Austin Rivers Diary: North Carolina in the mix
Words. Austin Rivers
Although just a junior, Winter Park (Fla.) point guard Austin Rivers is the 5th-rated prospect in the HSH Top 50. He’s been verbally committed to Florida for over a year, but this fall, Rivers decided to open things up and let Duke recruit him as well, making his one of the most captivating recruiting stories in the country.
The younger son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers and younger brother of Indiana University PG Jeremiah Rivers, Austin has agreed to give HSH exclusive access by chronicling his thoughts in this regular diary where he’ll keep everyone updated on everything from his personal life to his high school season to his thoughts on Duke and Florida.
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What’s up world! Right now we’re getting back in the gym and practicing for the National High School Invitational this week. Coach had given us a couple days off, and when we got back we were a little rusty and a little slow, but we’re getting things back together now. We know that this is the biggest tournament of the year, so we’re definitely gonna be ready to go!
We play Christ School (N.C.) in the first round and they’re pretty big. They’ve got a 7-footer (Marshall Plumlee) and they’ve got pretty good guards, so they will be a tough team. They’re really tall and big so what we’re gonna really try hard to do is get out and run. We’re just gonna try and speed the game up.
Other than that, a lot of people have been talking about my recruitment.
North Carolina coach Roy Williams came down to my practice recently and that was pretty cool. I couldn’t really talk to him because of NCAA rules, but he came down and watched my practice and he seemed like a pretty cool guy.
My situation is a lot different than most recruiting situations. I basically have to tell schools that they can recruit me since I’m still committed to Florida. So basically, North Carolina reached out to Coach T.J., my AAU coach, and asked if I’d be interested in them and I said yeah, and so Coach Williams came on down.
Right now I’m still focusing on Duke and Florida, but I guess you could say that North Carolina is another school I’m considering too because they came down and they’re recruiting me now. If I were to de-commit, those are the schools that I would look at; and maybe one or two more. But as of right now, Duke and Florida have the lead because I have a long history with those schools. North Carolina is really just coming into the picture now. Again, my situation is different. I might de-commit, I might not. Right now I’m focusing on the NHSI tournament.
While we’re on it, let’s clear up a few rumors: I’ve been hearing that I am transferring to Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) next year. That’s definitely not true. That one doesn’t even make sense. Who started that? It doesn’t matter, I’ll be at Winter Park next year. We won the state title and we’re in the national tournament. We play in the same tournaments that Oak Hill and Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) play in and we beat those schools sometimes, so no, I definitely won’t be leaving my school.
Oh, another one I’ve heard is that I’m going to graduate early like (Duke guard) Andre Dawkins and play in college next season. That’s just not true. Now, do I think I could compete in the NCAA right now? I do. I think I could impact a team right now, but I don’t want to do that at all. I want to enjoy my family and friends and I need to get a little bit stronger. You’re only a high school senior once in your life and I want to enjoy the whole experience.
OK, so let’s talk about the Final Four. I’m definitely picking Duke, no doubt. Duke is definitely gonna win it. They’ve got to. I shot Coach K an e-mail after they won Sunday and I’m planning on calling him again sometime this week. Butler and Michigan State are playing great right now and West Virginia is really long and athletic and they’ve got that zone. Yeah, they beat Kentucky, but Kentucky has great players, not great shooters. Duke has great shooters so it will be interesting to see how long they stay in that zone. But yeah, Duke’s definitely gonna win it all. My bracket is all messed up, but when Duke wins everything will be all good with it.
Well, that’s all I’ve got for now. I’ll check you next time!
Good luck with whatever you decide. You sure sound like a bright young man and GOD bless you in the future. I hope you come to Duke and make a great back-court even greater, but whatever you decide i wish you luck, you sound like a class act, just like your dad Doc and brother Jeremiah.
[...] My gut tells me that he wants to de-commit and that Duke is where he will end up. Here is a link to his diary, going into detail about his recruitment as of [...]
I have enjoyed watching AR do incredible things for the most part of 2.5 years now. What a great potential for esteemed greatness with a certain pinch of chemistry/team guy. With all that considered, there is only one place for the total magic to happen (and I’ve called it right on Singler and I called it right on Lawson)….you must see the right scenario for the individual into the team fit….DUKE UNIVERSITY is where I see AR achieving his highest level with all the counterparts included. And what a ride it will be. Not only would the right players be there…you would have shooters, feeders, rebounders, but also the role players to make it special. Good luck, my friend, and thanks for the memories and the many more to come.
Can you imagine the squad Duke might have together. Irving, Rivers and Curry in the backcourt, the three Plumlees in the front, and a team that should be able to go 9-10 players deep. Obv Im biased, but i think that team will be hard to touch.
I wish he could come out with a decission asap…… But I know it doesn’t work like that. I just wanna say how perfect he would fit into DUKE system. AR seems very very intelligent and I’m sure he will make the rite decission and be a Dukie. But if AR doesn’t come to DUKE I still wish him the best…
Austin is the truth and he is the no.1 player in his class. I think he will end up at Duke though because it fits his style of play. By the way, what you guys think of Jelan Kendrick: http://courtcred.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1704:mcdonalds-honors-jelan-kendrick-at-breakfast-with-friends-and-family&catid=42:features&Itemid=44
[...] Austin Rivers Diary: North Carolina in the mix | 2K Sports … [...]
