Tag: 2024 recruiting class

Duke basketball finishes with the No. 1 spot in ESPN’s final 2024 recruiting rankings

The Blue Devils’ decorated 2024 recruiting class earned another accolade on Thursday with the top spot in the final ESPN rankings.

Duke basketball’s esteemed 2024 recruiting class earned another award on Thursday when the Blue Devils finished atop the final ESPN men’s basketball rankings.

[autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], the star commit and the presumed top pick in the 2025 NBA draft, led the way as the top overall player in the class. He also finished as the best overall player in both the On3 recruiting rankings and the final 247Sports rankings.

“On his own, Flagg would be enough to give Duke a shot at the top class,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello wrote.

However, the Blue Devils also added five other freshmen as Jon Scheyer rebuilds his 2024-25 roster. All of Duke’s five signees in the rankings finished inside the top 30 in ESPN’s individual player ratings.

Rutgers, Alabama, and Baylor followed in succession to continue out the rankings. The next-best team in the ACC, North Carolina, finished fifth, and the Miami Hurricanes finished ninth. Notre Dame (19th) and Syracuse (22nd) also appeared in the top 25.

The freshman, combined with transfers like Tulane’s Sion James, Syracuse’s Maliq Brown, and Purdue’s Mason Gillis, make the Blue Devils one of the most popular preseason title favorites for the 2024-25 season.

 

Duke football welcomes 2024 recruiting class for move-in day

Duke football’s 2024 freshmen made the move onto campus on Thursday, and the team shared a short video of their process.

The 2024 freshmen class for Duke football is officially on campus for the summer.

The team shared a short social media video celebrating move-in day for the signees. Just months after the hire of head coach Manny Diaz, the Blue Devils managed to drum up 16 freshmen in the incoming class. Seven of them already enrolled, according to 247Sports, with nine more on the way for summer and fall work.

Duke’s social media team even gave up the microphone at one point. Kobe Smith, a three-star edge rusher from Tennessee and the Blue Devils highest-rated signee in the class, got a brief moment with the camera.

“Having an amazing time,” Smith said about his first hours as a campus resident. “Let’s get it.”

Duke fans keeping an eye on the trail will also recognize wide receiver Chase Tyler and linebacker Montreze Smith, two more of the highest-rated prospects in the class, greeting their new coaches later in the video.

Duke’s first game of the 2024 season comes against Elon on August 30.

Duke basketball shares a clip of incoming freshman Isaiah Evans mic’d up at K Academy

Isaiah Evans, a five-star prospect in Duke’s esteemed 2024 recruiting class, cheered on members of the K Academy in a fun mic’d up clip shared on Friday.

Duke basketball fans are going to love [autotag]Isaiah Evans[/autotag] in the fall.

The five-star prospect, one of six signees in Duke’s highly regarded 2024 recruiting class, has already traded barbs with North Carolina fans at his high school basketball games and future Tar Heels players.

With Evans in Durham for Mike Krzyzewski’s K Academy, the Duke basketball team knew they had no choice but to give Evans a microphone as he watched the camp’s games.

Despite being a newcomer, Evans slipped comfortably into his place on the sidelines. He poked fun at a player for missing his first three shots and celebrated the best moments, jumping out of his seat and high-fiving players in all the right moments.

In fact, all the moments he celebrated on the court led to a funny moment later on in the video.

“Y’all doing stuff I ain’t never seen y’all do before,” Evans said to the players, mimicking a crossover he just witnessed.

No matter his role on the 2024-25 squad, the video showed Evans will endear himself to the Cameron Crazies even when he isn’t on the court. He’s not just a witty personality, either, as he was voted the best high school men’s basketball player from Charlotte in the past 40 years after he won North Carolina Mr. Basketball twice in a row.

Team USA Basketball shares first look at Duke signee Patrick Ngongba II on U18 team

One of Duke’s vaunted 2024 recruits made the USA Basketball U18 Team, and the squad shared photos of him in uniform on Friday.

Duke basketball fans got to see [autotag]Patrick Ngongba II[/autotag] repping Team USA through social media on Friday.

Ngongba, one of six signees in Duke’s 2024 recruiting class, made the Team USA U18 Team earlier in the week. The USA Basketball Junior National Team account introduced the team in a social media thread, sharing photos of each player with their country proud across their chest.

Ngognba will wear No. 11 for the team.

The 6-foot-11 center attended Paul VI Catholic alongside fellow future Blue Devil Darren Harris. The duo led their school to the championship game at Chipotle Nationals earlier this year. They fell short against Montverde Academy, the school of No. 1 prospect and future Duke class member [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag].

According to 247Sports final class rankings, Ngongba is the 19th-best player in the upcoming freshman class and the fifth-best center.

He was the only member of Duke’s incoming roster to attend tryouts for the U18 Team, although coach Jon Scheyer joined Team USA as a court coach during the scouting process.

