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Tuesday, November 28, 2000
Boozer focused on Blue Devils
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
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NEW YORK -- Duke has resigned itself that Carlos Boozer probably is gone after this season.
But the Blue Devils aren't complaining about the time they've got
left with him.
It doesn't matter whether or not the 6-foot, 9-inch sophomore
forward is ready to go to the NBA. His "people," beginning with his high
school summer coach, have put word out that he's going to declare for the
draft. Even the Duke staff said Friday they don't think they can keep Boozer past this season.
If that's the case, Duke is maximizing Boozer and it's not even
December yet.
"It's going to be hard to keep him but we've got to make sure he
develops his abilities while we have him," Duke assistant Steve
Wojociechowski said. "While he's here, we've always got to make sure he
stays aggressive."
Boozer didn't become the player he was supposed to be a year ago
until he was cut from the Under-20 national team in July. Boozer was
embarrassed by Michigan State freshman Zach Randolph in the final week of
cuts when Randolph scored on Boozer at will.
"This was supposed to be a big summer for him," Duke point guard
Jason Williams said. "There was a chance for me, Michael (Dunleavy) and him
to be on the U.S. team. But for him to go out and not make it was a big
wakeup call for him. He wasn't in the condition he needed to be in. We were
all worried about him."
But instead of brooding all summer, Boozer stayed in Durham, N.C., and went
to work. He shed weight. He improved his foot speed and he worked on his
confidence. So far, so good.
"After I got cut, I started running for the preseason," Boozer said. "I
didn't have the conditioning last year (because of a broken foot in the
preseason). But being around Duke and the atmosphere made a big change for
me."
Instead of disappearing for four out of five possessions, Boozer is active nearly every trip down the floor. Boozer had averaged 13 points and
6.3 rebounds for an all-ACC all-Freshman year. But he still wasn't always
there.
"He couldn't sustain a high level of effort for whatever reason,"
Wojociechowski said. "When he plays at a high level it's different. He's been
great to work with and his passion has been there this year. He's playing
hard and developing the habit of playing hard. Once it becomes a habit, he
can show that he has a great deal of talent."
Boozer's focus showed Friday night in Duke's 63-61 win over Temple in the
Preseason NIT final at Madison Square Garden. Boozer scored a game-high 26
points on 10-of-14 shooting, and had six rebounds and a steal on his way to earning tournament MVP honors.
"His low-post moves are amazing," Williams said. "Every time I
drive, he's open. I think eight or nine of my (10) assists were to him."
Boozer had a hand in nearly every critical possession down the
stretch. Down six with three-plus minutes left, Boozer cut the lead to two
with four straight baskets. Each time he got behind Temple's monster in the
middle -- Kevin Lyde.
Boozer then gave the Blue Devils a decisive lead at 63-60 to
complete a 9-0 run with a layup from Williams. Once again, Boozer put a move
on Lyde to seal him off for the open space near the basket. To close the
game, Boozer got physical enough without drawing a foul when he bumped Lyde to prevent him from getting off a shot after an inbounds pass with three-tenths of a second
left.
"His concentration has changed," Duke senior and resident statesmen
Shane Battier said. "Last year, he would show spurts of brilliance. But he
didn't have the maturity as a basketball player on both ends of the court.
He would fall in and out of holes. But this year he's got the whole package.
He's concentrating on his defense and that's great for us and translates
into great offense."
Boozer has bested, at least in the win total, Villanova's Michael
Bradley, Texas' Chris Owens and Lyde in three straight games. His physical
play defensively allows Battier to play more on the perimeter where he can
loft 3-pointers at will. Boozer said he's naturally going to get tougher
playing against the aforementioned threesome. But more than that he's
involved in every play, even if he's on the bench. Duke coach Mike
Krzyzewski said Boozer was even animated during timeouts. His energy never
seemed to fade.
And he is playing smarter. Through Duke's first three games, he was
shooting 56.3 percent and had not missed a free throw (11 of 11). He was 6 of
10 Friday, but that shouldn't be seen as a danger sign. Neither should the
probable defection that he is expected to make after the season. Boozer's mind is in
Durham. It is focused on Duke. And that makes the Blue Devils a threat to win the
national title.
"I've seen this stuff (declaring for the draft) my sophomore year
and how it can become a distraction," Battier said of the year Duke lost
underclassmen Elton Brand, William Avery and Corey Maggette to the draft.
"Carlos is coming to work every day. He practices hard. He cares about the
team. His head isn't in the clouds. He's a good guy and I think he's focused
on this team."
His production says that's definitely the case.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
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