Duke basketball recruiting: Top Chicago prep plans five visits

Duke and UNC will have a chance to impress James Brown in person.

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer (Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports)

In 2004, after committing to the Duke basketball program and becoming the Illinois Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year, Shaun Livingston decided to go straight to the NBA after high school.

But Livingston's award-winning campaign and original pledge — although temporary — marked an extra gush to the Blue Devils' Illinois pipeline.

The following year, now-first-year Duke head coach Jon Scheyer captured the award as the premier Illinois prospect. Long story short, he won it again in 2006, became a four-year Blue Devil legend, cut down nets in his last college game, later joined the staff in Durham, and ultimately became Chicago native Mike Krzyzewski's successor.

Also, Jabari Parker took home the top Illinois prep honor in 2012 and 2013 before becoming a one-and-done All-American at Duke.

Nine years later, Jaden Schutt snagged the same hardware and is now a Blue Devil freshman — and a bit of a Jon Scheyer lookalike — with the sharpshooting potential to earn a spot in the regular rotation right away.

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And this week, the Blue Devils may have inched one step closer to landing the state's No. 1 rising junior on the 247Sports 2024 Composite in St. Rita (Ill.) center James Brown.

Duke basketball staff among five to soon host Chicago big man James Brown

On Friday, the 6-foot-10, 210-pound four-star, who ranks No. 31 overall in the class, informed On3 recruiting insider Joe Tipton that he has scheduled four official visits for his junior year and is in the process of finalizing the dates for a fifth (the allotment for high school juniors).

According to Tipton, James Brown's fifth official visit will be to Duke (again, no date set). His other four trips (and dates) are as follows:

• Missouri: Oct. 1
• Michigan State: Oct. 7-9
• UNC: Oct. 15
• Illinois: Nov. 4-6

While Duke and the above four don't necessarily represent Brown's five finalists, the planned visits might leave each feeling more optimistic than the dozens of other suitors who aren't on tap to host the high-energy double-double machine.

On the other hand, James Brown recently told Tipton that Duke, Ohio State, UCLA, and UNC were his "dream schools" growing up. So that nugget may give Ohio State and UCLA some surviving hope, not to mention further fueling the aspirations of rivals Duke and UNC in the race.

Neither the Blue Devils nor the Tar Heels have reeled in a 2024 prize yet at any position.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for more Duke basketball recruiting updates.