Syracuse basketball’s 2017 recruiting class isn’t set in stone yet, but the Orange is already looking to 2018. Friday, Syracuse offered point guard David Duke a scholarship after watching him play at Cushing Academy.
#Syracuse offered 6'4" 2018 PG David Duke @Duuukkeee of @RivalsNation & @CushingHoops https://t.co/OtWdWaoUdT pic.twitter.com/5YjdhTYG9z
— Andrew Slater (@ASlater247) February 24, 2017
Duke is listed as a three-star prospect on 247Sports and the No. 6 combo guard in the 2018 class. He has offers from Kansas, Northwestern, Providence, Florida and others. The only other ACC schools to offer Duke are Wake Forest and Boston College.
Syracuse fans already know Cushing Academy, the last point guard to come out of the school was Kaleb Joseph. The Orange hopes Duke will be a better fit for the Orange than Joseph was. Duke wasn’t the only recruit Syracuse was out to see Friday. The Orange also saw AJ Reeves play last night as he played Duke’s Classical High, but Syracuse wasn’t the only team there. Providence and UConn were also at the matchup, according to Adam Finkelstein.¬†Both schools had already given an offer to Duke.
Syracuse’s guard situation for 2018 couldn’t be more unknown. John Gillon and Andrew White will both obviously be gone in two seasons, and who knows where Tyus Battle and Matthew Moyer will be at that point. Neither O’Shae Brissett nor Bourma Sibide are fit to play the point, so without Quade Green in the class the Orange is in point guard limbo for the season after next. 2018 is also the first recruiting class which won’t be headed by Jim Boeheim (maybe), and¬†who knows what effect the transition to Mike Hopkins will have on the program’s ability to attract elite players. Turnover as quick as this is far from uncommon in college basketball, but with uncertainty coming and a Hall-of-Fame coach headed out the door Syracuse basketball is playing¬†its hand conservatively.
Posted: Nathan Dickinson
