Few fan bases move on quicker from a national championship than Duke, as the Blue Devils faithful wondered how, and if, they could win it again next season.
Once the freshman trio of Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones all declared for the NBA Draft, the chances of that happening took a considerable hit. Thankfully, for Duke at least, their recruiting class was far from finished.
Mike Krzyzewski and his staff went out and reloaded with two recent five-star commitments, convincing Derryck Thornton to reclassify to the 2015 class and Brandon Ingram to spurn the North Carolina Tar Heels in favor of Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Brandon Ingram’s ceiling is as high as anyone in the 2015 class. Tons of potential, getting better and better. Was great at McDonald’s week.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 27, 2015
With the addition of Brandon Ingram, Duke now has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country — for the second consecutive season.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 27, 2015
Those two will pair up with two other five-star commitments, Chase Jeter and Luke Kennard, and, at least for now, make up the nation’s best recruiting class.
There are differences between this class and the one that led Duke to the 2015 National Championship. First, Jeter is not as physically developed, or skillful as Okafor was on the block. He is definitely a better defender, but won’t command the double teams that Okafor did. Kennard is similar to Final Four hero Grayson Allen, but a bit less explosive with the ball. Thornton is a high level point guard, but whether or not he has the moxy that Jones displayed down the stretch last season remains to be seen. Finally, Ingram is a ridiculously talented and promising prospect. But at this point, he’s still a bit of a project as his frame develops and he continues to evolve.
