Atlantic Coast Conference WiretapMay 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Wiretap

Agent Says Cavaliers Are Irving's Top Priority

May 31, 2011 7:42 PM

There's a chance Duke point guard Kyrie Irving's pre-draft tour might consist of one stop.

"Our priority is Cleveland," agent Jeff Wechsler said from his office in Florida on Tuesday.

Irving, 19, might work out only for the Cavaliers. Don't expect him to work out with any other players.

"For my safety, I'm not going to work out with anyone else," he said at the NBA draft combine in Chicago on May 20.


Bob Finnan/News-Herald

Tags: Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers, Duke Blue Devils, Atlantic Coast Conference, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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Heat Consulted Krzyzewski About Bosh's Defensive Acumen

May 24, 2011 10:26 AM

As part of their due diligence on Chris Bosh, team president Pat Riley and the Heat brass reached out to Duke’s head coach, Mike Krzyzewski, who coached Bosh and the USA basketball team in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

"Coach K had mentioned that he was one of their defensive anchors for that team," Spoelstra said. "He was able to guard multiple positions and pick up their schemes. He was very vocal for that team, which surprised all of us. We didn’t know him, and he didn’t come across that way."

Bosh knows that the Beijing experience was a pivotal point in his career. He backed up Dwight Howard at center and led the team in rebounds per game after not being able to get off the bench in previous national squads.

So what made the difference? He focused his attention to defense, which makes a lot of sense when you consider the star-studded roster.

"I just thought to myself, 'How am I going to be out here on the court?'" Bosh remembered. "I knew I had to be effective by playing defense."

But the coaching staff didn’t inspire him. He motivated himself to become a better player.

"The coaching staff was saying, 'You have to do what you regularly do.'" Bosh said. "I know that was impossible. I'm on the floor with Kobe, LeBron, Dwyane and Carmelo. I'm probably not getting many touches."

So Bosh became a crucial part of an international squad that required him to play out on the perimeter and defend quicker European big men. Thriving in that role gave Bosh the confidence that he could succeed on a defensively minded team, and one that features ball dominators LeBron and Wade again.

Tom Haberstroh/ESPN.com

Tags: Chris Bosh, Miami Heat, Duke Blue Devils, Atlantic Coast Conference, NCAA, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor

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Irving, Williams Measure At 10 Percent Body Fat

May 20, 2011 4:51 PM

The NBA releases the weights, heights and other measures they take at this pre-draft combine in Chicago. One of the more interesting categories is always body fat, since it's a gauge of how well these guys have stayed in shape.

Here's a surprise: Duke's Kyrie Irving and Arizona's Derrick Williams -- the frontrunners to be the first two selections June 23 -- were among just seven draft prospects with body fat at or above 10 percent.

Irving was at 10.2 percent and Williams at 10.8. Duke's Kyle Singler was also up there, at 10 percent.

NBA scouts and coaches generally say players should never top 8 percent body fat, at least in-season.

Rick Bonnell/Charlotte Observer

Tags: Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams, Duke Blue Devils, Arizona Wildcats, Atlantic Coast Conference, Pacific-12 Conference, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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Irving Denies Being Recruited By LRMR

May 20, 2011 10:17 AM

Kyrie Irving said that he had not been recruited to join James' marketing company, LRMR, nor that of his agent, Leon Rose -- Creative Artists Agency (CAA.)

Earlier this week, highly respected Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo!Sports.com wrote about the uneasiness that would have resulted had Irving signed with LRMR and/or CAA and then been drafted in Cleveland, where James' departure still stings. Wojnarowski said rival agents believed Irving would sign with CAA, which also signed Paul.

Irving said that was never going to happen.

"CAA never officially recruited me," said Irving, who is represented by Jeff Wechsler. "I was close with LeBron and a couple of affiliates with CAA, but they never recruited me."

Mary Schmitt Boyer/Plain Dealer

Tags: LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Miami Heat, Duke Blue Devils, Atlantic Coast Conference, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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Tar Heels, Wildcats Odds-On-Favorites To Win 2012 Title

May 18, 2011 7:39 PM

Though the 2011-12 college basketball season is still a few months away from even tipping off, we already have our favorites to cut down the nets at the Final Four in New Orleans next season.

Bodog.com has published odds to win next year's NCAA championship and, to no surprise, the North Carolina Tar Heels are at the top of the list.

UNC, which will return stars such as Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, John Hension and Kendall Marshall, is listed as a 7:2 favorite to win next year's national title.

After the Tar Heels, the oddmakers like Kentucky to make a run at the trophy. Bodog lists the Wildcats at 13:2 favorites with several key returning players and another top-flight recruiting class under head coach John Calipari.

Tim Gardner/USA TODAY

Tags: North Carolina Tar Heels, Kentucky Wildcats, Atlantic Coast Conference, NCAA

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LeBron's Marketing Firm Tried To Sign Kyrie Irving

May 18, 2011 10:31 AM

From LeBron to Maverick Carter to the industry muscle of the Creative Arts Agency, they relentlessly recruited Kyrie Irving. They wanted to do his contracts, his endorsements, everything. As it turns out, they would’ve marched right back into the life of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, with his next fresh-faced franchise star.

Together, James and his associates had lured Irving’s favorite player, Chris Paul, to the agency, and had James hard on the recruiting trail. No one should underestimate the power of James’ tweets toward a hot, young college and high school star, or a well-time phone call or text here and there.

For parts of Irving’s freshman season at Duke, rival agents believed LeBron’s camp would sign him. “They came very hard for Kyrie,” says an ex-Duke basketball player who spent time on campus this season. “… All over him.”

Adrian Wojnarowski/Yahoo! Sports

Tags: Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Miami Heat, Duke Blue Devils, Atlantic Coast Conference, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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Krzyzewski Made $4.7 million For 2009-10 Season

May 17, 2011 6:54 PM

Mike Krzyzewski is once again Duke's highest-paid employee.

The Associated Press on Monday obtained the university's most recent IRS documents for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2010.

Krzyzewski's total compensation for that year was listed as nearly $4.7 million. That includes a base salary of $2 million, more than $2.2 million in bonuses and incentives and $420,000 in retirement and other deferred compensation.

Joedy McCreary/Associated Press

Tags: Duke Blue Devils, Atlantic Coast Conference, NCAA

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Maryland's Jordan Williams To Remain In Draft

May 4, 2011 6:18 PM

Jordan Williams has signed with an agent, a move that rules out any possibility of his returning to the University of Maryland.

According to sources, Williams will be represented by agent Andy Miller of ASM Sports, whose clients include NBA players Kevin Garnett and Chauncey Billups.

Listed at 6 feet 10, Williams averaged 16.9 points and an ACC-best 11.8 rebounds per game for the Terrapins in 2010-11 and set a single-season school record with 25 double-doubles.

Washington Post

Tags: Jordan Williams, Maryland Terrapins, Atlantic Coast Conference, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General, NBA Draft Declarations

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Kyrie Irving Signs With 24/7 Sports

May 1, 2011 12:02 AM

Former Duke point guard Kyrie Irving has signed with agent Jeff Wechsler of 24/7 Sports, Duke spokesman Matt Plizga said Saturday in a text message.

Irving announced April 6 that he was going to enter the NBA draft and hire an agent, ending his college eligibility. He is projected as a top-three pick overall in the draft despite missing 26 of Duke’s 37 games last season with a toe injury.

Ken Tysiac/Charlotte Observer

Tags: Kyrie Irving, Duke Blue Devils, Atlantic Coast Conference, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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