A former assistant coach revealed an untold Duke basketball recruiting story.
Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski is one of the best recruiters in the country, and the Hall of Famer sometimes uses unorthodox methods to try and land a player in Durham.
However, former Blue Devil assistant coach, and lead recruiter, Jeff Capel told an unknown story about the 74-year-old in his quest to land another top prospect.
Capel told the story on the Barstool Bench Mob podcast:
Unreal story about Jayson Tatum’s recruiting visit from @jeffcapel
— Barstool College Basketball (@StoolCBB) February 12, 2021
Listen to full episode now: https://t.co/LIQ6JIH0vN pic.twitter.com/UoOhH7oXuc
Jayson Tatum publicly committed to Duke on July 12, 2014, only a short few months after he surprisingly committed to the Blue Devils coaching staff in private.
Also, it must be a very unique experience to drink a beer with Mike Krzyzewski.
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The St. Louis, Missouri native was one of the headliners in the top-ranked recruiting class that also included Harry Giles, Frank Jackson, Marques Bolden, Javin DeLaurier, and Jack White.
Tatum averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game on 45.2-percent shooting from the field and 34.2-percent from three-point range as he was also named to the All-ACC Team.
Duke became the first team in ACC history to win four games in four days en route to the ACC Tournament Championship.
Duke basketball head coach continues to impress on recruiting trail
As college basketball has shifted from four-year players to one-and-dones, the philosophy of head coaches on the recruiting trail has changed to tailor their pitches to the new mentality of players.
But the success rate of Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils has not changed.
The coaching staff still goes into the homes of prospects and sells them on the college experience in Durham while helping them achieve their basketball goals.
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It’s something only few other coaches and programs have been able to consistently deliver on in the new era of college basketball.
Since 2014, Duke has put together a Top-3 recruiting class each season.
The Blue Devils already have two five-stars committed for the 2021-22 season.