2020 Duke men's basketball recruiting

[SkyBrickey]

A top 30 recruit at every position? The perfect foundation for the future IMO with high quality talent giving us multiple years of enjoyment as fans.

[SkyBrickey]

I should clarify. It’s a bit like this year where a few will be OAD but it should still result in a lot of returning talent. Still hoping to see 2 of this year’s freshmen back for next year.

Layer in Hurt and Moore/Stanley, along with Baker, JGold and AOC, and we would be absolutely loaded next year.

[Troublemaker]

Rod Johnson did not share a reason for his son’s return. He said the family has not decided if it will attempt to gain eligibility for Jalen to play for Nicolet this season.

According to the WIAA’s transfer rule, Johnson will need a waiver to compete.

Johnson’s brother, Kobe, remained at Nicolet and entering play Friday shared the team’s scoring lead with 20.1 points per game. The Knights were 8-3 overall with a 6-2 mark in the North Shore that left them one game out of first place.

Johnson was the Associated Press state player of the year last season. He averaged 19.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game for the Knights. Seven times he recorded triple-doubles. He averaged 18 points, 15.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in two state tournament games and finished the year with 20 points, 20 rebounds and four assists in a 67-54 victory over Milwaukee Washington in the state final.

——————-

Nicolet’s first game, following semester exams is January 31st.

Let's hope he chooses to play and is granted whatever waiver is needed for that to happen.

We don't need for Jalen to come in rusty next season. The adjustment to college basketball is a big enough hurdle already.

[DavidBenAkiva]

I should clarify. It’s a bit like this year where a few will be OAD but it should still result in a lot of returning talent. Still hoping to see 2 of this year’s freshmen back for next year.

Layer in Hurt and Moore/Stanley, along with Baker, JGold and AOC, and we would be absolutely loaded next year.

At this point, I am pretty confident that Wendell Moore will be a sophomore at Duke next season. And that is great news to me. I think he has All-ACC or ultimate Glue Guy potential. He could really pop if he starts shooting the ball more often from 3. If you cut out the first 4 or 5 games from Moore, the numbers are very encouraging. He cut down on the turnovers. He was more efficient scoring the ball. I love the idea of having Moore out there with Jalen Johnson and Jaemyn Brakefield because you can switch every screen with those guys 2 through 4.

I am less sure that Stanley or Hurt will be sophomores at Duke next season. I think Stanely's stock isn't going to get much higher. We know that he can jump out of the gym and his shot looks pretty good. He is a willing and able defender. His handle could be better. He projects as a 3-and-D in the NBA. That probably isn't going to change for him after 2 or 3 years.

Hurt, on the other hand, has immense potential that he has not been able to consistently display. He's an ideal NBA stretch 4 or a floor spacing 3. But he needs to be able to show that he can guard other wings as well as mix it up in the paint against players his height. It's all about gaining strength for him, which will allow him to unlock his potential to play around the rim. With his scoring ability, he could be a contender for 1st team All-American as a sophomore and a potential lottery pick in the NBA. On the other hand, Hurt is shooting better than 83% from the FT line and 50% from 3. The shooting is real. And it's not like NBA teams lack for weight rooms. Hurt could hire a personal trainer to add the muscle he needs. A wing that can shoot the ball is hugely valuable in the NBA. It's why Cam Johnson was a lottery pick last year as a one-dimensional player that was 23 years old on draft day. I can hardly think of an NBA team that couldn't use Hurt's shooting.

My guess right now is that Moore will be back next year and I am stoked about that. Having Goldwire, AOC, Baker, and Moore provides an awesome foundation. If Hurt does return after hearing back from NBA scouts, than I think Duke is a title favorite next season. Hurt's ability to stretch the floor opens up so many driving lanes for Jalen Johnson and Jeremy Roach. And it relieves the pressure on the other freshman.

