Subscribe
Jobs
Cars
Real Estate
Apts
Classifieds
Shop
The road has been a bit bumpy at times for the Plumlee brothers, but the destination is basketball heaven.
The two former Warsaw High School players, who have been at a prep school in North Carolina for the past two years, will suit up in college for one of the most prominent basketball programs and coaches in the nation at Duke playing for coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Miles Plumlee is a freshman at Duke and will play for the Blue Devils in the winter, while Mason Plumlee is a senior at Arden Christ School in North Carolina and has made an oral commitment to the school.
"We have to pinch ourselves every now and then," the boys' father, Perky Plumlee, said Thursday. "They both had to work hard, and they have had to overcome some things. It makes us feel proud and blessed."
After leaving Warsaw's boys basketball program in a shroud of controversy three years ago, the Fort Wayne-born Plumlees led Arden to two straight state championships and a No. 1 overall ranking in North Carolina.
"At the time, that decision (for the boys to leave Warsaw) seemed radical to a lot of people," said Perky, who still lives in nearby Winona Lake. "It was a big step of faith for our family. I give the credit to the boys. I told them that their hard work made us look like we are brilliant decision-makers."
Perky said when the 6-foot-10, 230-pound Miles started playing at Warsaw as a freshman, he was only 5-foot-10. After the 6-10, 205-pound Mason joined his brother for one season with the Tigers, the two players left for Arden after the family had a falling-out with the Warsaw coaches.
Miles originally committed to Stanford after his junior season at Arden.
But coach Trent Johnson had a disagreement with the Stanford administration and went to LSU. Miles received permission to look at other schools and committed in May to Duke, where Mason had already committed to in February.
"We were comfortable with that decision, and he was accepted to the school," Perky said of Miles going to Stanford. "Unfortunately the head coach, who had been the principal recruiter, he was not able to come to terms with the administration on a new contract, and he took the job at LSU. It was a bit of a shock when we learned it.
"That changed the dynamic. The situation at Stanford was now quite a bit different than what he had originally committed to. It was crazy how it turned out."
And now the Plumlee brothers will be able to play for the legendary Krzyzewski, who recently coached the U.S. men's basketball team to an Olympic gold medal.
"It turned out it gives the boys an opportunity to play together in college," Perky said. "It has been pretty neat getting to know Coach K and his staff. He is a very impressive person."
gjones@jg.net
