Winning is contagious, and, apparently, so is recruiting.
The Chronicle has learned that Elton Brand, a 6-foot-8 high school senior from Peekskill, N.Y., will announce that he has verbally committed to the men's basketball team in a 3 p.m. press conference at his high school this afternoon.
Brand is ranked among the top-10 high school seniors in the country by most recruiting services. When reached for comment on Wednesday night, he would not confirm that he had given the Blue Devils a commitment, choosing to wait until today's press conference
"I don't want to say that I've committed because I haven't talked to the other coaches yet," Brand said. "They would be hurt if I told the papers and everyone else, and I didn't tell the other schools yet. I'm going to call them tomorrow during my study hall period."
Brand had narrowed his list of schools to Villanova, Kentucky, Virginia and Duke before making his decision. He made his last official visit last weekend when he toured Villanova, but early this week he decided that Duke was the school for him.
His commitment is the second this week and the third in the last month for the Blue Devils. Brand joins top-25 guard William Avery and top-10 forward Shane Battier as players who have verbally committed to sign a letter of intent with Duke when the early signing period starts Nov. 13.
The Blue Devils are still recruiting Chris Burgess, who made an official visit last weekend and will make his decision on Nov. 18. Burgess is deciding between Duke and BYU.
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