If the rankings are updated appropriately, the Blue Devils ought to have another 5-star prospect on their roster.
This summer, five out of the six projected five-star recruits for the Duke basketball team should arrive on campus.
At the Chipotle High School Basketball Nationals in Indiana this weekend, where eight of the top boys teams in the nation are vying for the championship, a few future Blue Devils will be in the spotlight.
Darren Harris, who committed to Jon Scheyer earlier than any other athlete in the Class of 2024, took center stage and effectively argued that, even though he was rated as a 4-star recruit, he should be upgraded to a 5-star prospect when the final recruiting rankings are revealed later this spring.
In a 12-point victory over IMG Academy (Fla.), the player ranked No. 54 in the 247Sports Composite Rankings scored 36 points, making 12 of 21 shots from the field and 5 of 9 from three-point range. Along with his seven rebounds and three assists, he also shot a perfect seven for seven from the free throw line.
After playing for thirty minutes, Harris—who was selected Virginia’s Gatorade Player of the Year in mid-March—exploded for 19 points in the third quarter, outscoring the whole IMG Academy squad by six points.
Second-seeded Paul VI (Va.) also witnessed the season debut of its other Duke commit, Patrick Ngongba II. Due to a foot injury that necessitated surgery, the 6-foot-11 center was out for the whole season. As he readjusts to the game, he scored six points and pulled down five rebounds in nine minutes after coming off the bench.
Ngongba, who was 3-for-4 from the field, only missed one attempt, a 3-pointer. Despite his absence from the court during the season, his recruiting rankings have not changed.
With the chance to play Cooper Flagg and Montverde Academy (Fla.) in the title still on the table, the Blue Devils team will take the court again on Friday, April 5 at 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2).