Blue Devil Country

Prime Duke Basketball Targets Tease Potential Package Deal Elsewhere

It appears that the Duke basketball recruiters are not the perceived frontrunner for Caleb Wilson or Acaden Lewis.

Matt Giles

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer
Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer / Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images
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Dominoes are beginning to fall on the 2025 recruiting trail. As things stand, first-year Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope and his staff stand out for landing two five-stars — Overtime Elite (Ga.) guard Jasper Johnson and Great Crossing High School (Ky.) center Malachi Moreno — and the Wildcats may be on the verge of adding two top-shelf commitments from recruits who hold Duke basketball offers.

ALSO READ: Five-Star 2025 Guard Suddenly Cancels Duke Visit

One is longtime Duke basketball target Caleb Wilson, a five-star forward at Holy Innocents Episcopal School (Ga.) who sits at No. 5 overall on the 247Sports 2025 Composite, included the Blue Devils in his top 12, and has noted interest in visiting the program in Durham but has yet to announce locked-in dates for such a trip. He's fresh off an official visit at Kentucky.

The other is Sidwell Friends School (D.C.) four-star guard Acaden Lewis, who ranks No. 36 in the cycle and checked out the Blue Devils on an unofficial visit in early August. He named a final four of Duke, Kentucky, UNC, and UConn over the weekend.

On Tuesday evening, GREENLIGHT MEDIA posted the following forewarning to any pursuers of Wilson and Lewis not named Kentucky, pointing out recent social media activity that suggests Johnson may well be succeeding in his efforts to sell the pair on teaming up with him and Moreno in Lexington next year:

Roughly five hours later, Johnson shared GREENLIGHT MEDIA's post with a personalized pitch to Wilson, to which Wilson quickly responded with blue and white heart emojis, plus the following message in reposting Johnson's pitch:

Shortly thereafter, Caleb Wilson tagged Acaden Lewis and included an eyeballs emoji, to which Lewis quickly responded with the following post:

Despite the apparent momentum shift in favor of Kentucky, neither Caleb Wilson nor Acaden Lewis has publicly ruled out Jon Scheyer's Duke basketball recruiting team or any of their other finalists.

ALSO READ: Expert Includes Blue Devil Among Preseason All-Americans

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

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