The Chronicle

Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: M Basketball
Last update: 9/20/07 at 6:47 AM EST

Media Credit: file photo Greg Monroe is one of several top recruits the Blue Devils are actively persuing this fall.

Usually by the fourth week of the football season, most Duke fans are counting down the days to the first jump ball at Cameron Indoor Stadium. But while that anticipation has been tempered by the Blue Devils' victory over Northwestern on the gridiron, Duke's basketball coaches are already setting their eyes on the 2008-09 season.

The Blue Devils are looking to secure their future on the hardwood by pursuing power forwards Greg Monroe and Olek Czyz, along with shooting guard Elliot Williams and center John Riek.

Monroe is the jewel of his class, ranked the top prospect in the nation by scout.com. The 6-foot-10 power forward from Harvey, La. is long, athletic and an excellent rebounder. He relies on that athleticism for much of his offensive game, but once he polishes his post moves, the forward should become an even bigger force on the block.

Monroe could fill a large void in the Blue Devils' frontcourt, which has lacked a dominating post presence since the graduation of Shelden Williams.

Duke, however, is far from alone in its quest for Monroe. Kansas, LSU, Texas and USC are among the teams actively recruiting the high schooler.

Czyz-a 6-foot-7 power forward from Reno, Nev.-is not as dominant offensively as Monroe. The native of Poland is a hustle player with high energy and a penchant for throwing it down.

"[Czyz is] a jumping-jack athlete with flair taking his game to the next level," said Dave Telep, National Recruiting Director for scout.com. "He's the guy who hangs around the rim and will give you the sick dunk every once in awhile."

Czyz took his official visit to Durham last weekend, but the Blue Devils are competing for his services with the likes of defending champion Florida and Louisville.

Although Monroe and Czyz both play the same position, their recruitments are not contingent upon one another.

"They're two recruits brought in to do different things," Telep said. "Greg Monroe is the program's top target at this point. Czyz can be a complementary player."

The 6-foot-4 Williams is scout.com's fourth-ranked shooting guard, due to his quick first step and his overall athleticism. Williams is versatile enough to play either guard spot, although his midrange shot needs some work.

The Collierville, Tenn. native visited Duke earlier in September, but is "committed to the process" of recruitment, Telep said. Hometown teams Memphis and Tennessee, along with Virginia, are currently challenging Duke for Williams.

If one thing is clear at this point in the recruiting season, it is that Duke's reputation has not suffered after last year's early exit from the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils are in the running for the top player in the country along with some key complementary pieces.

"No matter what the win number is, there's consistency," Telep said of Duke. "It's not a roller coaster over there; it's a straight line."

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