Duke Basketball Recruiting: Make-or-Break Players for 2015 Class

The Duke basketball program landed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country in 2014, according to 247Sports, and there is a very real chance that the rich will get richer in 2015. Mike Krzyzewski and company are one or two elite players away from bringing in yet another loaded class.

Before we look at some prospects that the Blue Devils are pursuing, it is worth summarizing where Duke stands moving forward, because that always shapes the direction of any recruiting class.

For one, Quinn Cook is the only scholarship senior on the roster this season, so there may not be that many scholarships available for next year. Yes, Jahlil Okafor is likely to go pro, and Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow and perhaps even Rasheed Sulaimon could follow suit, but there is plenty of talented youth in Durham.

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The Blue Devils may not have the numbers available to land a four- or five-man group in the 2015 cycle, depending on those eventual NBA decisions. The good news about the loaded 2014 class, though, is that there isn’t an absolute pressing need to land a top-notch 2015 group.

Still, Krzyzewski already boasts the No. 13-rated class for 2015, per 247Sports, thanks to two high-profile commitments from Luke Kennard and Chase Jeter. Both are 5-star prospects, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, and play different positions. Kennard is a perimeter scorer at shooting guard, while Jeter is a lockdown defender at the rim and low-post threat at power forward/center.

The thing that immediately jumps out about Kennard is his ability to drain it from behind the three-point line, but he is also a solid passer and can attack the rim off the dribble with impressive ball-handling skills.

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As for Jeter, his jump hook may be his best offensive weapon, but he can hit from mid-range and has soft touch at the rim. It is not difficult to envision a pick-and-roll game with Kennard and Jeter developing down the line in Durham.

Jeter is also incredibly athletic and quick enough to get out in transition, protect the rim with blocked shots and control the glass.

Ultimately, just hanging on to Kennard and Jeter alone would “make” the Blue Devils’ class considering how much young talent is already on campus. Even if you are to assume that Okafor is gone after his freshman season, pairing Kennard and Jeter with Jones, Sulaimon, Amile Jefferson, Winslow, Grayson Allen, Semi Ojeleye and Matt Jones would be a problem for the rest of the ACC.

Jeter would naturally slide into Okafor’s newly available spot too, so losing Okafor to the draft would not be nearly as crippling of a blow as some would expect.

The only way to “break” this class is by somehow losing Kennard and Jeter, which is not going to happen.

However, there are a few other potential targets who would really “make” this class something special.

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Brandon Ingram, Ivan Rabb and Diamond Stone are all listed as top targets or high choices for Duke on 247Sports. All three of these guys are 5-star prospects, so even landing one would officially put the ACC on notice since the Blue Devils already have two 5-stars in tow for 2015.

It is worth mentioning that both Rabb and Stone are listed as “cool” on Duke right now, so things may be trending slightly in the wrong direction.

This quote from 2015 prospect Carlton Bragg, via Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog and SNY.tv, is also worrisome when it comes to Duke’s chances at Ingram: “Brandon Ingram and Jaylen Brown, we’re thinking about packaging.”

With so much youth on the roster and two commits already, Duke really doesn’t have the scholarship numbers to land that trio and continue recruiting. More importantly, Bragg is not tied to Duke at all and could end up as part of Kansas or Kentucky’s 2015 class. If he took Ingram with him, that would be a problem for the Blue Devils. 

However, Bragg is not the only recruit interested in playing with Ingram, as Adam Rowe of 247Sports passed along:

Krzyzewski certainly has his work cut out for him if he wants to land Ingram because programs like Kentucky, UCLA, Kansas and North Carolina are also in on his recruitment. Of course, if the Blue Devils did get Ingram, the additional bonus would be keeping him away from the rival Tar Heels.

It is no wonder why so many blueblood programs want Ingram. He can hit from the outside or attack the basket and is versatile enough to play anything from shooting guard to an athletic power forward. Pairing him with Winslow at Duke would be a nightmare for opposing ball-handlers because of all that athleticism and length guarding on the wing.

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As for Rabb, he is also an athletic forward, but he will likely play closer to the basket than Ingram. Rabb is a formidable rebounder and shot-blocker who would help Duke shore up some of the interior defensive problems it had last season and contribute in the scoring department down low.

Finally, Stone is a powerful scorer on the blocks who has everything from a hook shot to drop step in his arsenal. If needed, he can step outside and drill the occasional three-pointer as well and will be a solid rebounder.

As long as Duke holds onto its current elite commitments, it is difficult to envision this class “breaking” at all. Still, if the Blue Devils ultimately want to rank among the nation’s best for the second consecutive year, they will need to land at least one more player.

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If more than just Okafor leaves for the NBA, that would also give the Blue Devils some stability moving forward.

It’s a fairly safe bet at this point that Duke will have a top-notch recruiting class. After all, Krzyzewski already has two 5-star prospects before the season starts, and the winning that is sure to happen on the floor this year will likely make an impression on others on the recruiting trail. 

Duke is far more likely to “make” its recruiting class in the coming months than “break” it.

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