Duke basketball recruiting: 5-star forward notes growing interest

Another top-notch prep seems on the verge of a Duke basketball offer.

Hillcrest (Ariz.) small forward Jason Asemota is a 6-foot-8, 190-pound five-star sophomore who models his game after Milwaukee Bucks veteran star Khris Middleton and ranks No. 18 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite. And according to his chat this week with On3 national recruiting insider Jamie Shaw, the Duke basketball staff is among those taking note of his talents:

“We are hearing a lot from Kansas and Oregon and a little bit from Duke. Duke hasn’t offered yet, but they have been picking it up lately.”

Asemota, a first-generation American whose parents are both from Nigeria, then implied to Shaw that a trip to Durham is in the cards:

“They want me to take a visit at some point after the tournament. Jon Scheyer tells us I can come in and make an impact.”

A resemblance to a current Duke basketball player

At first glance, from his broad shoulders and strong stride to his all-squared, wide-base shooting stroke beyond the arc, Jason Asemota’s game brings to mind Duke freshman standout AJ Griffin.

Here’s how Jamie Shaw summarized Asemota’s abilities:

“Jason Asemota is trending as one of the top prospects in the 2024 class. The 6-foot-8 wing has beautiful form on his jump shot with a smooth release and confidence off the catch or the bounce…He is a good athlete and can do some things in transition…His on-court play suggests his recruitment should reach the highest level.”

Already, per 247Sports, Asemota holds 16 offers. High-major programs dominate that list, yet no ACC teams have officially entered the fray thus far.

The Blue Devils have zero commitments from the class but do have offers on the table to a trio of prospects. Like Jason Asemota, all three of those Duke targets appear to be small forwards: Gill St. Bernard’s (N.J.) five-star Naasir Cunningham, Mount Saint Joseph (Md.) five-star Bryson Tucker, and Paul VI (Va.) unrated wing Darren Harris.

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball recruiting news and views.