2025 Men's Basketball Recruiting

[SkyBrickey]

Here is Duke's class so far (rankings from RSCI).

#02 Cameron Boozer (committed)
#18 Cayden Boozer (committed)
#26 Shelton Henderson (committed)
#30 Nikolas Khamenia (committed)

There are only 32 players in the RSCI Top 100 (see list below) who have yet to decide upon a school, but that includes 5 of the top 10, and 10 of the top 20, so we're still a bit away from awarding the clear #1 class to anyone.

To give an extreme example, Auburn has one commitment so far from 6-5 shooting guard Simon Walker, who's #88 by On3 and #90 by 247 Sports, but is not ranked by ESPN and Rivals, which drags his industry average down. It's early, though, and Auburn is listed as a finalist for 10 of the players listed below. If they were to kill it in the spring and add just 5 of those -- say, #1 AJ Dybantsa, #13 Chris Cenac, #15 Bryson Tiller, #37 Shon Abaev, and #56 Kaden Magwood -- that would compare well against a Duke class with or without Nate Ament.

Here are some more plausible contenders.

Kentucky

#11 Jasper Johnson (committed)
#25 Malachi Moreno (committed)
#36 Acaden Lewis (committed)

#04 Caleb Wilson (finalist, perceived favorite)
#05 Koa Peat (finalist)

Arkansas

#07 Darius Acuff (committed)

#06 Meleek Thomas (finalist, perceived favorite)
#13 Chris Cenac (finalist)
#37 Shon Abaev (finalist)
#61 Isaiah Sealy (finalist)

Houston

#10 Isiah Harwell (committed)
#NR Bryce Jackson (committed)

#05 Koa Peat (finalist)
#13 Chris Cenac (finalist)
#21 Kingston Flemings (finalist)

Kansas

#03 Darryn Peterson (committed)

#01 AJ Dybantsa (finalist)
#06 Meleek Thomas (finalist)
#15 Bryson Tiller (finalist)

---

01. AJ Dybantsa (6-8 SF): Duke offer, BUT 6 Finalists are Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State and UNC

04. Caleb Wilson (6-9 PF): Duke offer, AND 12 Finalists are Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Duke, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee, UCF, UNC, and USC

05. Koa Peat (6-8 PF): Duke offer, AND 10 Finalists are Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Duke, Houston, Kentucky, Michigan, Texas, UCLA, and UNC

06. Meleek Thomas (6-3 SG): Duke offer, BUT 7 Finalists are Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Connecticut, Kansas, Kansas State, and Pittsburgh

08. Nate Ament (6-9 SF): Duke offer

11. Mikel Brown Jr (6-3 PG):

13. Chris Cenac (6-10 PF): 7 Finalists are Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Houston, Kentucky, LSU, and Tennessee

14. Brayden Burries (6-4 CG): Duke offer

15. Bryson Tiller (6-9 PF): 4 Finalists are Auburn, Georgia Tech, Indiana, and Kansas (will announce 11/10)

16. Trey McKenney (6-4 SG): 3 Finalists are Georgetown, Michigan, and USC

21. Kingston Flemings (6-3 PG): 5 Finalists are Arkansas, Gonzaga, Houston, Texas, and Texas Tech

23. Nikola Bundalo (6-9 PF): 4 Finalists are Connecticut, Michigan State, Ohio State, and UNC (rumored to have reopened recruitment)

28. Davion Hannah (6-5 CG): 4 Finalists are Alabama, Cincinnati, Missouri, and Ohio State (plans to announce in mid-November)

28. Jerry Easter (6-4 CG):

32. Kiyan Anthony (6-5 SG): 3 Finalists are Auburn, Syracuse, and USC (will announce 11/15 at 7pm on Melo's podcast; streaming link)

34. Sebastian Williams-Adams (6-8 PF): 4 Finalists are Auburn, Oklahoma State, Purdue, and Vanderbilt (plans to announce in November)

35. Xavion Staton (7-0 C): 4 Finalists are BYU, Michigan, Stanford, and UNLV (will announce 11/4 at 9pm ET on 247 Sports; streaming link?)

