Duke Recruiting: Kyrie Irving (plus Video)

Duke’s big name in the 2010 class is combo guard Kyrie Irving (PG/SG, 6′2″, 2010) out of St. Patrick HS in Elizabeth, NJ. Irving will likely have to play PG quickly and excels in the transition game, pushing the break at a high octane clip. He can handle the ball at an elite level, even on the break, and can score effectively from the PG spot.

Irving has the type of speed that sometimes makes his teammates look like they are moving in slow motion, with open court spin moves, crossovers, and behind the back dribbles at full speed without ever losing control. He will need to get stronger to really handle the physical play in the ACC, but his passing is extremely adept and he will definitely be racking up assists at Duke. Irving can finish around the rim better than most point guards, and he’s not the type of PG that a defender can play off of, since he’s dangerous offensively. He also has the hops and the hang time to dunk on the break.

Irving’s passes are crisp, accurate, and quick on the break; Big men who run the floor well will get the ball in the right place or on alley oops.

The areas for Kyrie’s game to improve are that I’ve not seen if he can effectively hit mid-range shots, his need to get stronger, and I haven’t seen enough perimeter shooting to know how solid his outside shot actually is. That comes with a caveat; I’ve seen Irving swish long, collegiate-length threes several times, but rarely when he’s being guarded the way he’ll be guarded in the ACC. So that just remains to be seen.

Most people have only seen the slow-mo special effects mix tape for Irving, so here’s some great in-game video:

More, Irving is #4 in these clips: