Nate James is the newest former Duke basketball player to be named an assistant coach at Duke University.  James will take the spot that opened up after Johnny Dawkins decided to take the head coaching job at Stanford.

James had worked with the last year with the Duke staff and is well liked in the Duke community.  He will jon Chris Collins and Steve Wojciechowski on the bench as assistant coaches.

It will be interesting to see how James does recruiting and being a 100% assistant coach for the first time.

After Daniel Ewing was released from the Los Angeles Clippers this summer, he wasn’t sure where he would be playing basketball next.  No other NBA team picked him up, so he decided to pack his bags and head to Russia where he signed a two year contract to play for the Khimki team in Russia.

We wish Daniel all the best, and hope to see him back in the NBA soon.  Keep your head up high and keep on ballin!

The Los Angeles Clippers today waived guard Daniel Ewing.  It was a tough break for Daniel who really never got a chance to show what he really could do with the Clippers.

In two years with the Clippers, Ewing averaged 3.4 points, 1.4 assists 13.3 minutes per game. Ewing was the 32nd overall selection by the Clippers in the 2005 NBA Draft.

I suppose it was more less a move to make for their draft picks to sign and take a chance on.  Hopefully Ewing will find a team that he fits into well, and can get some more playing time.

Well it wasn’t what Josh McRoberts was hoping for, or what Duke fans were thinking but Josh didn’t get drafted until the second round tonight in the NBA Draft.

The Portland Trailblazers drafted Josh with the seventh pick in the second round.  The Trailblazers are going to have a totally different team this year that is for sure. They drafted Greg Oden with the first pick and made a trade with the Knicks for Steve Francis.

It will be interesting to see how Josh fits in with the Trailblazers. Will they give him the opportunity he needs to show what he can do?  Time will tell…

LOL! I just love it when the media talks about Duke. Of course after the hard foul by Gerald Henderson to UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough, the media would be all over the Duke team and fans. I thought that you might enjoy reading this if you didn’t see it on ESPN.

1. Christian Laettner (1988-92)
Résumé: Three-time All-America selection (1990, ‘91, ‘92); 1992 Wooden Award winner; played on four Final Four teams, which included Duke’s first two national championships.
Why he’s hated: Stepped on the chest of Kentucky’s Aminu Timberlake during a 1992 NCAA Tournament regional final, then famously nailed the winning shot after receiving a three-quarter-court pass from Grant Hill.
Oddity: He was selected over Shaquille O’Neal for the only collegiate spot on the 1992 Dream Team, which seems a wee bit silly in retrospect.

2. J.J. Redick (2002-06)
Résumé: Two-time All-America selection (2004, ‘05); No. 11 selection in the 2006 NBA draft (Orlando).
Why he’s hated: Redick is one of the cockiest Dukies, and his frequent game-winning heroics deflated opposing fans throughout the ACC.
Oddity: Redick thinks he’s a poet, but we tend to disagree. Two-time All-America selection (2004, ‘05); No. 11 selection in the 2006 NBA draft (Orlando). Redick is one of the cockiest Dukies, and his frequent game-winning heroics deflated opposing fans throughout the ACC. , but we tend to disagree.

3. Steve Wojciechowski (1994-98)
Résumé: National defensive player of the year (1998).
Why he’s hated: Did someone say floor slapping? Yep. It’s the floor slapping. There is no getting around the fact that it was seriously aggravating. Plus …
Oddity: Can you imagine Wojo getting into LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony about playing defense? It happened at the Team USA workouts this past summer. Result: a pride-swelling bronze medal at the world championships.

4. Chris Collins (1993-96)
Résumé: Duke assistant since 2001; first-team All-ACC freshman (’93); second-team All-ACC (’96).
Why he’s hated: Collins, son of former NBA player and coach Doug Collins, will be remembered for his overcelebrations after making shots. As with Wojo, his return as an assistant coach has boosted his shelf life indefinitely.
Oddity: How did the WNBA Detroit Shock ever let him get away? (He was an assistant in 1998.)

5. Brian Davis (1988-92)
Résumé: All-ACC tournament (1992); team captain (’92).
Why he’s hated: Close friend of Laettner’s — more than enough reason to be ranked this high.
Oddity: He and Laettner are part of a group that paid $33 million for D.C. United, the MLS franchise. And we thought Mike Krzyzewski prepared his players to make wise decisions in the real world. All-ACC tournament (1992); team captain (’92). Close friend of Laettner’s — more than enough reason to be ranked this high. He and Laettner are part of a group that paid . And we thought Mike Krzyzewski prepared his players to make wise decisions in the real world.

6. Mike Krzyzewski (head coach, 1980-present)
Résumé: Enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001; 775 career victories (702 at Duke); three national championships and 10 Final Four appearances.
Why he’s hated: The perception of him being smug disguised as being serious; recruiting inroads disguised as commercial endorsements; success — no matter your alma mater, he probably has defeated it at some point.
Oddities: The coincidental timing of his leave of absence (exhaustion, back injury) and a 2-14 ACC record under Pete Gaudet in 1995 … the alleged rat resemblance … the whole episode of discussions with the Lakers.
7. Danny Ferry (1985-89)
Résumé: Naismith Award winner (1989); two-time All-America selection (1988, ‘89); No. 2 overall pick in 1989 NBA draft (Los Angeles Clippers).
Why he’s hated: For breaking the barrier of no Krzyzewski pupils winning an NBA championship ring (San Antonio, 2003).
Oddity: A Krzyzewski pupil has won an NBA championship ring?!?!?

