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Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff have been actively bolstering their recruiting efforts. The Blue Devils secured their second commitment in the 2027 class with Australian point guard Luke Paul, who joins 5-star forward Kager Knueppel as the program's two commits in that class. Additionally, Duke recently earned a crystal ball prediction to land 5-star 2027 forward Asa Montgomery, who took an official visit to Durham for Countdown to Craziness.
Scheyer and his staff recently hosted 5-star 2028 prospect Colton Hiller on his official visit, and the Blue Devils could be emerging as the frontrunner to secure the 6'6" forward. Hiller is currently rated as the No. 2 overall player in the 2028 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports 2028 Composite Rankings. The Coatesville (PA) product has been on Duke's radar for some time, so the program securing an official visit with him was not a major surprise. Hiller was in attendance last season when the Blue Devils defeated then-No. 1 Michigan at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Now, Duke could be out in front to land his services. This weekend, Duke received a crystal ball prediction to land Hiller after his official visit earlier in the week. Hiller took an official visit to Florida in September, which is notable because Colton's brother, Maxwell, is a 5-star IOL prospect in the 2027 recruiting class and is currently committed to the Gators for football.
Key Analysis
Hiller could be a potential reclass candidate into the 2027 recruiting class, but he would have to spend two years in college basketball if he made that move. At ACC Tipoff last week, Duke Blue Devils On SI's Matt Giles asked Scheyer about Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje's recruitment, given that he must spend two years in college basketball, and whether future top high school recruits could make it a trend to get to college a year earlier. "You're going to see this more," Scheyer said. "You're going to see this more. It's just the way college has changed, the fact that you get a guy like [Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje] for two years to grow with him, to have the continuity. I promise you that's the first of many guys to do it in years to come." Logically, it makes a ton of sense for top high school recruits to get to college a year earlier. For one, it gives these recruits at least an extra year to develop at a higher level against big-time competition. It also gives recruits an opportunity to maximize their NIL potential while in college. Boumtje Boumtje isn't the only top international recruit to make this move. UCLA freshman Nikola Kusturica must spend at least two years in college basketball. Additionally, Marcus Spears Jr., the former No. 1 overall player in the 2027 recruiting class, reclassified into 2026 and will suit up for Texas this fall. He must spend at least two years in college before potentially heading to the NBA. It makes sense for guys to try to get to college earlier, and Scheyer hinted that we could see more of these moves in the future.
Hugh Straine is an accomplished writer and proud Bucknell University alumnus, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing. He has served as editor of The Bucknellian, worked as an analyst for ESPN+ and Hulu, and currently reports on college sports as a general reporter for On SI. Follow Hugh Straine.