By Joedy McCreary
Associated Press
DURHAM — Alex Murphy is back on his original track at Duke.
He originally was on track to be an incoming freshman this year, but finished high school early in Spring 2011 hoping to get a jump start on his first year at Duke. Then he suffered a concussion during a practice, an injury that ultimately led to a redshirt.
Now fully healthy, Murphy is ready for a second chance at his first full season playing for the Blue Devils.
And though he’s already been around for a year, Murphy might wind up being one of the most important members of what coach Mike Krzyzewski calls a four-man recruiting class that consists of two highly touted incoming freshmen and redshirts Murphy and Marshall Plumlee.
“We’ll have four new guys because Marshall and Alex didn’t play,” Krzyzewski said. “That’s how we recruited, too — we didn’t want to get four other guys and have a six-man class. So all those guys can contribute.”
There’s no escaping the comparisons between Murphy and Kyle Singler — and not just because of the No. 12.
Murphy says he hears “talk about the comparison stuff” between the two because of his size and style. Both are 6-foot-8, with Murphy weighing 220 pounds — roughly 10 fewer than Singler was as a senior in 2010-11. Both play the game the same way, creating matchup problems.
“I definitely see myself playing a role on this team,” Murphy said. “I think I can help right away. I can be that big wing, very versatile, can handle the ball, can shoot the ball … and on the other end of the court, be that guy that guards the other team’s best wing player. … I think that’s definitely a big thing for me, to help this team become a championship-level team.”
Because of his size and versatility, Murphy might have helped Duke avoid its struggles down the stretch last year — had it not been for the injury that led to his redshirt. The week before the season opener, Murphy collided with Plumlee while going up for a dunk and hit his head.
He could only watch from the bench while the Blue Devils ended the season by losing three of four, including a stunning upset defeat against 15th-seeded Lehigh in their NCAA tournament opener.
“The redshirt year, I think, was a great thing for me,” Murphy said. “Coming out of high school a year early, I think that year helped, not only physically but mentally. I matured a lot this year. … It got tough during the end of the year … (but) at the end of the day, I thought I definitely made the right decision for myself.”