Perhaps even more so than the programme was under Mike Krzyzewski, Duke is the team to beat in college basketball recruiting right now under Jon Scheyer. The Blue Devils officially signed 16-year-old sensation Cooper Flagg on Monday, sealing the deal. Flagg, a native of Maine, electrified the summer recruiting circuit and quickly rose to the top of the high school basketball recruiting conversation. Flagg chose the Blue Devils over UConn, despite the fact that every school in the nation would have been happy to have him. He was ranked as the best player in the high school class of 2024 and is likely the best player in American youth basketball, regardless of class.
Before acquiring Flagg, Duke’s recruiting efforts under Scheyer had not suffered. After taking over as head coach in 2022 after serving as an assistant, Scheyer signed the top class in 2023 and, before to this decision, already had two five-star recruits in tow for 2024. Notwithstanding a strong late push from the reigning national champions, the Devils’ ability to land the most anticipated recruit in America is evidence of their recruiting strength even in the absence of a renowned head coach.
It was a risky move to put arguably the biggest brand in college basketball in the hands of a 34-year-old who had never coached outside of the Duke system. However, Scheyer handled his first season admirably, winning the ACC tournament title in the closing minutes of the campaign, holding onto several possible draught picks, and finishing the season ranked among the top five teams in the country. It also doesn’t seem likely that the Blue Devils will collapse anytime soon given the methods he is using for recruiting.
In ’24–25, Flagg by alone will propel Duke to the preseason title favourite, no matter what happens to the team surrounding him. There has never been a high school player in recent memory who can match his effect on both ends of the floor, apparently on every possession. He is a competent offensive point forward who can make the correct pass at the right moment or grab a rebound and take the ball 94 feet to the hoop. Despite playing on an AAU team with far more talent than him, he stood out this summer for numerous reasons, chief among them being his unwavering commitment to making the right play at all times. In addition, he is among the top defensive prospects in a long time, with unique instincts for blocking shots and the capacity to His impact on both ends of the floor seemingly on every possession is unmatched by any high school player in recent memory. Offensively, he’s a modern point forward, capable of grabbing a rebound and taking the ball 94 feet to the rim, or making the right pass at the right time. His willingness to always make the right play was one of the many things that stood out this summer, even as he played on an AAU team that was overmatched talent-wise other than him. He’s also one of the best defensive prospects in a long time, possessing special shot-blocking instincts and the ability to switch onto both bigger and smaller players. College coaches and NBA scouts have hunted for the perfect player comparison for Flagg, but truthfully there isn’t one. Whether he’s the best prospect in high school basketball is up for debate, but he’s certainly the most unique
Additionally, he will raise the much-needed awareness for the Blue Devils and collegiate basketball in general. College basketball needs recognisable superstars to attract casual fans throughout the regular season, but it doesn’t need the finest NBA prospects on its squads to get fans to turn on the television in March. Flagg will go above and above. If he lives up to the hype, his effect will undoubtedly surpass that of Chet Holmgren at Gonzaga and could even surpass that of Zion Williamson at Duke. In terms of attention, he might wind up more akin to Christian Laettner or JJ Redick, the megastars from Duke that fans either adored or detested.
Duke will always, in part, recruit itself, particularly from the current crop of players who watched Coach K produce one-and-done players like Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, and Williamson growing up. Early in his recruitment, Flagg frequently declared that Duke was his “dream school.” Scheyer’s ability to keep the Duke programme at the top was not certain, though, since we’ve seen enough significant programmes fail following the departure of renowned coaches. While Scheyer accepted the position with the knowledge that he would have to meet the unachievable goal of surpassing the achievements of one of the best college basketball coaches in history, gaining Flagg’s endorsement is another encouraging indication that the inexperienced head coach will be able to uphold the program’s high standards.
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