Premature end leaves Devil blue

State prep standout Kyle Singler will build on good first season

By kerry eggers

The Portland Tribune, Apr 4, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (13 Reader comments)

STREETER LECKA / GETTY IMAGES

Duke’s Kyle Singler says “I know I’m not ready” for the NBA. He’s content to spend more time with the Blue Devils, learning and playing inside against bigger opponents.

Kyle Singler’s biggest transition from high school to college had less to do with playing basketball in one of the nation’s most high-profile programs than leaving home for the first time.

Things are different when the folks aren’t around to take care of a lot of it.

“You have to be a lot more independent,” says Singler, the Duke freshman out of South Medford High. “You’re not used to the things you have to do within a day that … well, go unnoticed.

“The first couple of weeks here, I didn’t eat three meals a day. I sometimes just forgot. Small things like getting a haircut, keeping up your hygiene … things you don’t pay attention to because Mom and Dad take care of them.”

Back home in Medford, parents Ed — the former Oregon State quarterback — and Kris are nodding in agreement, glad that their oldest son noticed.

In Durham, N.C., coach Mike Krzyzewski is glad they sent the kid his way.

All Singler did this year was earn the Atlantic Coast Conference freshman of the year award.

“That was a great honor,” says Singler, who served as Duke’s No. 2 scorer (12.3) and top rebounder (5.8). “I feel privileged to have gotten that award.”

But there is disappointment in his voice as Singler reflects on a season that ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 73-67 loss to West Virginia — after sneaking past No. 15 seed Belmont 71-70 in the first round.

It was a shocking end for a Duke team that was once 22-1 — matching the best start in school history — including 10-0 in the ACC.

“We had a good year,” Singler says of the Blue Devils, who finished 28-6 and second to North Carolina in ACC play. “I’m not going to say great, because it wasn’t. We beat some really good teams and played some really good basketball. Shoot, we beat several teams that made a good run in the (NCAA) tournament. You can’t hang your head, but we have a bad taste in our mouths about the way it ended.”

West Virginia outrebounded Duke 47-27, which reflected the Blue Devils’ biggest weakness all season — and a reason why Singler’s debut was even more impressive.

Listed at 6-8 — “I like to think I’m closer to 6-9,” he says — and blessed with an agile, athletic body, Singler is ideally suited for small forward. He basically was the center on an undersize Duke team that had difficulty matching up with teams loaded up front.

“I was definitely the inside presence on defense,” Singler says. “We didn’t really have a center, and we were kind of handicapped in that department. But we were able to work toward our strengths. Coach K tailor-fit the offense toward our style of play and the type of players we had.”

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