Duke is seeking an interpretation of an NCAA rule as to whether a recruit can speak to a coach by phone if the recruit is still on the road, but not actively playing in a tournament.

According to a source, Alex Poythress called Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski Tuesday night after his Georgia Stars AAU team was eliminated from the AAU Super Showcase in Orlando.

ESPN ranks Poythress as the No. 17 overall recruit of the class of 2012.

Duke, according to the source, would likely accept any penalty associated with a secondary violation if it were deemed to be one.

Duke is investigating a possible recruiting violation committed by Mike Krzyzewski.

Alex Poythress told CBSSports.com that Krzyzewski spoke to him earlier this week while he was in Orlando, Fla., for a tournament with his AAU team, the Georgia Stars, and offered him a scholarship.

NCAA rules prevent coaches from contacting recruits before they are finished playing in tournaments.

Duke spokesman Jon Jackson said in a statement Saturday that the school is gathering facts and that "proper adherence to NCAA bylaws has always been, and will continue to be, a cornerstone of Duke Athletics."

Alex Poythress has added a scholarship offer from Duke to his list of considerations.

Kentucky and Louisville are also heavily recruiting Poythress, who plays for Clarksville (Tenn.) Northeastern.

Poythress is a top-20 recruit and one of the top small forwards.

Seth Curry, who scored 36 points on Tuesday in a S.J.G. Greater N.C. Pro-Am summer league game, seeks to play faster this season.

"I want to be faster," Curry said. "I'll be at point guard, so I'll need to pick up things full court and will be seeing more minutes."

He said his first taste of ACC basketball last season has him prepared for an expanded role in 2011-12.

"Going through my first ACC season," Curry said, "I know what it takes to win there and not get rattled."

Austin Rivers was asked Tuesday to compare the level of attention in Winter Park, Fla., where he attended high school, to the scene in Durham this summer, where he’s playing in the Greater NC Pro-Am basketball league.

"I've been kind of used to this since high school, but it is a little bit different here because North Carolina is more of a basketball state," said Rivers. "Florida is more of a mixture of football and basketball. I'm kind of getting a taste of how serious it is here, and I love it.

"That's why I chose to come to this area and play basketball.

"College basketball, period - the fans, the coaches, the rivalries. I'm very excited to get to play in that atmosphere," Rivers said.

When Austin Rivers and the Blue Devils practiced last Sunday and Monday in preparation for their exhibition tour to China and Dubai next month, the 6-5 freshman guard heard instructions in a new way.

"The first two practices were real rough," Rivers said. "They were yelling at me, getting on me, telling me things I never knew before. But that's why I chose Duke. I felt like they wouldn't cheat me of that. A lot of colleges I could have gone to maybe would have said nothing or let me get away with it because of who I was. Coach K knows what the hell he's talking about.

"College is a whole different level,” Rivers said.  “Getting back on defense. Running the court more. With my jumping ability and my scoring ability, they want me to run the floor more. If I get the rebound, go. If somebody else gets the rebound, look for me. Just remembering little stuff like that."

He's also finding out how important on-court communication with teammates will be.

"Learning to talk more," Rivers said. "In high school you don't talk much on help defense. But Duke, like all colleges, if you want to play good defense, you have to talk."

Publicly, at least, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is keeping expectations for Rivers from getting too high.

Rivers said recently that he needs to strengthen his skills and body and develop a defensive mindset, and Krzyzewski seems to agree.

"He's got to change," Krzyzewski said. "He's got to learn to become a complete player. For any freshman coming in, there's a huge difference in playing with older guys, more physical. It's a whole different thing."

Austin Rivers showed some of the magic he could bring to Cameron Indoor Stadium this fall at the Greater NC Pro-Am basketball summer league at N.C. Central on Thursday evening.

Playing for Team Hendrick with Smith and future teammates Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly, Rivers drew the largest roars of the night on a pair of dunks and afterward drew the largest crowd of autograph seekers, too.

He scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers.

Kyrie Irving, who was at the gym but did not play, said before the game, "He's going to help, not doubt. I've seen him in some pickup games, and he's really good."