Nov. 14, 2003
Duquesne University head men's basketball coach Danny Nee has announced the signing of a trio of guard/forwards to national letters of intent. Chauncey Duke (Springfield, Mo./Southwest Missouri Homeschool Eagles) along with high school teammates Devario Hudson and Brian Kelly (Decatur, Ga./Columbia) are the first three to sign with the Dukes for the 2004-05 season.
"We've signed three quality players," says Nee. "They are all solid athletes and good students. All three are very talented and bring different skills to the Duquesne program."
Duke, a 6-7, 215-pound swingman, plays for the Southwest Missouri Homeschool Eagles - one of two teams comprised of homeschool students out of Springfield, Mo. Last year, he averaged 25.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in leading the Eagles to a 32-3 record and third place finish in the 18u 6A (highest) class of the National Homeschool Christian Basketball Tournament at Oklahoma City. Two years ago he helped the Eagles to the 16u 2A title.
Duke also played for the Springfield Rockets AAU team for three summers. Last year, he helped the Rockets to the Missouri state championship and an appearance in the AAU national tournament. Duke visited Georgetown and Florida State in addition to Duquesne.
"Chauncey does a little bit of everything," says Nee. "He can shoot, score and defend. He has a nice well-rounded total game."
Hudson and Kelly helped class 4A Columbia to a 20-6 record last season. The 6-6 Hudson averaged 19.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game in earning Atlanta Journal-Constitution second team all-county honors. Kelly, who stands 6-7, averaged 15.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks for coach Phil McCrary's Eagles. McCrary, who has coached at Columbia for 18 seasons, has sent over 60 players on to Division I programs.
"Coach Nee has got himself two very good players," says McCrary. "Devario is a combo player. He's strong enough to play inside and has the finesse to play outside. He has excelled in working on his outside game and on the break, he's one heck of a finisher. He is very athletic."
"Brian is a hard worker," continues McCrary. "He'll get down on the floor and do the dirty work. He's the guy who always wants to defend the other team's top scorer. He's a very good defender."
"Devario is a proven scorer," says Nee. "He has played at the varsity level for three seasons, and Brian keeps getting better and better. The locals know all about him. He's a sleeper on the national level."
The last time the Dukes recruited teammates from the state of Georgia was in the late 1970s when Norm Nixon (1974-77), Jesse Hubbard (1975-78) and Ronnie Dixon (1978-81) all came to Duquesne from Macon, Ga. South West within a five-year span.
The three signees leave Duquesne with one remaining scholarship to offer for 2004-05.
DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL 2004-2005 SIGNEES
NAME POS HT WT CL PPG RPG HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOLChauncey Duke G/F 6-7 215 Fr. 25.0 9.0 Springfield, Mo./Southwest Missouri Homeschool EaglesDevario Hudson G/F 6-6 200 Fr. 19.0 9.0 Decatur, Ga./ColumbiaBrian Kelly G/F 6-7 180 Fr. 15.0 14.0 Decatur, Ga./Columbia
