Duke basketball gets cut from finalist for No. 1 recruit in 2025

The top ranked recruit in the country is getting close to making a college decision but he will not be coming to Durham to play for the Duke basketball program.

AJ Dybantsa, who announced his reclassification from 2026 to 2025 earlier in the year, told ESPN on Friday that he will only be considering Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State and North Carolina.

"The list is based on the coaches who spoke with my dad the most. I will decide in February," he told Paul Biancardi.

The Blue Devils had been linked to Dybantsa for much of his high school career but only officially offered the highly coveted 6-foot-9 forward in early May. Many recruiting experts have not only crowned him as the best player in his class, but the best prospect in the country regardless of age.

There were some who preferred Dybantsa over Cooper Flagg, a current Duke freshman, who also reclassified from 2025 into 2024.

Jon Scheyer and his coaching staff are still looking for its first commitment in the Class of 2025 and also saw 5-star point guard Meleek Thomas cut the program from his list of finalist. However, the Blue Devils have been included in the group of finalists for 5-star forward Caleb Wilson and 4-star guard Acaden Lewis.

The biggest prize for Duke on the recruiting trail remains Cameron and Cayden Boozer, the twin sons of Blue Devil Hall of Famer Carlos Boozer. Reports trickling out of Nike's EYBL Peach Jam last month stated that Duke has closed the gap on Miami, who was perceived to be the favorite in the battle.

It has already been a busy summer for AJ Dybantsa as he announced he will be transferring high schools from Prolific Prep (Calif.) to Utah Prep and was a key member of the Team USA in the FIBA U17 World Cup gold medal winning roster.