2024 Men's Basketball Recruiting

[SkyBrickey]

Reread a few of these posts and I think people just have different ideas on what it means to be a 3 or a 4 or split time.

Setting aside the numbers, here's the essence of my argument. A really fine-tuned efficient offense looks different playing Cooper alongside two bigs vs alongside two wing shooters. The sets and plays look different. The spacing looks different. Jon can't just swap in Gillis/James for Brown and run the same sets/plays IMO. That's not going to produce a top offense.

If you agree with this, then the question becomes do you have one offense when Cooper is paired with two wing shooters and another offense when Cooper is paired with two bigs? Or, knowing that you've got a brand new team and only limited time for them to gel, do you decide to go with one offense and only pair Cooper with either two bigs or two wing shooters?

If instead of adding Gillis (a very efficient wing shooter) this offseason, Jon had added one of the UNC big targets like Onyenso or Hawkins, then I would be on here arguing that Jon views Cooper as a 3 and had decided to go with an offense of Cooper plus two bigs... I just don't believe he's going to ask Cooper to execute different sets/plays based on which teammates are on the floor.

It seems possible to me that a lineup of Flagg/Brown/Maluach is so devastating defensively that Jon uses it from time to time. But if it happens, I would bet Cooper plays the exact same role offensively with Brown effectively slotting out-of-position into the wing/shooter role.

 

[brevity]

Not Duke news, but a 2024 recruit with a familiar name and a Duke connection has decommitted.

ESPN: Purdue signee Kanon Catchings reopens recruitment

Catchings is a 6-foot-9 small forward who played for the Overtime Elite program last season and was expected to compete for minutes on the wing alongside rising sophomores Myles Colvin and Camden Heide. His decision comes just one week before the team's summer workouts are set to begin.

He's #37 in the RSCI final 2024 rankings. It's unclear whether Catchings had yet arrived on Purdue's campus; I've seen conflicting reports.

He and former Duke player Kale Catchings are both nephews of Tamika Catchings, of Tennessee and WNBA fame. Kale's Duke bio lists his siblings, and Kanon is not one of them, so I have to conclude that they are cousins.

 

[mkirsh]

Reread a few of these posts and I think people just have different ideas on what it means to be a 3 or a 4 or split time.

Setting aside the numbers, here's the essence of my argument. A really fine-tuned efficient offense looks different playing Cooper alongside two bigs vs alongside two wing shooters. The sets and plays look different. The spacing looks different. Jon can't just swap in Gillis/James for Brown and run the same sets/plays IMO. That's not going to produce a top offense.

If you agree with this, then the question becomes do you have one offense when Cooper is paired with two wing shooters and another offense when Cooper is paired with two bigs? Or, knowing that you've got a brand new team and only limited time for them to gel, do you decide to go with one offense and only pair Cooper with either two bigs or two wing shooters?

If instead of adding Gillis (a very efficient wing shooter) this offseason, Jon had added one of the UNC big targets like Onyenso or Hawkins, then I would be on here arguing that Jon views Cooper as a 3 and had decided to go with an offense of Cooper plus two bigs... I just don't believe he's going to ask Cooper to execute different sets/plays based on which teammates are on the floor.

It seems possible to me that a lineup of Flagg/Brown/Maluach is so devastating defensively that Jon uses it from time to time. But if it happens, I would bet Cooper plays the exact same role offensively with Brown effectively slotting out-of-position into the wing/shooter role.

Excellent post - 100% agree with this that the difference between the 3 and 4 is whether there is a second big or not. And I’m going to guess the answer is that Duke will play more shooters and less 2 big lineups as that is the way modern basketball is evolving. Just look at the NBA finals, where you have two teams that play one big and then interchangeable wings at the 3/4 in Tatum/Brown and Washington/Jones. Which means I’d bet that Gillis/Evans/K2 play a lot of “3” and Brown will primarily spend time backing up Flagg and Malauch.

 

[jv001]

Excellent post - 100% agree with this that the difference between the 3 and 4 is whether there is a second big or not. And I’m going to guess the answer is that Duke will play more shooters and less 2 big lineups as that is the way modern basketball is evolving. Just look at the NBA finals, where you have two teams that play one big and then interchangeable wings at the 3/4 in Tatum/Brown and Washington/Jones. Which means I’d bet that Gillis/Evans/K2 play a lot of “3” and Brown will primarily spend time backing up Flagg and Malauch.

I agree with both you and Sky, Flagg will be paired with 2 guards, 2 wings and Malauch for the majority of the time. Last season the team didn't have the luxury of having many wing players. Jon went with a 3-guard lineup most of the time. Well, until injuries happened. This season thanks to the portal and our freshmen, we have the wings. On offense I see Flagg with the ball in his hands a lot. We have Proctor, Foster and James at the 1 & 2 spots, Cooper and Brown at the 4, Malauch and Brown at the 5, and Gillis, K2, Evans and a little of Cooper at the 3. I believe Malauch is the key to just how good Duke will be this season, even though we have a good backup in Brown. But if Malauch is as good as advertised, it could be a special season.

