[formerly] Duke's Azura Stevens | Page 2 | The Boneyard

[formerly] Duke's Azura Stevens

Status
Not open for further replies.
The highlight reel can tell you something about coordination and basics...this young lady has them and some serious height to go with it. I think any good program would like to explore her potential...
 
I liked willtalk's take. I'm always skeptical of a 6'5 big running fastbreaks. It is rare - a player can do that at a high wcbb level. Thus - all the highlights of her handle - it's okay but have to see her play wing during game - not just show the good stuff. I'm a bit reluctant to believe she has significant handle thouhg that is what the video shows. Can she defend wings or is she a pf/c defensively but a wing offensively? Can she score making a low post move without getting a layup beucase the real good teams can put a 6'1 athlete on her and take away the baby layup.So can she roll to the midel and convert? Can she pass into the post?

The video isn't enough but imo much better than 56.

Final note- a tall wing isn't neccesarily a good wing. If you play the wing sometimes you get stuck on sg's too.
 
The next Candace Parker. JPM should be ready to teach her some of the lessons she's learned.

She really looks like a tremendous athlete with some serious skills. Certainly looks a lot better than #57.
 
I inquired about a year what you guys thought of Azur'a . Now DWHoops says she is one
of our best frosh ever.

Another fine game from one of Duke's best freshmen ever. Her ability to score all over the floor and unassisted is a game-changer for Duke, who desperately needed another consistent scorer. She played both power forward and two-guard in this game, getting stickbacks and hitting long jumpers. She was also relocating the ball nicely, as she had assists to Riggs and Calhoun. Her toughness under the basket is remarkable when one considers how slender she is, but physical play doesn't seem to bother her one bit.
 
I think that, as far as "posts with guard skills" from this freshman class go, Azura's guard skills are actually more developed than A'ja Wilson's. Not saying she is / will be a better player than A'ja, but at this point in their respective careers, I'd be more comfortable with Azura doing guard-like stuff on the perimeter for my team than A'ja.

I enjoy the way she's come out of relative obscurity and become quite the force on this young Duke team. ;)
 
iri10 said:
I think that, as far as "posts with guard skills" from this freshman class go, Azura's guard skills are actually more developed than A'ja Wilson's. Not saying she is / will be a better player than A'ja, but at this point in their respective careers, I'd be more comfortable with Azura doing guard-like stuff on the perimeter for my team than A'ja.

I enjoy the way she's come out of relative obscurity and become quite the force on this young Duke team. ;)
Expand ...

I guess I'm too old school, but seeing a 6'5 kid doing "guard-like" perimeter stuff in WCBB seems like an interesting novelty but likely not the optimal way to use her, for the team. I get how she may enjoy playing from the guard or the wing spot, every big kid thinks they're Magic, and I imagine when she was recruited she was promised the chance to do just that, but this stringbean needs to get stronger, more efficient, and learn the post, so when senior Elizabeth Williams leaves, Duke is not without an inside presence. Greenwell is solid, and they have Salvadores and several other guard recruits coming in, but no big. This goes to the question of McCallie's basketball acumen.
 
Last edited:
.-.
One of my reasons to bring this back up was, she was not a big mac. Nice to know
there are some real plums at times further down.
 
iri10 said:
I think that, as far as "posts with guard skills" from this freshman class go, Azura's guard skills are actually more developed than A'ja Wilson's. Not saying she is / will be a better player than A'ja, but at this point in their respective careers, I'd be more comfortable with Azura doing guard-like stuff on the perimeter for my team than A'ja.

I enjoy the way she's come out of relative obscurity and become quite the force on this young Duke team. ;)
Expand ...

Granted Ive only seen South Carolina twice..... once vs Syracuse and once in person in Durham...... but I agree..... Stevens seems much more of a natural at the wing than Wilson.

Huskies Rule said:
I guess I'm too old school, but seeing a 6'5 kid doing "guard-like" perimeter stuff in WCBB seems like an interesting novelty but likely not the optimal way to use her, for the team. I get how she may enjoy playing from the guard or the wing spot, every big kid thinks they're Magic, and I imagine when she was recruited she was promised the chance to do just that, but this stringbean needs to get stronger, more efficient, and learn the post, so when senior Elizabeth Williams leaves, Duke is not without an inside presence. Greenwell is solid, and they have Salvadores and several other guard recruits coming in, but no big. This goes to the question of McCallie's basketball acumen.
Expand ...

