Potential Duke Basketball Recruit in Australia May Make 2023 Happen

Jon Scheyer confirmed at last week's Duke basketball media day that he's happy with his roster for next season. However, with one available scholarship, the second-year head coach didn't entirely rule out adding another piece in some unanticipated scenario.

"Of course, you never say never," he said. "If there's something crazy that happens, would we always look at it? Of course. You have to do your job as a coach."

His job lately has demanded long hours on the recruiting trail, where he and his assistants recently expressed interest in a stock-rising Australian prep. And that prospect, smoothly versatile small forward Johnny Furphy, appears to have changed his mind once or twice about when he'll take his game to the college ranks.

Initially, the 6-foot-7, 180-pound projected four-star was a 2023 prospect. But he didn't see enough interest from schools last summer, so he moved his name into the 2024 arena. Then, though, he displayed his athletic gifts and impressive improvements against his peers in America this summer, causing his offer count to multiply.

Johnny Furphy has emerged as one of the best prospects at the NBA Academy games. 6'9 wing can shoot running off screens, pass off a live dribble with either hand and has some real downhill explosiveness. Recruitment has exploded with high major offers this week. pic.twitter.com/UmyaSLRFf3
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) July 7, 2023

As 247Sports' Eric Bossi reported after interviewing the 18-year-old over the weekend at the Sportradar Showdown in Las Vegas, Johnny Furphy may end up enrolling somewhere this year after all:

"To make things more interesting, it is sounding more and more like Furphy will actually make his way to the States as a member fo the class of 2023. We spotted head coaches from Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, North Carolina, Providence, UCLA, and many others taking his games, and he confirmed to 247Sports that he's looking into making 2023 happen and that visits could be set up quite soon. Once those visits are in place, this is a recruitment that we could see moving to a quick conclusion."

Again, with Duke's four-deep collection of five-star 2023 recruits already on campus and Scheyer seemingly 99.9 percent locked in with a roster that puts the Blue Devils in the conversation for the preseason No. 1 ranking, there's no telling if the staff in Durham would pursue Johnny Furphy this late in the cycle.

On the other hand, perhaps the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (Canberra) product would gladly accept the opportunity to develop alongside a fellow Aussie in Duke basketball sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor and not necessarily expect a heavy load of minutes as a freshman.

Maybe he could prove to be the ideal finishing piece. Crazier things have happened.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more Duke basketball recruiting news.