Duke basketball recruiting: 5-star eager to hear from Blue Devils again

Cam Scott should be on the Duke basketball recruiting wishlist.

Recruits who never received the Duke basketball offer they hoped for have come back to haunt the program before.

Indeed, it’s happened all too recently. Just replay the late dagger from deep and 28 points from Caleb Love in UNC’s Final Four victory that ended Mike Krzyzewski’s career. As a former potential target of the staff in Durham, the five-star 2020 point guard expressed serious interest in the Blue Devils, especially early on in his recruitment.

If the Duke coaches aren’t careful, a similar scenario could one day play out via the dangerous skillset of Lexington High School (S.C.) shooting guard Cam Scott.

The 6-foot-6, 180-pound five-star, who ranks No. 26 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite, has already picked up offers from a handful of ACC schools in Clemson, Florida State, UNC, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest. It’s also worth noting that Tennessee is now firmly in the mix after delivering an offer to Scott earlier this month.

But on Tuesday night, Scott’s high school coach, Elliott Pope, informed Ball Durham that the explosive sophomore playmaker has “continued and patient interest” in potentially being “a player The Brotherhood can be proud of.”

In other words, it sure sounds as if the Blue Devils would be an instant top contender in the Scott sweepstakes if they were to enter the fray officially. As it is, though, Pope noted that former Duke basketball assistant Nolan Smith, who joined the Louisville staff in April, is the last coach from Durham to reach out:

“We have not talked to anyone on the staff since Nolan left.”

ALSO READ: Nolan Smith presents a real threat in one 2024 race

Pope then touched on the respect that Scott’s family has for the Blue Devils:

“I try to connect with folks that his parents want. Duke is a name that continually is asked about.”

Comparison to a recent Duke basketball standout

Elliott Pope, a native of Concord, N.C., who once coached Leaky Black before the defensive stopper ended up at UNC, recognizes top-shelf talent. In his eyes, as he indicated to Ball Durham, Cam Scott’s game is similar to that of Wendell Moore, who declared for this summer’s NBA Draft after his impressive junior campaign at Duke:

“Cam is Wendell with better court vision at this point.”

During a recent interview with Jamie Shaw of On3, Scott described his abilities and mentioned a six-time NBA All-Star as a guy he often tries to emulate:

“I am starting to become more of a two-way player; that is big for me personally. I’m very good at running the floor, getting up and down, communicating with my teammates, and knocking down jump shots. I watch a lot of Jimmy Butler these days. I am watching how he is that leader-type on the floor and has that dog mentality.”

Yes, such a mentality is one that first-year Duke head coach Jon Scheyer would be wise to want on his side.

Of course, the 2024 recruiting cycle is still young. Thus far, the Blue Devils have extended offers to five-star small forward Naas Cunningham, five-star small forward Bryson Tucker, and four-star small forward Darren Harris.

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