The Chronicle got the chance to talk to the newest Blue Devil last night. The abbreviated conversation is below.
Why choose Duke?
What’s not to like? You’ve got the best college coach in the game and a primetime stage, and I decided it was best for me and my family. I decided I could do well in the syetem they have.
Whenever you decommited from Florida, was it partly or mainly to be recruited by Duke?
Duke never recruited me. When rumors started that I was decommiting from Florida, Duke started recruiting me, and I fell in love with the school and program and the people there. I’ve liked Duke for a while now.
During your official visit here, what was your favorite part about the school and the program?
The history behind it—people love basketball up there. It’s really cool and interesting to see the Duke fans. They really love their basketball. College is when you get to enjoy it. When you go to the NBA things aren’t like that anymore so I think it’s really cool. There’s so much stuff about the school that I like.
Do you think Coach K’s FIBA win factored into your decision?
It didn’t really factor at all. That’s something he did that has nothing to do with Duke. It just shows he’s a great coach. He did a great job with them. It was really great to see him win, but it didn’t factor in for me.
How do you think your game is going to fit into the Duke style of play?
I think it’s going to fit perfectly. It’s guard-oriented and I get to score the ball and I can also get people shots. I’m a playmaker as well…. I like how they play fast-paced and get up on their man in man-to-man defense. I’m ready to play there.
There’s a lot of talk about Duke being a fast-paced offense this year. Are you ready to lead them in a fast-paced offense next year, too?
Yeah, I’m definitely ready. I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life and it’s going to be here pretty soon. I’m ready to come in and live up to the high standards.
The timing of the decision surprised a lot of people. Was there any reason why you decided to cancel the visits to UNC and Kansas?
Yeah, because I love Duke [laughs]. It was just like a feeling. I woke up that morning and was like ‘What is more perfect for me to do?’ I didn’t even talk to anybody. I was just thinking about it and thought what is more perfect for me? And that’s why I decided to just go ahead and commit.
Are you still excited for Countdown for Craziness?
Yeah, I’m going to be psyched. I’ve never been to a duke atmosphere like that so I’m excited to see what it’s like. I’ve never seen the fans—only on TV—so I hope they like me.
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