Coveted recruit says Duke basketball is ‘a different level’

One of the top Duke basketball targets seems quite fond of the Blue Devils.

Since last summer, the Duke basketball staff has been talking to Sunrise Christian (Kan.) small forward Mark Mitchell, who ranks No. 9 overall on the 247Sports 2022 Composite.

Earlier this month, the Blue Devils extended an offer to the 6-foot-8, 215-pound five-star. Then this week, they hosted Mitchell for an official visit.

Now, it sure does sound as if Mitchell could see Duke eventually separating itself from the pack in his recruitment, which also features the likes of Kansas, Missouri, UCLA, and UNC.

Mark Mitchell heaping praise on Duke basketball greats

Speaking to Zagsblog recruiting insider Jacob Polacheck on Tuesday, Mitchell noted a sense of awe when in the presence of all-time NCAA wins leader and five-time national champion Mike Krzyzewski, who is set to retire in the spring after 42 seasons at the helm in Durham:

“Just the history. Obviously, [head coach-in-waiting Jon Scheyer] is a great guy, really down to earth. I talked to [associate head coach Chris Carrawell]. Seeing Coach K right in front of you, in person, was just crazy.”

ALSO READ: Ranking the first 40 Duke teams under Coach K

Next, Mitchell described his feelings about the Duke basketball program in general before pointing out a few former players at or near his position who excelled as Blue Devils and are now enjoying successful NBA careers:

“They definitely move differently up there. I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s a different level, though…[The Duke coaches see me] as a wing. That [Jayson] Tatum, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett-type that comes in as a freshman and makes an impact early. They’re trying to build a great group for our class. They think I could be that type of guy for them.”

As for his college decision, Mitchell told Polacheck that he plans to name finalists at some point this summer and then announce the winner in either December or January.

ALSO READ: Jon Scheyer’s handpicked targets soaring in rankings

Currently, Mark Mitchell is one of six 2022 prospects holding Duke basketball offers. The other five are Westtown (Pa.) five-star center Dereck Lively, Montverde (Fla.) five-star small forward Dariq Whitehead, Wilbraham & Monson (Mass.) four-star power forward Kyle Filipowski, La Lumiere (Ind.) four-star point guard JJ Starling, and Coppell (Texas) four-star combo guard Anthony Black.

No rising high school seniors have yet committed to Duke.