37. Shon Abaev (6-7 SF): 5 Finalists are Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Cincinnati, and Oregon

51. Nigel Walls (6-10 PF): 3 Finalists are Auburn, SMU, and TCU

52. Tyler Jackson (6-2 PG):

55. JJ Mandaquit (6-1 PG): 9 Finalists are BYU, California, Creighton, Hawaii, Louisville, Tennessee, USC, Virginia, and Washington

56. Kaden Magwood (6-3 CG): 3 Finalists are Auburn, NC State, and Ole Miss (will announce 11/11)

60. Tee Bartlett (6-10 C):

61. Isaiah Sealy (6-7 CG): 4 Finalists are Arkansas, Boston College, California, and Ole Miss

64. Chance Mallory (5-9 PG): decommitted from Virginia 10/29/2024 | Commitment | Finalists | Offers

68. Efeosa Oliogu (6-5 SF): 7 Finalists are Alabama, Arizona State, Gonzaga, Maryland, Memphis, Oklahoma State, and TCU

69. Terrion Burgess (6-8 PF):

78. Maper Maker (7-0 C):

81. Aleks Alston (6-9 SF):

86. BJ Davis-Ray (6-5 SG):

88. Jaion Pitt (6-7 PF):

97. Badara Diakite (6-10 C):

Ok, fair enough. It is a little early to declare victory on a top 2 class. But if we land Ament, it would be almost impossible for anyone to catch us on the #1 class. Kansas would probably have the only path landing both Dybansa and Meleek Thomas.

 

[ChillinDuke]

Can someone remind me what we love in Ament? And make no mistake, I know we love him. He's obviously very highly ranked. But at 6-9, he doesn't exactly fit the SG role that we are missing on paper. Is he a great shooter?

- Chillin

 

[bluedevilwildcats]

Can someone remind me what we love in Ament? And make no mistake, I know we love him. He's obviously very highly ranked. But at 6-9, he doesn't exactly fit the SG role that we are missing on paper. Is he a great shooter?

- Chillin

Here you go.

Nate Ament is a rising star in American high school basketball, known for his dynamic athleticism, impressive skill set, and scoring ability. Here’s a look at his profile:

• Position: Small Forward / Shooting Guard
• Height: 6'8"
• Class: 2025
• School: Nate currently plays for a high school team in Virginia, standing out as a versatile forward with strong shooting skills and defensive presence. He’s often praised for his three-point shooting and his ability to drive to the basket with agility for a player of his size.

Strengths:​

• Scoring Ability: Ament is known for his perimeter shooting, especially from beyond the arc. His jump shot and ability to score from multiple levels make him a threat on offense.
• Athleticism: His height combined with agility allows him to move fluidly on both offense and defense, often outmatching opponents in speed and reach.
• Versatility: Capable of playing both guard and forward roles, Nate’s versatility makes him a key asset in different play scenarios.
• Defense: Known for his shot-blocking and rebounding, Nate’s defensive play often sets the tone for his team.

 

[JasonEvans]

at this point it's all Nate Ament all the time. Not gonna take three more guys, unlikely to take two more.

I will just say that it is highly likely that 2026 6-10 Finnish PF Miikka Muurinen reclassifies into the 2025 class. He's flown under the radar a bit but is a highly skilled prospect who is a pretty nice athlete for someone with his size. If Duke senses Ament may be headed elsewhere, I would expect us to pounce on the big Fin.

 

[DukieTiger]

Can someone remind me what we love in Ament? And make no mistake, I know we love him. He's obviously very highly ranked. But at 6-9, he doesn't exactly fit the SG role that we are missing on paper. Is he a great shooter?

- Chillin

Well I think the hope is that there are two guys on the roster right now who will fill that SG role.

 

[azzefkram]

I agree with this. I would hope the staff can go out and sign an experienced backup big for practice and insurance purposes. But Ngongba, Brown, Boozer are all very capable of playing the 5.

There were a lot of reports that Cameron wanted nothing to do with playing the 5 and you know my feelings on Maliq at the 5. I would guess Jon will be looking for more than a practice 5.

 

[SkyBrickey]

There were a lot of reports that Cameron wanted nothing to do with playing the 5 and you know my feelings on Maliq at the 5. I would guess Jon will be looking for more than a practice 5.

It's not yet clear to you that Jon doesn't share your views on Maliq at the 5? Jon targeted one guy in the portal to come share the 5 with Maluach. Maliq Brown. He got his man.

Jon will be very happy if we can keep Maliq around to share the 5 as a senior. He's only getting better.

 

[azzefkram]

It's not yet clear to you that Jon doesn't share your views on Maliq at the 5? Jon targeted one guy in the portal to come share the 5 with Maluach. Maliq Brown. He got his man.

Jon will be very happy if we can keep Maliq around to share the 5 as a senior. He's only getting better.

That is one explanation.

