2017 Basketball Recruiting Thread

[lotusland]

Jahlil Okafor.

Okafor is 3rd generation American per Wikipedia.

[lotusland]

Gbinije?

Correct. Gbinije is 2nd generation Nigerian American per Wikipedia.

[4Gen]

So Duke has offered 6'10" forward Deng Gak.

"After swatting away Seventh Woods' feeble floater, the crazies erupt with 'You're Gakked'"

I like the sound of it.

[PalmettoExpat]

Paul Biancardi @PaulBiancardi
Recruiting update! D.J Harvey tells ESPN that he has officially cut his list to 9 schools.Duke,Ville,Maryland ND, OU,Texas UCLA,UConn & Nova

One of the top SGs in 2017 class we're recruiting.

[Skitzle]

With 2016 in the bag can anyone give us a quick rundown of 2017?

Top Targets?

How accurate is this list?

http://duke.247sports.com/Season/201...etball/Targets

[Henderson]

6'5" PG Troy Brown was more on the public radar before, but I sense his interest in Duke has cooled. Same with Michael Porter. Any word?

[DavidBenAkiva]

With 2016 in the bag can anyone give us a quick rundown of 2017?

Top Targets?

How accurate is this list?

http://duke.247sports.com/Season/201...etball/Targets

I don't have any insider information, but my understanding of the priorities include:

Top Targets:
Wendell Carter (PF), Kevin Knox (SF), and Gary Trent, Jr. (SG)

Other Priorities:
Mohamed Bamba (PF), Hamadou Diallo (SG), Deng Gak (PF/C), and Tremont Waters (PG)

Other Offers:
DeAndre Ayton (PF/C), Troy Brown (PG), D.J. Harvey (SG), Michael Porter (SF), and Trae Young (PG)

That includes guys that we have offered and my own judgement of top vs. other priorities. If I had to guess, with Bolden committed, I don't think both of Bamba and Carter commit. Carter seems to love Duke and so does his buddy Trent, Jr. Knox is also a top priority as we will need a wing to replace Tatum. I would also say a true point guard is a top priority, so someone like Waters is almost a must-get. I don't see Duke getting any of the other guys, but we seem to have a real shot with Diallo and Gak. I do wonder if Diallo and Trent, Jr. are mutually exclusive, like if we get Diallo, we would go hard at Bamba at the expense of Cater and Trent, Jr. I have no idea if that's the case, but it's my best guess at the moment.

And in case you thought that was a lot of guys, we are slated to lose Jefferson and Jones, Allen (most likely), and probably Tatum and Giles from the 2016-17 team. There will be a need to get 5 or more guys. Obi might also graduate after next season, freeing up another scholarship. It should be another talent-laden freshman class headed to Duke.

[ChillinDuke]

I don't have any insider information, but my understanding of the priorities include:

Top Targets:
Wendell Carter (PF), Kevin Knox (SF), and Gary Trent, Jr. (SG)

Other Priorities:
Mohamed Bamba (PF), Hamadou Diallo (SG), Deng Gak (PF/C), and Tremont Waters (PG)

Other Offers:
DeAndre Ayton (PF/C), Troy Brown (PG), D.J. Harvey (SG), Michael Porter (SF), and Trae Young (PG)

That includes guys that we have offered and my own judgement of top vs. other priorities. If I had to guess, with Bolden committed, I don't think both of Bamba and Carter commit. Carter seems to love Duke and so does his buddy Trent, Jr. Knox is also a top priority as we will need a wing to replace Tatum. I would also say a true point guard is a top priority, so someone like Waters is almost a must-get. I don't see Duke getting any of the other guys, but we seem to have a real shot with Diallo and Gak. I do wonder if Diallo and Trent, Jr. are mutually exclusive, like if we get Diallo, we would go hard at Bamba at the expense of Cater and Trent, Jr. I have no idea if that's the case, but it's my best guess at the moment.

And in case you thought that was a lot of guys, we are slated to lose Jefferson and Jones, Allen (most likely), and probably Tatum and Giles from the 2016-17 team. There will be a need to get 5 or more guys. Obi might also graduate after next season, freeing up another scholarship. It should be another talent-laden freshman class headed to Duke.

Nice synopsis. Thanks.

I tend to agree - although I'm just now starting to shift my focus to 2017, so I'm not as familiar. Carter and Trent have felt smooth and Duke-ish thus far. I've heard comparatively less about Knox and the other guys.

My early money would be on Carter and Trent Jr. I wouldn't be surprised to see Waters as well.

The rest of them, I just don't know.

