Marshall Plumlee of the United States takes it to the hoop against Germany's Paul Albrecht, and is fouled. Plumlee made the two free throws, but the U.S. lost to Germany's Under-17 team 79-68 in the third place game of the Albert Schweitzer International Youth tournament in Mannheim, Germany, on Saturday.






"Marshall Plumlee"
Duke Men’s Basketball Players Credit Christ School (Asheville, NC) for Basketball Opportunity
The tough family (and locally unpopular) decision to move Mason and Miles Plumlee from their public school to a boarding school certainly paid off.

After seeing that the boys’ playing time in their local school would be limited behind senior team members, Perky Plumlee made the decision to send the boys to Christ School (a boys boarding school in Asheville, NC) for greater basketball and academic opportunities.

“…A leaper in his playing days, Perky Plumlee orchestrated his sons’ jump to Christ School. While at the Asheville, N.C., airport on a business trip he saw a billboard for the school with scenes of students enjoying the outdoors. In a coincidence, an old friend had sent his children there.” (Brothers From Duke Arrive After A Detour, New York Times)

As forwards, both boys saw regular minutes during the regular season and were in the shallow rotation for the NCAA championship game.

Mason told The New York Times: “I’m not sure I would be at Duke if I never went down there…I had a great high school experience,” crediting his Christ School time for his success. (NYT)

“The Plumlees’ youngest son, Marshall, is a 6-11 center at Christ School and one of the top-rated juniors in the country.” (NYT)
By Brian Fisher on April 08, 2010

Marshall Plumlee makes international team

ARDEN — When one Christ School student returns from Easter break, he'll have much more to talk about than bunny rabbits and egg hunts.
Greenies junior power forward Marshall Plumlee has been selected to play in the Albert Schweitzer International Youth Basketball tournament April 3-10 in Mannheim, Germany. Plumlee will join nine other players from the United States as they compete in the 15-nation event. Easter falls on the tourney's second day (April 4).

“It's a wonderful opportunity, and I'm obviously honored that I was selected,” Plumlee said. “It's only going to be the second time I've ever been to another country. I'm looking forward to the competition and the experience as a whole.”

Plumlee averages a team-high 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks a game for the four-time defending NCISAA 3-A champion Greenies (37-1).

Christ School travels to Baltimore next week for the nationally-televised ESPN RISE National High School Invitational.

The 7-foot younger brother of Duke forwards Mason and Miles Plumlee holds a scholarship offer from the Blue Devils as well as Florida, Georgia Tech, Indiana, LSU, Minnesota, N.C. State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue and Virginia.

Two years ago, Mason Plumlee played on the USA Basketball 18-and-under team in the FIBAS Americas Championship in Argentina.

Florida coach Billy Donovan was in town Thursday to watch Marshall Plumlee work out at Christ School.

“Marshall really handles all (the attention) well,” Greenies coach David Gaines said.

“Having seen his older brothers go through many of the same things, he can use their experience to choose his own path. His plan is not overdo it with all the opportunities that are open to him, and I've cautioned him about that.”

Plumlee All in the family

Life is good in the Plumlee household.

Let’s start with the Duke University duo of sophomore Miles and freshman Mason, who battle West Virginia in the Final Four this weekend. If that’s not enough, the Warsaw, Ind., natives will be playing in front of 10-15 extended family members in Indianapolis.

Unfortunately, one of those spectators won’t be Marshall Plumlee, the latest high school hoops prodigy in the family. Marshall, a 7-foot junior at Christ School (Arden, N.C.), played in this year’s ESPN RISE National High School Invitational and is now going global.

There was a chance Marshall would be playing for the NHSI title on the same day his brothers attempted to make the NCAA final. Instead, the Greenies were bounced in the first round by Winter Park (Winter Park, Fla.), 82-72, on Thursday.

While he won’t be in Baltimore, Marshall won’t be in Indianapolis, either. On Friday, he boarded a flight to Germany to play in the 25th Albert Schweitzer Tournament, which takes place April 3-10.
Up until now, Marshall has followed Duke’s tourney run closely. But he’s not sure how much he’ll be able to catch from Germany.

“I’m going to do whatever I can to watch it,” he says.

And in addition to seeing his brothers in action, Marshall has a little added incentive to root for the Blue Devils.

“I have Duke winning it all,” Marshall says. “The rest of my bracket is totally busted, but I have that.”

