Czyz MVP of 35th annual Under Armour Capital Classic

College Park, Md. – Duke-bound Olek Czyz was named the Most Valuable Player of the 35th annual Under Armour Capital Classic in College Park, Md. on Sunday.

Czyz, a 6’8” forward from Reno, Nev., scored a game-high 23 points for the U.S. All-Stars as they claimed a 123-85 victory over the Capital All-Stars in the annual high school all-star game. Czyz shot 9-of-14 from the floor and 5-of-5 from the foul line while adding nine rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot in 22 minutes of action off the bench.

The coach of the U.S. All-Stars squad was St. Benedicts Prep head coach Danny Hurley, the brother of former Duke All-America Bobby Hurley. Czyz also played with seven players in the game who will be on ACC rosters next season, including Deividas Dulkys (Florida State), Sylvan Landesberg (Virginia), Sean Mosley (Maryland), Tanner Smith (Clemson), Ty Walker (Wake Forest), Andre Young (Clemson) and Cameron Johnson (Virginia).

Czyz is a member of Duke’s 2008 signing class that also included guard Elliott Williams out of Memphis, Tenn.

Nelson stands out in Orlando, is 13th ranked Senior..

Orlando Recap: Second Team All-NBA Pre-Draft
June 5, 2008
16 points in 19 minutes per game tells you all you need to know about what DeMarcus Nelson did in Orlando—being one of the most aggressive players to be found in this setting. He showed absolutely no hesitation trying to find paths to the basket, spinning into the lane repeatedly and finishing strong through contact. He’s just an average ball-handler with his left hand, but in an environment like this where there is obviously no advance scouting, that wasn’t much of an issue, except for the turnover issues he suffered. He’s very quick, smart, relentless and is also a terrific leaper, making him fairly dangerous as a slashing threat, as many in the ACC found out this season. At the next level he may lack the size to consistently finish inside, though, which is why he must improve his mid-range game if he’s to stand any chance at making it.

Nelson only attempted two 3-pointers in three games, but was solid shooting the ball from inside the arc with his feet set. His shooting mechanics are about as ugly as you’ll find, but it worked for him in college, so it’s tough to argue with the results at this point, even if his release is definitely on the slow side. Off the dribble was a different story, though, as he struggles to create separation on his pull-up jumper and therefore gets extremely poor results. He actually shot his free throws better than he typically has over the course of his career (60% this season).

Defensively he was excellent as well, using his terrific length and strength to keep his man in front of him and contesting every possible shot, just like Coach K taught him. Although severely undersized at just 6-2 ¼ in shoes, Nelson sports a ridiculous 6-10 wingspan to help compensate. He did a fantastic job getting in the passing lanes and igniting fast breaks, often being the first one up the court and getting a number of easy baskets in the process.

Although he doesn’t look like a sure-fire NBA player on first glance, as it appears that he might have a hard time translating his style of play to a higher level, Nelson is the type of guy you never want to rule out because of how many things he brings to the table. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him catch on in a Maurice Evans type role in the pros, knocking down shots from behind the arc and playing great defense. His pedigree will help, although measuring out two inches under what he was listed at in college at just 6-2 really makes things tough on him.

Plumlee Officially Signs With Duke

DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke men’s basketball team added another member to its 2008 signing class when Miles Plumlee signed a financial aid agreement to play for the Blue Devils next season. Plumlee originally signed a national letter of intent with Stanford but asked for and was granted his release after Trent Johnson left Stanford to take the head coaching job at LSU in early April. Duke received the paperwork to make the announcement official on Thursday.

“We are fortunate to land a player of Miles’ caliber this late in the recruiting process,” said head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “He is a versatile player that continues to grow and mature physically. Miles gives us another skilled big man that can be an impact player of both ends of the floor.”

Plumlee, a 6’10”, 230-pound power forward from Christ School in Arden, N.C., joins Elliot Williams and Olek Czyz as incoming freshmen for Duke. Plumlee averaged 15.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks while leading Christ School to its second straight NCISAA State Championship as a senior. The Greenies went 34-2 on the season and defeated Greensboro Day 50-41 in the state finals. Plumlee was named to the NCISAA 3A All-State team and was a All-Western North Carolina first team selection by the Asheville Citizen-Times for the second straight season.

Originally from Warsaw, Ind., Plumlee started prep school at Christ School in 2006-07. He guided the Greenies to a pair of state championships and a 63-6 overall record in two seasons. He was ranked as the No. 17 power forward in the 2008 class by scout.com and No. 58 overall. ESPN.com rated him No. 22 among power forwards and the 68th best player in the country. Rivals.com listed him the No. 29 power forward and No. 101 overall prospect.