PG: Roach, Goldwire
SG: Moore, Steward
SF: Johnson, Baker, AOC
PF: Hurt, Brakefield, Coleman
C: Williams

It wouldn't surprise me to see Steward be the 6th man on that team with 2 guards and Moore, Johnson, and Hurt in the frontcourt. There are so many lineup combinations there that could be fun and high quality depth like we have seen this year.

Without Hurt, I think we see Steward start with Johnson moving over to PF. He's going to be a matchup nightmare at either the 3 or the 4, but I do think his best position in college is the 4 with his ability to handle and attack off the dribble. Brakefield is also a matchup nightmare and it opens up more time for Baker to play. That would be a good team but I am not sure it would be a top 3 team in the preseason.

[Saratoga2]

At this point, I am pretty confident that Wendell Moore will be a sophomore at Duke next season. And that is great news to me. I think he has All-ACC or ultimate Glue Guy potential. He could really pop if he starts shooting the ball more often from 3. If you cut out the first 4 or 5 games from Moore, the numbers are very encouraging. He cut down on the turnovers. He was more efficient scoring the ball. I love the idea of having Moore out there with Jalen Johnson and Jaemyn Brakefield because you can switch every screen with those guys 2 through 4.

I am less sure that Stanley or Hurt will be sophomores at Duke next season. I think Stanely's stock isn't going to get much higher. We know that he can jump out of the gym and his shot looks pretty good. He is a willing and able defender. His handle could be better. He projects as a 3-and-D in the NBA. That probably isn't going to change for him after 2 or 3 years.

Hurt, on the other hand, has immense potential that he has not been able to consistently display. He's an ideal NBA stretch 4 or a floor spacing 3. But he needs to be able to show that he can guard other wings as well as mix it up in the paint against players his height. It's all about gaining strength for him, which will allow him to unlock his potential to play around the rim. With his scoring ability, he could be a contender for 1st team All-American as a sophomore and a potential lottery pick in the NBA. On the other hand, Hurt is shooting better than 83% from the FT line and 50% from 3. The shooting is real. And it's not like NBA teams lack for weight rooms. Hurt could hire a personal trainer to add the muscle he needs. A wing that can shoot the ball is hugely valuable in the NBA. It's why Cam Johnson was a lottery pick last year as a one-dimensional player that was 23 years old on draft day. I can hardly think of an NBA team that couldn't use Hurt's shooting.

My guess right now is that Moore will be back next year and I am stoked about that. Having Goldwire, AOC, Baker, and Moore provides an awesome foundation. If Hurt does return after hearing back from NBA scouts, than I think Duke is a title favorite next season. Hurt's ability to stretch the floor opens up so many driving lanes for Jalen Johnson and Jeremy Roach. And it relieves the pressure on the other freshman.

PG: Roach, Goldwire
SG: Moore, Steward
SF: Johnson, Baker, AOC
PF: Hurt, Brakefield, Coleman
C: Williams

It wouldn't surprise me to see Steward be the 6th man on that team with 2 guards and Moore, Johnson, and Hurt in the frontcourt. There are so many lineup combinations there that could be fun and high quality depth like we have seen this year.

Without Hurt, I think we see Steward start with Johnson moving over to PF. He's going to be a matchup nightmare at either the 3 or the 4, but I do think his best position in college is the 4 with his ability to handle and attack off the dribble. Brakefield is also a matchup nightmare and it opens up more time for Baker to play. That would be a good team but I am not sure it would be a top 3 team in the preseason.

Would like to see the addition of one more big man., especially if Hurt goes. a foul prone Williams, or an injury could leave us without enough inside presence

[jimsumner]

Would like to see the addition of one more big man., especially if Hurt goes. a foul prone Williams, or an injury could leave us without enough inside presence

For the fifth year in a row I'm predicting a grad-student transfer.

Hey, a blind squirrel and all that.

