We'll start this week's roundup with a look at a pair of visits by the Blue Devils' coaching staff to prospects in the Class of 2017.
Duke's contingent visited five-star guard Gary Trent Jr. Tuesday in hopes of working their way to an eventual commitment from the high school senior. Trent is the No. 8 prospect in the 2017 ESPN 100 and holds tremendous value to programs around the nation due to his connection with the No. 3 overall prospect Wendell Carter. Trent and Carter have stated their interest in choosing a program as a package deal, and the Blue Devils are expected to land both highly-touted recruits.
Trent took to Twitter to highlight his visit with Duke's coaching staff this week.
Great in home visit
— GARY TRENT JR (@THAT_KID_GARY) September 28, 2016
with coach k
and the
Duke staff #BlueDevils #HereComesDuke pic.twitter.com/NXMnuBSimy
The Blue Devils also completed a visit with big man Mohamed Bamba Sept. 20 and are currently favored by 247Sports' Crystal Ball to land the five-star recruit.
Moving ahead to the class of 2018, Duke's four coaches took a trip to Spartanburg, S.C., to visit high school junior Zion Williamson. The 6-foot-7 power forward is the third-ranked player in the 2018 ESPN 60 and holds offers from numerous traditional powerhouses, including North Carolina and Kentucky as well as the Blue Devils.
Thanks for coach K and Duke basketball for coming to visit pic.twitter.com/4PJD39Lp2L
— Zion Williamson (@ZionW32) September 23, 2016
Duke met with another top Class of 2018 target, five-star recruit Cameron Reddish, last Tuesday. The swingman picked up an offer from the Blue Devils near the end of April and has the kind of athleticism that makes him a coveted prospect around the nation.
The Blue Devils also met with Class of 2018 point guard Tre Jones, the younger brother of former Duke point guard Tyus Jones, Scout.com's Ryan James reported.
Duke's full staff was at Apple Valley tonight to see 2018 Tre Jones. Coach K, Coach Scheyer, Coach Capel, & Coach James pic.twitter.com/F7kleIjV2r
— Ryan James (@RyanJamesMN) September 27, 2016
Jones is not ranked in ESPN's top 60 in his class, but the four-star recruit has already received an offer from the Blue Devils. When head coach Mike Krzyzewski and company were in Minnesota, they visited Tre's older brother and watched Tyus practice with the Timberwolves Wednesday.
Although work remains to be done in the Class of 2017, Duke's effort to lay the groundwork for future classes could be pivotal down the line.
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