Zachary Lyon:
Future150 Regional Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball: NC, SC & VA
Durham, NC (Future150) -- The Blue Devils already have the #1 player in the nation committed to them with Future150 camp alumni Wendell Carter along with top-tier SG Gary Trent, can Duke make this class even more historic than the 2016 haul? What do the three current commits bring to the table? What other top-tier prospects does Duke have a shot at?
HARD COMMITS:
Wendell Carter, 6'10" Power Forward, Atlanta (GA): Carter is a man, plain and simple. His strong frame paired with his beautifully dominant array of moves inside the paint is one of the reasons why Future150 has him ranked as the #1 player in the country in the 2017 class. His ability to not only create for himself down low, but to create for his teammates around him at 6'10" is a very special part of his game, and something Coach K will love during his extremely short stint in Durham, North Carolina.
Gary Trent, 6'5" Shooting Guard, Apple Valley (MN): The #12 overall player in the class, Gary Trent, will fit perfectly into Duke's offense next season. He is an extremely smooth shooter from everywhere on the floor, and is certainly not afraid of the big moment. He is a very solid defender and never lacks intensity or effort. Matt Jones will graduate, and there is certainly a real chance Duke could lose Grayson Allen and even Luke Kennard to the NBA Draft after this year. Whether those two guys stay or go will be the real thing to watch in order to see what kind of impact Trent has during his freshman season, which could very well be his first and last.
Alex O'Connell, 6'5" Shooting Guard, Alpharetta (GA): O'Connell definitely won't be coming in with nearly as much hype or pressure as the other two guys, but make no mistake this guy can play. He isn't quite as strong or dominant as Trent or Carter, but he makes plays and certainly knows how to make shots. He is a sneaky athlete, and will certainly benefit if Duke loses Allen and/or Luke Kennard to the NBA Draft. Not a one-and-done prospect, but certainly a guy that will have a huge impact on the Duke program over the course of his career.
OTHER OFFERS:
Duke fans should be extremely excited about the class they have coming in as of now, but the scary thing is that this class could get a lot better. Duke still has a strong shot at landing 5-star prospects Kevin Knox, Tre Duval, and Mo Bamba, along with 4-star PG Matt Coleman. Not to say any of these guys are locks for Duke, but Duke has been considered as at least a top two front runner for all four of these guys. So the Blue Devils could realistically have a top three prospect for every position coming in next season, (Duval, Trent, Knox, Carter, Bamba), wow.
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