If there are any, there are not many college basketball programs with the esteem Duke has when it comes to the success needed to attract recruits to their fold.
Jon Scheyer Continues Krzyzewski’s Winning Ways
Former head coach Mike Krzyzewski left a monumental legacy of 5 national championships, 14 ACC regular season titles, 15 ACC tournament titles (most in conference history), 38 All-Americans, and 9 national players of the year. He also produced 55 NBA draft picks while being at Duke. In short, he created a culture of team success and player success that attracts high school prospects to come to play in Durham.
Current Duke coach Jon Scheyer has seemingly picked up right where Krzyzewski left off. Through almost two complete seasons, he has a record of 57-16 with an ACC tournament title during the 2022-23 season. This season, Duke is 24-7 and 15-5 in conference play sitting second in the ACC. They are almost certainly on their way to their 27th straight NCAA tournaments (excluding the 2019-20, and 2020-21 seasons due to shortened seasons or COVID-19 protocols).
Scheyer’s ability to hold the Duke program to its winning standard has been a huge help during this 2024 recruiting cycle. The Blue Devils have the top class in the country. It is made up of four five-stars and two four-stars. Five of the six players in the class are ranked on the top 25 national list in the entire recruiting class according to 24/7sports.
Duke Blue Devils Deep Recruiting Class
Duke’s 2024 Recruiting Class:
5🌟 Cooper Flagg — #1
5🌟 Khaman Maluach — #3
5🌟 Isaiah Evans — #12
5🌟 Kon Knueppel — #17
4🌟 Patrick Ngongba II — #18
4🌟 Darren Harris — #50Jon Scheyer is different on the recruiting trail. pic.twitter.com/GxxB4RIdvM
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) March 7, 2024
Cooper Flagg headlines the class as the number one player in the country. Flagg plays at Monteverde Academy and is a 6-foot-9-inch tall small forward. He has a great feel for the game with a nice handle and gets to the rim at will. He will be a dynamic scorer that Duke will take advantage of next season as Flagg helped Monteverde to a 30-0 record.
Khaman Maluach is the number three overall player in the class that Duke has as a hard commit. He is a center that has been developing with the NBA Academy in Africa. He is a towering 7 feet and 1 inch tall. Many people have taken notice of his jump shot that is coming along as well as his play inside the paint. He has matchup nightmare potential.
Isaiah Evans is the 12th overall player in the incoming class and is a small forward from Huntersville, North Carolina making it a local signing for Duke. At 6 feet and 6 inches tall, Evans has similar qualities to his classmate Flagg. He is great in isolation plays with his length in getting to the basket and creating space for jumpers.
Kon Knueppel is another lengthy, 6-foot-5-inch small forward who is from Wisconsin Lutheran in Milwaukee. He is the 13th best overall player in the class and has the ball skills of a guard. Knueppel is also very threatening on defense making him a dangerous player in the transition game.
Patrick Ngongba II and Darren Harris are two four-stars and final pieces to this Duke recruiting class that is jolted with dynamic talent. The two players have chemistry playing with each other at Paul VI Catholic in Fairfax, Virginia. Both guys are in the top three among players from Virginia and top 50 nationally. Ngongba is a 6-foot-11-inch center who impacts the game with his inside ability both offensively and defensively. Harris is a 6-foot-6-inch forward who is great at creating and finding shots to score at will from the mid-range and beyond.
The Blue Devils’ incoming class has some star-studdedness to it. It is talent that will not only have the college basketball world watching, but also have the NBA and draft scouts turning their heads at the likes of Flagg, Maluach, Evans, and company. It seems like this is every year, but you can write Duke down as a bonafide national title contender next season as the most talented recruiting class combined with the success Scheyer has already shown will be sure to make noise in the national landscape.
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