Jon Scheyer, head coach of Duke basketball, knows exactly what he’s looking for while on the recruiting trail. Though relatively new to his role as head coach, Scheyer’s extensive experience as an assistant under the legendary Mike Krzyzewski has given him a keen eye for identifying high school prospects.
Currently in Augusta, South Carolina, for the Nike EYBL Peach Jam, Scheyer shared his insights on what he seeks in recruits during an interview with Overtime.
“We look for who competes,” Scheyer explained. “At the end of the day, who competes in this environment—that’s what it’s all about for us.”
As of now, Duke has yet to secure commitments from 2025 or 2026 prospects. However, the Blue Devils are actively pursuing the top two ranked players in the senior class, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer.
Duke recently boasted the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for 2024, headlined by Cooper Flagg, the top prospect in the class. This fall, three 5-star players and two 4-star recruits will join the Blue Devils. Since Scheyer took over the program, Duke has consistently cultivated Top-2 recruiting classes each offseason, securing the No. 1 class in 2021 and the No. 2 class in 2022.
Notably, only one player from last year’s recruiting class, Caleb Foster, returned to the program for another season. Jared McCain declared for the NBA Draft, while Sean Stewart and TJ Power transferred.
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Despite landing six recruits for the upcoming season, Scheyer indicated that he doesn’t plan to include as many freshmen on his roster as in previous years. This shift is due to the increasing importance of the transfer portal. This offseason, Duke added four transfers, a significant change from the previous year when the portal was not utilized at all.
Jon Scheyer will continue to evaluate top recruits at Peach Jam this weekend, looking for those who exhibit the competitive spirit and skills that align with Duke’s storied basketball program.
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