Actually she plays on the inside as well...... she has started at the PF for the past few games. Even after EW graduates.... Belton will provide Duke with an inside presence.... as will Cooper and Chidom at the PF. She does need to gain upper body strength...... but dont we all :oops:
 
Last edited:
Huskies Rule said:
I guess I'm too old school, but seeing a 6'5 kid doing "guard-like" perimeter stuff in WCBB seems like an interesting novelty but likely not the optimal way to use her, for the team. I get how she may enjoy playing from the guard or the wing spot, every big kid thinks they're Magic, and I imagine when she was recruited she was promised the chance to do just that, but this stringbean needs to get stronger, more efficient, and learn the post, so when senior Elizabeth Williams leaves, Duke is not without an inside presence. Greenwell is solid, and they have Salvadores and several other guard recruits coming in, but no big. This goes to the question of McCallie's basketball acumen.
Expand ...

Actually you are wrong on that point. At present the are playing her at guard because she is actually the best available option. Being thin at guard is an understatement. It takes more than one solid guard to play the game. The key word in your post was COMING IN. They will be there next year not this season. Next year it might be a luxury, but this season it is a necessity. They have plenty of post players this year and will be set at that position for years to come as well even with Stevens at wing.
 
I'm a huge fan of Azura, she's making an immediate impact for this team like Liz and Lex did their freshman campaigns. I'm curious to see how she does these next couple games against Kentucky and Uconn. I expect her to get majority of points against Kentucky off 2nd chance points. As for Uconn I'm not to sure just because I'm sure Geno will mix size and length against her aka KML and Stewie.
 
BlueDevils said:
I'm a huge fan of Azura, she's making an immediate impact for this team like Liz and Lex did their freshman campaigns. I'm curious to see how she does these next couple games against Kentucky and Uconn. I expect her to get majority of points against Kentucky off 2nd chance points. As for Uconn I'm not to sure just because I'm sure Geno will mix size and length against her aka KML and Stewie.
Expand ...

Against Kentucky- 17 pts 9 rb's and 2 blocks in just 18 min. Now it remains to be seen what she does against the Husky's.
 
.-.
easttexastrash said:
Stevens may be the best freshman in the nation. At this moment I would take her over Wilson.
Expand ...

I know others on here will disagree with your first statement, but regardless... she has played really well so far... and is definitely one of the better freshman to date. I like her game better than Wilson's... but of course I am biased. Stevens is such a cool and collected customer on the court.... I love those type of players.
 
CamrnCrz1974 said:
Lets not leave Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell out of the discussion, especially the role she has taken on with very little help around her and with the team decimated by injuries.
Expand ...
I completely agree that Kelsey Mitchell should be in discussion for top freshmen, but she does have a pretty competent co-guard in Ameryst Alston but Mitchell does have to carry quite a big load and seems to be adjusting to the game quickly.
 
triaddukefan said:
I know others on here will disagree with your first statement, but regardless... she has played really well so far... and is definitely one of the better freshman to date. I like her game better than Wilson's... but of course I am biased. Stevens is such a cool and collected customer on the court.... I love those type of players.
Expand ...
Just watched Duke Nebraska that I had on dvr. Stevens was very impressive. Basically kept Duke in the game.
 
My Top Freshman
1. Azura Stevens (Duke)
2. Alexa Middleton (Tenn)
3. Jamie Nared (Tenn)
4. Kelsey Mitchell (Ohio State)
5. Kia Nurse (UCONN)

;) Just kidding Just kidding :confused: lol


With all seriousness at this point in the season, I would rank the top freshman in this order....
1. Kelsey Mitchell (Ohio State)
2. Azura Stevens (Duke)
3. Kia Nurse (UCONN)
4. Brianna Turner (ND)
5. Ariel Atkins (Texas)

You could most definitely make a case for Aja Wilson taking someones spot because of the injuries to Brianna and Ariel...but pre-injury I thought those two freshman looked impressive. IMO
 
fyi, Stevens finished as the #30 composite player in high school.
 
.-.
Stats are very illustrative but they're only one piece of information used to determine who might be best. For example, Kelsey has some impressive numbers but the toughest team OSU has played is, um, Georgia? Meanwhile, Azura Stevens' team has played A&M, Nebraska, So. Carolina, and Kentucky. I am NOT putting down Mitchell in any way, just giving the big numbers some perspective.
 
HuskyNan said:
Stats are very illustrative but they're only one piece of information used to determine who might be best. For example, Kelsey has some impressive numbers but the toughest team OSU has played is, um, Georgia? Meanwhile, Azura Stevens' team has played A&M, Nebraska, So. Carolina, and Kentucky. I am NOT putting down Mitchell in any way, just giving the big numbers some perspective.
Expand ...

