Duke Basketball: What to expect from the 2017 recruiting class

Duke Basketball has brought in a recruiting class ranking among the top two in the nation for the fourth straight year. But should they garner high expectations given last year’s inconsistencies and early tournament exit?

At this point in Coach K’s tenure, a recruiting class with three 5-star prospects, two 4-stars, and one 3-star is nothing out of the ordinary. In the past five years, they have brought in 15 5-star prospects, almost all of whom have enjoyed tremendous amounts of success in their collegiate careers and beyond. But other schools have also had success on the recruiting trail, and seasons like the one Duke endured last year prove that young talent is not everything a team needs to win a championship.

What last year’s Blue Devils had in potential they drastically lacked in leadership, and it showed. Grayson Allen failed to behave himself on the court at times, bringing negative attention to a group of young, untested players who could not always perform under pressure. Role players, if they could even be called that given their dismal amount of playing time, did not buy into the team’s focus, and Duke struggled when forced to rely on their seventh, eighth, and ninth men.

With all of their issues, Duke compiled a 28-9 record, going 11-7 in conference play. They suffered embarrassing losses to Virginia Tech, NC State, Miami, and finally to South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament. Needless to say, they were vastly underwhelming considering the amount of success the program had in bringing in the nation’s top recruits.

After the season ended, Duke witnessed the loss of nine players— six of whom had remaining eligibility in the NCAA. After reeling in another crop of potential NBA stars, Duke once again looks like a championship contender on paper, but can they make their potential a reality?

Let’s take a look at how the incoming Blue Devils will impact this year’s team.