Future Duke basketball guard goes off in scrimmage play

Duke basketball (Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)
Duke basketball (Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)

Duke basketball pledge Caleb Foster might be the nation’s best point guard.

In a 40-minute scrimmage against Hargrave (Va.) on Wednesday evening, Oak Hill (Va.) floor general Caleb Foster scored a game-high 37 points in powering his squad to a 119-105 victory. It’s safe to say the lone 2023 Duke basketball recruiting prize to date appears ready to put on a show across his junior year of high school.

Foster has risen three notches to No. 9 overall on the 247Sports 2023 Composite since his announced commitment to Duke Blue Devils in mid-September. This calendar year, the 6-foot-5, 190-pound multidimensional five-star has jumped a total of 14 spots.

And if Foster (No. 3 in white) produces many more highlights like the ones below from his latest outing, there’s no telling how far he’ll climb in the rankings before it’s all said and done.

The North Carolina native’s scoring clinic included nine 3-pointers. Several were from near the NBA distance, and most were stop-on-a-dime jumpers off the dribble.

Plus, Foster seemed to distribute many dimes after impressively changing speeds and directions, altogether leaving defenders discombobulated.

A scout’s assessment of the Duke basketball pledge against Hargrave

Duke basketball enthusiasts must wait until the 2023-24 campaign to see the admitted lifelong Blue Devil fan’s debut in Cameron Indoor Stadium. That said, Caleb Foster already appears ready for the college level, as Patrick O’Brien of Phenom Hoop Report implied while dissecting the slick playmaker’s performance in the scrimmage:

“In the class of 2023, there might not be a better point guard in the country than Foster…when watching this game, it is easy to see why. Such a smooth operating point guard, an incredibly fluid shot-maker from outside or with his mid-range game, and just players under control on the floor.”

O’Brien continued:

“Foster just understands how to control the game in so many ways and has a terrific IQ/feel for the game, especially finding teammates. I don’t see many other point guards that are better than Foster in the country.”

At this early stage in the cycle, Duke’s offer sheet contains five undecided high school juniors: five-star small forward Matas Buzelis, five-star small forward Taylor Bowen, five-star small forward Mackenzie Mgbako, five-star small forward JJ Taylor, and five-star power forward Gregory Jackson.