2024 Men's Basketball Recruiting

[sagegrouse]

You don't really have to wonder. K adapted over and over again. That's why he was able to have so much success for so many seasons across different eras.

I'd say he adapted to changes in the game and the college sports culture better than any other coach in revenue sports.

Yes, it's true, but I think he and Roy both retired because they didn't want to go through yet another upheaval.

[gam7]

I've only seen some extended clips of him from AAU play, more than highlights but not full games... I think he projects more as a 3 than a 4, but he could comfortably play either position depending on team need. Truthfully, there isn't that much difference in the way a 3 and a 4 play in the modern game. Cooper likes to have the ball in his hands and creates fabulously off the dribble. There was a time there was no way a 4 could play that way, but that is very much what Flip did this past year and really describes the way most modern 4s play the sport.

He does need to put on some weight, I think, to guard 4s at the college level, but that shouldn't be too huge an issue.

I haven't watched full games, but did catch portions of a couple of streams of his EYBL games. If you have to put that plant in a pot, he's definitely a 3, but he's very versatile on both ends. Offensively, he sometimes brought the ball up and initiated the offense, sometimes received the ball out on the wing and initiated from there, and sometimes posted up in the mid-post.

Defensively, if he remains a 3, he might end up being the best shot-blocking 3 in the history of the game!

[JasonEvans]

Defensively, if he remains a 3, he might end up being the best shot-blocking 3 in the history of the game!

Julius Erving, who averaged 1.7bpg over his pro career, might have something to say about that.

[GGLC]

I am under the impression that the Udeh ship has sailed as well. Udeh will be a sophomore in college this upcoming season. He has 3 years of college eligibility remaining. I think the offer to Ngongba is a sign that the coaching staff isn't counting on Udeh being an option for 2024-25. Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I think that's what the staff thinks. The timing is convenient for me to draw this conclusion.

Well, that's disappointing. Thanks to both of you for your answers.

[jaywilliams22]

I'm hoping we go after PG Boogie Fland out of Stepinac High School (same as Adrian Griffin Jr. and RJ Davis). Based on seeing both play a ton, I think he'll end up being a better player than Dylan Harper, and will be around in college longer. Would be a great backup to McCain/Foster.

[bshrader]

I'm hoping we go after PG Boogie Fland out of Stepinac High School (same as Adrian Griffin Jr. and RJ Davis). Based on seeing both play a ton, I think he'll end up being a better player than Dylan Harper, and will be around in college longer. Would be a great backup to McCain/Foster.

Fland is a consensus top-15 recruit, I seriously doubt he has his eyes on being a backup to anyone.

[jaywilliams22]

Fland is a consensus top-15 recruit, I seriously doubt he has his eyes on being a backup to anyone.

Do you think McCain and Foster had their eyes on being a backup? Probably not.

[DavidBenAkiva]

I'm hoping we go after PG Boogie Fland out of Stepinac High School (same as Adrian Griffin Jr. and RJ Davis). Based on seeing both play a ton, I think he'll end up being a better player than Dylan Harper, and will be around in college longer. Would be a great backup to McCain/Foster.

While Fland appears to be very talented, I don't see Duke pursuing him at the moment.

First, the primary guard target for 2024 seems to be Dylan Harper. He's not the lead guard that Fland is, but he is a guy that would get the ball in his hands a lot. when you factor in the potential presence of McCain and Foster, then that's a lot of guys that can serve as the primary ball handler on the roster already if everything works out with Harper.

Second, the coaching staff has already offered Meleek Thomas and Cayden Boozer in the Class of 2025. Those are another pair of multi-position guards that can either lead or play off the ball. That's not to say that Fland would overlap too much with those players as he is the most like a pure PG of the group. But it does seem to indicate that the coaching staff is prioritizing these bigger, more versatile guards like Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster, and Dylan Harper.

Who knows? Perhaps Harper goes somewhere else and the staff pivots.

[bshrader]

Do you think McCain and Foster had their eyes on being a backup? Probably not.

Thats more a result of circumstance than intended purpose. And one of them very well may end up starting.

