Brother of Duke basketball alum sees stock rise on recruiting trail

Javin DeLaurier's younger brother has an improving game.

Miller School (Va.) power forward Eli DeLaurier is a 6-foot-9, 210-pound three-star rising junior who plays for Team Loaded VA U16 on the Adidas 3SSB circuit. While his frame is similar in size to recent four-year Duke basketball big man Javin DeLaurier when he was his age, his repertoire seems to include a few more perimeter moves.

Here's how he summarized his arsenal to On3 recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw in May:

"I run the court really well. I can handle the ball really well for a big man, and I can shoot it. My post-game is dependable."

And as Travis Graf of Rivals pointed out this week, the younger DeLaurier brother is garnering more and more attention:

"Eli DeLaurier, a 2024 prospect, is a name for basketball fans to remember over the next two years. His skill set has been developing at a quick rate, and he has a frame that will enable him to put on muscle before he heads to college...As DeLaurier continues to mold into a more developed basketball product, he has caught the eye of many college coaches."

Although DeLaurier does not appear on any site's 2024 rankings, remember that rankings for his class are still limited to 75-150 names, depending on the site.

On that note, Graf provided this parting thought:

"DeLaurier will be a player that we have to heavily consider in our next rankings update later in the summer."

Javin DeLaurier finished No. 39 overall on the 247Sports 2016 Composite and entered Duke with a four-star rating.

No mention of Duke basketball interest just yet

Thus far, Eli DeLaurier has reported offers from George Washington, Mississippi State, Old Dominion, Radford, Texas A&M, and West Virginia. In other words, he's already receiving interest from a mix of mid-major and high-major programs at this relatively early juncture.

He told Graf that Mississippi State and George Washington stand out as his most active suitors.

Interestingly, DeLaurier mentioned UNC among the schools he'd like to visit but didn't mention Duke. Perhaps one explanation for that is his having already been on the campus in Durham to watch his brother play for the Blue Devils.

Time will tell if first-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his gang will enter the fray for Eli DeLaurier. It wouldn't be a surprise to see some point down the line.

Meanwhile, after making his NBA debut last season with the Milwaukee Bucks yet only playing in one game, Javin DeLaurier is now on the Summer League roster of the San Antonio Spurs. Their first game is at 5 p.m. ET Friday in Las Vegas against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for more Duke basketball recruiting updates.