Top Duke target separating himself from the pack at FIBA U17 World Cup

When the dust settles on the 2027 recruiting class and the rankings are finalized, the No. 1 player might end up being 5-star point guard Beckham Black, who currently ranks as the No. 4 player in the composite.

At the FIBA U17 World Cup, Black is separating himself from the pack. In the opening game of the tournament, a 31-point win for Team USA over France, Black was outstanding. He put up 23 points with four assists in 23 minutes. He was impactful on both ends of the floor, showing his two-way versatility, athleticism, and high-level shot-making.

A little over a month ago, Jon Scheyer extended an offer to Black after watching him in person at the EYBL. Black is the younger brother of former Arkansas guard and first-round pick Anthony Black, which has made many believe the Hogs, now led by John Calipari, who has an impressive track record with guards, are the favorite.

USC will also be a factor. His brother's college coach at Arkansas, Eric Musselman, is now the head coach for the Trojans.

But Duke doesn't just throw out offers to throw them out. They are very much in the fight and will be a factor in Black's recruitment down the stretch.

Jon Scheyer should go all-in on a Beckham Black-Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje pairing

Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje also acquitted himself nicely in his USA U17 debut. He played 21 minutes and scored 12 points with five rebounds:

Boumtje Boumtje will be reporting to Duke after this tournament, and the 17-year-old appears good enough to carve out an immediate role as a freshman. But the major dividends for Boumtje Boumtje will be paid in the 2027-28 season, when he's an experienced sophomore and positioning himself to potentially be the No. 1 pick in the 2028 draft.

Pairing him with one of the best guards in the country is a no-brainer. Adding a sharpshooting wing like Kager Knueppel is also a no-brainer, and you start to see the vision with that roster pretty quickly.

There's no doubt that Scheyer is going to sign one of the top classes in the country. In three straight cycles, he's secured the No. 1 class for Duke. Landing Black would put the Blue Devils in position to do it for a fourth consecutive cycle.

It'll be a fight. Arkansas will be tough to beat, no doubt, and others like Kentucky, Texas, and USC will submit high-dollar NIL packages to try to sway him. But Duke will offer an opportunity that others can't with the presence of Boumtje Boumtje on the roster.

And the two are already developing chemistry during the U17 tournament that could make it all the more enticing for Black to end up in Durham.

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