Duke Basketball: Matthew Hurt reportedly eyeing visit in ‘near future’

A five-star 2019 recruit with the necessary tools to play at least four positions is making moves to advance the process of choosing where to play next season, and the Duke basketball program is in the mix.

Matthew Hurt has been in less of a hurry to take official visits than other five-star 2019 recruits. The Duke basketball target also hasn’t put out a list — he doesn’t intend to. And he likely won’t announce his college choice until the spring.

But the 6-foot-9, 215-pound power forward, who could also seamlessly fill in at small forward or either guard spot, has now scheduled his first official visit — to Kentucky this weekend.

And, according to a tweet by ESPN’s Paul Biancardi, Hurt’s father said his son plans to visit Duke, UNC, and Kansas in the near future.

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Because the Rochester, Minn., native is probably still months away from making a decision and has not publicly shared many thoughts on the schools that have offered him a scholarship (19 in total), the experts at the 247Sports Crystal Ball who have entered predictions of where he’ll end up must have done so with little confidence.

That being said, 83 percent of those experts who have made a pick are going with Kansas at the moment.

Hurt ranks No. 7 overall on the 247Sports Composite (recently bumped down a spot due to the reclassification of shooting guard Anthony Edwards, who now ranks No. 4 in the 2019 class and has been on the Duke coaches’ radar in the past but does not at this point hold an offer from the Blue Devils).

As for a comparison to a past Duke basketball player, Mike Dunleavy comes to mind due to Hurt’s height and frame, as well as the way in which he handles the ball with ease, shoots from long distance with a quick flick of the wrist, and smoothly moves on the court with purpose and awareness. Check out his latest mixtape from Fresh Coast Hoops:

If coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff (Jon Scheyer is leading Hurt’s recruitment, according to 247Sports) are able to pick up a commitment from Hurt, they could opt to give him a green light as the team’s go-to scorer next season. That would be especially likely if all four current freshmen starters in Durham bolt for the NBA after this season and five-star 2019 centers Vernon Carey Jr. (ranked No. 2 on the composite ranking) and Isaiah Stewart (ranked No. 6) both opt not to become Blue Devils.

Currently, Duke’s 2019 class includes five-star small forward Wendell Moore (ranked No. 24) and four-star combo guard Boogie Ellis (ranked No. 36), both of whom have signed a letter of intent.

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball recruiting updates, analysis, opinions, and predictions.