Duke basketball recruiting: A 'Juke' move worthy of consideration

A rising star from North Carolina is seeking Blue Devil interest.

Duke basketball mascot (Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports)

Salisbury High School (N.C.) standout Jayden Harris earned his "Juke" nickname at birth. After interviewing the admitted Duke basketball enthusiast this week, Jason Jordan of SI.com noted that "his mother, Ebony Harris, gave him the name because of the ease of his birthing process."

"She said she only had to push once with me," Harris said.

According to Jordan, Harris proceeded to grow up, in his words, a "big fan of Duke." And, of course, he lived up to his nickname by developing his fair share of slick juke moves on the court along the way.

Skip ahead to the present day. The 6-foot-5, 175-pound combo guard seems somewhat optimistic about landing on the Blue Devils' radar after averaging 23.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists as a sophomore at Salisbury before shining for Team Loaded (N.C.) on the Adidas 3SSB circuit over the summer.

He's noticing at least one early sign of potential Blue Devil involvement in his recruitment.

"The assistant coach followed me [on social media], but I haven't heard anything yet," Harris explained to Jordan without specifying which Duke assistant followed him. "We'll see what happens, but I have a lot of great options, and I still have another year. I still have a lot of reasons to stay motivated."

Harris does not yet appear on the 247Sports 2024 Composite. But his recent slew of offers — including a few from ACC programs — suggests it's only a matter of time before those who rank recruits forgive him for playing at a small-town public school.

In late July, Eric Bossi of 247Sports watched Jayden "Juke" Harris sizzle at the Adidas 3SSB Open and offered the following summary, including a few words on his anticipated stock boost:

"A long combo guard who can get to his spots via the dribble, Harris proved to be an uncanny scorer and a very tough guy for defenders to slow down. The state of North Carolina is pretty loaded in 2024, and Harris is another from the 'Hoop State' who should be making his way into the national rankings."

RELATED: High-flying North Carolina prep wants to hear from Duke

Duke has extended six 2024 offers, yielding no commitments thus far.

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