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| Kahlil Dukes is one of the top scorers in the country. |
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Follow Kahlil on Twitter @Kahlildukes |
Not too many people hit 50+ points in a game. How did you feel after that performance?
I felt good to put on a performance for my city. I've trained and trained and worked harder than I ever have for this season and this spring/summer. It was a great feeling seeing the results, competing until the final buzzard, leading and carrying my team, and getting the win in front of 1,200 plus fans that were there.
A lot of people look at you as just a scorer, but what other part of your game are people sleeping on?
I am much more than a scorer, I'm a combo guard now. I can dish the ball, I can lead a team, I can keep my teammates happy, I can be a coach on the floor, and I can get the job done. Winning has been something I've focused on and I've noticed that scoring isn't the only thing that determines the victory. Once I found that out, which was probably my freshman year when I averaged 29 points a game and failed to advanced my team past the quarter finals, I put my mind toward being more than a scorer. Now I'm right where I want to be, if not on my way.
You've played against some good players. Who are some the best you've played against and why do you consider them the best?
You've played against some good players. Who are some the best you've played against and why do you consider them the best?
The best player I've played against was Shabazz Muhammad who is now currently ranked the best player in the country. His work ethic, competitive nature, and determination to succeed and be the best really had a positive effect on me. Seeing him takeover the number one spot, and play to his top level of performance every given night really convinced me that he was the real deal. However, Kris Dunn is still my favorite player, at all levels before pros, and I'm pretty sure he'll be there in a couple of years.
During the off season, I went to live period in July with the 17u Connecticut Basketball Club (Andre Drummond, Kris Dunn), and I did good throughout the month. We went to Indiana, Vegas, and Florida. I got back August 1, and I had my first offer from Vermont. I showed Kris Dunn and he told me "don't let that stop your hunger", and after that I just worked on my game ever since and hadn't taken a day off from August 1st all the way through Thanksgiving (when my high school season started).
Any last remarks or shout outs:
Shout out to my troops (teammates) at Capital Prep, Coach Levy, My bro CJ, my bro Kris Dunn, my bro Andre Drummond, and everyone else who supports me.
When you work so hard and put everything into something, you expect something in return. I guess you can say this is the return. Kris Dunn said he was proud of me, and with that being said, I will not stop.
What do you do during the off-season to better your game? What is your workout routine?
I worked on conditioning, I worked on my weaknesses during the live period (finishing with contact, getting stronger, more explosive) which had a lot to do with the weight room, I did tons of shooting, dribbling with a forearm on my waist, hop steps, floaters, and everything you could probably think of, I did. I also watched a lot of film and worked on my winning mentality. I wanted to be a killer this year, and win. And I think that the 50 point performance really showed how hard I trained over the off season. The win made it even better.
What are your goals as a basketball player and student?
My goals as a player and student are to just be the best person I can be, best student I can be (maintain this 3.2 GPA that I have or raise it), inspire my teammates to want to win as bad as me,be a leader, and just WIN. I feel like if I do that, everything as far as recruiting and all the other little feature stuff that doesn't really mean anything (rankings) will come with that. Until then, I understand the journey isn't over, and I'm going to continue to keep pushing, training, being patient, and leading. I just want to win and see everything I've trained for pay off.
What are your goals as a basketball player and student?
My goals as a player and student are to just be the best person I can be, best student I can be (maintain this 3.2 GPA that I have or raise it), inspire my teammates to want to win as bad as me,be a leader, and just WIN. I feel like if I do that, everything as far as recruiting and all the other little feature stuff that doesn't really mean anything (rankings) will come with that. Until then, I understand the journey isn't over, and I'm going to continue to keep pushing, training, being patient, and leading. I just want to win and see everything I've trained for pay off.
Any last remarks or shout outs:
Shout out to my troops (teammates) at Capital Prep, Coach Levy, My bro CJ, my bro Kris Dunn, my bro Andre Drummond, and everyone else who supports me.
When you work so hard and put everything into something, you expect something in return. I guess you can say this is the return. Kris Dunn said he was proud of me, and with that being said, I will not stop.