An equally plausible explanation is that Jon knew he had the five covered with a Top-5/10 and a Top-25 coming in and wanted a four that could fake the five in an emergency. I actually think my explanation is more plausible (shocking, I know) given that Maliq was the third string five on a thoroughly meh Cuse team that was awful at defending the paint, Jon values positional size, and Cooper needs a backup.

While I expect Maliq to get better, nothing he has shown in the two exhibitions (small sample size alert) is what I would call better. His defensive rebounding and shot blocking were worse than they were at Cuse. Both teams did not seem reluctant to drive into the paint when Maliq was on the floor.

If Pat is healthy (a huge if at this point), he profiles much better as a backup 5 than Maliq.

 

[DavidBenAkiva]

I will just say that it is highly likely that 2026 6-10 Finnish PF Miikka Muurinen reclassifies into the 2025 class. He's flown under the radar a bit but is a highly skilled prospect who is a pretty nice athlete for someone with his size. If Duke senses Ament may be headed elsewhere, I would expect us to pounce on the big Fin.

My assumption has been that Khamenia is a replacement for Muurinen. If the Big Finn (who is older than Cameron Boozer) wants to get to the 2026 NBA Draft, Khamenia as a sophomore is the obvious choice for a starting spot. Then again, maybe Khamenia is like Knueppel and just wanted to be at Duke and thinks he will get minutes right away. I didn't think Knueppel would be ready this soon, so shows you what I know.

 

[azzefkram]

My assumption has been that Khamenia is a replacement for Muurinen. If the Big Finn (who is older than Cameron Boozer) wants to get to the 2026 NBA Draft, Khamenia as a sophomore is the obvious choice for a starting spot. Then again, maybe Khamenia is like Knueppel and just wanted to be at Duke and thinks he will get minutes right away. I didn't think Knueppel would be ready this soon, so shows you what I know.

I have always assumed a reclass would take Muurinen off of Duke's target list, but with how Jon is recruiting who knows?

 

[DBKilby]

I have always assumed a reclass would take Muurinen off of Duke's target list, but with how Jon is recruiting who knows?

If memory serves his reclass rumors broke after he visited Arkansas. I know Pope wants him bad. Muurinen is an awesome talent but he is 185 lbs and I actually don't know if reclassing is the right move. He has a long way to go physically.

 

[azzefkram]

If memory serves his reclass rumors broke after he visited Arkansas. I know Pope wants him bad. Muurinen is an awesome talent but he is 185 lbs and I actually don't know if reclassing is the right move. He has a long way to go physically.

You are probably correct about the reclass decision but for a lot of these players it's about getting to the NBA as quickly as possible.

 

[DBKilby]

You are probably correct about the reclass decision but for a lot of these players it's about getting to the NBA as quickly as possible.

For sure. I get Mathew Hurt/ Georgetown game vibes with him. He is just so skinny right now.

 

[Pghdukie]

Maleek Thomas, who Duke passed on a while back, is down to Arkansas, UConn, and hometown Pitt. Decision coming soon. Interesting because of the NIL value Thomas has put on himself and whether anyone (Cal) is willing to meet the price.

 

[brevity]

01. AJ Dybantsa (6-8 SF): Duke offer, BUT 6 Finalists are Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State and UNC

14. Brayden Burries (6-4 CG): Duke offer

35. Xavion Staton (7-0 C): 4 Finalists are BYU, Michigan, Stanford, and UNLV (will announce 11/4 at 9pm ET on 247 Sports; streaming link)

55. JJ Mandaquit (6-1 PG): 9 Finalists are BYU, California, Creighton, Hawaii, Louisville, Tennessee, USC, Virginia, and Washington

Let's talk about BYU. Trilly Donovan waited until the afternoon to put up a BYU fan section GIF, presumably for 7-footer Xavion Staton, who makes his decision tonight at 9pm ET on 247 Sports -- a viewing option if the Maine-Duke game is completed by then.

The Cougars have two commitments already, both 6-9 power forwards with irregular timelines. One is top 150 player Chamberlain Burgess, the nephew of former Duke player and current BYU assistant coach Chris Burgess. He chose BYU last week, but plans to serve his LDS mission first and join the team in 2027. The other is Khadim Mboup from Senegal, who played for NBA Academy Africa with Duke freshman Khaman Maluach and NBA draft pick Ulrich Chomche. He picked BYU over the summer and tried to reclassify to 2024, but had eligibility issues. He'll probably be able to enroll in January and redshirt the season, and then begin play in fall 2025.

