Duke Basketball: Nico Mannion cuts list, forces Duke to look elsewhere

Five-star guard Nico Mannion announced through an Instagram post on Friday that the competition for his services is down to two options, and joining the Duke basketball program is not one of them.

Although he has some characteristics that made this writer think he would look like a perfect fit in a Duke basketball jersey, Nico Mannion will not be playing his college ball in Durham.

The 6-foot-3 guard from Phoenix, Ariz., listed as the No. 15 overall prospect on 247Sports’ composite rankings, used his Instagram account on Friday evening to drop both Duke and Villanova from his list, leaving the battle between Arizona and Marquette (coached by former Duke basketball point guard Steve Wojciechowski).

Earlier this week, another five-star guard, Bryan Antoine, stunned the Duke basketball program and nearly all of the recruiting experts by committing to Villanova.

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So where do the Duke coaches stand with other guard prospects in the 2019 class?

Cole Anthony — a 6-foot-3 guard for Oak Hill Academy and the No. 3 overall prospect on 247Sports’ composite rankings — has Duke on his current 12-team list, but he is not expected to make a commitment until the spring. However, 60 percent of the experts used by 247Sports’ Crystal Ball are currently predicting Duke to be Anthony’s pick.

Josiah James — a 6-foot-6 native of Charleston, S.C., and the No. 13 overall prospect on the composite rankings — has scheduled an official visit to Duke for Sept. 21 and is likely to announce his decision by the end of September. Besides Duke, he is still considering Tennessee and Clemson, but 88 percent of the Crystal Ball’s experts predict he will ultimately be a Blue Devil.

Both Anthony and James are listed as combo guards, but either would be more than capable of handling full-time duties as the future starting point guard in Durham.

WIth current freshman point guard Tre Jones assumed by most to be a one-and-done player, the Blue Devils will need to receive a commitment from Anthony or James to ensure the backcourt is not a major weakness for the 2019-20 Duke basketball team.

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