Max Christie Chooses Michigan State Over Duke

Blue Devils miss on a top 2021 target

Duke suffered a significant loss on the recruiting trail when one of its top 2021 targets, Max Christie, committed to Michigan State.

The five-star shooting guard out of Rolling Meadows, Illinois was one of Duke’s top targets in the class, and the Blue Devils were expected to be the leader to land him.

The 6-foot-6, 165-pounder is the No. 13 player in the class, according to 247Sports. He’s the top rated shooting guard and the top prospect in the state. Rivals has him No. 16 in the country and No. 4 at two-guard.

Christie averaged 26 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks a game last season and hit 43 percent of his three-point attempts

In a May blog for SI All-American, Christie said, “The schools that contact me the most are Purdue, Michigan State, Ohio State, Duke, Virginia, Northwestern and Villanova.”

Two months earlier, just before colleges shut down due to the pandemic, Christie got to visit Michigan State for a game against Ohio State. He was impressed, telling SI, “The atmosphere was just great. They did a great job of showing me what being a Spartan was all about, and I got to build a stronger bond with the coaches. I didn’t know what to expect with it being my first official, but I had a great time.”

Duke generally relies on wing players in its offense. The Blue Devils already have a commitment from five-star A.J. Griffin, but coaches were likely envisioning a class that also include Christie and fellow five-star Patrick Baldwin Jr. In addition to continuing to work on Baldwin, Duke’s next best option now appears to be five-star shooting guard Trevor Keels, who the Blue Devils offered in December but has been pursued heavily by Virginia.