Duke and North Carolina’s seasons are going in opposite directions. Duke has won 14 straight going back to Nov. 29, are undefeated in the ACC (10-0), and ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 Poll. The Blue Devils are one of the clear favorites to make the Final Four and cut down the nets in San Antonio. UNC on the other hand has lost three of its last four games, is 13-9 overall, and 6-4 in the ACC. They have been in nine one-score games and gone 5-4 in such contests. The Tar Heels are firmly on, if now off, the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Behind the excellent play of all-everything freshman Cooper Flagg, Duke has one of its best and most complete rosters in the country. It’s hard to find a hole which is a big reason the Blue Devils will be heavy favorites on Saturday in Cameron Indoor Stadium
To get you ready for the UNC-Duke matchup from a different angle here is a brief look at the recruiting history of Duke’s starting five and how they ended up in Durham.
Sion James
Recruiting ranking: No. 59 PG in class of 2020
While relatively unheralded nationally and rated as a three-star prospect, Sion James was seen as a huge pickup for Tulane after sharing state player of the year honors in Georgia’s largest class as a senior. A relatively late entrant into the portal at the end of April 2024, James only needed about 10 days to choose Duke over Memphis and others.
Tyrese Proctor
Recruiting ranking: No. 23 overall in 2022 class
A native of Australia and a product of the NBA’s Global Academy, Tyrese Proctor was originally a member of the class of 2023. After generating a buzz of attention during the winter of 2022, he visited both Duke and Arizona while also considering pro options. Ultimately Duke won out and was able to get him to reclassify and enroll as a member of the class of 2022.
Kon Knueppel
Recruiting ranking: No. 18 overall in 2024
On the recruiting front, Duke probably faced more competition for Kon Knueppel than almost anybody else on their roster. In fact, in just over a one-week span shortly before his commitment, Knueppel took official visits to Alabama, Wisconsin, Virginia and Duke.
The Blue Devils got the last word, though, and ultimately secured his commitment within a week of his official visit.
Duke vs. North Carolina to feature six potential Round 1 picks; Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel headline NBA talent
Kyle Boone
Cooper Flagg
Recruiting ranking: No. 1 overall in 2024 class
Originally a member of the class of 2025, Cooper Flagg reclassified to 2024 and the only official visit he took were to Duke and UConn. While there was some noise that the Huskies could land him because of their proximity to Flagg’s home state of Maine, the Blue Devils were always the heavy favorites right up until the point his commitment was made public via an appearance on the cover of SLAM magazine.
Khaman Maluach
Recruiting ranking: No. 4 overall in 2024 class
A product of the NBA’s Africa Academy, Khaman Maluach was pursued by the elite programs. Duke secured his first official visit last January and then had to hold on and fight as he took visits to three more blue bloods in Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA. Maluach also checked the G League Ignite program.
Ultimately, it came down Duke and Kansas. The Blue Devils edged out the Jayhawks in March.
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