Category Archives: Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Duke offers Jaylen Blakes

Duke offers 2021 guard Jaylen Blakes a scholarship per a source close to the situation. Blakes played his shoe camp ball for the New York Lightning and attends Blair Academy.

The Blue Devils covet another guard this year and Blakes would fill in nicely as a tweener. Blakes ranks #85 in the ESPN Top 100.

Blakes holds offers from St. John's, Texas, UConn, and others. Duke is looking to add depth to a thin backcourt, so stay tuned for more as this situation progresses.

Caleb Houstan Gets Duke’s 1st 2022 Offer

While it seems like the sports world is on pause due to the COVID-19 outbreak, one thing remains the same, that being Duke Basketball never stops.

The Blue Devils men's basketball staff has been active throughout the process of seeking to get back to normal in that they have been active on the recruiting trail.

Duke sent out its first offer in the class of 2022 to Canadian Caleb Houstan who hails from Mississauga, Ontario which is just outside of Toronto. If that sounds familiar it is because that is where former Duke standout and current New York Knick R.J. Barrett is from.

The Duke staff led by head coach Mike Kzyzewski have been able to contact players since June 15th and we can expect to see more offers in the coming days.

Houstan who is known for his good footwork on the court may have gotten that from playing soccer. During the FIBA games for under 16 players, Houstan averaged just under 23 points per outing to go with five boards where he helped lead Canada to the Silver Medal.

Houstan has supposedly grown an inch and is no 6-8 and there is one other thing to keep an eye on here. Houstan may look into entering the class of 2021 when the dust clears on the summer, so stay tuned for more on that.

A sleek scorer, Houstan has the attention of many schools to date but the Blue Devils have made their move here to enter the fray.

Blue Devils Add Grad Transfer Patrick Tape

Patrick Tape, a transfer from Columbia, has one year of eligibility left, and he chose to use it by playing for the Duke Blue Devils.

Tape averaged 11.3 ppg to go with 5.9 rebounds and 1 block per game for Columbia. He stands 6-10, 230 pounds will give the Blue Devils some depth in the post position.

Proximity played a role in his decision, where Tape is from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Tape spoke with ESPN saying, "It was really just being close to home and having my family come see me, the excellent tradition they have there, and the opportunity to play for the best coach of all time," 

Duke is expected to lose Vernon Carey Jr. to the NBA and is already down two frontcourt players due to graduation in Jack White and Javin DeLaurier.

The word on Tape is that he developed into a solid post presence and rim protector. He is aggressive and physical but rarely if ever shoots from the perimeter.

Duke Will Entertain Trevor Keels, Jeremy Roach, and Jaemyn Brakefield

The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team will entertain two prospects and two verbal commitments when they take on arch-rival North Carolina Tar Heels tomorrow night in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

One of the visitors is 2021 shooting guard Trevor Keels (Paul VI, Va.) whom Duke offered this past December. He impressed Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski during the Hoophall Classic where he blew up in the rankings after his overall performance in the event.

If Keels high school sounds familiar it's because Duke commitment Jeremy Roach attends the same school. Roach will be making the trip to Durham where he'll take in the atmosphere as Duke will celebrate their annual senior day and the last game in Cameron Indoor Stadium for the 2019-20 season.

Another player who will arrive on campus next season will be coming in from West Virginia. The Blue Devils will welcome 6-8 forward Jaemyn Brakefield who plays for Huntington Prep.

Also in attendance will be 2022 Durham Academy prospect MJ Rice. This would mark the second straight game where he will have been behind the Duke bench.