The Duke basketball program landed the top 2024 recruit in the nation on Monday, but they may be nowhere close to done adding elite prospects from high school for next season.
The start of the 2023-2024 college basketball season is nearly here, but the Blue Devils made headlines yesterday with a big addition for next season. Cooper Flagg, the player seen as the best player in the high school basketball ranks, announced via SLAM magazine that he would be taking his talents to Durham when he begins his college career next year.
Related: Cooper Flagg, No. 1 prospect in 2024, commits to Duke
The news sent shockwaves through the sport and set head coach Jon Scheyer up nicely for his third season as he looks to fill the legendary shoes of iconic coach Mike Krzyzewski. However, Scheyer and the program may be far from done when it comes to adding top-shelf prospects for next season.
Duke feeling confident about chances of landing two more top-20 recruits
On Monday, The Athletic’s Duke and Tar Heels reporter Brendan Marks covered the Flagg story and what it means for the University. But he also looked at other players the program is still trying to land and the chances that the native of Maine has other talented freshmen to play alongside in 2024.
Related: How To Watch Duke Blue Devils Basketball Live in 2023
“Duke has two top 2024 targets left in play: guard Dylan Harper Jr., the No. 2 player in the class, and center Patrick Ngongba, the No. 20 player. Harper is deciding between Rutgers, Kansas, and Duke, and while he’s long been seen as a Rutgers lean, Duke’s staff still believes it has a fair shot at landing him — and when it’s someone as college-ready as Harper, you wait out the process.
“As for Ngongba, he’s the staff’s top remaining frontcourt target. Both Kentucky and Kansas State are still in the mix for the 6-foot-11 center, too, but the fact that he’s at Paul VI — the high school that produced Jeremy Roach and Trevor Keels and is where Harris currently plays — definitely means Duke is still a contender.”
– Brendan Marks
It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the weeks ahead and if the chance to join Flagg in Durham gives the program a major edge in recruiting.