GoDuke!

 

[dlmzzz]

I'm watching all the Caitlin Clark drama in the WNBA, and thinking about how Flip was absolutely pummeled in his years at Duke, and I'm starting to wonder -- do we need an enforcer on our team? Flagg just reclassed, and I expect teams may try to take him out of his game by beating him up. Surprisingly, that might lean toward the smaller lineup -- Gillis and James look pretty intimidating.

 

[Maged]

I think this is exactly why Coach S went out and got older and meatier players. Obviously Brown is a big guy too. They will not allow Flagg to be pushed around.

I still can't figure out why Flip was a punching bag for his two years at Duke. Something about his attitude or demeanor must have made the refs not want to protect him. It was criminal.

 

[TruBlu]

I still can't figure out why Flip was a punching bag for his two years at Duke. Something about his attitude or demeanor must have made the refs not want to protect him. It was criminal.

The answer is obvious. Flip wore DARK blue. If he wore light blue, he would have made a living at the free throw line, and would have never been called for fouls or travels.

 

[scottdude8]

I'm watching all the Caitlin Clark drama in the WNBA, and thinking about how Flip was absolutely pummeled in his years at Duke, and I'm starting to wonder -- do we need an enforcer on our team? Flagg just reclassed, and I expect teams may try to take him out of his game by beating him up. Surprisingly, that might lean toward the smaller lineup -- Gillis and James look pretty intimidating.

I'm not sure about Sion, but I can tell you that Gillis had the mindset and demeanor of an "enforcer" while at Purdue. Something tells me that A) He's going to beat up Cooper in practice and give him a taste of what's coming, and B) If anyone else tries to beat up Cooper, Mason is going to make them feel it.

 

[SkyBrickey]

I could see Uncle Mason and Uncle Sion looking after all the youngsters. I've got a feeling Maliq can handle himself against most anyone.

 

[-jk]

I agree with both you and Sky, Flagg will be paired with 2 guards, 2 wings and Malauch for the majority of the time. Last season the team didn't have the luxury of having many wing players. Jon went with a 3-guard lineup most of the time. Well, until injuries happened. This season thanks to the portal and our freshmen, we have the wings. On offense I see Flagg with the ball in his hands a lot. We have Proctor, Foster and James at the 1 & 2 spots, Cooper and Brown at the 4, Malauch and Brown at the 5, and Gillis, K2, Evans and a little of Cooper at the 3. I believe Malauch is the key to just how good Duke will be this season, even though we have a good backup in Brown. But if Malauch is as good as advertised, it could be a special season.

GoDuke!

I like our chances when we get to play 6 on 5!

-jk

 

[awhom111]

Ngongba was committing fouls at a rate of 8.7 per 40 minutes in the U18 Americas Tournament.

 

[clinresga]

Ngongba was committing fouls at a rate of 8.7 per 40 minutes in the U18 Americas Tournament.

This seems to be a consistent pattern among freshmen, especially big men. Derek Lively II, who is likely to turn out to be one of the best defensive centers Duke has ever produced, averaged 6.5 fouls/40 minutes in the first 10 games, versus 4.4 fouls/40 minutes in the last 10 games--which were against much better competition. Not fouling is a learned skill.

 

[scottdude8]

Ngongba was committing fouls at a rate of 8.7 per 40 minutes in the U18 Americas Tournament.

This seems to be a consistent pattern among freshmen, especially big men. Derek Lively II, who is likely to turn out to be one of the best defensive centers Duke has ever produced, averaged 6.5 fouls/40 minutes in the first 10 games, versus 4.4 fouls/40 minutes in the last 10 games--which were against much better competition. Not fouling is a learned skill.

Yeah, I don't see this as a huge problem in the immediate term since Plan A doesn't appear to rely on Pat for more than 5-10 mpg (at the absolute most) anyways. As I've said elsewhere, given his unique situation with the injury, I'm viewing anything that Pat can contribute to this year's team as a nice bonus, but still remain bullish on his future.

 

[MChambers]

Not a huge problem, but

Yeah, I don't see this as a huge problem in the immediate term since Plan A doesn't appear to rely on Pat for more than 5-10 mpg (at the absolute most) anyways. As I've said elsewhere, given his unique situation with the injury, I'm viewing anything that Pat can contribute to this year's team as a nice bonus, but still remain bullish on his future.

As we saw with Sean Stewart, excessive fouling hurts the defense. Hope Patrick quickly improves in this aspect of the game.

 

[brevity]

Not Duke news, but a 2024 recruit with a familiar name and a Duke connection has decommitted.

ESPN: Purdue signee Kanon Catchings reopens recruitment

He's #37 in the RSCI final 2024 rankings. It's unclear whether Catchings had yet arrived on Purdue's campus; I've seen conflicting reports.

He and former Duke player Kale Catchings are both nephews of Tamika Catchings, of Tennessee and WNBA fame. Kale's Duke bio lists his siblings, and Kanon is not one of them, so I have to conclude that they are cousins.

Here's an update. The 2025 draft buzz for Kanon Catchings is new to me.

