Duke Basketball Now Recruiting Top-Ranked Big Man
According to a tweet from national insider Andrew Slater on Tuesday night, the Duke basketball staff is now recruiting Kokomo (Ind.) big man Flory Bidunga, the No. 1 center and No. 3 overall prospect on the 247Sports 2024 Composite. However, the 6-foot-9, 220-pound five-star has not yet reported an offer from the Blue Devils.
That isn't the case with another 2024 center, Paul VI Catholic (Va.) four-star Patrick Ngongba II, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound recent stock riser who now ranks No. 63 in the class and No. 11 at his position. He confirmed his Duke basketball offer last week and will be on campus for an official visit with the Blue Devils this weekend.
But it seems the staff in Durham should look to land more than one 2024 post presence, seeing that the 2024-25 roster likely won't include Ryan Young or Kyle Filipowski. Thus far, Jon Scheyer and his crew have two commits, both small forwards: Paul VI Catholic four-star Darren Harris and North Meck (N.C.) five-star Isaiah Evans.
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The Blue Devils would be a tad late to the Flory Bidunga race. As he informed 247Sports' Dushawn London, he has long been hearing from other big-name programs, notably Auburn, Cincinnati, Florida, Kansas, Michigan, and home-state hopeful Indiana. He's taken official visits to Auburn, Florida, Kansas, and Michigan.
All that said, Bidunga's recruitment might remain open for two or three more months.
"I have no visits planned as of now, and I'll probably make my decision before my senior year," he told London, noting that the rumors he's a lock to go to Cincinnati, the Crystal Ball favorite, are false. "For me, I want to go somewhere where I can be a student-athlete, get my degree, and go to a place that feels like home."
Despite Bidunga not playing basketball until about five years ago and not moving to America until 2021, there's no doubt he's a natural with immense potential. His lethal bounce, high-IQ instincts, soft touch, and strong hands equate to an imposing force in the paint, ready to shine at the college level.
Yet for those Duke basketball fans wondering whether one of these 2024 centers on Scheyer's radar could reclass late to 2023 and fill the Blue Devils' last open scholarship for next season, well, Flory Bidunga shut that down as a possibility for him during his chat with 247Sports' Travis Branham in early May.
"I am not reclassifying," he informed Branham.
And when it comes to Patrick Ngongba II, there's been no mention of a reclass being an option.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for more Duke basketball recruiting updates.