There was never really any doubt about who he was going to pick to go all the way. Marshall is extremely close with his two brothers and credits them with his development into an elite prospect.

“They’ve been great brothers,” he says. “They always played a lot of 1-on-1 because they were similar in their development and I was a little behind. I got beat on a bit, but they’ve always wanted what’s best for me.”

So after competing against some of the nation’s best at the NHSI, Marshall is ready to try his hand against some of the world’s best. In addition to the U.S., other countries participating in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament include Argentina, Australia, Spain, Turkey and France. Joining Marshall on the U.S. team include the likes of Louisville-bound junior Michael Chandler of Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.), Vanderbilt-bound senior Josh Henderson of Cave Spring (Roanoke, Va.) and junior Damian Leonard of J.L. Mann (Greenville, S.C.), who has offers from Kentucky, Louisville and Florida.

While the NHSI didn’t work out the way he hoped, and he won’t be watching his brothers up close in the Final Four, Marshall is thrilled with how his season went and the prospects for the future.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to play [in the NHSI] and going to Germany is going to be another learning experience,” he says.

And if there’s one thing Marshall has proven after all those backyard battles with his brother, it’s that he’s a quick learner.

Blue-chip center on U.S. team for Schweitzer tournament 

A blue-chipper with the bluest of basketball bloodlines towers over the U.S. team that will compete in next month’s Albert Schweitzer International Youth Basketball Tournament.

Marshall Plumlee, a 6-foot-11, 195-pound center who plays for nationally ranked Christ School of Arden, N.C., is one of 10 teens selected last week to the U.S. team that will take on the national junior squads from 14 other nations April 3-10 in Mannheim, Germany.

Plumlee, a junior, is rated the No. 3 center prospect nationally by scouts.com and rivals.com. for the high school Class of 2011. So far, he has received offers from 11 NCAA Division I powers, including Duke, where his two older brothers play.

Plumlee, who averaged nine points, nine rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in helping Christ School to a 37-1 record and a fourth straight state championship, should excel in the rough and tumble international game he’ll encounter here, according to his coach, David Gaines.
“It’s right up his alley,” Gaines said by telephone Monday. “He’s a very aggressive, physical player. It’s perfect for him.”

Gaines added that Plumlee, who won’t arrive in Germany until April 4 because of his commitment to play in the Carolina Challenge, a showcase tournament, is better right now on the defensive end of the floor, the part of the international game that usually gives the Americans the most trouble.

“In the state championship game, he blocked nine shots,” Gaines said. “He’s got a great nose for the ball and he’s a great communicator under the basket.”

Gaines also asserted that Plumlee, who’ll miss the Americans’ opener April 3 against Croatia, should have none of the movement troubles that often afflict U.S. big men in international ball. International post players often drift outside to shoot the three-ball, forcing their defenders to run in and out with them.

“He runs the floor like a guard,” Gaines said. “He can run all day. In fact, we run a 1-2-2 zone and put him at the top of it. He’ll feel quite at home moving around.”

Plumlee isn’t the only blue chipper on the 2010 U.S. roster. Royce Woolridge of Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix, a 6-3 senior shooting guard, has signed to play with the University of Kansas this November, and junior Ryan Boatright of East Aurora High School in Aurora, Ill., is a 5-10 point guard who’s considering six D-I schools. Boatright, who averaged 24 points per game, scored more than 40 points in each of his team’s two playoff victories this season.

Largest of the blue-chippers is junior power forward Michael Chandler, a 6-10, 220-pounder from Indianapolis who’s verbally committed to the University of Louisville. Called a low-post presence who’s effective with his back to the basket by Scouts.com, he’ll be counted on to take up some of the slack for the late-arriving Plumlee in the U.S. team’s first two games.

With the exception of Plumlee, the 10 stateside players who’ll be joined by DODDS-Europe selectees Jamal Tuck of Aviano and Dillon Wadsack of Ramstein are expected to arrive this weekend and scrimmage at the Mannheim’s BFV Sports Arena on April 1.

The first Schweitzer pool games for the Americans are scheduled for 8 p.m. each day April 3-5 at the Sports Arena. The Americans will face Croatia on April 3, France on April 4 and Argentina on April 5. Department of Defense ID cardholders can purchase advance tickets at the Rhein-Neckar USO. Call DSN 385-3668 or 385-3195 or 0621-730-3668 or 0621-730-3195 for details.