Duke Recruiting: Another #1 Class On The Way?

Over at CBS Sports, the basketball guys look at recruiting around the country and come up with some conclusions. They’re admittedly based on projections and expectations, but the upshot is this: Missouri has the best 2024 class in the country currently, but Duke will surpass them at some point soon - at least according to Gary Parrish. Cameron Salerno concurs. The projection?

That Cooper Flagg ends up in a Duke uniform. Our standard advice: don’t get too wound up until he (anyone, really) commits. There’s just no point.

Missouri got a commitment from Annor Boateng last week which helps the Tigers a lot. Dennis Gates is only in his second year, but he’s off to a great start. Missouri’s problem now, somewhat like Duke’s situation with football coach Mike Elko, is that people are going to be coming after Gates in a big way.

Kyle Boone puts his chips on UNC, suggesting that Boogie Fland could push them over the top. However, Fland says he’s probably going to choose either Indiana, Kentucky or Alabama, so if UNC gets another major recruit, it probably won’t be him.

Rutgers is David Cobb’s choice. Dylan Harper is likely to pick Rutgers or Duke - he has a lot of family pressure to go with Rutgers - but either way, Steve Pikiel has a good thing going with the Scarlet Knights.

As much fun as recruiting is, all you need for perspective is to pick a random year - let’s say 1995 - then get in the WayBack Machine and see which McDonald’s All-Americans you’ve completely forgotten about.

In the case of ‘95, if you remember Sam Okey, Louis Bullock, Randell Jackson, Luther Clay or Albert White, you have a better memory than we do. You probably remember Taymon Domzalski, who committed to Duke, but like many of the others, he never made it to the NBA.

What matters in other words is not what you were rated when you arrived. What matters is how you are rated when you leave.