Michael Malone’s arrival in Chapel Hill may be about to change the recruiting temperature between North Carolina and Duke.
For most of Hubert Davis’ time at UNC, Jon Scheyer didn’t have to deal with much real pressure from the Tar Heels on the recruiting trail. That picture could look a lot different now. North Carolina appears ready to go after the 2027 class aggressively, and Michael Malone’s first roster may not stay light on star power for long.
The Tar Heels are in a strong spot with several elite 2027 prospects, starting with No. 2 overall recruit CJ Rosser. Duke has not pursued Rosser, but he and five-star guard Jordan Page were both in Chapel Hill recently for official visits.
UNC also has a full slate of five-star visitors lined up in the coming weeks. Beckham Black, Asa Montgomery, Jalen Davis, Darius Washington, and Nasir Anderson are all scheduled to come through. Black and Montgomery are especially notable because both are high on Duke’s board as well, which could set up direct battles between the rivals.
That’s where the pressure starts to build for Scheyer. Duke has gotten off to a relatively slow start in its 2027 class, with just one commitment so far from five-star wing Kager Knueppel. Right now, the Blue Devils have only one confirmed official visitor set for the fall: five-star small forward Asa Montgomery, who is due in Durham on October 2.
The other previously scheduled visitor, forward Deng Ngor, committed to Ohio State on Thursday and may no longer make the trip.
Duke is still tracking other targets, including Beckham Black, but no additional 2027 visits have been locked in yet. Five-star AJ Williams could still end up visiting this fall, though nothing has been scheduled.
There’s also the possibility that five-star 2028 forward Colton Hiller reclassifies. He is set to take an official visit to Duke next month, and that trip could speed up both his recruitment and any decision about moving up a class.
Roster math may matter just as much as the recruiting board. Duke signed five players in the 2027 class, so there may not be a ton of room left depending on how things shake out with Cameron Williams and Deron Rippey Jr.
If they become one-and-done players, that changes the picture. If not, Duke’s flexibility gets tighter.
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje is definitely set to return for a second season.
And then there’s the backcourt. Duke could potentially bring back its entire veteran group, with John Blackwell, Caleb Foster, and Cayden Boozer all in line to be back in 2027-28. Blackwell and Foster are seniors, but the five-in-five rule would make them eligible for another college season, and neither is expected to climb much on draft boards because of their size.
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