Multiple Duke basketball players and recruiting targets participating in various offseason camps

Multiple Duke players, alums and recruiting targets participating in offseason camps.

The Duke Blue Devils basketball team has yet to start the season, but the summer is as pivotal as ever for players to improve their game. Whether it’s skill work, weight lifting, conditioning, or playing in actual games, this is the time to work on your craft.

For Duke, the team has moved to campus, practicing, working out, and bonding since June. With the calendar flip to July, things have changed slightly as this year’s roster members have been invited to various camps and player development sessions nationwide.

We documented in June that Cooper Flagg was selected as the only college player to be a part of the Select Team tasked with practicing with Team USA basketball as they prepare for the Olympics. We are now here to add that Tyrese Proctor and Sion James were invited to participate in the 2024 Chris Paul Elite Camp. In addition, freshmen wings Kon Knueppel and Isaiah Evans were selected to participate in Jayson Tatum’s Elite Camp.

There’s a Duke flavor at both camps. Paolo Banchero, a former Blue Devil, appeared at Paul’s and dominated the competition in some pickup games.

This is also an opportunity for Duke to use it as a mini-recruiting tool. Names like Nate Ament, Jalen Montonati, Nikolas Khamenia, Hudson Greer, Shelton Henderson, Acaden Lewis, and Brayden Burries are all receiving interest from Duke or have offers from Duke. It wouldn’t be farfetched to imagine the high schoolers chatting things up with Proctor, James, Knueppel, and Evans about Duke and what it feels like to be a Duke player.

Plus, it helps when Paolo Banchero and Jayson Tatum are there. It’s too early to tell, but maybe a year from now, we’ll look back and see how many commits for Duke were at these off-season camps.