Duke basketball recruiting target talks decision timeline
By Matt Giles
Duke basketball is likely to end up a finalist for a premier post prospect.
In early June, Westtown (Pa.) four-star center Dereck Lively became the first recruit to receive an offer from Duke basketball chief-in-waiting Jon Scheyer.
Now, drawing from Lively’s chat this week with Dushawn London of 247Sports after his weekend official visit to UNC, it looks as if the 7-foot-1, 220-pound big man could unveil his favorites around the time of his trip to Duke at the end of June.
Lively, who ranks No. 35 overall on the 247Sports 2022 Composite and currently holds about 20 offers, told London that he plans to cut his list of suitors “in the next month or so” and then choose a winner during either the fall or winter of his upcoming senior year. Right now, the 247Sports Crystal Ball remains empty for his recruitment.
A new scouting report on the improving Duke basketball recruiting target
It’s no secret that Dereck Lively is one of the most sought-after true five-men in his class, especially in light of his top-tier performances this spring for Team Final (Pa.) on the Nike EYBL circuit.
Here’s a snippet of the skillset dissection that 247Sports recruiting analyst Brandon Jenkins provided last week:
"“The potential and athletic gifts of Dereck Lively are beyond tremendous…One factor that truly stands out to scouts at the highest of levels is his commitment to being a center…He is dangerous in the screen-and-roll game and gives across Tyson Chandler vibes due to his length and productivity in the shot-blocking and rebounding categories.”"
The only other 2022 prospect with a Duke basketball recruiting offer in hand, Montverde (Fla.) five-star small forward Dariq Whitehead, took an official visit to Durham this past weekend.
Next. 3 recruits who seem smitten with Jon Scheyer. dark
Two other potential full-fledged Blue Devil targets, Sunrise Christian (Kan.) five-star small forward Mark Mitchell and Wilbraham & Monson (Mass.) four-star power forward Kyle Filipowski, are set to join Dereck Lively on campus in a couple of weeks.