Duke’s 2028 recruiting board added a major name over the weekend, and the one drawing the loudest buzz is AJ Williams.
Jon Scheyer and his staff were active on the recruiting trail, extending offers to prospects in both the 2027 and 2028 classes. Duke already has a 2027 commitment from 4-star forward Kager Knueppel, but the 2028 group is where things are starting to get especially interesting.
Williams sits at the top of that class. The 5-star prospect is the No. 1 overall player in the 2028 class, according to the 247Sports 2028 Composite Rankings, and Duke joined a growing list of major programs to offer him over the past two and a half weeks. Kansas, North Carolina, and Alabama have also sent offers his way.
Right now, Williams is making his case on a bigger stage. He is representing Team USA at the FIBA U17 Men’s World Cup in Istanbul, where he has been playing alongside Duke incoming freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and Duke 2027 target Beckham Black. The Americans have rolled through the event, winning their first four games by an average of 50 points.
Their latest result was a 141-85 win over Cameroon in the Round of 16, and Puerto Rico is next on Friday.
Williams has been a big part of that surge. The 6-foot-8 wing leads Team USA in scoring at 16.3 points per game and in rebounding at 8.3 boards per game, while also adding 1.3 assists a night. He has shot 46.3% from the field and 47.1% from three-point range on 17 total attempts.
Against Cameroon, he may have turned in his most complete performance yet: 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and a steal in 22 minutes.
AJ Williams today for team USA in the won over Japan in the FIBA U17 World Cup25 points7 boards2 assists2 steals7-10 FG5-6 3P6-6 FT15 minutesRidiculous display by the #1 player in the class of ‘28, showing why he’s ranked as high as he is. Elite performance today pic.twitter.com/yXikKMErGn
Duke’s only other 2028 offer so far is Colton Hiller, another 5-star prospect who has already been on the Blue Devils’ radar for a while. Hiller was in attendance when Duke beat Michigan in Washington, D.C., in February.
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