Duke basketball recruiting: Giant target trying to schedule visit

Duke basketball appears to remain in contention for a big man from Chicago.

At the end of September, the Duke basketball program landed among the 10 finalists for St. Rita High School (Ill.) center James Brown, along with Eastern Michigan, Howard, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Missouri, Notre Dame, UNC, and Wisconsin.

There hasn't been much chatter about Duke's involvement in the race ever since.

But Brown, a 6-foot-10, 225-pound four-star who ranks No. 27 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite, told 247Sports' Dushawn London this week that his parents and coaches have been trying to figure out dates for a trip to see the Blue Devils.

That said, Brown has already taken all five allotted official visits for his junior year. The schools that hosted him, all within the past six weeks, are Illinois, Michigan State, Missouri, Notre Dame, and UNC.

Although Brown hasn't confirmed a visit to Durham, first-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff might have plenty of time to make up ground in his recruitment.

"I'm not too sure how far along I am right now," Brown explained to London about his timeline for choosing a college. "I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do. I would like to say I'll be considering a decision after the high school season, but that's something me and my family will have to look at together."

James Brown is the only high school junior at his position holding a Duke basketball offer.

The Blue Devils have snagged one commitment for their 2024 class. That came from Paul VI High School (Va.) four-star small forward Darren Harris a few weeks ago.

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