Bad Sign: Duke Basketball Target Makes No Mention of Blue Devils

Duke basketball might be trailing a couple of fellow bluebloods in one big 2025 race.
Bad Sign: Duke Basketball Target Makes No Mention of Blue Devils
Bad Sign: Duke Basketball Target Makes No Mention of Blue Devils /
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Recipients of a Duke basketball offer, particularly those of the five-star variety, rarely neglect to talk about the Blue Devils during any interviews in the following months. But that appears to have been the case for Holy Innocents Episcopal (Ga.) five-star power forward Caleb Wilson in his recent chat with On3's Jamie Shaw.

Wilson, a 6-foot-10, 200-pound explosive frontcourt presence who ranks No. 4 overall on the 247Sports 2025 Composite and was one of a few talents in his class to report an offer from second-year Duke head coach Jon Scheyer in July, told Shaw that he's "feeling a lot of love from Tennessee and Kentucky right now."

Then he explained his mindset on visits, again not mentioning his relatively new suitors in Durham.

"Indiana has been in contact, too," Wilson noted. "I'll probably take a visit there. To be honest, though, I haven't really thought too much about any visits yet. I'll probably start looking more into schools for visits here in a bit. But on the blueblood side, Kentucky and UNC are sticking out. I like Tennessee a lot, Alabama, and Georgia Tech."

He went on to talk in-depth about each of the six programs he mentioned above.

Maybe he just inadvertently forgot about Duke. It's also possible Shaw changed the topic before he had a chance to speak on the Blue Devils' pursuit. Or perhaps Scheyer and his staff have yet to make him feel like a top priority.

If the latter is the case, one conceivable explanation could be the Blue Devils' long-time recruitment of the No. 1 prospect in the class, Christopher Columbus (Fla.) five-star power forward Cameron Boozer, son of 2001 Duke basketball national champion Carlos Boozer.

Whatever the reason, while the Blue Devils have already booked several five-star official visitors for the fall, it sounds unlikely they'll add Caleb Wilson to that list, at least for now.

RELATED: Duke Target Set for 'Massively Important' September Visit to Durham

On the other hand, it still seems early in the stock-rising junior's sweepstakes, as he has neither named finalists nor expressed any rush in deciding on his destination after high school.

Furthermore, shortly after Wilson wound up on the Duke basketball wishlist, he mentioned to Shaw his admiration for the program's "villain" status stemming from Christian Laettner's glory days in the early 1990s. So there's that.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com 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.