Ranking the freshman seasons of former number one high school recruits

SYRACUSE, NY - FEBRUARY 23: Former Syracuse Orange player Carmelo Anthony (C) receives his jersey from athletic director Daryl Gross (L) as his number is retired during a ceremony at half time during the game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Carrier Dome on February 23, 2013 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Nate Shron/Getty Images) /

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Luol Deng (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images for SiriusXM) /

Ranking the freshman seasons of former number one high school recruits: 5. Luol Deng

Freshman stats: 15.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg

No one, absolutely no one was going to be considered a better prospect than LeBron James in 2003. Simply put, he was a one of a kind talent with otherworldly skills.

James, of course, decided that he would be better suited if he jumped straight to the NBA. Needless to say, his decision was a sagacious one. After James in the 2003 high school class, Luol Deng was by far the best player in the country.

Like many before him, the opportunity to play for such a big-time program like Duke University, as well as lace them up for coach K, was something that Deng simply couldn’t pass up.

Deng was terrific during his lone season. He led Duke to a 31-6 overall record and a Final Four appearance while averaging 15.1 points and 6.9 rebounds. Deng was a tough-nosed defender and attacked the basket every chance he got. If he stayed a bit longer, there’s a good chance Duke would have taken home a National Championship during his tenure.

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