- Chillin

[PalmettoExpat]

I don't have any insider information, but my understanding of the priorities include:

Top Targets:
Wendell Carter (PF), Kevin Knox (SF), and Gary Trent, Jr. (SG)

Other Priorities:
Mohamed Bamba (PF), Hamadou Diallo (SG), Deng Gak (PF/C), and Tremont Waters (PG)

Other Offers:
DeAndre Ayton (PF/C), Troy Brown (PG), D.J. Harvey (SG), Michael Porter (SF), and Trae Young (PG)

That includes guys that we have offered and my own judgement of top vs. other priorities. If I had to guess, with Bolden committed, I don't think both of Bamba and Carter commit. Carter seems to love Duke and so does his buddy Trent, Jr. Knox is also a top priority as we will need a wing to replace Tatum. I would also say a true point guard is a top priority, so someone like Waters is almost a must-get. I don't see Duke getting any of the other guys, but we seem to have a real shot with Diallo and Gak. I do wonder if Diallo and Trent, Jr. are mutually exclusive, like if we get Diallo, we would go hard at Bamba at the expense of Cater and Trent, Jr. I have no idea if that's the case, but it's my best guess at the moment.

And in case you thought that was a lot of guys, we are slated to lose Jefferson and Jones, Allen (most likely), and probably Tatum and Giles from the 2016-17 team. There will be a need to get 5 or more guys. Obi might also graduate after next season, freeing up another scholarship. It should be another talent-laden freshman class headed to Duke.

Agree with almost everything here, but would put Bamba in the "Top Targets" category.

Gary Trent is from Apple Valley - home of the Jones brothers. Can't hurt our chances.

As far as I understand it, Gary and Wendell Carter are pursuing a "package deal" in the Okafor/Jones or Tatum/Giles vein. Gary discusses it here in his USA Today blog "Trent's Truth": http://usatodayhss.com/2016/the-gary...tball-and-more

Trent: "Of course my man Wendell (Carter) was down in VA and, yes, our package deal is still a go. It’s still 100 percent."

Trent/Carter also seem to be good friends with Kevin Knox. So that works out well. Kevin's latest USA Today blog talked about his visit with Coach Capel. See here: http://usatodayhss.com/2016/the-kevi...national-title

Knox: "I checked on Coach K too because he had a procedure so that was cool too. I had an in-home visit with Duke last week and it was definitely a 10 out of 10. Coach K couldn’t make it because he said he didn’t want to be hopping around on crutches the whole time, but I had a great talk with Coach Capel. We ordered pizza and just sat and talked. He went over everything with me. He talked about how much freedom I would have there and even compared me to Brandon Ingram and the situation he was in. He talked to me about some of the other players they were looking to get and a lot of different stuff. Coach K texted me the next day asking me how much I liked the visit and apologized for not being able to make it. It was a great visit."

Adam Rowe reported that Carter and Mo Bamba also would like to play together (see that here:https://twitter.com/BlueDevilLair/st...87402693545984.)

Question: "@BlueDevilLair Is Duke the favorite for landing Mohamed Bamba? Could Wendell Carter's interest in Duke affect that?"
Rowe: "Only in a positive way. They want to play together."

So...that group of four would be pretty great, and we're the favorites for all of them at this point.

Seems like Tremont is the PG leading candidate, and we're so far 100% favored for Deng Gak (Bamba's EYBL teammate) in the 247 Crystal Ball (for whatever stock you put in that).

Hamidou Diallo plays for the Rens on the EYBL circuit this summer. The Rens are coached by Coach K's nephew, Andy Borman, but I know UK is going hard at Diallo (hence the fish & rod controversy / subtweeting as of late... see here: http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebaske...-john-calipari)
If we're landing Trent, it could complicate matters w/Diallo, but who knows.

Finally, DJ Harvey, another top shooting guard for the class, recently cut his list to 9 schools, with Duke in the running (see my post up-board). Arizona was considered the favorite to land Harvey, but his list of 9 doesn't include Zona. Not sure what went wrong there for Sean Miller. On 247, Duke was the only other school receiving insider votes to land Harvey, so now that Zona's cut...maybe we're taking on a more frontrunner status with him? Who knows.

A class of Bamba, Knox, Carter, Trent, Waters, Gak, and perhaps Harvey/Diallo would be insane. And we're in good position to do it.

[gocanes0506]

A class of Bamba, Knox, Carter, Trent, Waters, Gak, and perhaps Harvey/Diallo would be insane. And we're in good position to do it.

Serious mass exodus after this season to 6-7.

Giles, Tatum, Amile, Jones + 2 to 3 more. Huge roster turnover. Could happen though.

[wilson]

Try not to confuse DENG GAK with GORJAK GAK.Gorjak has recently committed to Florida while Deng is in the early stages of his recruitment.

I enjoyed their early-'90s Nickelodeon-branded molding substance.
51pCCZ0a-GL._SY355_.jpg

[DavidBenAkiva]

One early Duke offer, Michael Porter, Jr., announced his top 5:

Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzelo)

Elite 2017 Michael Porter announced his top five: Missouri, Washington, Indiana, Virginia and Oklahoma.

(Think there's a clear top one.)

That top one Borzello alluded to is none other than Washington, who recently hired Michael Porter, Sr.

