Duke basketball: Decommitted five-star recruit now eyeing Blue Devils

Does Duke need another five-star 2023 small forward?

Duke basketball mascot (Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)

Compass Prep (Ariz.) small forward Mookie Cook has not reported a Duke basketball recruiting offer. The 6-foot-7, 200-pound five-star, who ranks No. 5 overall on the 247Sports 2023 Composite and backed out of his commitment to Oregon last week, has not even been squarely on the Blue Devil radar.

Nevertheless, per Joe Tipton of On3, a source close to Cook said this week that Duke is one of the schools he's now looking at as a possible destination. That source also mentioned five others: Arizona, Gonzaga, Kentucky, G League Ignite, and, well, Oregon again.

According to Tipton, members of Duke's staff plan to watch Cook — a broad-shouldered versatile presence with plenty of hops and a smooth outside shot — in action this weekend at an EYBL event in Kansas City. Perhaps interest from first-year Blue Devil head coach Jon Scheyer will materialize then.

Or maybe it won't.

Still, when someone reports that a prospect of Cook's caliber is at least considering Duke, it's worth pointing out, even though the chances he ends up in Durham seem slim to none at this stage.

Why Duke basketball might not be interested

Simply put, the 2023 Duke basketball class ranks No. 1 overall in the country, per 247Sports, with four early five-star pledges already in tow.

Sure, several of the program's seven-deep top-ranked 2022 haul will likely bounce for the pro ranks in the spring following their freshman campaigns. Furthermore, the 2022-23 Blue Devil roster includes junior point guard Jeremy Roach, who probably won't return as a senior, and a few grad transfers with expiring eligibility.

So Duke might still need to snag a few more quality pieces from the recruiting trail to reload for the 2023-24 season fully. That said, Scheyer and his crew could just as easily pick up an experienced transfer or two to fill any holes when the time comes.

For now, the only undecided 2023 recruits on the Blue Devil wishlist are centers: five-star Xavier Booker and four-star JP Estrella.

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Finally, consider that two of Duke's pledges are top 10 five-stars at or near Mookie Cook's position: small forward Mackenzie Mgbako and power forward Sean Stewart. One would think Scheyer will think twice before potentially upsetting either of them by officially entering the Mookie Cook sweepstakes.

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