ESPN: Kanon Catchings, projected 2025 1st-round pick, commits to BYU

Catchings, who committed to Purdue following his sophomore year of high school, elected to reopen his recruitment earlier this month. He visited Florida State and North Carolina State as well as BYU before picking the Cougars...

Catchings is the second projected one-and-done first-round pick incoming head coach Kevin Young has reeled in, along with Russian wing and Real Madrid player Egor Demin. Young left an associate head-coaching position with the Phoenix Suns to replace Mark Pope, who departed for Kentucky after John Calipari left for Arkansas.

Catchings, a 6-foot-10 forward, played his senior year of high school at Overtime Elite in Atlanta, averaging 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds. He shot 37% from 3 for the Cold Hearts and was coached by current BYU assistant coach Tim Fanning, who also had a significant role in recruiting Demin in his first month on the job in Provo, Utah.

 

[OldPhiKap]

Please tell me that his middle name is Wonder.

Can’t spork. Shame.

 

[brevity]

2024 recruit Olivier Rioux, who is either 7-6 or 7-7 in height, committed to Florida last week. He's a Canadian player at IMG Academy, just like Zach Edey a few years ago. He's also in the Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest teenager in the world:

Rioux reclassified from the 2025 class and is ranked by On3 as the #22 center and #147 player overall for 2024, but is not yet ranked by the other recruiting services.

Rosters change, obviously, but Only Gators points out that he could join a Gators team that presently has 7-1 sophomore Micah Handlogten, 6-10 sophomore Aleks Szymczyk, and 6-11 freshman Alex Condon.

Following up on incoming freshman Olivier Rioux, who is now listed with a height of 7-9 in his Florida Gators bio. I know college roster heights aren't always accurate, but they probably are when the Guinness World Record people are doing the measuring. Already the world's tallest teenager, he'll soon debut as the tallest player in college basketball history.

Here's a photo from a team practice last week:



Duke is not currently scheduled to play Florida in the 2024-2025 season, but Virginia is, in the SEC/ACC Men's Challenge. TJ Power, new to the Cavaliers, is listed as 6-9 in his bio, but I expect him to look really tiny if he ever has to stand next to a guy who's a foot taller.

Rioux will almost certainly not be a one and done -- he's reportedly a preferred walk-on -- so maybe Coach Scheyer can schedule a game against Florida in 2025-2026, or even later.

 

[brevity]

Break out the Champaign for a likely reclass candidate...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1804945606621679811

From the 247 Sports article (emphasis mine):

Riley is currently ranked the No. 9 overall prospect in the Class of 2025... and the No. 12 prospect in the Composite rankings. But the 18-year-old is expected to reclassify to the Class of 2024 and join Illinois this upcoming season.

• Riley chose Illinois over Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky and professional opportunities, among many other offers...
• ESPN's Jonathan Givony in February projected Riley as the No. 16 pick in his 2025 NBA mock draft.

Why it matters: With a 0.9955 Composite rating, Riley is the highest-ranked prep prospect Illinois has ever added during the Composite rankings era (since 2003).

 

[MChambers]

Maybe that will help Duke's SOS, since Duke plays Illinois next season.

 

[brevity]

Maybe that will help Duke's SOS, since Duke plays Illinois next season.

That's right; I hadn't considered that matchup. Let's take a look at Illinois, using their roster and this scholarship tracker.

Last year of eligibility
Ben Humrichous, 6-9 forward (grad transfer from Evansville)

Two years of eligibility
Kylan Boswell, 6-2 guard (transfer from Arizona)
Ty Rodgers, 6-6 wing (returning starter, 22.7 minutes per game)
Tre White, 6-7 guard (transfer from Louisville)

Three years of eligibility
Carey Booth, 6-10 forward (transfer from Notre Dame)
Jake Davis, 6-6 forward (transfer from Mercer)
Drayvn Gibbs-Lawhorn, 6-1 guard (returning reserve, 7.1 mpg)

Four years of eligibility
Tomislav Ivisic, 7-1 center (unranked, from Croatia)
Jason Jakstys, 6-10 forward (247 Sports #124 in 2024 class)
Kasparas Jakucionis, 6-6 guard (unranked, from Lithuania)
Morez Johnson Jr, 6-9 forward (RSCI #26 in 2024 class)
Will Riley, 6-8 wing (247 Sports #9 in 2025 class; expected to reclassify)

As you can see from the two returning scholarship players, this squad bears little resemblance to last season's Elite Eight team. Terrence Shannon Jr, Marcus Domask, and Quincy Guerrier completed their eligibility, while Coleman Hawkins and Dain Dainja "is my last name" transferred to Kansas State and Memphis. If Riley does reclassify to 2024, the Illini still have one scholarship remaining.

Three of their incoming transfers played against Duke last season.

Carey Booth: total of 44 minutes, 8 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 4 blk in two Notre Dame losses
Kylan Boswell: 33 minutes, 12 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk in Arizona win
Tre White: total of 66 minutes, 24 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast in two Louisville losses