Playing at Duke a dream come true for Peters siblings
BY DOUG McKENZIE Staff Writer
You'll have to excuse the Peters family if they're feeling a bit blue these days. Less than a month after former Red Bank Regional star Casey Peters learned that his dream of playing for the Duke University men's basketball team will become a reality this coming winter, his younger sister Casey, one of the top high school hoops players in the nation, announced her intentions to become a Blue Devil as well.

Indeed, the Peters family will be spending quite a bit of time in Durham, N.C., over the next five years. And they couldn't be happier about it.

It was James Taylor who sang the melodic lyric, "In my mind, I'm going to Carolina." Casey Peters spent most of his life singing the same tune, as he has pictured himself playing for head coach Mike Krzyzewski since he was a little boy.

"I have been a huge Duke fan my whole life," he said. "They have such a tremendous program and Cameron Indoor Stadium is one of the most famous sport venues in the entire world."

Peters was so intent on playing at Duke that he accepted an academic scholarship at the school despite not earning a spot on Coach K's roster, passing up on scholarship offers from prestigious colleges such as Yale, Dartmouth, Amherst and Williams. For two years, Peters served as the team's manager, traveling on the road with the team and logging practice time, hoping to get his chance to walk on to the celebrated team.

During that time with the team, Krzyzewski encouraged Peters to stay positive and to keep working hard. Obviously the 2007 RBR grad must have made an impression with his dedication, because in mid-May, Peters got the call from the legendary coach, informing him that there would be a spot on the roster for him this year. Peters has four years of eligibility ahead of him, making his decision to enroll at Duke and fight for his chance to capture his dream all the more inspiring.

"I talked a lot to my family and friends about this decision initially and they wholeheartedly supported me to follow my biggest dream and go for it," he said, admitting that at times, he struggled with sitting on the sidelines.

However, for anyone looking to learn what it means to play at the highest level of college basketball, there is no better place for such a lesson than at Duke University.

"There are so many incredible people there and the resources are so amazing," Peters said.

The reaction at his alma mater has been understandably euphoric.

"This is huge — like making the New York Yankees or playing football for Notre Dame," said the school's athletic director, Del Dal Pra. "We are very excited and the Buc Nation is very proud of Casey."

While at RBR, Casey was a standout both on and off the court. He was president of the National Honor Society and thrived in his advanced placement courses. On the court, he led his Bucs team to two divisional championships and was named the 2006 Buc Classic Tournament'sMost Valuable Player.

"Casey was the consummate teammate and leader," said RBR head coach Scott Martin. "I have never coached anyone who cared more about his team and teammates on and off the court. There's no one more deserving of this accomplishment. Casey has dedicated himself, as he has always done, 100 percent to his goal."

Martin added that he was not surprised to learn that Peters achieved his dream of walking on to the Duke team, as he was confident that if Casey were given a fair chance, he would earn his spot.

"He's worked out to meet the physical demands of playing at this level, and he's shown the commitment and dedication that a program like Duke requires," the coach said. "I am so proud of him and happy for him. He is an inspiration to us all."

Casey is double majoring in economics and environmental policy at Duke, and hopes to continue this study in Duke's business school as a means of launching a career in the emerging field of green alternative energy.

However, he admits he may not ever be able to let go of his addiction to basketball.

"I told (Coach Martin) that I had a dream that I actually returned to RBR as a math teacher and a basketball coach," Peters said.

At this point, it's hard to doubt the possibility. After all, Casey Peters seems to have what it takes to make his dreams come true.

Haley Peters' path to the fabled campus of Duke University was a bit different.

After winning the New Jersey Prep Player of the Year as a junior at the Peddie School in Hightstown, the heavily recruited Haley essentially had her pick of what school she wanted to attend.

After visiting some schools with esteemed basketball programs in their own right (like the University of Tennessee and the University of Notre Dame), Haley chose to follow her big brother to Duke, where she hopes to help the perennial national title-contending Blue Devils actually capture their first championship.

"I am really excited about playing at Duke and for Coach (Joanne McCallie) and the rest of the coaching staff," said Peters. "It wasn't an easy decision by any stretch. All the schools I looked at have great programs, great players and incredible coaches. It made for a tough decision, and one that I spent a lot of time thinking through.

"At the end of the day, I was really comfortable with how the Duke coaches see me fitting into their system, and their willingness to allow me use my versatility on the court."

A 6-3 forward whose academic record is as impressive as her athleticism, Peters emerged as one of the nation's elite players last winter when she led Peddie to a 24-2 record and a top-50 ranking in the ESPN national poll.

She averaged 17.8 ppg and 11.6 rpg for the Falcons during her junior season and has already scored 1,028 career points.

And she hasn't stopped impressing during the off-season. Back in April, Peters garnered a spot on the BooWilliams NikeAll-Tournament Team as a member of the Philadelphia Belles Nike Elite squad. Then, she attended the National Girls Skills Academy by Nike, competing with the top 20 players in the country in Beaverton, Ore., and her performancewas highly touted by coaches and scouts alike. Tony Pappas, a Blue Star evaluator and one of the nation's top high school coaches, identified Peters as the best player at the camp, citing her continual intense play and ability to play a number of positions on the floor.

Following the Boo Williams Nike camp, Peters made a third unofficial visit to Duke in late June and realized that her decision was made.

"At that point, I could visualize myself playing for the coaches, as part of the Duke team, in front of the Cameron Crazies," she said. "Once I felt comfortable basketballwise, it was a pretty easy decision. I wouldn't have chosen Duke if I didn't think it was a great fit for me, and that we'd have a chance to win Duke's first national championship. That is my goal."

Like her brother, Haley shouldn't have much trouble with the academic challenges at Duke, as she is one of the top student-athletes in the country, having earned a perfect score on the ACT college entrance exam and maintaining a grade-point average that exceeds 4.0 at Peddie, one of the nation's leading independent schools.

Like her brother, Haley is exactly the type of student-athlete that upper-echelon schools like Duke seem to covet.

Indeed, it's apparent that Duke wanted the Casey siblings every bit as much as they wanted it. And come next winter, when both Casey and Haley are playing for their respective Blue Devils team, it's likely to feel like a dream come true for the entire Peters family.