Jon Scheyer is slowly but surely building an enviable class for the 2024 season, netting a 5-star wing in Kon Knueppel – a sharpshooting scorer out of Wisconsin – just this week. Knueppel joins a class that includes Darren Harris a guard out of Virginia. Harris is of the best shooters in the class but has separated himself as a leader after his stellar performance in this summers Peach Jam. Duke has also signed Isaiah Evans, a lanky wing, in the mold of Brandon Ingram, and who may be the most elite scorer in the class.
But in the words of Kobe Bryant, the “jobs not done”. Duke is still working on securing more in this class. With the probable losses of Kyle Filipowski, Tyrese Proctor, Mark Mitchell and Jeremy Roach and with Ryan Young exhausting his eligibility after this season Duke will need to add a fairly large class. The Blue Devils still have offers out to eight prospects in the class but it is likely they will focus primarily on landing 2-3. Coach Scheyer and company have a couple of needs to address particularly in the front court. Duke failed to land a transfer big man going into this season so they will need a couple of additions going into the 2024 season to offset the losses of Ryan Young, Kyle Filipowski and most likely Mark Mitchell. Duke has narrowed the focus on Patrick Ngongba in the center spot and their primary target Cooper Flagg in the small forward spot. Even if the Blue Devils were to land Ngongba, they would still need to address depth most likely in the transfer portal. If they fail to land Ngongba then they may have to look toward the portal for two bigs.
The other offers the Blue Devils have extended are two-guards and wings and with three already signed the likelihood of landing another is slight. The likeliest candidate though would be VJ Edgecombe or Dylan Harper. Harper is a longer shot as the consensus is that he will end up staying home and attending Rutgers but Duke has made his top-5 and as fluid as recruiting is, anything can happen. Edgecombe is more of a mystery after soaring up the rankings over the past few months. Duke has made his top ten and he’ll be visiting Duke October 20 for Countdown to Craziness joining Duke’s other top targets in Cooper Flagg and Patrick Ngongba.
Aside from those possible additions Duke will turn their energy toward the 2025 class where the Blue Devils have extended nine offers so far.
