Jon Scheyer has Duke with the No. 1 recruiting class once again in the 2027 cycle, highlighted by the signing of 5-star Arizona forward Cameron Williams, who is the top-ranked player in the Blue Devils' class.
Williams is ranked as the No. 2 overall player in the 247 composite. He might not be expected to make the same impact as Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer, who both had historic freshman seasons in Durham, but Williams should be a ready-made college star for Duke in 2026-27.
ESPN's Paul Biancardi compared some of the nation's top high school seniors with current college basketball stars, and while Williams's comp may leave some fans underwhelmed, it shouldn't.
ESPN compares Duke commit Cameron Williams to Alabama center Aiden Sherrell
It took Aiden Sherrell a year to become a truly impactful player for Alabama, but if Williams can come to college and have the same type of impact Sherrell is having during his sophomore season for the Crimson Tide, then Scheyer will be more than pleased.
Biancardi writes:
"Few college players have Williams' talent, size and coachability -- and those who do don't stay long before entering the NBA draft. Sherrell is very close to Williams, however. Both are athletic big men who run well, block shots and rebound. Both have long frames, plus wingspans to offer strong rim protection and the perimeter shooting prowess to offer spacing on offense. Sherrell is scoring at a consistent double-digit clip for Alabama as well."
Sherrell was a McDonald's All-American in high school, and while he played a reserve role for the Crimson Tide as a freshman a year ago, he has truly blossomed as a sophomore. Sherrell is averaging 11.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game in his second collegiate season.
Sherrell isn't generating as much NBA Draft buzz as Williams figures to, but he's been a really good player on a really good Alabama team that is in the midst of an eight-game winning streak and projected as a 3 or 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The comparison isn't perfect as Williams projects as a better athlete at the college level than Sherrell, but his ability to stretch the floor and score inside-and-out, as well as impact the game defensively as a shot blocker, are similar - and welcome - traits.