2021 The Rock guard Kyle Duke talks move down from Canada, recruitment & more
2018 SIAA champions The Rock added a versatile 2021 guard in Kyle Duke last year. With the 6’3″, 163-pounder, The Rock won back to back titles, beating West Oaks 74-67 in March. A Toronto, Ontario native, Duke made the move…
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Continue Reading2018 SIAA champions The Rock added a versatile 2021 guard in Kyle Duke last year.
With the 6’3″, 163-pounder, The Rock won back to back titles, beating West Oaks 74-67 in March.
A Toronto, Ontario native, Duke made the move down to Gainesville, Florida from St. Michael’s College School.
“Last season with The Rock was most definitely unforgettable,” Duke told Prep Hoops. “Not just because we won states or because of the national schedule but rather the journey to success. Last season we started off strong, ran into adversity during midseason which led us to a five-game losing streak, we eventually overcame our slump and then finished the season off as state champions.”
Duke says his No. 1 goal has always been to earn a collegiate scholarship and play basketball in America.
“By the time that had happened, I was already mentally prepared,” he said. “I knew there were sacrifices that had to be made and although I was leaving my family, friends and home, I knew it would be worth it in a couple of years.”
As of now, no offers are on Duke’s table but he has drawn interest from the likes of FGCU, Wake Forest, Yale, Harvard, Winthrop, USF, UCF, Georgia Tech and others.
“I just have to continue to work hard on a daily basis and trust the process. Most of the coaches like how I score efficiently and at a high percentage, my defense, the way I see the court (IQ),” Duke said. “Also, my ability to draw fouls which excessively allows me to get to the free throw line, my leadership, my constant communication and the way I fill up the stat sheet in all ways.”
Duke called this summer with UPlay Canada 17U on the EYBL Circuit a very beneficial one where he says he got stronger, boosted his basketball IQ, leadership and his all-around defensive effort.
“I learned how to become a better leader and a better guard. We lacked an impactful voice in which led us to early losses. After I stepped up and took the role, the team started to play better,” he said. “I learned how to become a better guard each game. My teammates and coaches would hold me accountable and would also speak up when noticing a mistake.”
In terms of his top strengths, Duke called himself a self-driven, self-motivated and a hard worker on and off the court. He says he wants to continue to get stronger, increase his 3-point shooting and free throw percentage and get even more explosive as an attacker.
At the age of 4, Duke used his mother’s hamper as a net and he would shoot on it until he was told to stop.
“By the age of 5, my mom signed me up for the local community center team and after a couple of sessions, he advised my mother to put me in a competitive/elite league,” he said. “After seeing my game develop, I immediately fell in love with the game and have been going hard ever since.”
Duke is a student of the game and a smart one at that. He understands the process and he is taking the chance to be in America, away from his family, learning more about the game and earning more opportunities than he ever has before. A new look The Rock group will lean on Duke to run the show and I expect him to have a banner junior year.
Photo credit: Magic & Mayhem Photography
All glory to God???????? #AWNT pic.twitter.com/ldFlFDZD3i
— Kyle Duke (@KyleDukePG) March 5, 2019