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Duke basketball: Mackenzie Mgbako expects a ‘chip’ with Blue Devils

By Kevin Connelly

Duke basketball commit Mackenzie Mgbako (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Duke basketball commit Mackenzie Mgbako (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /
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Duke basketball incoming freshman Mackenzie Mgbako isn’t running from expectations. 

There are always National Championship expectations when playing for the Duke basketball program due to its history and its players know it, whether they publicly express it or not.

Incoming 5-star freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako isn’t running from those expectations.

Mgbako told the media on Monday afternoon in Houston that he “expects a [championship]” with the Blue Devils after Tyrese Proctor announced he would be returning for his sophomore season.

The Roselle Catholic (NJ) standout continues to prepare this week for the McDonald’s All-American  Game as he will join forces with future teammate Sean Stewart, a 5-star power forward from Montverde Academy (Fla.), on Team East.

Jared McCain, another 5-star Duke commit, will participate on Team West as 5-star recruits Caleb Foster and TJ Power were not invited to participate in the prestigious event.

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Mgbako and Proctor developed a relationship playing with each other on Team World during the Nike Hoop Summit last year — where Proctor has just committed to the Blue Devils and Mgbako committed to the program during the event.

The incoming recruits give Jon Scheyer the No. 2 recruiting class in 2023, according to 247Sports, and it was a class that could have been the top in the country if Proctor did not reclassify to join Duke a year early.

The Blue Devils, despite winning the ACC Tournament Championship, fell short of its goal in the NCAA Tournament after losing to Tennessee in the Round of 32 and is without a National Championship since 2015.

Duke basketball recruits to be busy this month

Roselle Catholic was invited to participate in the State Champions Invitational next week in Washington D.C. but Mackenzie Mgbako told the media that he will not be participating with his high school team.

Instead, Mgbako will play for Team World in the Nike Hoop Summit on April 8 for the second consecutive year.

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Jared McCain and Sean Stewart will be playing for Team USA in the event.

Mgbako, Stewart, Jared McCain, and TJ Power are scheduled to participate in the Iverson Classic at the end of April.

The McDonald’s All-American Game is on Tuesday, March 28 at 9:00p.m. ET (ESPN).

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