Rasheed Sulaimon is playing basketball for the USA U18 squad and recruiting for Duke.
All at the same time.
While trying out for — and ultimately making — the 12-man roster for the FIBA Americas U18 Championship, the 6-foot-4 Duke-bound shooting guard has been getting in the ear of 2013 players like Julius Randle and Austin Nichols.
“I’m talking to a lot of young guys and I’m talking to [2013 Duke commit] Matt Jones,” Sulaimon, out of Houston Strake Jesuit, told SNY.tv by phone from Colorado Springs, Colo. “He sees a lot of those guys at camps and stuff. Me and Matt are still working on a lot of 2013 guys to try get them to come down with us.”
Is Julius Randle one of his targets?
“Oh, yeah, definitely Julius,” Sulaimon said. “Of course, Julius, he’s from Texas. Ishmail Wainright [of Montrose Christian]. I was here this past weekend with Austin Nichols, so various number of guys.”
Randle made the final 12-man roster and and he and Sulaimon are among the players leaving Tuesday for the tournament in Brazil.
Randle previously told SNY.tv he has no list as of yet and is hearing from a Who’s Who of elite programs. He did say he could envision himself at North Carolina, Duke’s hated rival.
The 6-8 Nichols did not make the final cut but told SNY.tv he’s considering Duke, North Carolina, Tennessee, Memphis, Kansas, Ohio State, Florida and Virginia, among others.
Sulaimon is also pleased that Amile Jefferson pulled the trigger in the late signing period and chose Duke over Kentucky, Villanova, N.C. State and Ohio State.
“After he committed, I called him and congratulated and welcomed him to the Duke family,” he said. “And we’re really excited to get down there in July and work with the rest of the team and try to have a great season this upcoming year.”
And how much can the 6-8 Jefferson help Duke going forward?
“Oh, he can help us tremendously,” Sulaimon said of Jefferson. “He’s very athletic, very versatile, has a lot of length. And I think he can bring a lot to the table, both offensively and defensively.”
For now, Sulaimon is part of a deep group of Team USA guards that also includes N.C. State-bound Rodney Purvis, Oklahoma State commit Marcus Smart and 2013 North Carolina pledge Nate Britt.
“I’m playing mostly off the ball but these guards are great guards,” Sulaimon said. “We’re really pushing each other throughout practice. We’re really playing unselfish and trying to get good chemistry and trying to come together as a team.”
Like the other players, Sulaimon had to adjust to the altitude during training in Colorado.
“That first week when you run up and down the court, you’re breathing really hard,” he said. “It’s definitely something to get used to but it’s definitely going to help us when we get down there to Brazil.”
As the team heads out on its voyage, Sulaimon says he’s especially proud to represent the USA, especially since his father is Nigerian and his mother is Jamaican.
Said Sulaimon: “I’m truly thankful and honored and blessed to have the opportunity to go down to Brazil and represent my country to the best of our abilities and try to win the gold.”
Photo: ESPN
