The count down to the 2026-27 college basketball season rolls on and for the Duke Blue Devils, they are hoping to get back to the Final Four.
Last season, Duke looked primed to get back to the Final Four after losing just two regular-season games. They won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and conference titles before earning a No. 1 seed. But in the Elite Eight, the Blue Devils blew a 19-point lead and fell to UConn.
As Duke prepares for this season, they should have another strong roster. That’s thanks to the recruiting that head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff have done. The future of the program appears to be in great shape with the recruiting classes as Duke looks to continue to add more talent.
Earlier in the week, AJ Williams announced he was reclassifying from 2028 to 2027, and he likely won’t be the only five-star prospect to do so. In fact, a top Duke recruiting target could be next to reclassify per a report.
Duke target and 2028 big man Yann Kamagate is ranked No. 2 overall in the class. The St. Francis High School (CA) product is developing into a premier talent. But he could be soon reclassify and move up.
CBS Sports Director of Basketball Scouting Adam Finkelstein discussed the possibility of Kamagate moving up in the class:
“Yann Kamagate turns 18 in the fall, I believe in September,” Finkelstein said. “That’s relevant for two reasons. Number one, he’s definitely old enough to be one-and-done eligible for the NBA, but he’s not so old that he would lose eligibility off his clock in this current 5-for-5 NCAA age-based model.”
“So he’s got a real decision to make. If he thinks he’s a pro sooner rather than later, I would expect him to reclassify up. If he’s trying to maximize his earning potential in college basketball and he sees himself staying multiple years, then it would make sense for him to stay in the class of 2028. If I were a betting man, I would probably wager on the former.”
Duke is expected to take in a big 2027 recruiting class and if Yamagate does reclassify, he would fill in one spot if he commits. That would be a HUGE get for the Blue Devils in terms of their future roster. But Duke will have some competition as Kamagate has over 20 offers.