Austin, man, if you de-commit on Florida and Billy, that is kinda low bra. Coach B is the best for ya.
Honestly, if Duke continues to allow their guards to shoot whenever, and have their bigs rebound and pass it out to three point shooter, then clearly Duke is the place for this kid.
Austin, you better think twice bra,,, Coach K got 2 mega deals from the Nets and Lakers today!
Mr. Rivers first off I would like to thank you for considering the University of North Carolina. Second I would to thank you for considering letting our beloved coach Roy Williams recruit you. All I can say is at North Carolina we help our players reach for there dreams of playing in the NBA. Unlike many other schools our style of play helps players develop their skills so they can move on the bigger and better things. We do not hold on to players and ridicule or berate them publicly when they need to move on to bigger and better things. We actually encourage it and we as Carolina fans want you to do great things in life outside of Carolina. We are a real family at Carolina and even the people who know others from other schools are not as much as it appears. Ask Elton Brand. Carolina was the first school in the ACC to have African American Players and our former coach Dean Smith was a stalwart in the Civil Rights movement. There are others who talk the talk but when push comes to shove you find out that they are a Republican. As a life long Celtics fan I thank you for your time. Thank you and God bless.
We’re such a family and Ol Roy will help your dream of being recruited directly over come true. Ask Dexter Strickland, recruited as a 2 until Bullock Barnes and Hairston were signed, now Dex has to move to the 1 and fight it out with natural pg’s drew and marshall. Or, ask, Bullock, who signed only to watch Hairston be signed right behind him and Barnes signed directly over him. Ol Roy’s loyalty lies only with Ol Roy, just ask Kansas. However, you can always take him at his word, like when he said “I don’t give a s**t about north carolina.”
Austin:
If you read these comments, I must say…
First and foremost, your blog is superbly written! I know that’s unrelated to basketball, but it should be noted. I’ve been reading HS basketball players’ sports diaries in magazines like Slam and Dime for almost 10 years now, yours is one of the best I’ve read. I appreciate your honesty and the insight you provide us readers re: your decision-making process.
Second, I’m not a 5-star basketball player, but I am a person of color from Florida…and similar to you…I weighed the pros and cons of attending Florida, Duke and a few other well-regarded schools (albeit, specifically for academics).
I can’t knock UF at all – it’s an awesome university, and I loved both of my visits to Gainesville. However, in my visit to Duke, there was something special about the campus and surrounding environment that stood out. Of course Duke’s phenomenal basketball history was noticeable, but aside from that, there was almost magical air that seemed to permeate the campus on my visit – one of drive, determination, success, solidarity and comfort I didn’t personally feel/witness in my visits to other schools. That’s not to say that such an air doesn’t exist at UF, UNC or other schools, but at Duke, it stung me immediately.
Last, whether you go on to achieve NBA greatness and/or succeed at other endeavors, one thing will be certain from attending Duke: you will forever be one with a close-knit, caring, compassionate, spirited, familial community that will have your back through thick and thin!
Obviously, I and other Duke grads/fans would love to see you in a Blue Devil uniform wreaking havoc on the ACC and other opponents Duke plays, but like other readers on this thread, I’ll stop here and say the following: Best Wishes with the remainder of your HS career, decision-making process, and other life ventures. It’s been a pleasure following your story.
I’m from Durham, and that “magical air that seemed to permeate the campus” was an “air of superiority.” Some (not all) of those Duke students are so pompous and arrogant, it literally reeks.
I agree with you, L-Burna.
Duke definitely has some pompous/arrogant students and grads, but having attended the school for 7 years (undergrad and law school), I can assure you that those students/grads aren’t representative of the whole.
Duke definitely gets a bad rap for being a costly, private, majority-white institution situated in a relatively poor and segregated town (i.e., a town still recovering from the effects of Jim Crow legislation and rampant racism), but many students – like myself, when I attended the university – do a ton to improve Duke/Durham relations and change the negative perceptions of the university (including countless hours of volunteer work in the community).
I don’t come from a privileged background, and neither do most of my friends from Duke, but again, I do recognize that there are some pompous idiots who give the institution a bad name, and honestly, I dislike them just as much as you and the next man.
One should note, however, that UNC also has its fair share of those same types of students/grads. I spent a good deal of time partying in Chapel Hill too, and some of the arrogant things privileged Tarheel students have said to me are equally detestable. Why is it those students’ actions don’t give UNC a bad rap too?
Great reply. Thanks for the words, and the truth as you see it! I’m more than sure these “pompous, arrogant” individuals are at all schools of higher education.
werd… race relations between Duke and the greater Durham community have not always been good but this is true in most schools of higher learning because of the thinktank like bubble college towns create from young, immature and arrogant college students bumping into real people who are not living in the bubble. However even from my time at Duke, the Durham community has been evolving and especially with Duke being recognized internationally for research, business, medicine, athletics, public policy, etc. it’s gotten a lot better. Students athletes and their involvement with the Durham school system and in the community can only help Durham – Duke relations.