One week after receiving a commitment from high school prospect Laura Kurz, the women's basketball program hopes to impress another potential member of its class of 2007, as six-foot-five center Chante Black makes her official visit to Duke today.
Black, a native of Winston-Salem, N.C., averaged 20.5 points, 16.5 rebounds and seven blocks per game last year as a junior at East Forsyth High School and is rated the No. 13 prospect in the country by All Game Sports. Her rare combination of size, speed and athleticism have made her one of the most sought-after high school seniors in the country.
"She's very athletic for such a tall girl and she can run very well," said Brian Robinson, Black's AAU coach for the past five years. Black knows several current Blue Devil players--including sophomores Lindsey Harding and Mistie Bass and junior Wynter Whitley--from the adidas Top Ten summer camp in Atlanta.
She has also been impressed with the success that Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors has had in recent years.
"Coach G. is a great coach and she takes care of her kids," Black said. "With the way that she has improved Duke women's basketball to what it is now, you know she's a good person, too."
Although basketball is important to Black, academic considerations will also be paramount to the honor roll student.
"Academics are definitely important to me, and Duke is one of the best," she said. "I'm looking to become a pathologist, so I'm interested in the biotechnology field."
In addition to Duke, Black is considering Georgia, Connecticut, LSU and North Carolina. She has already made her official visit to the Tar Heels and hopes to choose a school by the middle of October.
The Street & Smith honorable mention All American honed her skills over the summer playing in the elite 2003 USA Basketball Women's Development Festival. She led her second-place South Region team with 9.8 rebounds per game and 11 blocked shots during the five-game tournament.
After competing with some of the best players in the nation, Black should be able to handle the transition to the star-studded roster of whatever school she chooses.
"I don't think she would have any problem playing with a lot of really good players," Robinson said. "She's played on Team North Carolina in the Junior Olympics and with USA basketball, so she's used to being around a lot of talent."
Black's decision will ultimately hinge on her comfort level at each school, and her official visit to Duke today should go a long way in determining her impression of the Blue Devils.
"It will be a matter of where I feel comfortable and who I trust the most," Black said. "Just feeling comfortable and having good academics will be important to me."
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