“Never Nervous” Purvis handles unreal expectations
Words. Jason Jordan
Try as he may, Rodney Purvis has the darnedest time blocking out other people’s expectations of him. Still, when you’ve been dubbed “The Next Big Thing” since you were 13, the microscope is impossible to juke-out, even if Purvis is one of the craftiest guards in the country.
“It’s hard to please everyone,” says Purvis. “That’s why I’m not big on attention.”
He’s well aware that such an early anointment is as much a curse as it is a gift, often times more of the former, and on some level that worries him.
“There are a lot of guys that got a lot of attention from a young age that just didn’t live up to it,” says Purvis, a rising sophomore at Upper Room Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.). “That messes with me a little bit, but in a good way. I use it as motivation because I want to be the best. No one has higher expectations for me than me.”
Well, almost no one.
Back in March, Washington Wizards point guard John Wall, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, told Dime that Purvis “has a chance to be even better than me.” The quote shook Purvis up.
Here he was headed into his most important AAU season, with the pressure of being widely regarded as the top player in the Class of 2013, and now Wall, a friend of his, heightened Purvis’ hype from unfair to unreal.
“When I read what he said, I was just like, ‘Wow!’” says Purvis. “It got me hyped. It was late at night, but I went straight to the gym and worked out. How can you not after reading that? It got me even more ready to play AAU.”
He parlayed the momentum into one of the most productive summers of any player in the country, pulling double-duty between the 15’s and 17’s for the CP3 All-Stars (N.C.).
As impressive as his numbers were (25 points, six assists and seven rebounds per game for the 15’s; 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game for the 17’s), the expansion of his all-around game was by far the most telling.
“His game has grown so much this summer,” says Purvis’ stepfather and CP3 All-Stars coach Tony Edwards. “Defensively he took it upon himself to always check the top guard on the other team, which was big for us. His leadership and his communication are two things that have grown a great deal. He keeps getting better and that’s the reason he’s been successful.”
Purvis led the CP3 15’s to titles in the Super Showcase and the Boo Williams Invitational, while also helping the 17’s reach the Final Four at AAU Nationals. Such accolades have given way to lofty predictions.
“Purvis could help a major D-I college team this coming season,” says one Division I assistant coach speaking under condition of anonymity. “He’s that good.”
When told about the coach’s bold statement, Purvis’ eyes widen and he says, “Wow, that’s a big compliment, but I’ve still got a lot to learn…At least he didn’t compare me to John (Wall).” By now, most have cooled on the comparisons to Wall, but their similarities have more to do with commonality.
Both guards are around 6-4 with tight handles, speed, freakish athletic ability and their schools are just a 15-minute walk from each other. But as for his actual game, Purvis is more comparable to Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade than he is to Wall.
“I’m happy people are starting to let that go a little,” says Purvis of being compared to Wall. “It was starting to get nerve-wracking to be honest. You can’t compare me to the No. 1 Draft pick. That’s just not fair.”
Be that as it may, nearly every major college in the country agrees that Purvis has Wall-like potential. North Carolina, Texas, Duke, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Memphis, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Maryland, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth are all in hot pursuit of Purvis, who grew up a Tar Heel fan.
“Coming up, my whole family liked North Carolina,” says Purvis. “I always said I’d want to play for them. But now that I’m getting older I know that I’ve got to look at it in a more mature way. I’ve got to do what’s best for me. So I don’t look at it like I used to anymore. It’s whatever situation is best for me.”
With that, Purvis will be front and center for Duke’s “Countdown to Craziness” season kickoff in mid-October.
“I’m looking forward to it,” says Purvis. “It should be fun, and that’s all I’m trying to do with the whole process right now. It’s not really stressful to me because I’m so young; I haven’t really given it much thought. I’m starting to now. But my thing is always to get better first. If I get better everyday, every week, every month, everything else will take care of itself.”
Unreal expectations and all.
3 more days Rodney Purvis! CTC at Duke. Hype.
I like following your tweets man. You have a lot of maturity for someone your age and I hope to read future updates about you over the years. You look out for your family and want to respect your mother. Strong bro. strong. I hope your wrist is feeling alright. Take care of yourself and don’t underestimate the use of Epsom Salt baths.
