This is the first in a series of profiles about the fall signees of the men's and women's basketball teams. The men's team has signed forwards Shane Battier and Chris Burgess, while the women's team inked forward Rochelle Parent and guard Georgia Schweitzer.
Today: Shane Battier
The Duke basketball program moved one step closer to reclaiming its legacy of greatness this fall with the signing of Shane Battier, one of the top recruits in the country.
This Birmingham, Mich. native has already made a name for himself in the basketball world, averaging 21 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks a game to lead Detroit Country Day School to a state championship last year. A member of the Detroit News Dream Team and the Parade All-America team, Battier was also recently named Michigan High School Athlete of the Year.
While these accolades speak volumes, they don't tell half the story. The 6-foot-8 forward's greatest strengths, versatility and intelligence, can't be measured in numbers. Although Battier attends the alma mater of former Michigan star and current Washington Bullet forward Chris Webber, Country Day coach Kurt Keener likens Battier's style of play to another player familiar to the Detroit area, Pistons superstar and Duke alum Grant Hill, who is also Battier's favorite NBA player.
"Shane is very similar to Grant Hill in that he is multi-dimensional and agile, and he handles the ball well," Keener said. "He's a strong inside player, but he has the skills to maneuver outside as well.... His understanding of the game is excellent. He's an intelligent player who makes few mistakes."
Battier's decision to commit to Duke was a difficult one. Coming to Duke, he will leave a home where he is acknowledged to be the best high school player in a basketball-rich state to join a basketball program loaded with talent. He also leaves behind a supportive family that has led the way for him.
"My parents are my biggest role models," Battier said. "They've taught me everything I know."
By early October, Battier had pared his list down to five universities: Duke, Michigan, Michigan State, Kansas and North Carolina. In the end, his campus visit and his respect and admiration for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski led him to choose Duke above all the rest, and commit to Duke on October 21.
"It was really tough to decide," Battier said. "It came down to my relationship with Coach Krzyzewski. I truly felt a connection with him, and when I came down to visit, I felt Duke was the place for me."
Battier's enthusiasm for Duke carried over into the acquisition of a strong recruiting class. He played basketball with fellow recruit Chris Burgess and likely Duke recruit Elton Brand over the summer. During this time, Battier talked to both of them about the possibility of playing together at Duke. And after Battier committed to Duke, he called Brand and told him he would be next. His persuasiveness proved to be fruitful, as both Brand and William Avery verbally committed and Burgess officially signed.
Battier feels that he and his fellow recruits will be able to fit in well with the veteran Blue Devils in striving towards the common goal of a national championship. As an individual, he is unsure of his future role on the Duke squad but is willing to contribute however he can.
"I hope to add a lot of versatility to the squad," Battier said. "I can do whatever the team wants me to do, whether it's blocking shots, playing in the post or on the perimeter. I'm a jack of all trades but a master of none."
Battier is truly a jack of all trades both on and off the court. Although he is known for his basketball talent, his academic achievements are none too insignificant. In the past three years Battier has compiled a 3.9 GPA and won the Dartmouth Book Award for overall outstanding academic accomplishment.
"Shane is a tremendously mature young man," Keener said. "He would be a candidate for Duke even if he was 5-foot-8 and couldn't dribble a basketball and chew gum at the same time. He's a serious student who's learned to prioritize and manage his time, which are exceptional skills."
Battier hopes to use his abilities and his renown to influence his peers. In his free time, he travels to metro-Detroit junior and senior high schools, where he speaks to students and tells them to stay in school and to pursue their dreams. He enjoys speaking at local schools because it gives him the chance to inspire other students, and he hopes that he can make a difference for some of them.
"Any time I have the opportunity to lead someone in the right direction, I jump at the chance," Battier said. "Especially the younger children, because they're the future of the nation. Even if I only have an impact on one person, it'll be worthwhile for me."
If Battier can live up to his reputation as an athletic and academic leader and a role model for younger children, he is bound to make a tremendous impact both on and off the court for the next four years in Durham.
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