Providence Basketball: Top 50 guard David Duke commits

Providence added David Duke to their talented 2018 recruiting class. How does Duke with fit the Friars?

Providence received great news on Friday as top target David Duke verbally committed. Duke chose Providence over Virginia Tech, but also considered Villanova, Florida, and Indiana. He is from Providence and played at Classical High School before transferring to Cushing Academy.

The 6’3’’ combo guard is an excellent athlete who loves to attack the basket and can finish above the rim. Duke is an elite defender and uses his length to disrupt passing lanes and create run-out opportunities. In terms of weaknesses, he is still developing as a shooter and as a primary PG, but he is capable in both areas.

Duke is rated as a top 50 recruit in the 247 sports composite rankings and he should be an impact player as a freshman. He will join AJ Reeves, Jimmy Nichols, and Kris Monroe in Providence’s terrific 2018 recruiting class.

Reeves is Duke’s teammate on the Mass Rivals AAU team and is also ranked as a top 50 recruit. He is an athletic 6’5’’ wing who excels as a long-range shooter. Nichols is a 6’8’’ PF from South Carolina who is ranked as a three-star prospect. He has a versatile skill set and can score inside and out. Lastly, Monroe is a three-star stretch combo forward from North Carolina.

Duke will earn minutes as a freshman and should be a solid contributor off the bench due to his lock-down defense. At 6’3’’, Duke has the size to guard multiple positions which will allow him to play next to PG Makai Ashton-Langford. Coach Cooley has not been afraid to play lineups with multiple lead guards. He started Vincent Council, Bryce Cotton, and Kris Dunn in the same lineup which essentially made Dunn a SF for one season.

Offensively, playing Duke and Ashton-Langford together will spark Providence’s offense by adding an additional ball handler and shot creator to the lineup. One potential drawback of this lineup is that it could lack shooters which would shrink driving lanes for the two talented guards. While Ashton-Langford and Duke can hit shots, they are not known as shooters. This makes players who are adept from long-range like Isaiah Jackson and AJ Reeves so important to these potential lineups.

Next: Providence 17-18 Preview

Duke will not be a reserve for long as will have a good chance to break into the starting lineup by the end of his freshman year or the start of his sophomore year. His future is extremely bright due to the mix of athleticism, PG potential, and lock-down defense. Projecting ahead, Duke has the talent to be an all-league player and if he develops like the recent string of Providence guards have developed, he may find himself in the NBA.