that said, Duke has done it again with its signing of New Jersey’s Gatorade Player of the Year, Kyrie Irving.
After losing one of the nation’s best guards in Jon Scheyer to graduation, Duke knew that they would need to bring in an elite scorer that could contribute right away. Irving seems to be the guy to do just that. The former St. Patrick’s and Montclair Kimberly Academy star shooting guard comes to Duke having posted some impressive numbers; 24.5 points, 6.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals, per contest in his senior season. He was also named a 2010 McDonald’s All American, a 1st Team Parade Magazine All American, as well as a 2000 point scorer in his four year prep school career.
Kyrie has also had the honor of representing our country on the United States U-18 basketball team whereby he led the U.S. contingent to a 5-0 record and a gold medal in the 2010 FIBA Americas U-18 Championship in San Antonio by posting an impressive stat line of 13.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, while shooting 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the line for the tournament.
Kyrie comes from quite a basketball pedigree. He is the son of Drederick Irving, the former Boston University star who is the second all time leading scorer at BU with 1,931 points. His father went on to play professional in Australia where Kyrie was born and is a dual citizen.
The Blue Devils are certainly hoping that this impressive basketball resume that Kyrie Irving brings to Duke will translate to another great 4 years of Duke Basketball!
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