[dukelifer]

I'm hoping we go after PG Boogie Fland out of Stepinac High School (same as Adrian Griffin Jr. and RJ Davis). Based on seeing both play a ton, I think he'll end up being a better player than Dylan Harper, and will be around in college longer. Would be a great backup to McCain/Foster.

Not had much luck with Boogies or Bootsies

[brevity]

According to his twitter account, 6'10" C Patrick Ngongba II of Paul VI in Fairfax, VA has received an offer from Jon Scheyer and the Duke coaching staff.

https://twitter.com/NgongbaPatrick/s...C2yaP9xJYuAAAA

Ngongba is teammates with Class of 2024 commit Darren Harris. They are also teammates on the AAU's Team Takeover. It's clear the Duke coaching staff saw Ngongba a lot and liked what they saw.

Over the weekend in Memphis, Ngonba averaged 18.8 pts on 29-46 FG (63%), 13-16 FT (81%), 11.3 REBS, 2.8 APG, and 1.8 BPG as Team Takeover went 3-0 in the EYBL session. He's a big body with a low-post game, long arms, and can take his jump shot out to the 3-point line.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs4P-QNg0bw/

On3 currently has him ranked as the 8th best center in the class and the 68th prospect overall in the class. I’ve got a feeling he will be moving up the rankings….

He just exploded at the EYBL over Memorial Day weekend. Maybe it was just a short term thing, but if he continues to play like that, he's going to be a top 20 recruit in the class, little question about it. His last 3 games were 18 & 11 with 3 blocks, then 33 and 15 with 5 assists, and he wrapped it up with 16 & 9 with 3 more blocks. He was arguably the best player on the best team in the Memphis EYBL session. That's gonna help your ranking, no doubt about it.

I came across Patrick Ngongba's name a few days before Duke offered and he showed up in this thread. I had to go back and look at the context: he and his cousin Isaiah Abraham (6-foot-7, 195 pounds) are also high school and AAU teammates, and are both in the 2024 class. Each has received a long list of offers that are not identical; there is some overlap, with Kansas State and Pittsburgh early in the process for both of them, and according to On3, they are taking an official visit to Connecticut together June 12-14. Ngongba has taken official visits to Providence and Kansas State, and unofficially visited Virginia, where he saw them play Duke. So far Abraham -- who has not been mentioned previously in this thread, but was brought up in a recent DBR Podcast -- has made an official visit to Marquette.

So, cousins in Connecticut, June 12-14. Package deal, maybe. But then I saw this tweet today.

Joe Tipton @TiptonEdits

2024 four-star big man Patrick Ngongba will take an official visit to Duke June 10-11, he tells me.

One of the biggest stock risers this spring.

9:06 PM · Jun 5, 2023

The timing is interesting. Patrick Ngongba visits Duke just before traveling north. Duke can move quickly on this kind of thing, but they haven't offered Abraham, based on his timeline of offers from 247 Sports. So... split up the pair?

By the way, 247 Sports somehow has a ranking of 2024 top basketball recruits in the state of Virginia, and the top 5 looks insanely familiar.

1. Darren Harris (6'6" SF), St. Paul VI (Fairfax) -- committed to Duke
2. Isaiah Abraham (6'7" SF), St. Paul VI (Fairfax)
3. Garrett Sundra (6'10" PF), St. Paul VI (Fairfax)
4. Patrick Ngongba (6'10" C), St. Paul VI (Fairfax) -- offered by Duke
5. Eli DeLaurier (6'9" C), Miller School (Charlottesville)

A Duke commit, a Duke offer, two of their teammates, and, yes, Javin DeLaurier's little brother. (Eli is mentioned in Javin's Duke bio.)

[JasonEvans]

I came across Patrick Ngongba's name a few days before Duke offered and he showed up in this thread. I had to go back and look at the context: he and his cousin Isaiah Abraham (6-foot-7, 195 pounds) are also high school and AAU teammates, and are both in the 2024 class. Each has received a long list of offers that are not identical; there is some overlap, with Kansas State and Pittsburgh early in the process for both of them, and according to On3, they are taking an official visit to Connecticut together June 12-14. Ngongba has taken official visits to Providence and Kansas State, and unofficially visited Virginia, where he saw them play Duke. So far Abraham -- who has not been mentioned previously in this thread, but was brought up in a recent DBR Podcast -- has made an official visit to Marquette.