[UrinalCake]

During the Miami game Vitale was pretty vocal in his belief that Hurt is not a OAD player, and that he will be a “star” in college. Obviously Vitale doesn’t know anything for sure and he could be wrong. But having Hurt back next year would be amazing. I do wonder if it would affect the commitments of any of our current incoming players, similar to how Tre returning caused Boogie Ellis to look elsewhere. Not trying to start any rumors, just stating an understanding of how things work for these kids.

Agree that a backup 5 feels kind of important. Maybe Hurt could play some 5 in a small lineup, assuming he’s gained some strength. Talk about a matchup nightmare. That would give us a true 5-out offense with plenty of space and driving lanes for our versatile guards/wings. But regardless, we’ll have plenty of great pieces to work with next season.

[Pghdukie]

I have an inkling to agree with Jim Sumner on this one. Obviously not a 20-25 mpg big, but 5-10 minute player. I dont think Duke will find a grad transfer to just practice and ride the pine. Even a transfer with 2 -3 yrs of eligibility left might not be out of the equation.

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

During the Miami game Vitale was pretty vocal in his belief that Hurt is not a OAD player, and that he will be a “star” in college. Obviously Vitale doesn’t know anything for sure and he could be wrong. But having Hurt back next year would be amazing. I do wonder if it would affect the commitments of any of our current incoming players, similar to how Tre returning caused Boogie Ellis to look elsewhere. Not trying to start any rumors, just stating an understanding of how things work for these kids.

I recall that Ellis decommitted after Duke signed Cassius Stanley.

[DavidBenAkiva]

I recall that Ellis decommitted after Duke signed Cassius Stanley.

Everything about the Ellis de-commitment was weird I don't think that should serve as a precedent for other recruits.

[Jaks19]

There are a lot of grad transfers already and one of them is Patrick Tapé, David Erebor and Gorjpk Gak just to name a few. But 1) would any of them be a good fit and play the role Duke needs at that level and 2) would any of those type of players be willing to be a role player as a Grad T...

[DavidBenAkiva]

There are a lot of grad transfers already and one of them is Patrick Tapé, David Erebor and Gorjpk Gak just to name a few. But 1) would any of them be a good fit and play the role Duke needs at that level and 2) would any of those type of players be willing to be a role player as a Grad T...

I tend to think that, if the coaching staff is wiling to accept a guy, there is a grad transfer out there that would be willing to play 15-20 minutes in the frontcourt, primarily off the bench. This year, Kentucky has a guy like that in Nate Sestina. He was a starter at Bucknell his senior year and was a all conference player. This year, he's only playing about 20 minutes a game, mostly off the bench. There's got to be a guy or two like that out there that would love to play for Duke for a year to see if he can prove himself at the highest level of college ball. The question is if Coach K and the Duke coaching staff want to bring in a guy like that.

[UrinalCake]

I recall that Ellis decommitted after Duke signed Cassius Stanley.

The timing worked out that way, but I thought Ellis said in interviews that his decision to decommit had more to do with Jones returning.

With regards to grad transfers, I agree that it’s hard to find the right fit. A lot of guys who were successful at lower levels struggle to have an impact against better competition. UNC thought they were reloading by landing Pierce and Keeling, two of the most highly sought-after grad transfers. They’ve done close to jack squat. A year ago we all thought Joe Cremo would be the answer to all our shooting woes. He’s averaging a whopping 4 points on 36.6% shooting from the field for Villanova.

The best examples of grad transfers I can think of are Reid Travis and Kerry Blackshear. Getting someone like that would be awesome, but they’d have to be willing to come. Justin Knox filled a role for UNC that would be similar to what we’d be looking for. But again, it’s tough to find the right fit for the reasons others have described.

[roywhite]

The timing worked out that way, but I thought Ellis said in interviews that his decision to decommit had more to do with Jones returning.