Ngongba, the 6-foot-9 Flagg, and 7-footer Khaman Maluach will help make Duke one of the nation’s tallest and most formidable teams in 2024.

Texas Tech adds four-star point guard to 2024-25 men’s basketball roster

Tech adds four-star point guard to 2024-25 men’s basketball roster.

Another huge win for head coach Grant McCasland and the Texas Tech Red Raiders happened on Tuesday. The team announced they have signed four-star point guard Christian Anderson Jr. The No. 10 point guard of the 2024 recruiting class recently decommitted from the Michigan Wolverines in late March.

Anderson becomes only the second high school recruit to join the Red Raiders. Leon Horner of Dynamic Prep in Dallas, Texas, was the other. The team has also added three transfers including former Minnesota point guard Elijah Hawkins, former Drake shooting guard Kevin Overton, and former Pittsburgh power forward Fede Federiko.

McCasland and the Red Raiders are coming off a 23-11 season, in which they finished fourth in the conference standings with a 11-7 Big 12 record. They were bounced in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament by the Final Four-bound North Carolina State Wolfpack.

It is important for the team to load up in a loaded conference that welcomes perennial NCAA Tournament contending Arizona Wildcats to an already loaded Big 12 men’s basketball field.

The Red Raiders will participate in the 2024 Legends Classic with the Syracuse Orange, Texas Longhorns, and Saint Joseph’s Hawks in Brooklyn, New York. The event will take place on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22.

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Drake Powell reveals when he will arrive on campus for UNC basketball

This UNC basketball 5-star is coming to campus as spring winds down.

The start of the North Carolina Tar Heels’ upcoming college basketball season is about to feel significantly closer.

Yes, UNC won’t start gameplay until November, but players will start to arrive before then. The transfer portal is still alive and active, with North Carolina awaiting the decision of Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins.

The Tar Heels will be welcoming three talented players to the their 2024-2025 roster: 4-star center James Brown, 5-star guard Ian Jackson and 5-star guard/forward Drake Powell, the latter two of whom are McDonalds All-Americans.

At least one of those three is arriving very soon.

Powell, who joins UNC just down the road in Pittsboro, NC, stated recently he’ll arrive on campus Thursday, June 6.

“I’m happy RJ is coming back,” Powell told InsideCarolina’s Evan Rogers. “I’ve definitely cracked some jokes about him being as old as he is. But I just want to learn as much as I can from him.”

Definitely get in the weight room,” Powell said of his summer priorities. “Developing my all-around game to where I can impact everything, every aspect of the game. And getting my cardio up as well. Nothing’s promised going into Carolina, especially as a freshman. But I just want to work hard and do what my coaches ask me even more going forward.”

Powell tore up the high school circuit at Northwood, leading the Chargers to NCHSAA State Championship appearances in two of his four years, by averaging 16.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

While he might have to fight harder for playing time in Chapel Hill, he’ll undoubtedly be a key contributor for Hubert Davis.

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Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer praises Cooper Flagg’s effort, says ‘he always competes’

While speaking with ACC Network on Wednesday, Duke coach Jon Scheyer effused praise for his No. 1 recruit’s effort and what it means.

Nobody needs to be told [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] is talented.

The No. 1 player in the Class of 2024 spearheads a historically good Duke recruiting class, and there’s a reason the 6-foot-9 Maine native already gets buzz as a generational prospect. He can handle the ball like a guard, he can block shots into the bleachers, he can run point in an offense. Anything a coach wants Flagg to do, he can do exceptionally well.

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer doesn’t think that’s the most important part of Flagg’s repertoire, however. During a segment with ACC Network on Wednesday, Scheyer heaped praise onto something else about the Montverde Academy product: his effort.

“No matter when I’ve seen him, if it’s a Sunday morning at 8 a.m. after playing for a few days, whether it’s watching him play on ESPN, you know, the national championship game this year, he always plays the same way,” Scheyer said. “He always competes, 100% effort, and I think that’s a separator.”

“Obviously, you look at his athleticism, talent, size, and skill is off the charts,” the Blue Devils program leader added. “But to me, it’s how he competes and who he is as a teammate.”

The Blue Devils enter the 2024-25 season as one of the favorites to win it all thanks to Flagg, five other top-50 freshmen, and transfers like Tulane’s Sion James, Syracuse’s Maliq Brown, and Purdue’s Mason Gillis.

Analyst believes UNC hoops signee Drake Powell may require patience

Will incoming 5-star UNC basketball recruit Drake Powell see the court a ton in his freshman year?

There’s a ton for the UNC men’s basketball team to be excited about ahead of the coming season.

The greatest news came a couple weeks back, when reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis announced his return for a fifth season. Seth Trimble jolted excitement into the Tar Heel fanbase when he withdrew his name from the transfer portal, while North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis went out and nabbed Cade Tyson from Belmont.

