Duke basketball coaches contact elite recruit after midnight

The Blue Devils may now have James Brown on speed dial.

Soon after the clock struck midnight on the East Coast, the Duke basketball staff took advantage of the new freedom to dial 2024 preps directly for the first time.

Every June 15, the NCAA allows college recruiters to begin contacting rising high school juniors without having to go through their parents, coaches, etc.

According to On3 recruiting insider Joe Tipton, one such recruit who reported receiving a late-night ring from the Blue Devils this year is St. Rita of Cascia High School (Chicago) center James Brown. 

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Brown is a 6-foot-9, 210-pound four-star who ranks No. 27 overall and No. 1 among Illinois prospects on the 247Sports 2024 Composite. He boasts roughly a dozen offers.

Why James Brown might end up on the Duke basketball wishlist

He hasn't reported landing a Blue Devil offer. But this week's call from Durham — not to mention the Chicago-area roots of first-year Duke head coach Jon Scheyer — suggests that may change in the coming days.

At the Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas last week, James Brown drew the following praise from Rivals basketball recruiting director Rob Cassidy:

"His lack of elite length will always hold him back a bit when it comes to NBA conversations, but his skill set and athleticism were enough to back up his lofty ranking at Pangos."

Cassidy continued:

"Just a junior, Brown was one of few 2024 prospects that qualified for the Cream of the Crop Top 30 game and looked like he belonged once he took the court. Brown got up and down the floor as well as any player of his size and got a handful of impressive buckets in transition in addition to changing shots on the defensive end."

Duke's 2024 offer sheet does not yet include a big man. The three talents holding a Blue Devil offer are five-star small forward Naas Cunningham, five-star small forward Bryson Tucker, and four-star small forward Darren Harris.

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