Duke’s recruiting board keeps getting busier, and Jon Scheyer’s staff is still pressing hard on some of the best high school talent in the country.
One of the biggest names tied to the Blue Devils right now is 5-star 2027 center Lewis Uvwo, who Duke was reported to be watching Monday at Prolific Prep. The 6-foot-11 big man is viewed as the top center in the 2027 class, and the 247Sports 2027 Composite Rankings have him at No. 7 overall and No. 1 at his position.
Duke offered Uvwo in early July, though he still hasn’t lined up a visit to Durham. He has already taken official visits to Baylor, California, and Kentucky, and he’s scheduled to be at Providence this weekend.
Uvwo’s appeal is pretty easy to see. At the Nike EYBL Peach Jam this summer with Nightrydas, he put up 11.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, and six blocks per game over seven games.
That includes 42 blocks in seven games. The Nigeria native also brings a 7-foot-7 wingspan, and even with only a couple of years of basketball under his belt, he’s already flashing the kind of rim protection, rebounding, and pick-and-roll ability that makes evaluators dream on the long game.
Duke’s frontcourt situation only makes that pursuit more interesting. Patrick Ngongba is the only true center in the Blue Devils’ rotation this season, and he was projected as a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which creates a real possibility he leaves after his junior season. Duke also has 2026 4-star seven-footer Maxime Meyer on the roster, but adding someone with Uvwo’s upside would be a major win for the program.
The Blue Devils were also at Prolific Prep looking at another name for the future: 2029 small forward Draydne McDaniel. The 6-foot-7 prospect already has offers from Alabama, Georgia Tech, and Arizona State.
And Uvwo wasn’t the only Duke target making noise Monday. Five-star 2027 wing AJ Williams trimmed his list to 10 schools, with Duke included. His finalists are Duke, Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Arkansas, BYU, Auburn, and Illinois.
Williams is rated by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 5 player in the 2027 class and the No. 2 small forward. The Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy product was originally the No. 1 overall player in the 2028 class before reclassifying into 2027 in August.
His path is different from Marcus Spears Jr.’s, the former No. 1 overall 2027 recruit who reclassified to 2026 and committed to Texas. Spears has to spend two years in college basketball, while Williams remains eligible for the 2028 NBA Draft.
Williams also has a strong case to be considered the top player in 2027. He moved up to the 17U level on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer and was dominant with Team CP3 at Peach Jam, averaging 23 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% from the field in five games.
Duke has been involved with Williams for some time, so his top-10 list was hardly a surprise.
In Other News...
Walker Eget Can Answer Dukes Biggest Early Season Question
Dukes 2026 start has been encouraging enough to make the next question feel a little bigger: whether Walker Eget has settled in as the answer at quarterback. The transfer from San Jose State bounced back from a rough Week 1 debut against Tulane by delivering a strong showing in the win at Illinois, giving the Blue Devils a second straight victory and some real momentum heading into their next test.
Stanford comes in with a defense that has struggled this season, which gives Duke a chance to keep the streak rolling and keep building around Egets early comfort in the offense. He has already shown he can handle this opponent well, and for a team that is still sorting out its identity in September, that kind of history matters even before the next snap is taken. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Pate Just Gave Auburn Fans A New Rankings Argument
College football rankings debates always get loud in September, and Josh Pate just added another one by calling out the Associated Press poll for leaving three unbeaten teams on the outside looking in. Mississippi State, Duke and Auburn all entered the week at 2-0, yet none made the Week 3 AP poll, a snub that stood out even in a crowded early-season slate.
For Duke, the case starts with a steady opening stretch that has included a win over Tulane and a road victory at Illinois, the kind of resume that usually earns at least a little attention from voters this time of year. Auburn fans will surely latch onto the same argument, but the bigger point for the Blue Devils is simple: after two wins, they are still waiting for the pollsters to notice. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Scheyer Just Sent Duke Fans A Message They Needed
Jon Scheyer spent part of the offseason answering the kind of speculation that tends to follow success, and for Duke fans, the important part was what he said on the Glue Guys Podcast. The Blue Devils coach addressed reports linking him to the NBA and made it clear he remains committed to building the program in Durham, calling Duke his dream job and framing the opportunity as one he wants to keep pushing forward.
Since taking over in 2022, Scheyer has already guided Duke to multiple ACC Tournament championships and NCAA Elite Eight appearances, giving the program the kind of stability and high-level results that usually bring outside attention. Even with the pro chatter hanging around, his message was aimed at reassuring a fan base that has seen the transition from Mike Krzyzewski handled with steady success and wants to know the next chapter is still being written at Duke. [Read more 🡒]