So, cousins in Connecticut, June 12-14. Package deal, maybe. But then I saw this tweet today.

The timing is interesting. Patrick Ngongba visits Duke just before traveling north. Duke can move quickly on this kind of thing, but they haven't offered Abraham, based on his timeline of offers from 247 Sports. So... split up the pair?

By the way, 247 Sports somehow has a ranking of 2024 top basketball recruits in the state of Virginia, and the top 5 looks insanely familiar.

1. Darren Harris (6'6" SF), St. Paul VI (Fairfax) -- committed to Duke
2. Isaiah Abraham (6'7" SF), St. Paul VI (Fairfax)
3. Garrett Sundra (6'10" PF), St. Paul VI (Fairfax)
4. Patrick Ngongba (6'10" C), St. Paul VI (Fairfax) -- offered by Duke
5. Eli DeLaurier (6'9" C), Miller School (Charlottesville)

A Duke commit, a Duke offer, two of their teammates, and, yes, Javin DeLaurier's little brother. (Eli is mentioned in Javin's Duke bio.)

I think I mentioned it on the podcast, but SF Isaiah Abraham may not make a lot of sense for Duke given that we already have the much higher rated Isaiah Evans committed from that same class and there is a pretty decent possibility that we will have soph or junior wings still on the team. Just feels like it might be a crowded situation for Abraham (and Duke continues to be very involved with Dylan Harper, who would further eat up wing minutes).

I could be wrong, but I suspect Duke is only going after Ngongba and not Abraham.

Very excited about his weekend visit. He would be an excellent addition to the 2024 class as we almost certainly need a big man from that class.

-Jason "Eli DeLaurier is down to Mississippi State, Texas A&M, and Virginia Tech as his final 3 schools. He likes A&M because his big bro says Henry Coleman has had a good experience there" Evans

[DavidBenAkiva]

Things progressed with Ngongba in a hurry, didn't they?

Here are recent highlights of Ngonba and Team Takeover from late May. Ngongba scored 16 points on a variety of post moves and a couple of jumpers, including a 3-pointers. He also grabbed 9 rebounds and had 3 blocks. Paul VI and Team Takeover teammate Darren Harris made an appearance in this clip, too.

[tommy]

By the way, 247 Sports somehow has a ranking of 2024 top basketball recruits in the state of Virginia, and the top 5 looks insanely familiar.

1. Darren Harris (6'6" SF), St. Paul VI (Fairfax) -- committed to Duke
2. Isaiah Abraham (6'7" SF), St. Paul VI (Fairfax)
3. Garrett Sundra (6'10" PF), St. Paul VI (Fairfax)
4. Patrick Ngongba (6'10" C), St. Paul VI (Fairfax) -- offered by Duke
5. Eli DeLaurier (6'9" C), Miller School (Charlottesville)

A Duke commit, a Duke offer, two of their teammates, and, yes, Javin DeLaurier's little brother. (Eli is mentioned in Javin's Duke bio.)

So Paul VI has the FOUR best players in the state all on one team? That's pretty insane. If they don't win the state championship next year, there oughta be an investigation . . .

[KKDL19]

Patrick Ngongba- visits Duke this weekend. That's a quick turn around from an offer to a visit. Any thoughts on this?

[superdave]

Patrick Ngongba- visits Duke this weekend. That's a quick turn around from an offer to a visit. Any thoughts on this?

Things that are a good fit tend to move quickly.

[budwom]

Evidently he got himself in much better shape this season, dropped 30 lbs, so there are reasons he's been something of a late bloomer.

[KKDL19]

he would be an ideal 5 with Reeves. Would allow Stewart to play more as a 4 and switch as a defender.

[rsvman]

Some Crystal Ball movement on Harper now, with some saying Rutgers is in the pole position.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Some Crystal Ball movement on Harper now, with some saying Rutgers is in the pole position.

Which crystal balls? I don't see anything on the 247 site. 247 has coined the term "crystal ball." I'm not as familiar with the Rivals and On3 predicitons.