We are nearly halfway through the ACC schedule of Coach K’s last season, but Duke men's basketball has many years to look forward to, starting with next season and its marquee recruiting class. Let's take a look at the recent news regarding the two next recruiting classes, as the Blue Zone breaks down the latest rankings and more:
Members of Duke’s No.1 2022 recruiting class move up in latest Top247 Rankings
Dereck Lively II maintained his No.1-overall ranking and Mark Mitchell maintained his No. 10 ranking, while Dariq Whitehead and Jaden Shutt’s dropped to No. 4 and No. 66, respectively. Center Christian Reeves stayed unranked, but his rating creeped up from 85 to 87. Most notably, center Kyle Filipowski, the first recruit to commit to Duke under Scheyer, shot from No. 11 to No. 2, right behind future teammate Lively.
Both Lively and Filipowski have perfect 100 ratings and should be a formidable frontcourt duo next fall. They are also the first Duke commit duo to hold the top two spots since Dec. 2017 when Cam Reddish and RJ Barrett had that honor. With these new rankings, the Blue Devils now have three of the top-four 2022 recruits after already having the top recruiting class in the nation, an impressive feat for head coach-in-waiting Jon Scheyer’s inaugural class at the helm.
Meanwhile, in the Class of 2023, which is also currently ranked No.1, commits Caleb Foster and Sean Stewart maintain their respective rankings of No. 12 and No. 25. Foster could potentially join the Blue Devils sooner, however, as he is considering reclassifying to the Class of 2022, which would add an elite point guard to the already stacked class arriving next fall.
In his short time leading recruiting efforts in preparation to take over as head coach next season, Scheyer continues to prove himself as an elite recruiter and hopefully set himself up for success right away. He will have top-tier talent to work with and has proven his ability to step up as head coach in the games he has had to substitute for his legendary predecessor, current head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Duke commits perform well in the Hoophall Classic
Several Duke commits and their teams impressed in the recent Hoophall Classic at Blake Arena in Springfield, Mass., over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. Lively had a stand-out performance for Westtown School against Vertical Academy of Charlotte, NC with 22 points and 20 rebounds, while Filipowski finished the weekend with 28 points and 10 rebounds for Wilbraham & Monson Academy. Rounding out Duke recruits’ double-doubles at the event, Mark Mitchell scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds with Sunrise Christian Academy.
Dariq Whitehead and Montverde Academy also competed at the classic, along with Christian Reeves and Caleb Foster, both from Oak Hill Academy. All of these Duke commits performed well on one of the most prominent high school basketball stages and will look to lead their teams on GEICO Nationals runs at the end of the season.
As the Blue Devils’ large recruiting class continues to have stellar high school seasons and dominate recruiting rankings, the future under Scheyer looks bright as he and his teams will work to maintain Duke’s status as one of the best college basketball programs and a top destination for elite recruits.
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