It's usually nothing but good news these days on the recruiting trail for the program that has had three straight top-ranked recruiting classes, but one of the best point guards in the Class of 2017 decided Duke was not for him.
Five-star point guard Trae Young announced his top six schools Wednesday night, officially eliminating the Blue Devils from consideration after Kentucky, Oklahoma and Washington recently emerged as the favorites for the Norman, Okla., native.
My Final 6 Schools #Blessed pic.twitter.com/1NMKxCHUfH
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) July 28, 2016
Young shared MVP honors at the Peach Jam earlier this month with AAU teammate Michael Porter, the No. 4 player in the Class of 2017 who recently committed to Washington to play for his father, an assistant coach, and godfather, head coach Lorenzo Romar. A 6-foot-2 sharpshooter, Young is the No. 21 player in the country according to ESPN and the class' second-best point guard.
He was one of three 2017 point guards Duke was recruiting, alongside five-star prospect Quade Green and four-star guard Tremont Waters. Green recently cut his list to 13 and included the Blue Devils after receiving an offer from head coach Mike Krzyzewski during his June visit.
Top13 pic.twitter.com/mHZnyp5eXB
— LiL AI (@Q_Green1) July 24, 2016
Analysts from 247sports think Green will eventually end up in Durham and Waters will pick Connecticut. Although Duke is in the mix for several top Class of 2017 players at every position, locking down a point guard will likely be a top priority for Krzyzewski and his assistant coaches, who don't have a traditional point guard on their current roster.
Four-star small forward Troy Brown also cut Duke from consideration when he narrowed his list to eight schools Thursday.
I would like to thank all the schools that have taken time to recruit me but I will officially cut my list to 8 pic.twitter.com/MNMeuJW4kN
— TroyBrownJr (@Troy_Brown33) July 28, 2016
Brown was the first player Duke offered a scholarship to in the Class of 2017 nearly two years ago in August 2014.
Four-star wing D.J. Harvey joined Green, Young and Brown in making cuts to his list recently, including Duke in his top 10.
Top 10 #blessed pic.twitter.com/Sp2oCrvI6N
— DJ Harvey (@TheRealDJHarvey) July 24, 2016
Analysts from 247sports think Harvey will eventually end up at Arizona, with the Blue Devils favored to land five-star shooting guard Gary Trent and five-star swingman Kevin Knox.
Keep up with the Blue Zone for more recruiting updates as more 2017 stars get closer to finalizing their college choices.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.