The top five rated recruits in Duke basketball history will surprise you

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 06: Duke basketball freshman stars Zion Williamson, No. 1, RJ Barrett, No. 5, and Tre Jones, No. 5, react from the Blue Devils’ bench during the State Farm Champions Classic against the Kentucky Wildcats at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 6, 2018, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Duke Blue Devils defeated the Kentucky Wildcats,118-84. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Studying the list of the five highest-rated Duke basketball signees of all time provides some interesting names, which have sparked this look back at each one’s time in high school, as a Blue Devil, and beyond.

Thinking of the top recruits in Duke basketball history, players like Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Austin Rivers come to mind. However, those players aren’t among the top five.

The Duke Blue Devils have had the luxury of being home to some of the greatest players in the world. When it comes to recruiting, Duke is always among the top teams in the nation. Including their incoming six-deep 2020 haul, Mike Krzyzewski and his staff have accounted for four of the nation’s past seven No. 1 recruiting classes, according to 247Sports Composite Rankings, and been among the top three in each of those seven years.

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But when thinking about the top Blue Devils, the names don’t always fall in line with those who were projected to be the best by the recruiting experts. We are going to go over the program’s top five rated recruits since these online rankings of preps came into existence. These might surprise you…

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