Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer (Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Duke basketball falls from top in 2023 recruiting arena
After sitting atop the 2023 recruiting rankings for months, the Duke basketball recruiters now rank No. 2 in the country behind their Kentucky basketball counterparts.
The Wildcats leapfrogged the Blue Devils via the announced commitment (and signing) from Camden High School (N.J.) five-star combo guard DJ Wagner on Monday afternoon. He ranks No. 1 on the 247Sports 2023 Composite, giving Kentucky a five-deep class consisting of four five-stars, all in the top 10, and a top-tier four-star.
Meanwhile, Duke's five-deep haul includes nothing but five-star talent. However, only two of those future Blue Devils are among the nation's top 10: Roselle Catholic High School (N.J.) small forward Mackenzie Mgbako at No. 5 and Montverde Academy (Fla.) power forward Sean Stewart at No. 8.
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Duke's other three 2023 prizes are Notre Dame High School (Calif.) point guard Caleb Foster at No. 13, Centennial High School (Calif.) combo guard Jared McCain at No. 18, and Worcester Academy (Mass.) power forward TJ Power at No. 24.
First-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer appears satisfied with his collection, and rightfully so. Therefore, there's no way the Blue Devils could surpass their primary recruiting rivals in the 2023 rankings unless some of Duke's signees boost their stocks or Kentucky's guys fall before it's all said and done.
Kentucky and Duke account for 12 of the nation's past 14 top-ranked classes, not including this 2023 cycle. The Wildcats have taken home top honors seven times in that span, while the Blue Devils have done so five times, including with their 2022 class.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for more Duke basketball recruiting updates.