Duke basketball: Jon Scheyer one-ups UNC with huge commitment
By Matt Giles
Dariq Whitehead gave Duke basketball what UNC’s new leader has yet to land.
First-year UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis and Duke basketball successor-in-waiting Jon Scheyer have not encountered any visible roadblocks when selling themselves on the recruiting trail.
However, in light of Sunday’s commitment from Montverde (Fla.) five-star Dariq Whitehead, Scheyer has now reeled in what his rival hasn’t yet: a top 10 prospect.
Whitehead, a 6-foot-8, 205-pound versatile small forward who ranks No. 6 overall on the 247Sports Composite, chose the Duke hat at his announcement ceremony over the Kansas and Florida State options on the table.
Saturday’s last-minute offer from the G League — with a promised $500K one-year contract — evidently didn’t sway the newly turned 17-year-old New Jersey native. Perhaps Whitehead believes he can earn more than a half-million across an anticipated one-and-done year from his name, image, and likeness as a Blue Devil.
As a result, Whitehead has joined Wilbraham & Monson (Mass.) four-star power forward Kyle Filipowski, who sits No. 33 among his peers, in giving Scheyer his first two 2022 pledges within the past week alone.
More Duke basketball recruiting races
Five other rising high school seniors are still weighing their Duke offers. That list consists of La Lumiere (Ind.) four-star point guard JJ Starling, Coppell (Texas) four-star combo guard Anthony Black, Yorkville Christian (Ill.) three-star shooting guard Jaden Schutt, Sunrise Christian (Kan.) five-star small forward Mark Mitchell, and Westtown (Pa.) five-star center Dereck Lively.
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Meanwhile, over in Chapel Hill, Davis and his gang boast three 2022 prizes: West Side (Ind.) five-star center Jalen Washington, Menomonee Falls (Wis.) four-star point guard Seth Trimble, and Oak Mountain (Ala.) three-star center Will Shaver.
Next. Predicting Duke's all-important 2022 class. dark
The rankings of those Tar Heel pledges range from No. 21 to No. 135 in the class.