And don't forget Kia Nurse is one of 5 scoring options on the floor and on a team with such balanced scoring and talent her numbers are going aren't going to be as high as others even though her role on the team and how she does it is very very good
 
CLE802A said:
Here are their statistics thus far:

1. Kelsey Mitchell (Ohio State)
12 gp/12 gs, 436 min. (36.3 mpg), 101-241 FG (.419), 41-110 3ptFG (.373), 68-87 FT (.782), 25.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.3 BPG, 1.9 SPG

2. Azura Stevens (Duke)
10 gp/5 gs, 207 min. (20.7 mpg), 53-97 FG (.546), 3-12 3ptFG (.250), 13-24 FT (.542), 12.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.7 BPG, 0.5 SPG

3. Kia Nurse (UCONN)
9 gp/7 gs, 243 min. (27.0 mpg), 44-77 FG (.571), 14-34 3ptFG (.412), 22-35 FT (.629), 13.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.2 SPG

4. Brianna Turner (ND)
9 gp/9 gs, 173 min. (19.2 mpg), 50-73 FG (.685), 0-0 3ptFG (.000), 26-36 FT (.722), 14.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 0.8 APG, 1.8 BPG, 1.4 SPG

5. Ariel Atkins (Texas)
7 gp/ 5 gs, 160 min. (22.9 mpg), 22-52 FG (.423), 3-6 3ptFG (.500), 27-31 FT (.871), 10.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.3 BPG, 2.1 SPG

Then since her name has been mentioned above, let's add for comparison:

A'ja Wilson (USC)
12 gp/ 1 gs, 249 min. (20.8 mpg), 63-115 FG (.548), 0-0 3ptFG (.000), 44-68 FT (.647), 14.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 0.8 APG, 1.4 BPG, 1.8 SPG

One thing that strikes me about these freshmen, is that all of them except Wilson have started at least half of their games for their respective teams. Mitchell is producing far away the most for her team: she obviously is one of 2 players on her team that is a huge leader for them - they place a ton of dependency on her to produce, and as a result she starts every game, and almost plays every minute. USC's Wilson has taken the most shot attempts behind Mitchell, and she hasn't even shot half as many times.

That's not supposed to be a knock on Mitchell: her team obviously thinks an awful lot of her, and she's producing the numbers that justify it. IMO she definitely is ahead of the above group, but I doubt that all of the others behind her have been given the license to put their teams almost solely on their shoulders, and be the offensive leader night in and out.

Of the others, IMO all are producing the numbers that justify their membership with the exception of Texas' Atkins. At least compared to Wilson:

I know Atkins is hurt and unable to play right now, but before she got hurt her numbers didn't warrant placing her above Wilson. Averaging less PPG with more minutes per gm than Wilson, and at a lower FG % kills it right there alone. She is a truer guard compared to Wilson (who plays guard-swing often but has yet to attempt a 3-pter), and has hit on half of her 3-pt Fg attempts, but she only attempted 6 total, so that basically negates one possible advantage she could have over Wilson. And Wilson produces more rebounds and blocked shots per game than Atkins - the steals per game is essentially a wash, and while Wilson doesn't dish out many assists, as with the 3-pt FGs the assist isn't really a strength with Atkins' game anyways, so that again can't be labeled much of an advantage for her.

Meanwhile Wilson's PPG is 2nd only to Mitchell's who plays more minutes, her RPG is 2nd only to Stevens, her FG % is 3rd-best of the group, her BPG is 2nd-best, and her SPG is 3rd (just barely behind Mitchell's) - very close competition in the top 3 with 5-8 and 5-11 guards (Wilson is 6-5 again). I would put Wilson easily in the top 5 above, and leave Atkins outside looking in.

Outside of Mitchell, Wilson makes just as big a case for herself as anyone else listed above, IMO...
Expand ...
Stats only tell so much. Wouldn't go by stats to illustrate a player value if a person has not seen that player at least 2-3 full games. Not saying you have not, but felt it was needed to be said.
 
stats tell a lot, look at FG %, assists, turnovers, rebounds, and the teams record - this should give you a pretty good picture
 
My top freshmen would be:
1. Mitchell
2. Wilson
3. Turner
4. Nurse
5. Stevens
6. Greenwell

Haven't seen Mitchell play, stats show she is a big scorer although a volume shooter. Interested to see how she does against stronger teams. Wilson has good upside and solid skills. Easily a top 5 freshman, interested to see if she can produce against UCONN

Turner has the most upside of anyone in this class. So gifted athletically and she has a long way to go offensively but still has great numbers and is a top scoring threat for a top 5 team. I want to see her play against quality posts.

Nurse might be the most polished freshman in the country and has slid in nicely at the 2 guard spot. I don't think she has had a bad game yet, very consistent start.

Stevens has been great for Duke. Smooth shot, rebounds and finishes inside. Not an elite athlete like Wilson or Turner so I don't see her as a strong perimeter defender but she has a great skill set and is a tough matchup. I think she will continue to play a big role for Duke.

