Comparing Duke basketball freshman class to Michigan’s Fab Five

POWER FORWARD: Two Duke basketball freshmen vs. Michigan’s Chris Webber

Chris Webber, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 1991, was at the time one of the best high school basketball players since Magic Johnson. “C-Web” and his Detroit Country Day School squad hold three state titles between 1987 and 1991. During his dominating senior season, the 6-foot-10 power forward averaged almost 30 points per game while recording 13 boards per contest. He finished his prep career as the National High School Player of the Year.

Jaemyn Brakefield, who graduated from Huntington Prep in West Virginia, is a 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward and the 41st-ranked recruit in his class. Brakefield is a smooth-shooting lefty who can also pass and rebound well. On the 2019 summer Nike circuit, the Duke recruit averaged almost 16 points to complement six rebounds per game.

Henry Coleman is also a 6-foot-8 power forward but, at 240 pounds, with a little more bulk than his fellow Blue Devil newcomer. Coleman, from Trinity Episcopal School in Virginia, is the lowest-ranked (at 52nd nationally) of Duke’s six-man class. He is strong and athletic plus a skilled defender and rebounder. During his senior season at Trinity Episcopal, the 8th-ranked power forward in the nation averaged 22.8 points and 12.8 rebounds per game on his way to earning Virginia All-State honors.

EDGE: Really? Michigan’s Chris Webber.