Duke, Kentucky remain atop college hoops recruiting ranks in NIL era

By John Fanta
FOX Sports College Basketball Writer 

College sports are going through an era of change, but one thing remains the same in college basketball: Duke and Kentucky still own the recruiting circles. 

The blue bloods are only benefiting from the ever-changing landscape of name, image and likeness. The transfer portal? High-major players seeking greener pastures are unsurprisingly gravitating toward the opportunity to play for the powerhouses of college basketball, as well they should.

No more Mike Krzyzewski? On the recruiting trail, that hasn’t been a problem for Jon Scheyer and Duke. The Blue Devils have the No. 1 recruiting class for this season, according to 247sports.com, and are currently ranked No. 1 for 2023 as well. Things aren’t slowing down in Durham. In fact, could change be … a good thing going forward?

All eras must come to an end, and while his tenure has yet to tip off in game action, Scheyer has made as strong of an impression as he possibly could in the leadup to it.

Scheyer and staff have already duplicated their 2022 count of four recruits with five-star ratings in the 2023 class. Forwards Mackenzie Mgbakpo and Sean Stewart, as well as guards Caleb Foster and Jared McCain, are all committed to Duke. It bears noting that the Blue Devils also had five-star commit Tyrese Proctor in the 2023 class, but it was announced in June that he would be reclassifying and suiting up for the Blue Devils in the upcoming season.

While recruiting can be fluid and rankings can change, Duke and Kentucky have accounted for a combined seven of the 12 commitments from five-star prospects thus far. There are only 21 players with that label in the 247 Sports composite rankings system. 

No other program has more than one five-star commitment for 2023. 

Meanwhile, in Lexington, an absence from the NCAA Tournament in 2021 combined with a first-round exit in a loss to Saint Peter’s this past March has caused frustration in Big Blue Nation, but you would never know it by the way John Calipari has continued to capture top-tier talent.

Simply put, when it comes to recruiting, don’t bet against Cal.

UK notched another five-star commitment — their third in the class of 2023 — with 6-foot-7 wing Justin Edwards pledging to the Wildcats on Monday. A physical forward out of Imhotep High School in Philadelphia who both can attack the basket and is switchable defensively, Edwards joins guards Robert Dillingham and Reed Sheppard in a star-studded class that continues to grow.

Top prospect DJ Wagner is between the Wildcats and rival Louisville, with family ties creating major headlines in the recruitment, but UK contains the current edge, according to projections. Beyond Wagner, 7-footer Aaron Bradshaw has held off on his decision for now, but the Wildcats are still viewed as front-runner to land him.

The point? Duke and Kentucky, who have been in the trenches of recruiting battles before it was legal for student-athletes to benefit from their NIL, are only going to intensify in their competition and ability to bring in the top prospects in the country.

These programs already had the total package with their brand names, Nike shoe deals, NBA pedigree and TV exposure; those recruiting tools all translate to dollars, and prospects having a piece of that pie means there’s no stopping the machines being run in Durham and Lexington.

Finding a roster balance is a different story, as we’ve seen veteran-laden teams Kansas, Baylor, Virginia and Villanova win the four recent national titles. That said, nobody is going to shy away from the opportunity to acquire the best high school talent in the country, like Iowa State did on Tuesday with the commitment of five-star prospect Omaha Billiew.

Billiew is staying in his home state to play for T.J. Oztelberger and the Cyclones. The 6-foot-8 forward is Iowa State’s highest rated commit since recruiting services began ranking players in 1999. 

It’s an outstanding story for the Cyclones, and for the record, they went to a Sweet 16 this past season with a formula far from having a highly-touted recruit such as Billiew. That said, Billiew’s case and commitment are an outlier — a refreshing one, but still a rarity, pre-NIL or post-NIL.

What will continue to be common practice in the recruiting world is what we’ve seen for the majority of the past 10 years: Duke and Kentucky at the top.

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.