The Duke basketball program has had some of the most talented players in the history of college basketball come through Durham, and that history has stretched far into the past and into the present. The Blue Devils just had one of the most hyped up high school prospects ever in Cooper Flagg, and he delivered based on his expectations, leading Duke to a Final Four and winning the AP National Player of the Year award.
But let's take a look at the history of the best Duke recruits ever. Here are the top five highest-rated Blue Devil commits of all time, based on the 247sports Composite Rankings.
#5 - Dereck Lively II - Class of 2022
A 7'1 220-pound center out of Norristown, PA, Lively was ranked the #2 overall player in the class of 2022 and given a perfect 100 rating by 247sports. His main attraction was his elite defensive ability, his athleticism as a seven-footer, and his innate ability to protect the rim. Lively played one season in Durham and continued to excel defensively. Lively averaged 2.4 blocks per game through the 2022-23 season for Duke, helping the program earn a 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament and reach the Round of 32.
Although his offensive game wasn't quite there yet, Lively was still seen as a lottery pick heading into the 2023 NBA Draft. He was selected 12th overall by the Dallas Mavericks after the Mavs traded back from pick ten to select him, and Lively has certainly made Dallas happy for taking him. Now in his second season in the NBA, Lively has averaged 8.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks a night on 72.9% shooting from the field throughout his career. He was a big contributor as a rookie for a Mavericks team that made it to the NBA Finals in 2024.
#4 - Josh McRoberts - Class of 2005
Coming out of the class of 2005, McRoberts was the top ranked power forward in the nation and one of the best players in high school basketball. He averaged 17.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and three blocks a game in his senior year of high school, leading Carmel High School (IN) to a sectional title game berth. McRoberts played two seasons with the Blue Devils from 2005-07, averaging 10.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.2 steals a game throughout his career. McRoberts helped lead Duke to a 1-seed in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, where the Blue Devils were eventually knocked out in the Sweet 16 by LSU. The 6'10 big then declared for the 2007 NBA Draft and was taken 37th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers. McRoberts played 12 NBA seasons for Portland, the Indiana Pacers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Orlando Magic, the Charlotte Bobcats, the Miami Heat, and the Dallas Mavericks. He averaged 5.4 points and 3.9 rebounds throughout his professional career.
#3 - Marvin Bagley III - Class of 2017
Bagley was an extremely sought-after recruit coming out of the class of 2017, ranked as the #1 player in the class, and ended up being Duke's first #1 overall commit. The 6'10 power forward out of Sierra Canyon (AZ) averaged 24.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, and two blocks a game in his final year of high school basketball and eventually reclassified to the class of 2017 to get to college early. He played one season at Duke and was one of the most dominant bigs in the country, averaging 21 points and 11.1 rebounds on 61.4% shooting from the floor for a Blue Devils squad that earned a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament and made it to the Elite 8. Bagley won ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Player of the Year while also earning First Team All-ACC honors.
It was a no-brainer that Bagley would declare for the 2018 NBA Draft as he was seen as a can't-miss prospect and the next dominant big in the NBA. He was selected second overall by the Sacramento Kings, but his career never really came into fruition. He was great as a rookie, averaging 14.9 points and 7.6 rebounds to make NBA All-Rookie First Team, but he never really took that leap into a generational talent. Bagley played four seasons for the Kings before being dealt to the Detroit Pistons in 2022. Since then, he's bounced around the league quite a bit, spending time with the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies. He's appeared in 12 games for the Grizzlies this season, averaging 3.6 points in 8.6 minutes per game.
#2 - RJ Barrett - Class of 2018
Before Cooper Flagg, it was RJ Barrett who stole the show in high school basketball. Barrett was one of the most decorated high school prospects of all time, ranked as the #1 overall player in his class with a perfect rating by 247Sports. The 2018 Gatorade National Boys Player of the Year averaged 28.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals a night for Montverde Academy (FL), one of the top high school basketball programs in the nation. Barrett came into Durham as part of Duke's electric freshman trio alongside Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish. In one season for the Blue Devils, Barrett averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on 45.4% shooting from the floor, helping lead the program to the #1 overall seed in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Although Williamson was the superstar of college basketball that season, Barrett was still one of the top players in the nation, earning the Jerry West Award given to the nation's top shooting guard, First Team All-ACC, and ACC All-Freshman team.
Barrett declared for the 2019 NBA Draft along with Williamson and Reddish, and he was taken third overall by the New York Knicks. Barrett had a rocky start to his NBA career, struggling with efficiency throughout his time in New York. However, he was traded to the Toronto Raptors in 2023 and has been playing the best basketball of his pro career with Toronto. In 2024-25, Barrett is averaging 21.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on 46.8% shooting from the field, better numbers than Barrett ever eclipsed in New York. He looks the part of a long-term piece for a rebuilding Raptors squad and is arguably having the best NBA career out of the three star freshmen Duke had in 2018-19.
#1 - Cooper Flagg - Class of 2024
Duke basketball's highest-rated recruit ever is a guy that the Blue Devil faithful just spent a season watching in Cooper Flagg. Like Barrett, Flagg was one of the most hyped-up prospects ever and reclassified into the class of 2024 to get to college early. The 2024 Gatorade National Boys Player of the Year averaged 16.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.7 blocks per game in his final season of high school basketball for Montverde. He didn't even turn eighteen years old until late December, but that didn't stop the 6'9 wing from being the best player in college hoops this past season. Flagg led Duke in all five major statistical categories in 2024-25, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.4 steals a night on 48.1% shooting from the floor and 38.5% shooting from three. He led Duke to a Final Four appearance against Houston and picked up as many accolades as a college freshman could've. Flagg became the fourth freshman ever to win the AP National Player of the Year award, joining Zion Williamson, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Davis. Flagg also won ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Player of the Year.
The rookie sensation hasn't officially made his announcement that he'll be declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft, but Flagg is a shoo-in to be selected first overall this summer. As fans await Flagg's official announcement, we also wait to see what Flagg's destination will be as the NBA Draft Lottery occurs on May 12th.