Carrick Felix won't play at Duke, but he has other opportunities
Carrick Felix will still go down as Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's first-ever junior college signee, but the 6-foot-6 wing from College of Southern Idaho will never actually don a Blue Devils jersey.
Felix received his release from Duke on Tuesday and will open up his recruitment, College of Southern Idaho coach Steve Gosar said by phone. Gosar denied reports that academics played a role in Felix's decision and said the sophomore-to-be just felt playing time would be scarce at wing as a result of Kyle Singler's surprise decision to return for his senior year.
"I just think with the kids coming back and Singler coming back, it was a situation where he realized he was going to be on the bench," Gosar said. "Now he's looking for a better opportunity to play."
There apparently will be plenty of other opportunities for Felix because roughly 30 schools have expressed interest in him through Gosar in the past 48 hours. Among the schools Gosar mentioned are West Coast programs Arizona State, UCLA, Washington State, San Diego State, UNLV and Boise State and national powers Baylor, Villanova, Kansas State, Butler and Michigan State.
Rutgers, Louisiana Tech, Providence, Seton Hall, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Alabama-Birmingham, Marshall, Montana and Boston College also have reached out to Gosar. One school that Gosar said he hadn't heard from is Washington, which signed Felix's College of Southern Idaho teammate Aziz N'Diaye and has an open scholarship as a result of the Terrence Jones fiasco.
Felix only began speaking to coaches today once he received his release from Duke, so it will take him a few days to narrow his list and begin setting up visits. He hopes to make a decision in the next few weeks.
An athletic wing who had flown mostly under the radar until this season after breaking his wrist three games into last season, Felix averaged 14.8 points and 4.8 rebounds for College of Southern Idaho this season. The fact that he missed the 2008-09 season actually makes him a more attractive prospect because he'll have three years of college eligibility wherever he goes.
"I don't think he's going to take a whole lot of visits because I know he's anxious to get going and find a new home for next year," Gosar said. "We're gauging everyone's interest. Some people had seen him this year, other people hadn't. We're trying to get them up to speed, see who he fits with and make a decision."
