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NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Duke Blue Devils leading the pack for five-star prospect Isaiah Stewart

By Daniel Benjamin

DURHAM, NC - MARCH 03: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates with Grayson Allen
DURHAM, NC - MARCH 03: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates with Grayson Allen /
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5-star prospect Isaiah Stewart recently trimmed his college choices to 10. Stewart plans on making some campus visits before making a decision.

2019 top-20 recruit Isaiah Stewart finished up a three-day recruiting trip on  June 8. The Rochester (NY) native made unofficial visits to Indiana, Notre Dame and Michigan State per Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.

This past fall, Stewart transferred to powerhouse La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.). The Max Prep Junior All-American Honorable Mention selection led the 17th-ranked Lakers to a 23-4 record and an appearance in the GEICO Nationals for a third consecutive time.  He averaged 20.2 points along with 11.3 rebounds this year.

Stewart, who has a chiseled body, is very strong and has outstanding length (a 7-foot-4 wingspan). The athletic 17-year-old runs the floor well and is an exceptional rebounder, particularly on the offensive end. In addition, Stewart possesses good handles and has shown the ability to knock down perimeter shots.

However, according to ESPN’s scouting report, Stewart still needs to refine his offensive game. Becoming a more consistent free throw shooter, polishing up his low post moves and limiting turnovers are his biggest areas of improvement.

Stewart also has Duke, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Texas, Syracuse, Villanova and Washington in his top-10. Surprisingly, Kentucky didn’t make the 6-foot-7 forward’s final cut.

Duke is seen as the favorite to obtain the service of Stewart. 247 Sports give the Blue Devils an 82% chance to nab Stewart. Texas and Villanova are co-second favorites at 9%. Although I believe, Notre Dame, Indiana, and Syracuse are still major players.

Stewart’s connection to IU is former Rochester native Thomas Bryant. Bryant played for the Hoosiers before being drafted by the Lakers. Besides being from Rochester, his connection with Syracuse is that he played with Jim Boeheim’s son with Rock City AAU.

Other Recruiting News

  • Sharife Cooper is one of the top prospects in the class of 2020. Cooper, No. 33 in Rivals’ top-150, has 11 high major offers. He has already made visits to Auburn, NC State, Georgia and Georgia Tech.
  • UMass offered 2019 power forward Carrington McCaskill and 2019 guard Deshawn Davis on June 7. McCDavis, a 3-star prospect from Detroit, now holds seven offers all from mid-major schools. 6-foot-3 Deshawn Davis, of Burlington (NC), on June 7. With those two offers, the Minuteman now have 41 open offers for 2019. UMass is projected to have five spots available next offseason.

Next: Top 30 Grad Transfers for 2018-19

  • 2019 3-star forward Anthony Walker will make four visits at the end of the month says Rivals’ Corey Evans. Walker will make an unofficial visit to Rhode Island on June 16. He will then make trips to Seton Hall on June 22, Virginia Tech on June 29 and East Carolina on June 30.
  • Kira Lewis will make an unofficial visit to Kentucky on June 10. The 6-foot-2 point guard is ranked 95th in the class of 2019 by 247 Sports.
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