With regards to grad transfers, I agree that it’s hard to find the right fit. A lot of guys who were successful at lower levels struggle to have an impact against better competition. UNC thought they were reloading by landing Pierce and Keeling, two of the most highly sought-after grad transfers. They’ve done close to jack squat. A year ago we all thought Joe Cremo would be the answer to all our shooting woes. He’s averaging a whopping 4 points on 36.6% shooting from the field for Villanova.

The best examples of grad transfers I can think of are Reid Travis and Kerry Blackshear. Getting someone like that would be awesome, but they’d have to be willing to come. Justin Knox filled a role for UNC that would be similar to what we’d be looking for. But again, it’s tough to find the right fit for the reasons others have described.

Yeah, and UNC fared quite well with Cameron Johnson. Quite a shooter, and All-ACC as a senior.

[DukeFanSince1990]

The timing worked out that way, but I thought Ellis said in interviews that his decision to decommit had more to do with Jones returning.

With regards to grad transfers, I agree that it’s hard to find the right fit. A lot of guys who were successful at lower levels struggle to have an impact against better competition. UNC thought they were reloading by landing Pierce and Keeling, two of the most highly sought-after grad transfers. They’ve done close to jack squat. A year ago we all thought Joe Cremo would be the answer to all our shooting woes. He’s averaging a whopping 4 points on 36.6% shooting from the field for Villanova.

The best examples of grad transfers I can think of are Reid Travis and Kerry Blackshear. Getting someone like that would be awesome, but they’d have to be willing to come. Justin Knox filled a role for UNC that would be similar to what we’d be looking for. But again, it’s tough to find the right fit for the reasons others have described.

Ellis said in an interview he wanted to be the lone 1 guard and Jones coming back was the reason he went elsewhere.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Ellis said in an interview he wanted to be the lone 1 guard and Jones coming back was the reason he went elsewhere.

He said that, but he's not even the starting PG at Memphis. Damian Baugh and Alex Lomax are handling the PG roles and I don't see that changing in the near or long term. I think the Tre Jones situation was just something he said after wavering on his commitment to Duke.

[JasonEvans]

He said that, but he's not even the starting PG at Memphis. Damian Baugh and Alex Lomax are handling the PG roles and I don't see that changing in the near or long term. I think the Tre Jones situation was just something he said after wavering on his commitment to Duke.

I think the combination of Cassius coming and Tre staying meant the backcourt was going to be a lot more crowded and Ellis decided it made more sense for him to go somewhere where playing time would be more readily available. Look at our current roster and try to imagine how we would get minutes for one more wing... yikes!

That said, Boogie has really struggled this year and has thus far not lived up to the hype he had as a recruit. He is 7-54 from the field in his last 10 games... that's some truly awful shooting. I hope the kid rights the ship soon.

[sagegrouse]

That said, Boogie has really struggled this year and has thus far not lived up to the hype he had as a recruit. He is 7-54 from the field in his last 10 games... that's some truly awful shooting. I hope the kid rights the ship soon.

Seven for fifty-four? If you just throw the ball up blindfolded, doesn't it go in about that often?

[MChambers]

Seven for fifty-four? If you just throw the ball up blindfolded, doesn't it go in about that often?

For most folks, but not Rick Barry

[DavidBenAkiva]

The updated list with Duke commits (and rise/fall from the last update) is below:

10. Jalen Johnson (-5)
23. Jeremy Roach (+2)
28. DJ Steward (+4) - Rivals also minted DJ as a 5-star recruit with this latest update
35. Mark Williams (+4)
38. Jaemyn Brakefield (-1)
51. Henry Coleman (-6)

Overall, it's nice to see Roach, Steward, and Williams earn accolades. Johnson fell 5 spots, which is to be expected since he hasn't played in front of scouts since this summer. I'm not sure for the fall of Coleman as he appears to be having a very productive fall and winter in high school. Perhaps it has to do with others outperforming him?

Overall, there are some good things in here for Duke fans. It's a deep and talented class.

https://n.rivals.com/prospect_rankings/rivals150/2020