There is no lack of offers of late from the Duke Blue Devils which have extended and an invitation to stellar prospect Jonathan Kuminga.
The 6-8 hybrid forward plays for Our Savior New American School High School in New York and is the top-ranked player in his class of 2021.
He has some Duke ties in that former Blue Devil player Andy Borman is his coach. Kuminga had impressed everyone on the summer circuit with his play and he holds offers from Kentucky and St.John's as well.
The general belief is that it is very early in his recruitment.
Duke has offered Paolo Banchero after head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff to in his play at the Nike Peach Jam.
He is a Seattle, WA native in the 2021 class who has been on the Duke radar after stellar summer play. Krzyzewski took in several of his games this weekend.
Duke assistant coach Jon Scheyer was also impressed with Banchero after watching him at the NBAPA Top 100 Camp.
The five-star big man holds offers from Arizona, Kentucky, Memphis and Washington.
After his impressive performances at the Nike Peach Jam, Duke has offered DJ Steward. Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski extended an offer after watching him with assistants, Jon Scheyer, and Nate James during the last two days of the event.
Steward is a 6-3 combo guard with a natural knack for scoring. The fast-rising young star scored 31 points, dished out 5 assists while pulling down 12 rebounds while the Duke staff watched his game against a stacked AOC team and an offer came within hours after the performance.
The Chicago native is making a name for himself by playing high-level basketball, showing grit and determination to make himself better.
To give you an idea of his ascent up the rankings, Steward originally was ranked as the 103rd best player and is now tabbed as high as 27. By weeks end, he will be in the teens in adjusted rankings per reliable sources.
Steward was on the Duke radar prior to the Peach Jam where the Blue Devils staff sent word they would watch him. Needless to say, he impressed the longtime Duke coach, Mike Krzyzewski enough to move fast to get into the expanding picture.
Duke will now try to set up a visit in the future for Steward and he will hear from Krzyzewski as he is likely to take his time and go on his allotted five official visits.
Only time will tell whether Duke gets one of those visits, but the feeling her is they should as the relationship develops. It is worth noting he has played for Whitney Young High School which is the alma mater of former Blue Devil and current New Orlean Pelican center Jahlil Okafor.
Duke has released their 2019-20 non conference basketball schedule. Two heavyweight games with Kansas in the Champions Classic and pre season top rated Michigan State highlight the schedule. The Blue Devils will also play two more games in Madison Square Garden when they take on California with Georgetown or Texas as their next opponent.
DUKE 2019-20 NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Oct. 26 -- Northwest Missouri State (exhibition)
Oct. 30 -- Fort Valley State (exhibition)
Nov. 5 -- Kansas*
Nov. 8 -- Colorado State
Nov. 12 -- Central Arkansas
Nov. 15 -- Georgia State
Nov. 21 -- California+
Nov. 22 -- Georgetown or Texas+
Nov. 26 -- Stephen F. Austin
Nov. 29 -- Winthrop
Dec. 3 -- at Michigan State
Dec. 19 -- Wofford
Dec. 28 -- Brown
* -- Champions Classic, Madison Square Garden, New York
+ -- Empire Classic, Madison Square Garden, New York
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Former Duke men’s basketball standout Zion Williamson added another trophy to his collection Wednesday evening, winning the ESPY as the 2019 College Athlete of the Year.
Williamson becomes the first Duke men’s basketball player to win an ESPY, and just the fourth nominated. In 2002, both Shane Battier and Jason Williams were nominated for the College Athlete of the Year, while J.J. Redick was nominated in 2006.
“I want to thank Duke University and Coach K for letting me perform on the highest platform,” said Williamson during his acceptance speech. “And a shout out to The Brotherhood -- I wish they could have been here with me. I love Duke, and wish I could have stayed a second year.”
The No. 1 overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans in last month’s 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson was the consensus National Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-America selection. He became the first freshman in ACC history to be named both ACC Player of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP in the same season.
The other 2019 nominees for the College Athlete of the Year were Kyler Murray (Oklahoma football), Sabrina Ionescu (Oregon women’s basketball) and Rachel Garcia (UCLA softball).
“I love Duke. Wish I could’ve stayed a second year, but I had other things to do.”
There were fireworks early in the day on the 4th of July for the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball program. The Blue Devils landed Jalen Johnson, a 6-8, 215 pounds small forward formerly played for Sun Prarie, Wisconsin and now plays for Nicolet in Glendale.
Johnson is ranked the 4th best player in his class by ESPN and the top rated small forward in his class. Johnson joins Jeremy Roach giving Duke two five-star players in the class to date.
So, what are the Blue Devils getting in Jalen Johnson? Well, during the recent NBAPA Top 100 players camp in Charlottesville I beamed in on the prospect for an extended amount of time.
This is no knock on the many other prospects which were at the late June event, but Johnson was the one player I wanted most after watching him play.
It took a very short time before I realized that Johnson had a special skill set in many areas of the game. In fact, beyond the usual need to be a more consistent shooter, I saw few weaknesses compared to his strength -- versatility.
Johnson does everything well. He is a smart basketball player having a nose for the ball when it is not in his hands. While he thinks on the court, he does not overdo it, meaning he is cerebral yet reactive.
Smooth movement with the ball helps Johnson have a vast array of offensive weapons. He can create his own shot or drain short-range and long-range shots.
Johnson is a good defender as well and can turn it up the court and take it rim to rim for the bucket. His unselfishness has helped him to become a good facilitator with the ball as well,
Despite being listed as a small forward, Johnson has a solid body which will help him with the physicality fo the college game. Of course, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski plays position less basketball and Johnson should thrive in the Blue Devils system.
Duke is in the running for several other players in Johnson's class and his addition should be a plus. His court vision and perhaps his only knock which is over sharing the ball or trying to create for others make him a desirable teammate,
Johnson picked Duke over Kentucky and others but the Blue Devils led for a bit now. It was good news when Johnson decided to pull the trigger yesterday releasing a video with his intent to play basketball in Durham.
Like many other prospects, Johnson played for the USA Basketball system. Johnson is destined to be a stat-stuffer at the college level with his ability to score, distribute and hit the boards.
BOTTOM LINE - Solid recruit for Duke which by committing early will allow them to turn their attention to other talented prospects. A well rounded, high upside player who will need to continue to improve his shot to reach his full potential which is considerable. Look for him to start working other prospects with future teammate Jeremy Roach by the upcoming Nike Peach Jam.
There is no lack of offers of late from the Duke Blue Devils which have extended and an invitation to stellar prospect Jonathan Kuminga.
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