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

3 of 7

Former Duke basketball player Luol Deng sits down for SiriusXM’s Town Hall With Hall Of Fame Coach Mike Krzyzewski at Bill Brill Media Room in Cameron Indoor Stadium on May 31, 2018, in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images for SiriusXM) /

Pick Analysis. Forward. 434. Scouting Report. Luol Deng. 5. player. Class of 2003

Luol Deng was in the class of 2003. Yes, that’s the infamous high school class including LeBron James. Deng could’ve also gone straight to the NBA, but he chose to play at Duke.

Luol Deng was a five-star recruit and the No. 2 ranked player in the class of 2003 behind LeBron. His recruit rating was 0.9996, and he deserved that rating from his play. In his senior season in high school, he averaged 22.7 points per game, 10.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists for Blair Academy (N.J.). He was selected as a McDonald’s All-American, and First Team All-America by USA Today.

He would then play only one season at Duke but was very effective in that season. He averaged 15.8 points and 6.9 rebounds. Deng’s game translated to team success, as he led Duke to a Final Four appearance in 2004.

ALSO READ: The 100 greatest Blue Devils under Coach K

Deng would be drafted No. 7 overall in the 2004 NBA Draft, and as we know, he would have a long and successful NBA career.

Home/Duke Basketball All-Time Lists