Duke basketball staff eyeing five-star guard with NBA range
By Matt Giles
A beyond-his-years prospect is drawing Duke basketball recruiting interest.
Lightfooted and lethal from deep, Kanaan Carlyle oozes potential. As only a sophomore prep, the 6-foot-2, 170-pound slick guard has been a leading force in helping Milton (Ga.) tally 19 wins in a row. The powerhouse program — alma mater of ex-Duke basketball player Alex O’Connell — has now climbed to No. 10 in the MaxPreps Top 25 High School Basketball Rankings.
Evidently, the Duke basketball recruiters have taken notice of the squad’s budding young talent in the backcourt.
This week, Dan McDonald of Rivals spoke to Carlyle, who currently ranks No. 13 overall on the 247Sports 2023 Composite, then detailed his burgeoning recruitment:
“In the last couple of weeks, Georgia and LSU stepped up. Before that, he had received offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, and Tulane. Interest has also come in from Butler, Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky.”
When it comes to Carlyle’s preferred future suitors, the high-scoring sharpshooter suggested to McDonald that his dreams include pitting the three most popular bluebloods against one another:
“It’s really the Kentucky, Duke, and North Carolina type schools. They play on the biggest stage and put out NBA players.”
Expert’s take on the potential Duke basketball recruiting target
Dan McDonald, who is a Georgia native and arguably the supreme scout of his state’s teenage hoopsters, also provided his brief assessment of the increasingly coveted Kanaan Carlyle:
“Carlyle has proven to be one of the elite scorers in the class while also showing the ability to lock down on the defensive end…He possesses all the traits that get college coaches excited on the court, while also checking all the boxes with intangibles.”
Check out the tape of Carlyle’s recent 42-point outing with nine 3-point splashes, some from NBA distance:
Finally, McDonald added that Carlyle has no list of frontrunners at this early stage in the race and probably won’t decide on a college destination for another year or more.
Meanwhile, the Duke basketball staff has exhibited curiosity regarding a few other 2023 recruits as well but has yet to hand out any offers to the class.
Related Story. Three 2023 recruits who should land Duke offers. light
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