Duke basketball staff may have found its preferred 2022 recruiting prize

Duke basketball is set to host a prospect who checks many Blue Devil boxes.

According to Jake Weingarten of Stock Risers, Bishop Miege (Kan.) small forward Mark Mitchell has tentatively scheduled an official visit to the Duke basketball program for the last weekend in June.

With the apparent invite from the Blue Devils, the 6-foot-8, 205-pound five-star became the first hoops recruit to mark the calendar for a trip to the school in Durham since the pandemic erupted last spring. Therefore, despite no word yet of any offers from Mike Krzyzewski to 2022 talents, signs say Mitchell is now sitting at or near the center of the Duke basketball recruiting radar.

Mitchell ranks No. 13 overall on the 247Sports 2022 Composite. And earlier his week, the Kansas City native explained to Weingarten the interest coming from the Blue Devils:

“I’ve been building a relationship with [associate head coach Jon Scheyer] and just getting to know each other, and they’ve been telling me how I could fit in their program.”

He also told Weingarten there’s no rush to his decision. Rather, Mitchell is currently eyeing the end of this calendar year as a possible timeframe for his announcement. At the moment, he holds roughly a dozen offers, including from the likes of Kansas, UCLA, and UNC.

Evaluating Duke basketball recruiting target Mark Mitchell

Here’s what Jake Weingarten wrote about Mark Mitchell’s repertoire:

“Mitchell is your modern-day wing…can pretty much do everything possible on the floor. Can score at multiple levels, freak athlete, tons of explosiveness, and versatility. You look at guys like Ziaire Williams at Stanford, a lengthy prototypical wing who could handle the ball and pretty much do anything a coach needs.”

In terms of a Duke basketball comparison, both his measurements and playing style bring to mind 2003-04 one-and-done Luol Deng.

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As was the case with Deng in his prep days, Mitchell’s loaded toolbox includes a decent outside shot, yet he appears to prefer working inside the arc, using a variety of post moves, pump fakes, and behind-the-back crossovers to create scoring opportunities for himself and teammates.

Plus, with regard to his potential fit as a Blue Devil under West Point grad Mike Krzyzewski, well, assuming the Hall of Fame head coach is still on the bench when that time arrives, it surely wouldn’t hurt that Mitchell is the son of military parents.

Finally, looking back at Mitchell’s interview last year with Pro Insights, it’s quite clear that when it comes to weighing the decision of whether to go the college or G League route after high school, the rising senior understands the potential benefits of picking a proven NCAA winner:

“I don’t think Zion Williamson would be Zion Williamson right now if he didn’t go to Duke.”

Right now, judging from the planned visit and his coveted game, Mark Mitchell might just be the Blue Devils’ ideal next gem in the eyes of Coach K & Co.