Duke gets its big man
Duke loves hard-working, versatile big men. And on Wednesday, the Blue Devils landed exactly that when Wendell Carter announced his decision to join Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke program.
"I made my decision, I choose Duke University," Carter said in a Twitter video.
Carter, the nation’s No. 5 ranked player, was touted for his work ethic, defensive efforts and desire to own the glass early in his high school career. As time passed, the 6-foot-10, 260-pound center developed into a player with an arsenal of scoring weapons.
This includes an ability to make plays in the paint, and facing the hoop. It’s this versatile skill-set that made Carter one of the most coveted big men in the 2017 class.
"Wendell Carter is a big man who has a complete game on both ends of the floor," Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Eric Bossi said. "He can score with his back to the basket, he rebounds, he runs the floor pretty well and he is a good defender."
“Carter has that 6-10, 260-pound, ready to be physical body and he will most likely be an instant starter at Duke,” Devils Illustrated recruiting analyst Clint Jackson added. “Blessed with athleticism, a high skill level and comfort inside the paint as well as facing the basket, Carter is a matchup nightmare for opposing bigs.
“He plays hard, really excels on the glass and he's consistent with his energy. He also shoots the ball well, particularly from the high post and mid-range. And he can handle the ball and get to the rim in isolations.”
The big man from Atlanta, Georgia had narrowed his choice to in-state schools Georgia, Georgia Tech, Duke and academic power Harvard.
Though he visited and considered the other options, Duke’s combination of hoops and high level academics had his and his family’s attention from the get-go.
“It's no big surprise that Carter ends up at Duke,” Jackson noted. “Many other schools haven't put in the time or resources with him because the recruiting narrative was so pro-Duke for so long.”
Much like the story lines have gone over the last few years, though, Carter projects as a talent with the ability to jump to the professional ranks after just one season. While Duke fans and, of course, the coaching staff would love to keep Carter for multiple years, the ability to land another instant impact player has everyone excited for what’s taking place in Durham.
“I think Carter is easily one of the top five players in his class and he projects as a potential one and done guy,” Jackson said.
Bossi agrees and even compares him to a former Duke big man.
"In many ways, I think Carter will remind Duke fans of what Jahlil Okafor did for the 2015 national title team. He's probably not quite as skilled as Okafor was with his back to the bucket and I don't think he will score quite as much, but he's a much better defender than Okafor was at the same age and will take up a similar amount of space."
Carter joins Gary Trent Jr. as top 15 prospects to commit to Duke, while four-star talent Alex O’Connell has been on board for several months now.
"Now that Carter is in the fold, Duke is working with a loaded recruiting class," Bossi said. "Carter is the low post piece, Trent is an explosive scorer on the wing and O'Connell is a stringbean athlete with huge upside as a wing scorer. If they can add a true point guard like Matt Coleman and a big wing like Kevin Knox who can play that hybrid forward role that Jayson Tatum, Jabari Parker and Brandon Ingram have, they will seriously contend for top 2017 class and be in line to compete for the Final Four in 2018."