Challenge yourself daily like you say, everyday, every week, every month, and trust God with the results.
Sometimes life is not just about potential but about timing and relationships.
Enjoy your teenage years man. Just remember that you can not buy back your health with any money but with the amount of training you’re already doing you’ll be resilient.
Word on the street is that Duke offered both you and Shabazz Muhammad a scholarship. What would you think about playing college ball with Shabazz, Alex Murphy, Josh Hairston, Seth Curry, MP3, Tyler Adams, Michael Gbinije, etc.
It would be a very deep team with everybody shining in many ways on the court and even off the court. I grew up liking UNC-Chapel Hill also with all of the pros who went to UNC but you got to do what’s good for you young man.
I’m a witness though, Duke basketball really is like a family. Some people end up going into head coaching at other universities like Oklahoma, Stanford, and Harvard. With Coach K you can apply leadership skills on the court, in business, in a lecture hall, or even in politics. Just looking out for you young blood.
Check out this link when you get the chance:
http://www.highschoolhoop.com/recruiting-news/2010/04/tyler-adams-future-blue-devil-reformed-duke-hater/
If you want to play for the best NCAA coach, I would choose Duke and play for Coach K, his record speaks for itself!!!!! GO DUKE!!!!! You will have a great time at CTC, IT ROCKS!!!!!
I’m pretty sure Rodney will live up to the hype. With his physical gifts and already astounding skill set, he may be as good of a prospect as Wall, if not better.
That’s why I hope he forgets his former Tar Heel allegiance and comes to play for Duke! We’re loading up on talent, and Rodney has the potential to be one of Duke’s all time great PG’s. I’m not sure we’ve ever had a lead guard quite like what he promises to be.
Anyway, good luck with the season and hope you enjoy CTC on Friday!
Kyrie Irving will be great as a PG this year but most likely he will enter the NBA draft after winning a National Championship [or 2
] Still, I follow some of Rodney Purvis’ tweets and I really think he’s a down to earth, humble young kid with the talent and skill set of a stellar manchild.
Forget Harrison Barnes (although he’s good), I can wait for Rodney Purvis to bring his A game and make people’s head turn at how good he is. Starting to think Carolina is headed toward another slump of a year.
Keep on keepin’ on Rodney Purvis.
I’m definitely #HYPE for CTC on Friday.
Rodney I can’t wait to see you play for the Tar Heels. I know you are taking the mature approach to your recruitment and enjoying the process, and I applaud you for that. Obviously with duke being the first big school to invite you to the 2010 midnight madness, it makes sense for you to accept.
But you have grown up dreaming of playing for UNC. Your family loves UNC. Reggie Bullock is basically your big brother and he’s going to UNC. PJ Hairston is your good friend and he’s going to UNC. Roy Williams is a hall of fame coach who has won 2 of the last 6 national championships. At UNC he runs an exciting fast-breaking system that is probably the most fun system to play in the country for elite recruits. To top it all off the UNC basketball family is recognized by everyone in the NBA as being a genuine family, which is not something other elite programs can honestly claim. There are so many current NBA players, former players, hall of fame players, assistant coaches, head coaches, front office personel, and owners that there are constantly articles being written about “every road game in the NBA you run into part of the UNC basketball family.” The love the UNC family has for their program is why the summer pick-up games in Chapel Hill have become legendary, and why the Alumni game last year was such an amazing event. To offer a comparison, duke held an event for their basketball alumni not too long ago and the only person of note that showed up was Jay Williams. There just isn’t anything close to the UNC basketball family.
You’ve got to find the situation that is best for you. I’m confident you will find that living your dream at UNC is exactly that. Have a good time at CTC. See you at Late Night with Roy in 2011.
(btw, I didn’t know ‘Shabazz’ would use a picture of Ty Hansbrough hugging Roy Williams as his profile picture? curious. Doesn’t sound like the Shabazz Muhammad I follow and tweet.)
I respect different some of the players that have come out of the UNC-Chapel Hill family. Vince Carter, Ty Lawson, MJ, Kenny Smith, James Worthy, Bob McAdoo, Antawn Jamison, and Rick Fox.
Many great athletes have come out of UNC Chapel Hill and their academics are not too shabby either.
