Predicting Duke basketball’s all-important 2022 recruiting class
By Matt Giles
Predicted 2022 Duke basketball commit: The star of the show
Scouting Report. 205 pounds. Dariq Whitehead. player. 434. Pick Analysis. 6-foot-8. SF
- No. 6 overall on the 247Sports 2022 Composite
- Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Dariq Whitehead has not named finalists. Nevertheless, last week, after wrapping up his June visits to Duke, Florida State, and Kansas, the 6-foot-8, 205-pound small forward from New Jersey set a decision date for Aug. 1.
Whichever program is fortunate enough to snag the heralded five-star will surely enjoy his elite levels of athleticism, confidence, and versatility. Of course, given Whitehead’s lofty ranking and countless NBA features, it’s doubtful he’ll stick around in college for more than a year before potentially becoming a lottery pick.
Why Duke basketball should come out on top for Dariq Whitehead
On several occasions, Dariq Whitehead has himself alluded to his longtime Duke basketball fandom. And this week, 247Sports recruiting insider Eric Bossi basically described the battle as the Blue Devils’ to lose:
"“Ever since Dariq Whitehead finished up an official visit to Duke, there has been buzz that he’ll ultimately be the first big-time player to commit to coach-in-waiting Jon Scheyer. Florida State has been in there deep for some time, and Whitehead had a good visit to Kansas…We are going to learn over the next few weeks how much of a shot Leonard Hamilton and Bill Self feel they have…”"
As it stands, between the 247Sports Crystal Ball and Rivals FutureCast, all eight experts who have entered picks see Whitehead donning Blue Devil gear on announcement day.