Underrated Duke basketball commit shines in Vegas

Montverde Academy (Fla.) senior Sean Stewart is ferocious and relentless on both ends of the floor. His offensive repertoire, including a silky midrange jumper and a knack for emphatic putbacks, has a certain smoothness and confidence that brings to mind former two-year Duke basketball great Elton Brand.

But like Brand in 1997, Stewart is not the highest-ranked Duke prize in his class; no, that honor belongs to Roselle Catholic (N.J.) five-star small forward Mackenzie Mgbako at No. 5 overall on the 247Sports 2023 Composite. And it sometimes seems Stewart gets overlooked on the national scene due to a lack of flashiness in his game.

Even so, the 6-foot-8, 210-pound power forward, who pledged allegiance to the Blue Devils in December, is a five-star prospect who ranks No. 8 overall.

On Sunday, Stewart displayed his prowess at the loaded Geico Top Flight Invite in Las Vegas and, in the process, perhaps boosted his stock. Starring alongside 2025 Duke basketball recruiting target Cooper Flagg, he helped lead his Montverde squad to a 63-56 overtime victory over star-studded Compass Prep (Ariz.) in the title bout.

Duke commit Sean Stewart wants the Top Flight Invite crown 👑👀 @Sean13Stewart pic.twitter.com/eptCBT50Ek
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) October 17, 2022

Stewart, the son of former eight-year NBA journeyman Michael Stewart, finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal in his game-high 28 minutes of action, shooting 6-for-11 from the field and 3-for-4 from the charity stripe.

Meanwhile, Flagg, who also drew a start for Montverde despite being only a sophomore, chipped in nine points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block.

As one can see in the highlights below, Sean Stewart and Cooper Flagg rose to the occasion in overtime to seal the win over a Compass Prep team that features a pair of five-star prospects in its starting lineup, not to mention UNC's latest commit in four-star 2023 power forward Zayden High.

Cooper Flagg and Sean Stewart making WINNING plays 🗣️ 🦅 @MVABasketball pic.twitter.com/LK2gnyPc3A
— League Ready (@LeagueRDY) October 17, 2022

Duke basketball's 2023 haul remains No. 1 in the country but might soon get passed by Kentucky.

That group of future Blue Devils consists of Sean Stewart, Mackenzie Mgbako, five-star point guard Caleb Foster, five-star shooting guard Jared McCain, and five-star power forward TJ Power.

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