If Staton commits tonight, BYU officially becomes a major player in this recruiting class. I've mentioned the Dybantsa/Mandaquit package deal before -- they were roommates during their Team USA experience, Dybantsa switched schools to join Mandaquit at Utah Prep, their only finalist in common is BYU, and both made their official visit to Provo on the same weekend.

Vanquish the Foe wrote a piece about their visit, and included a few tidbits about Mboup: he was also at BYU that weekend, attending the same football game, and he's been enrolled at Utah Prep as well. Either this is a big coincidence, or maybe it's really a three-player package.

Then there's Brayden Burries, who has named no finalists and almost certainly won't decide until the spring. BYU is one of many schools that has offered a scholarship, and has an opening at that position. A recruiting class of Mandaquit-Burries-Dybantsa-Mboup-Staton (plus Burgess, who should count as a 2025 recruit even if he doesn't play until 2027) would challenge anyone for the #1 spot.

 

[brevity]

05. Koa Peat (6-8 PF): Duke offer, AND 10 Finalists are Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Duke, Houston, Kentucky, Michigan, Texas, UCLA, and UNC

Koa Peat announced his five finalists today, getting rid of any team that was not in the states of Arizona or Texas.



Not a huge surprise to see Duke out of this, but it's interesting to see both Kentucky and UNC out as well. This likely means both are all in on Caleb Wilson, who can only choose one of the schools -- though it would be funnier if he chose neither.

Michigan and UCLA each take another hit. I'll try to shine a spotlight on Michigan soon.

 

[brevity]

I was not expecting to see a Chris Collins GIF this morning...

...the Nashville big man is Cade Bennerman (#197 in 247 Sports, #198 in On3).

Bennerman (nicknamed "Li'l Wemby" in the headline of this 247 article behind a paywall) officially visited Northwestern in September, but it still seems early in the process...

Based on Verbal Commits, the last 2 available players in the 2025 class with Northwestern offers are 7-0 center Xavion Staton, who has narrowed his choices to BYU, Michigan, Stanford, and UNLV, and 6-11 Cade Bennerman, who I mentioned in my previous post.

Occupied with other things this morning, I missed Trilly Donovan reviving the Chris Collins GIF. No need to translate -- Cade Bennerman committed to Northwestern about 2 hours later.

Northwestern lands commitment from 6-11 center Cade Bennerman

Cade Bennerman, a three-star center in the 2025 class out of Nashville, has committed to Northwestern over Michigan and others.

www.on3.com

Bennerman is the nation’s No. 198 overall prospect, No. 20 center and No. 1 recruit from Tennessee in the 2025 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

I think Chris Collins is done with the 2025 recruiting class (based on having no more open offers), and to recap:

He becomes the fifth commitment to Northwestern this cycle, joining three-star PG Jake West (No. 124 nationally), three-star PF Tyler Kropp (No. 175), three-star PF Tre Singleton (No. 186), and three-star CG Phoenix Gill (No. 270).

 

[superdave]

John Watson on The Devil's Den podcast says he expects Nate Ament to decide later, maybe spring time. He thinks Duke is in good shape here and this would be the last recruit Duke will pursue in the class. If they did not get him, they'd likely go portal for an older player.

 

[kAzE]

Highlights from tonight's game between Utah Prep (AJ Dybantsa) vs Highland (Nate Ament):

Ament looks like a relatively skilled scorer. He's VERY skinny, but should eventually develop into a high level shot creator with excellent size for an NBA wing.

However, AJ Dybantsa is on a completely different level. This guy gives me Kobe vibes. At 6'9", he has everything. Power, skill, feel, athleticism, and a rare killer instinct in his game. He's a monster.

 

[brevity]

Highlights from tonight's game between Utah Prep (AJ Dybantsa) vs Highland (Nate Ament):

Thanks for finding and posting this. I saw that On3's Jamie Shaw was posting live reactions to this game:

AJ Dybantsa vs. Nate Ament; Live game reactions and analysis

On3’s Jamie Shaw with the live blog for the Grind Session’s opening event in Boston featuring AJ Dybantsa against Nate Ament.

www.on3.com

Nate Ament and AJ Dybantsa are both showing why they are clear five-star prospects in this 2025 class. It is interesting watching them go against one another as their games are different. Dybantsa is scoring with power and decisiveness. Ament, while being aggressive, is showing more finesse. Using his counter dribbles and step-backs to create space. Both players are high-caliber talents.