Duke Basketball: Where Blue Devils stand with 2019 PF Matthew Hurt

The Duke basketball coaches may not be the current leaders in the race for Matthew Hurt, but they don’t seem to have any reason to slow down their efforts.

Barring the reclassification of a 2020 recruit, 2019 power forward Matthew Hurt likely represents the Duke basketball program’s last chance to add five-star talent to its 2019-20 roster.

Fortunately, a few signs suggest the Blue Devils, despite their not appearing on the 247Sports Crystal Ball, could still end up with the knockout blow in the blue-blood rumble for his services:

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1. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, the recruiting wizard who has landed the nation’s last three No. 1 classes, surely wouldn’t have wasted his Valentine’s Day last week to travel to Minnesota to watch the 6-foot-9, 215-pound scoring sorcerer if he didn’t believe he still has a strong shot to sway him to Durham.
2. The Blue Devils’ 2019-20 roster, which is likely to be without all four freshmen starters on the current squad due to the lure of the NBA, should appear mouth-watering to any five-star forward looking to be an instant go-to scorer for a powerhouse program — not to mention the instant exposure he would receive due to the absurd frequency ESPN airs and highlights Duke games, which started long before the arrival of Zion Williamson and should continue long beyond his departure.
3. The Crystal Ball leader for Hurt’s services, Kansas, is sweating bullets over signs that a formal NCAA infractions case against the program may be in the near future; this ever-growing story — a potential hot mess — can’t brighten Hurt’s view of the Jayhawks.

In addition to Kansas and Duke, Hurt, who ranks No. 8 on the 247Sports Composite, has taken official visits to UNC and Kentucky. He is allowed one more visit, which, if he takes it, would likely be to Minnesota or Memphis.

If the Blue Devils were to snag a commitment from Hurt — one rumor floating around is that he may be eyeing his 19th birthday on April 20 as his announcement date — they would be receiving arguably the deadliest all-around scorer in the 2019 class.

His height and wide array of post moves make the McDonald’s All-American a matchup nightmare for wings. His slick handles and silky outside jumper will pose a problem for most paint prowlers who try to keep up with him. All that being said, though, Hurt’s wingspan is nothing to marvel at and neither are his biceps, quadriceps, and whatever-ceps (i.e., he needs time in the weight room or risks being pushed around at the college level).

Hurt’s skill set and frame won’t much matter to Duke fans, though, if he doesn’t end up a Blue Devil. But based on the recruiting prowess of Krzyzewski and all the available signs — Hurt is known for keeping mum when asked about his recruitment — fans should expect Duke to remain in the hunt until the end.

Coach K’s current 2019 class ranks No. 6 in the nation, per 247Sports, and includes three commits: five-star center Vernon Carey Jr. (ranks No. 3 on the composite rankings), five-star small forward Wendell Moore (ranks No. 22), and four-star combo guard Boogie Ellis (ranks No. 34).

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