Duke basketball staff travels to see another top-5 recruit
By Matt Giles
The Duke basketball recruiters have eyes on another exciting prospect.
Rare is the top-shelf recruit who never hears from the Duke basketball coaches. Still, considering the Blue Devils land so many of them these days — three of the top five talents on the 247Sports 2022 Composite have signed up to play their college ball in Durham — it’s worth noting every time the program develops any interest whatsoever in another one.
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That’s the case with Mount Saint Joseph (Md.) small forward Bryson Tucker, who sits No. 5 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite. According to a tweet from Pro Insight national recruiting insider Andrew Slater, members of the Duke crew hit the road on Wednesday to check out the 6-foot-6, 180-pound five-star at his school.
Currently, the mere 15-year-old holds fewer than a dozen offers. But judging by what the scouts are noting about Tucker’s beyond-his-years confidence with the ball in his hands, the list of suitors — particularly those of the blueblood variety — should soon grow exponentially for the son of former NC State and George Mason power forward Byron Tucker.
Two scouts’ takes on the potential Duke basketball recruiting target
Jamie Shaw of On3 recently labeled Bryson Tucker as a premier shooting guard in the class, rather than a small forward, and described what he likes about his ever-expanding repertoire:
“Tucker has an advanced approach to the game. He has good positional size and is comfortable on the ball. At 6-foot-6, Tucker makes great reads as a slashing off-guard, playing balanced, with his head up.”
Rob Cassidy of Rivals seems to agree, pointing out in October that Tucker ought to remain in the running for top-dog status among his peers:
“A gifted passer in addition to being a scorer, Tucker impacts games in multiple ways. He possesses the tools to seize the No. 1 spot and will have every opportunity to do so in the years ahead.”
To date, Duke’s two 2024 offers are to Gill St. Bernard’s (N.J.) five-star small forward Naas Cunningham, who ranks No. 1 in the class, and Paul VI (Va.) unrated small forward Darren Harris.
The Blue Devils don’t yet boast a commitment from any high school sophomores out there. That said, few programs do at this early juncture.
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