Unexpected twist: Duke basketball makes final six for coveted prospect

On paper, another 2023 forward is still considering the Blue Devils.

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer (Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)

Brewster Academy (N.H.) small forward Taylor Bowen reeled in a Duke basketball recruiting offer back in October. At first, it seemed the mutual interest was strong between him and the Blue Devils.

Even as late as March, the 6-foot-9, 195-pound four-star rising senior expressed a desire to take an official visit to Durham.

But during his chat in late April with Travis Graf of Rivals, Bowen noted that he had noticed a dropoff in first-year Duke head coach Jon Scheyer's pursuit. That made sense. After all, as he explained to Graf, the Blue Devils have already landed multiple 2023 five-stars at or near his position:

"It was great to get an offer from Duke, but I think they backed off a little bit, obviously, when you look at who they're recruiting and who they've got in that class. At the time, it felt good to get that offer from Coach Scheyer. Knowing that a school like that wanted me and offered me a scholarship was major."

Perhaps Bowen, who ranks No. 31 overall on the 247Sports 2023 Composite, is simply showing appreciation for the Duke offer by putting the Blue Devils on his list of finalists.

Bowen revealed his final six to Dushawn London of 247Sports on Wednesday as he gears up for his scheduled announcement at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday on CBS Sports HQ. The other five are Florida State, Iowa, LSU, Providence, and Vermont.

A clear favorite to land the one-time Duke basketball recruiting target

Taylor Bowen's 247Sports Crystal Ball sits empty. However, the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine gives Florida State a 93.2 percent chance to come out on top. Meanwhile, all five entered picks in the Rivals FutureCast point to Bowen becoming a Seminole.

If correct, the Blue Devils will face Bowen at least once as part of their 2023-24 ACC slate.

Duke's 2023 class ranks No. 1 on the 247Sports Team Rankings with a quartet of five-star commits: point guard Caleb Foster, shooting guard Jared McCain, small forward Mackenzie Mgbako, and power forward Sean Stewart.

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