Knoxville to Durham: Top Duke Basketball Target Checking Out Rivalries

Duke basketball has a chance to impress Nate Ament when the Blue Devils host UNC.
Duke basketball recruiting target Nate Ament
Duke basketball recruiting target Nate Ament / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Highland School (Va.) five-star Nate Ament was in Knoxville on Tuesday night. The 6-foot-9, 185-pound forward, a longtime Duke basketball offer holder who now ranks No. 4 overall on the 247Sports 2025 Composite, watched the visiting No. 12-ranked Kentucky Wildcats defeat the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers, 78-73.

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Both SEC programs are in the top 11 he revealed earlier this month. The same goes for Duke.

Speaking of the No. 2 Blue Devils (18-2, 10-0 ACC), riding an NCAA-best 14-game winning streak, Ament will be in Cameron Indoor Stadium at 6:30 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPN) to take in this season's first of two scheduled Duke-UNC rivalry clashes.

The unranked Tar Heels (13-9, 6-4 ACC) did not land in his top 11. Surely, though, they'd find satisfaction in pulling off the upset to thereby spoil Jon Scheyer & Co.'s shot at leaving Ament with a winning final impression of the Blue Devils in what looks to be the homestretch of his recruitment.

He's already visited Duke a few times, including his first trip to Durham in September 2023, which resulted in Scheyer extending an offer to the smooth bucket-getter in person.

In addition to Duke, Kentucky, and Tennessee, Nate Ament is still considering Louisville, BYU, Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas, Arkansas, Georgetown, and Kansas State.

Ament, who has been patient and is now the highest-ranked undecided senior, plans to announce a winner in February or March.

As things stand, the four-deep 2025 Duke basketball recruiting class ranks No. 1 in the country, consisting entirely of five-stars in Harvard-Westlake School (Calif.) forward Nik Khamenia, Bellaire High School (Texas) forward Shelton Henderson, and the Columbus High School (Fla.) twins in forward Cameron Boozer and guard Cayden Boozer.

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Stay tuned to Duke Blue Devils On SI for more Duke basketball recruiting news.


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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.