Greenwell has also been great. Definitely a better 2 than point, she has struggled shooting but has a smooth stroke and rebounds well. Good upside.

Probably missed a few, but looks like a strong class.
 
bballnut90 said:
My top freshmen would be:
1. Mitchell
2. Wilson
3. Turner
4. Nurse
5. Stevens
6. Greenwell

Haven't seen Mitchell play, stats show she is a big scorer although a volume shooter. Interested to see how she does against stronger teams. Wilson has good upside and solid skills. Easily a top 5 freshman, interested to see if she can produce against UCONN

Turner has the most upside of anyone in this class. So gifted athletically and she has a long way to go offensively but still has great numbers and is a top scoring threat for a top 5 team. I want to see her play against quality posts.

Nurse might be the most polished freshman in the country and has slid in nicely at the 2 guard spot. I don't think she has had a bad game yet, very consistent start.

Stevens has been great for Duke. Smooth shot, rebounds and finishes inside. Not an elite athlete like Wilson or Turner so I don't see her as a strong perimeter defender but she has a great skill set and is a tough matchup. I think she will continue to play a big role for Duke.

Greenwell has also been great. Definitely a better 2 than point, she has struggled shooting but has a smooth stroke and rebounds well. Good upside.

Probably missed a few, but looks like a strong class.
Expand ...
How can you have someone as your best freshman, and you have yet to see any film on them? Only basis you have to refer to when having an argument is their stats and only that. I take in account a lot of things when ranking players such as stats, go to moves, and their ability to read and react to certain defenses. (Played point guard my entire basketball career) Back to subject, my top 5 to date would probably be...

1. Kia Nurse
2. Azura Stevens
3. Aja Wilson
4. Kaylee Johnson
5. Brianna Turner

I decided not to include Mitchell because besides highlight tapes I haven't seen any other tape on her so it is hard for me to defend a player essentially I cant defend. I chose Kia Nurse as my top freshman because she looks so cool, calm, and collected while maintaining her aggressiveness throughout the game. You can tell the Canadian experience she has on the next level really translated well onto the college game. I watched the Uconn vs Stanford game, as well as others, and I'm a firm believer that if she does not get fouled out Uconn has a GREAT chance of winning that game. By the end of her time at Uconn she could be one the best two way guardsin her class. Azura is a fan favorite and has that same type of demeanor as Nurse while on the floor, but in terms of MAMBA gametime face Nurse has her beat. I love what Dawn is doing with Aja game, like Stevens she is a matchup nightmare, but she brings ton of energy off the bench. When her and Bianca are in at the same time that press can be VERY DANGEROUS.
 
Last edited:
.-.
BlueDevils said:
The question is can Duke use their size against opponents?
Expand ...

Bingo!! Some of these schools get these 6'4-6'8 players but they never develop their skill sets or the coach plays them out of position.
 
BlueDevils said:
How can you have someone as your best freshman, and you have yet to see any film on them? Only basis you have to refer to when having an argument is their stats and only that. I take in account a lot of things when ranking players such as stats, go to moves, and their ability to read and react to certain defenses. (Played point guard my entire basketball career) .
Expand ...

When a freshman averages 26ppg for a team that isn't playing all cupcakes, that's pretty darn impressive. Outside of EDD and Courtney Paris, I can't think of anyone who has had such gaudy numbers as a frosh in the last decade. Mitchell earned some POY hardware last year and her scoring numbers are by far the best of any freshman in the nation. Even though I haven't seen her play yet at OSU, I'll trust other people's evaluations of her performances thus far to include her as one of the top freshmen in the country.
 
bballnut90 said:
When a freshman averages 26ppg for a team that isn't playing all cupcakes, that's pretty darn impressive. Outside of EDD and Courtney Paris, I can't think of anyone who has had such gaudy numbers as a frosh in the last decade. Mitchell earned some POY hardware last year and her scoring numbers are by far the best of any freshman in the nation. Even though I haven't seen her play yet at OSU, I'll trust other people's evaluations of her performances thus far to include her as one of the top freshmen in the country.
Expand ...
I guess you and I differ in this matter and its perfectly okay. I did some research on Ohio State and because of injuries and whatever reasons they only go 7 deep. Against better competition Mitchell seems to average around 26 a game, but she's taking 27 shots to get there and usually only making 9. I cant put her ahead of Nurse, and not just for those reasons but more so on what I've seen out of Nurse instead. Cant wait to get the chance to SEE what Mitchell can do.
 
.-.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,384
Messages
4,569,664
Members
10,475
Latest member
Tunwin22


Top Bottom