8. Bobby Hurley (1989-93)
Résumé: Two-time All-America selection (1992, ‘93); No. 7 overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft (Sacramento).
Why he’s hated: He looks like someone you could take to the cleaners in a pickup game, but wound up becoming the NCAA career assists leader.
Oddity: Dead ringer for Emilio Estevez.

9. Shavlik Randolph (2002-05)
Résumé: Entered the NBA draft with a year of eligibility remaining, only to go undrafted.
Why he’s hated: Bitter feelings still remain over the recruiting battle for his collegiate services. He spurned NC State, where he was a ball boy as a kid and his grandfather was an All-American in the 1950s.
Oddity: The amount of publicity his “Don’t bring your gayness on me” comments generated. Ummm. This is Shav Randolph — he of seven career NBA starts. More wisdom and insight from Shav can be found here.

10. Gerald Henderson (2006-present)
Résumé: Son of former NBA player of same name; possesses sharp elbows.
Why he’s hated: No. 10 with a bullet … even if you live in a cave, we figure you’ve seen the clip from Sunday’s game.
Oddity: That Coach K used the Isiah Thomas excuse of the opponent keeping its starters in the game long after the outcome was decided.

Honorable mention:

Grant Hill, Elton Brand, Jay Williams: They brought an air of coolness to a predominantly dorky program, temporarily making it more difficult to make fun of the team.

Quin Snyder: It’s somewhat ironic that a three-time All-ACC academic team selection ultimately was accused of academic fraud as coach of Missouri. Did we mention the hair?

Greg Paulus and Josh McRoberts: Only time will tell, but these guys are off to a brilliant start in the hated department.

Corey Maggette and William Avery: We hardly knew ye, and we barely had a chance to hate ye.

Mike Dunleavy Jr.: He earned All-America honors in 2002 and occasionally caused temporary blindness in spectators with his severe whiteness.

Eric Meek: Prototypical awkward, nerdy Dukie.

Mark Alarie, Tommy Amaker and Johnny Dawkins: This group helped return Duke to glory with a Final Four trip in 1986. Without the groundbreaking work of this trio, none of the subsequent decades of hatred would have been possible. Thanks, fellas.

Shane Battier:Our memories are apparently too short. We initially omitted him from the list, but many of you were kind enough to point out that he might have flopped once or twice over the years.

Just a quick reminder before tip-off in 10 minutes that J.J. Redick will have his jersey retired during halftime of todays game against Florida State.

The former Blue Devil superstar and John R. Wooden Award winner holds the NCAA record for most career three point baskets, as well as the ACC and Duke career scoring records.

Redick was part of three ACC Tournament championships at Duke, two ACC regular season championships, one Final Four, and three additional trips to the Sweet 16.

J.J. wil go down as one of the greatest Duke players of all time.  It was a pleasure watching him develope as a player from his Freshman year through his Senior year.  I don’t remember one player that took so much hate from opposing teams and fans as JJ did.  Also when the Blue Devils needed a huge shot, they knew that they could rely on Redick to hit that three pointer and carry them to the win!

The Austin Toros of the NBA Development League have acquired guard Jason (Jay) Williams and waived guard Melvin Scott (North Carolina).Williams, 6-2, 195, was the second overall selection in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and was the recipient of the 2002 Naismith and Wooden Awards following his final season at Duke, given annually to the nation’s best collegiate basketball player. Williams led Duke to the national championship in 2001 and was a two-time Associated Press first-team All-America selection.

He is continuing his basketball comeback after severing a nerve in his leg, fracturing his pelvis and tearing three of the four main ligaments in his left knee in a motorcycle crash in June of 2003. Williams reports to the Toros on Sunday and will play for former NBA great Dennis Johnson, in his second season as head coach at Austin.

Good Luck Jason, everyone at JustDuke.Com wishes you the best and hope you can make a return to the NBA.

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SG J.J. Redick likely will dress for his second game of the season when the Orlando Magic face the Celtics on Monday night in Boston. Coach Brian Hill said he plans to activate Redick and deactivate PG Travis Diener. Diener was activated for Saturday night’s game in Minneapolis against the Timberwolves after the Magic decided to rest veteran SG Grant Hill. Hill will return against the Celtics. Diener gave the Magic three point guards on their 12-man roster, although Brian Hill said he was confident Diener “can play both positions” and also provide depth at shooting guard. Redick, the club’s first-round draft pick out of Duke, dressed for the Magic’s second game of the season against the Philadelphia 76ers but did not see action. Limited during training camp and early in the preseason by injuries, Redick — who finished second in Division I scoring behind Adam Morrison — went scoreless in two exhibition games (0-for-3).

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Former Dukie Grant Hill says he is ready to go for the season opener with the Orlando Magic.  Hill who has batteled injury after injury in his NBA career says he is feeling the best he has in a very long time.  He showed people that he can duke under the basket off one leg, and he did it with both his right and left legs.  His ankle finally appears to be healthy, now we will have to see if it holds up for an entire season.

The Magic are also closer to activating J.J. Redick of the injured list as he recovers from a left foot injury.  Expect that to happen in the next week or two at the latest.

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Former Duke star Jay Williams has been released by the New Jersey Nets this morning.  Tough luck for Williams as he is trying to land a roster spot on a NBA team after recovering from his motorcycle wreck.

Williams, who signed with the Nets on September 28, 2006, appeared in five preseason games, averaging 3.8 ppg in 13.2 minutes per contest.