UNC also has two of the country’s most talented freshman coming to Chapel Hill in 5-starts Ian Jackson and Drake Powell, both of whom were McDonalds All-Americans. Jackson should start from Day One or be first off the bench, while Powell will likely be a top reserve.

Powell is undoubtedly one of the Tar Heels’ most highly-anticipated recruits in recent history, but his path to playing time in freshman year might be a difficult one.

“Among this group of high ceiling, incoming freshmen that may require a little extra patience are the likes of Khaman Maluach, Jayden Quaintance and even Drake Powell,” 247Sports’ Adam Finkelstein said.

The main reason Powell likely doesn’t start is because of RJ, Jackson and Tyson.

Powell is officially listed as a 6’6″ small forward, a spot which Tyson will occupy. He can also play the two spot, but he’ll be hard-pressed for time there behind RJ and Jackson.

If I had to predict Powell’s playing time, he’ll be the backup 3. Powell is more familiar with UNC’s system, though, as he was a recruit long before Tyson.

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Cooper Flagg holds on to top spot in final 247Sports recruiting rankings

Duke signee Cooper Flagg, the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, beat out Rutgers’ Ace Bailey for the top spot in 247Sports’ final 2024 rankings.

247Sports released its final 2024 recruiting class rankings for men’s basketball on Wednesday, and star Duke signee Cooper Flagg maintained his grip on the top spot.

Flagg, heralded as a generational prospect by some, kept the No. 1 ranking for the entire year. He helped lead Montverde Academy to an undefeated season and a national title at Chipotle Nationals as a senior.

“He’s the surest thing in this class,” said Adam Finkelstein, who discussed the 247Sports rankings reveal. “Both at Duke and beyond.”

Rutgers signee Ace Bailey, who finished second in the final rankings, pushed Flagg until the end, however. In an article discussing the rankings, Finkelstein said he thought Flagg had the higher floor but Bailey’s developmental pace is impressive.

“(Flagg)’s going to be a winning and highly versatile two-way player and is one of the early favorites to be a top pick in the 2025 NBA draft,” Finkelstein wrote. “Is he an offensive alpha at the highest level? That’s the part that is still to be determined.”

Finkelstein also flagged Khaman Maluach, another Duke signee who finished as the fourth-ranked player in the class, as someone fans need to be patient with as he progresses.

Cooper Flagg aside, Duke’s remaining 2024 signees all finish in the top 50 of On3’s final rankings

Taking a look at the rest of Duke’s 2024 class in the final rankings.

Cooper Flagg cemented himself as the clear-cut No. 1 prospect in America during his final season in high school, leading Montverde Academy to an undefeated season en route to a national championship. He took home many awards and made multiple statement appearances during high school basketball’s most prestigious postseason all-star games, like the Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic.

However, he’s not the only prospect the Blue Devils are set to bring in this summer. Duke’s 2024 class is pretty historic, even without considering Flagg. In the final On3 rankings, all six Duke signees finished within the top 50 spots.

Khaman Maluach, a projected lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, slots in at ninth in the final rankings. His performance in the Nike Hoop Summit wasn’t spectacular, but his work at NBA Academy Africa and in the Basketball Africa League showcases why he’s considered a potential top-five pick in next year’s draft. The 7-footer has the tools to be a game-changer for Duke next season alongside Flagg.

Kon Knueppel finished at 17th, and his blend of size and skill gave him an easy path to playing time off the bench next season as a steady offensive presence. He can shoot the ball, handle it, and even initiate offense.

Isaiah Evans dominated social media, especially in North Carolina, as he cemented himself as one of the state’s best high school players in state history. His North Mecklenburg high school team won a state championship at North Carolina’s highest classification, and they rode the wave of Evans’s talented shotmaking and fiery competitive spirit to get it done. Evans may be slight physically, but his length, energy, and shotmaking will be valuable to Duke next year. On3 ranked him as the 25th-best prospect in their final rankings.

Patrick Ngongba joined the Blue Devils in November. While his high school season was very short due to an injury that kept him out until March, he showcased a little of his game in the Chipotle Nationals. Getting his conditioning back and back into shape is his biggest hurdle as he gets ready for Duke, but even with his injuries, On3 ranked him as their 35th-best prospect.

Last but certainly not least, Darren Harris clocks in at 43 in the final rankings. The sharpshooting guard raised many eyebrows in his senior season, highlighted by an electric showing at the Chipotle Nationals alongside Ngongba on their Paul VI Catholic team that finished the season ranked second in the country. Harris can shoot the cover off of the ball, and because of that, it’s hard not to see him competing for minutes come November.

Duke’s class has a lot of depth and versatility, and it will be fun seeing all the talented freshmen get on campus and try to acclimate themselves to the college game. Duke may have six freshmen coming in, but it’s hard not to be excited about what they can offer next year’s team.