With Porter moving on from Duke, that also likely means top point guard prospect and friend Trae Young is out of the mix, too. None of this is particularly surprising, other than the part about UW hiring the kid's father. I mean, how is that legal or even ethical?

[SilkyJ]

One early Duke offer, Michael Porter, Jr., announced his top 5:



That top one Borzello alluded to is none other than Washington, who recently hired Michael Porter, Sr.

With Porter moving on from Duke, that also likely means top point guard prospect and friend Trae Young is out of the mix, too. None of this is particularly surprising, other than the part about UW hiring the kid's father. I mean, how is that legal or even ethical?

Seriously? This has been going on for decades and is totally in-bounds. Many don't love it, but it happens frequently. Larry Brown's hiring of Danny Manning's father, Ed, is one of the often touted legacy examples.

Sometimes HS coaches, AAU coaches, or other mentor figures are hired as ways to increase the chance of landing a top prospect. Here's a NYTimes article on the subject, which also mentions Danny/Ed Manning. It also points out that its totally within NCAA rules, and it doesn't always work:

It is, however, perfectly legal under N.C.A.A. regulations.

The practice has raised the eyebrows of those who contend it is a backdoor way to secure the services of a potential recruit. In 2008, Baylor hired Dwon Clifton, the Amateur Athletic Union coach of the nation’s No. 1-ranked player, John Wall, in an effort to lure Wall to the university. Clifton’s stay lasted only 23 months; Wall committed to play for Kentucky.

[Skitzle]

One early Duke offer, Michael Porter, Jr., announced his top 5:



That top one Borzello alluded to is none other than Washington, who recently hired Michael Porter, Sr.

With Porter moving on from Duke, that also likely means top point guard prospect and friend Trae Young is out of the mix, too. None of this is particularly surprising, other than the part about UW hiring the kid's father. I mean, how is that legal or even ethical?

Really strange top 5 for a top 5 recruit no? No Kansas Duke or uk

[Saratoga2]

Serious mass exodus after this season to 6-7.

Giles, Tatum, Amile, Jones + 2 to 3 more. Huge roster turnover. Could happen though.

It might be wise to consider who will remain and what impact those players will have on the decision making of incoming recruits.

I would expect for big men that we would have a significantly improved Jeter and Bolden with Vrank still in the wings.

At guard, only Kennard and Jackson are likely to be here, unless White can play shooting guard.

At small forward Delaurier, White and Robinson are possibilities.

Clearly we will need at least one PG and probably on shooting guard.
We will also need at least one SF
We will also need at least one PF/C

Chances are we will want to pick up 5 new recruits so if we go for a package deal with a big and a shooting guard that leaves us looking for a PG, a SF and one other. It would be reasonable to have sufficient depth to accept the inevitable injury bug.

[BD80]

One early Duke offer, Michael Porter, Jr., announced his top 5:



That top one Borzello alluded to is none other than Washington, who recently hired Michael Porter, Sr.

With Porter moving on from Duke, that also likely means top point guard prospect and friend Trae Young is out of the mix, too. None of this is particularly surprising, other than the part about UW hiring the kid's father. I mean, how is that legal or even ethical?

It's over. What has happened to Duke recruiting? I remember when we would get every recruit we wanted.

FWIW: Porter would have averaged 36.369 mpg at Duke

[flyingdutchdevil]

It's over. What has happened to Duke recruiting? I remember when we would get every recruit we wanted.

FWIW: Porter would have averaged 36.369 mpg at Duke

I think we need to replace Jeff Capel. He's really a detriment to this program...

[ChillinDuke]

Really strange top 5 for a top 5 recruit no? No Kansas Duke or uk

Strange, indeed.

Stranger still when you note that the five schools are all from different conferences: SEC, PAC-12, B1G, ACC, and Big XII.

I imagine that happens somewhat organically when a kid is choosing between (for example): Duke, KU, UK, Zona, and [insert hometown underdog here]. But I do find it interesting that Porter's final list has both (1) 5 different conferences and (2) schools that are arguably not the blue blood in those respective conferences (Indiana perhaps historically, but not recently).

- Chillin

[Billy Dat]

I think we need to replace Jeff Capel. He's really a detriment to this program...

I agree

https://shar.es/1dlKYM

"I think the coolest part about the whole process is getting to know the coaches on a more normal level; like I had a talk recently with Coach Capel at Duke about what we both thought about Views From the 6. We both thought that Drake sung a little too much in the album, but thought it was pretty solid."

-W. Gabriel

[NSDukeFan]

I agree

https://shar.es/1dlKYM

"I think the coolest part about the whole process is getting to know the coaches on a more normal level; like I had a talk recently with Coach Capel at Duke about what we both thought about Views From the 6. We both thought that Drake sung a little too much in the album, but thought it was pretty solid."

-W. Gabriel

And see? He went to UK. If Coach Capel would have mentioned Mumford and Sons, Gabriel would have come to Duke. He's gotta go. (;