Duke basketball: No. 1 recruit wants Blue Devil attention

A Duke basketball target’s teammate is hoping to hear from the Blue Devils.

Duke basketball recruiting has fared well with elite talent in New Jersey over the years.

Presently, head coach-in-waiting Jon Scheyer and his gang are top contenders for Gill St. Bernard’s (N.J.) small forward Mackenzie Mgbako, a five-star high school junior who ranks No. 7 on the 247Sports 2023 Composite. He recently visited the campus in Durham. Plus, all four Crystal Ball experts to have entered forecasts for the race see the Duke Blue Devils as the frontrunners.

ALSO READ: Confident predictions pour in for a Blue Devil recruiting race

Now, it looks as if Mgbako’s most heralded younger teammate, small forward Naasir Cunningham, is also interested in Duke. Per a tweet on Monday from national recruiting insider Andrew Slater, the 6-foot-7, 180-pound long-armed sophomore confirmed that he is seeking to pop up on the Blue Devil radar.

However, Cunningham added Kentucky and UCLA alongside Duke to complete his wishlist of potential suitors. Also, he told Slater that significant interest is already rolling in from several major programs, including Illinois, Michigan, and UConn.

A top-of-the-line potential Duke basketball prospect

Naasir Cunningham currently sits No. 1 among his peers on the 2024 ESPN 25, likely due to the considerable spring in his step and a skillset that appears quite advanced for his age.

Here’s a brief recent assessment of Cunningham’s game from 247Sports national recruiting analyst Eric Bossi:

“His athleticism is fluid, he moves well laterally, he has some ball skills, and the jump shot should be an asset down the road. Everything about him screams potentially elite national-level recruit.”

At this extremely early stage on the 2024 recruiting trail, the Blue Devil staff has yet to extend any offers. Nevertheless, Naasir Cunningham is one name worth remembering.