Recruit Murphy to enroll a year early at Duke

Highly rated basketball recruit Alex Murphy will graduate from high school a year early and enroll at Duke in 2011 rather than 2012, his father confirmed Tuesday night.

Jay Murphy, who played four seasons in the NBA in the mid- to late 1980s, referred to a quote his son gave Fox Sports columnist Jeff Goodman, saying Alex considered this a difficult decision but one that’s best for him.

“We’re excited about the opportunity for Alex,” Jay Murphy said. “We know it’s a great program, and we know he’s going to have to work harder than he ever did before.”

Alex Murphy is a 6-foot-8, 180-pound forward at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Mass., who was rated the No. 11 player overall in the Class of 2012 by scout.com. He should have an opportunity to contribute right away because Duke is losing a player with similar size and skills, forward Kyle Singler, who was a senior in 2010-11.

Murphy will be the fifth member of Duke’s 2011 recruiting class. He joins guards Quinn Cook and Austin Rivers, forward Michael Gbinije and center Marshall Plumlee in the class.

Duke has one more scholarship left to give for 2011.

Ken Tysiac