Nearing the end of a whirlwind tour of national all-star basketball games, Duke-bound Austin Rivers is where he wants to be.

Over the past three weeks, Rivers - the McDonald's and Naismith Foundation national high school player of the year - has been crisscrossing the country with many of the same players who will be on the court with him Saturday at 8p.m. in the Jordan Brand Classic All-American game.

"I can't tell you how many days of school I've missed," Rivers, a senior at Winter Park (Fla.) High, said, rattling off a schedule that has taken him from Chicago to Baltimore to Portland, Ore., and finally to Charlotte with two brief stopovers in Orlando, Fla.

"This game is different. At the (Nike Hoops) Summit we played for our country. At the McDonald's game, we played for kids who are having a tough time.

"In this one, you're playing for the best player who ever played. You have him (the Jordan Brand logo) on your chest. You have to play hard. If I didn't, I'd feel like I was disrespecting (Michael Jordan)."

In a game built on stars, Rivers may bring the most sparkle. Rivers, a 6-foot-4, 189-pound guard, is the son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers and was considered the top player in high school basketball this year.

When he picked Duke over North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA, Rivers assured the Blue Devils will again be among the nation's top teams next season despite the loss of guards Nolan Smith, Kyrie Irving and forward Kyle Singler.

Rivers knew Smith would be graduating, but the departure of Irving after one season left a bigger void in the Duke backcourt, one Rivers will be expected to fill.

"I see a big opportunity for me," Rivers said. "Singler and Nolan did leave, but you have me and (three other signees) coming in with great players already there. We have big men inside. We have Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins, a lot of shooters. I think we have a good shot of doing big things next year."

Rivers said he will be comfortable playing either guard position, depending on what the team needs.

One of Rivers' future Duke teammates, forward Mike Gbinije, is a teammate on the East squad Saturday. So are two North Carolina signees, guard P.J. Hairston and forward James McAdoo. While there is plenty of chatter among players about their respective college choices - there are four future Kentucky players in the game - Rivers isn't diving into the traditional Duke-North Carolina banter.

"I'm excited for North Carolina, as well, because they have everybody coming back," Rivers said. "The Duke-North Carolina rivalry could be really huge next year.

"I get to be part of it. It's not a rivalry for me, per se. I like North Carolina. I don't have anything against them. People don't think I like North Carolina because I go to Duke, but at the end of the day I almost chose North Carolina. It was those two schools at the end."

During a two-hour practice Thursday, Rivers tweaked his left wrist when he took a hard fall, aggravating a minor injury he suffered in an earlier all-star game. He said it won't affect his performance.

Don Showalter, an assistant coach for the East team who also coached Rivers in the under-17 world championships last summer, said the future Blue Devil has a gift for doing what's needed.

"He can really shoot, more of a streaky shooter," Showalter said. "He adjusts his game to what the defense allows to him and to his teammates. If he needs to get the ball to somebody else, he will. If he needs to score, he will. A lot of kids don't do that."

Not every high school player embraces the big stage the way Rivers does. He doesn't lack for confidence and he thrives on pressure. He led his high school team to consecutive state 6A championships in Florida and had a team-high 20 points in leading the U.S. team to win against the World Select team in the Nike Hoops Summit last weekend.

"Some people feel nervous, but I feel real comfortable on the big stage," Rivers said. "I like having the ball in my hand with two seconds to play. I'm not scared of anybody or any situation.

"You can't be scared to fail."