Deron Rippey vs. VJ Edgecombe
· Yahoo Sports
There was a big buzz over July and August about Duke freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and his rather advanced game and physique.
Visit palladian.co.za for more information.
But he’s not the only Duke freshman who is causing a ruckus.
Fellow frosh Deron Rippey, who is expected to come off the bench, may make it tougher for Jon Scheyer to keep him out of the starting lineup than some people think.
No one doubts Rippey’s natural talent. In fact, he may be the most naturally gifted athlete on the team. The questions have been more about the overall polish to his game: is he ready to compete with elite college players, skillset to skillset?
Well, you can’t tell everything from this video, but it’s almost guaranteed to catch the attention of Duke fans.
Watch as Rippey is guarding Philadelphia 76er’s VJ Edgecombe, and strips him clean.
It would have been a cool play if they had been man-to-man on the ground, but that’s not what happens here. Rippey goes up with the guy who finished third place in last year’s NBA Rookie of the Year race, a guy who is widely recognized as a superbly athletic guard, and strips him on the way up.
What he does here is a combination of things. First, it takes a lot of athleticism to anticipate Edgecombe’s move and to beat him there, and second, it takes a lot of strength to strip him in the air like Rippey does here.
As noted, this is just a clip, just a snippet, and the other three guards on Duke’s roster have vastly more notches on their guns than does Rippey.
But can you imagine what this must do for that guy’s confidence?
Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line