In a stunning turn of events, the Duke Blue Devils’ basketball program has been dealt a significant blow in the recruiting world. Top prospect Braydon Hawthorne, a highly regarded four-star recruit, has committed to Kentucky, leaving Duke’s Jon Scheyer and his coaching staff disappointed. Hawthorne, ranked No. 35 overall recruit in the 2025 class by On3 Sports, chose Kentucky over offers from Duke, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Virginia Tech.
The 6-foot-8 small forward initially committed to West Virginia but reopened his recruitment after head coach Darian DeVries left the program. This change in commitment ultimately led Hawthorne to Lexington, where he’ll join Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno, both four-star prospects, as part of Kentucky’s loaded class.
Despite this setback, Scheyer remains optimistic about Duke’s recruiting prospects. The Blue Devils are currently ranked third in the 247Sports rankings, behind only Houston and Arizona, with an impressive class of talented players coming in. The headliners of Duke’s 2025 class are twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer from Columbus High School in Miami, Florida. Cameron, a 6-foot-9 power forward, and Cayden, a 6-foot-4 point guard, are expected to make an immediate impact.
The class also includes Nikolas Khamenia, a skilled forward from Harvard-Westlake in California. With these talented players on board, Duke is poised to remain a formidable force in college basketball. Scheyer and his staff are now targeting Dame Sarr, with the Blue Devils being announced as the favorite to land him. This could be a crucial addition to their roster, helping to offset the loss of Hawthorne.
The Blue Devils will face a challenging offseason, with key players Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, Tyrese Proctor, and Sion James either opting for the 2025 NBA Draft or out of eligibility. However, with Scheyer at the helm, Duke is well-equipped to adapt and thrive in the ever-competitive world of college basketball.
As the Blue Devils look to the future, they’ll need to regroup and refocus their efforts on the remaining targets in the transfer portal and recruiting trail. With their talented incoming class and Scheyer’s leadership, Duke is likely to remain a top contender in the ACC. Will Duke bounce back from this recruiting loss and build a formidable team for the 2025-26 season? Only time will tell.