Some of the antics that a few of the ballers mentioned above have gotten themselves into off the court have turned me off and made me re-evaluate the type of environment UNC promotes. Don’t get me wrong. I love the basketball from UNC-Chapel Hill just not the values they promote. I would not want to send my children to play basketball @ UNC after seeing the egos and the self-centered nature many of their players have handled the media and their professional careers.
Rodney, if all you want to do for the rest of your life is play basketball and act like that’s your only contribution to history after you retire some day, check out UNC. From your tweets, I see a lot more substance and motivation in you. Basketball can be a step in your dreams, just like playing in the NBA, and winning trophies and championships, but in the end you are giving back to a greater Kingdom. God has a purpose and a destiny for your life. Not sure if this will get to you Rodney, but do you what you’ve got to do and live it out.
Both UNC and Duke are good schools. Find the team that you’d most enjoy playing NCAA college ball for. I’ve said my peace.
do whats best for you man. theres great players on other teams too. j mcadoo,pj hairston. reggie bullock….get the idea….good luck
best thing for him is to get out of carolina and play
great read! i like this kid already. dang d wade and john wall mix??? wheeeew!
You people are seriously retarded. Go to Youtube and type in “antoine dodson”. He’s talking to you when he says “you are so dumb, you are really dumb.”
Here is every post:
Hey rodney,
I can tell from a 2 paragraph blog post and the fact that you can dribble a basketball that (insert generic praise having nothing to do with athletics). I also know that (insert artificial “facts” that came from said blog post). Knowing all that and being really super smart like I am, I think that (school I like) would be a better place for you than (school I hate). Think about this (2-3 biased opinions that you try to sell as “fact”). Not like at (school I hate) where they (opposite of everything you just said).
In conclusion, let me just say (some extra dumb shit that makes it seem like you just want what’s best for little rodney. Stuff like “god has a plan for you” or “im confident that you will find living your dream”).
ok here’s what’s up
1- he’s like 15, get off his jock
2- you only care bc he can hoop, stop pretending otherwise
3- you don’t know him at all so stop with the familiar tone. Basically, you’re a stranger trying to speak directly to a minor via a website. You tell me what you call that.
4- He doesnt care what you think and until i hear a recruit say they decided after reading the comments section of highschoolhoop, let’s act like he has a life and never reads any of this.
5- like all major recruits, he’ll go to the highest bidder. That’s why it’s cool to be good at sports, you get paid.
You want to help a teenager make a solid decision? Go sign up for a big brothers program in your area and stop feeding attention to kids that already get plenty of it.
wow. harsh. We’re just building up the hype to see Rodney Purvis play basketball. He may not even stay in the state of North Carolina to play basketball after 18.
You’ve got good points about his age and how he may not even read any of things fan-based articles.
btw, I’m a Big Brother already but I appreciate the shout out for Big Brothers program.
btw, Rodney actually tweets about God and how he wants to take care of his family.. maybe something about going to a Christian high school.
We’re just celebrating this young man and hoping he stays healthy and continues to play basketball.
Just remember Rodney, dook players don’t win NBA championships.
Coach K has put a lot of players in the NBA. How many titles have they won all together? One. Danny Ferry, at the end of his career, sat at the tail end of the Spurs bench and got a ring thanks to the sweat and hard work of his teammates. He is the only one of Coach K’s players to win a NBA title. It is pretty sad actually.
But that is the dook curse for you. If you sell your soul to a coach who only cares about himself like Coach K, you forfeit your chance at true NBA glory.
I could name all the NBA championships won by UNC players, but this page isn’t big enough to fit them all in.
sounds like somebody is nervous about Rodney’s future even though Rodney Purvis isn’t even sweating it. As JP mentioned above, the boy is only 15. This sounds pretty desperate considering Rodney’s just enjoying the recruiting process and is “visiting” Duke today for Countdown to Craziness. I suppose Coach K only cares about his own glory when he decided to Coach for USA basketball and lead a bunch of NBA Superstars who may all be out to outplay the other. Let the young lad enjoy his life. His teenage years only come around once.
[...] Purvis is moving on up. The former No. 1 prospect in the national Class of 2013 is giving up that crown to conquer a bigger challenge. Anxious to join the college ranks (and [...]