Duke basketball recruiting: Prized commit announces transfer

A future Blue Devil is teaming up with a future Tar Heel.

All day on Monday, Duke basketball pledge Mackenzie Mgbako advertised an announcement countdown on his Instagram page. The uncertainty about the subject of the supreme 2023 forward's news to come caused some Blue Devil fans to flip between worry and excitement modes, wondering if he may decommit or reclassify.

Nope.

Instead, Mgbako finally revealed on Monday night that he's transferring from Gill St. Bernard's School (N.J.) to prep powerhouse Roselle Catholic (N.J.) for his senior year.

The 6-foot-8, 200-pound five-star is a physical, multidimensional prospect who remains the highest-ranked member of Duke's four-deep top-ranked class at No. 2 overall on the 247Sports 2023 Composite. Mgbako also remains first-year head coach Jon Scheyer's most recent recruiting pickup after joining "The Brotherhood" in April.

All three other 2023 Blue Devil prizes also boast five-star ratings: Notre Dame High School (Calif.) point guard Caleb Foster, Centennial High School (Calif.) shooting guard Jared McCain, and Windermere High School (Fla.) power forward Sean Stewart.

Top UNC and Duke basketball pledges to be on the same team

Interestingly, for one season at Roselle Catholic, Mackenzie Mgbako will be teammates with a future rival: UNC's premier 2023 pledge, five-star combo guard Simeon Wilcher, who ranks No. 13 in the class.

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Mgbako and Wilcher will likely be one-and-done collegians. After all, way-too-early 2024 mock drafts paint them as first-rounders, with Mgbako appearing as a projected lottery pick.

Nevertheless, they'll face each other at least twice come the 2023-24 season while donning opposite shades of blue on Tobacco Road.

For now, though, they're joining forces.

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