Austin Rivers, Top Basketball Recruit in Class of 2011, Commits To Duke

ESPN is reporting that Winter Park senior guard Austin Rivers, the nation's top high school prospect for the class of 2011, has committed to Duke.

The Blue Devils, who were thought to be the leader since Rivers decommitted from Florida last year, have apparently beaten out UNC and Kansas for his services.

The decision comes ahead of scheduled official visits to all three schools. Rivers had an in-home visit last Tuesday with Mike Krzyzewski and associate head coach Chris Collins.

Rivers adds to an already solid class that features guard Michael Gbinije and power forward Tyler Adams.

Citing the tradition and Rivers' fondness for Krzyzewski and his staff, Rivers' high school coach David Bailey confirmed the commitment.

Duke, who will be starting official practices next week, is vying to repeat as national champions for the first time since Florida did it in 2006-2007.

The recruiting victory will be seen as another indication that Duke is once again a major player in the recruiting wars after losing out on high-profile recruits Harrison Barnes, Patrick Patterson, and Greg Monroe over the last few years. 

Rivers is widely seen as one of the top prospects, if not the top prospect. Many also feel he will likely play college basketball only one season before going to the NBA.

He could potentially be playing in a backcourt that could feature Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, and Andre Dawkins. Irving is also seen as a potential one-and-done player, but a looming NBA lockout could change plans for he and a lot of others considering an early departure from college.