Duke Recruiting: Insider Ranks Finalists for VJ Edgecombe

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Matt Giles | Last updated Jan 3, 2024 8:10 PM ET

All four 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions in the VJ Edgecombe sweepstakes still point to Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his cohorts as the frontrunners. However, Rivals' Rob Cassidy sees the Blue Devils running in last place among the three finalists that the Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) senior named last week.

Those remaining contenders are Duke, fellow recruiting powerhouse Kentucky, and the most recent national champion on Edgecombe's list in Baylor.

The 6-foot-5, 180-pound electrifying guard is a five-star talent. And at No. 5 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite, he's the highest-ranked undecided recruit in the cycle.

As of Cassidy's breakdown of the high-profile recruiting race on Wednesday morning, he pegs Kentucky as the leader. But he isn't ruling out either the Blue Devils or Bears just yet:

"If I had to rank the options based on behind-the-scenes buzz, I'd go Kentucky, Baylor, Duke in that order. That said, I'm not nearly confident enough in that to put in anything resembling a pick. All three schools are very much alive, but people close to Edgecombe continue to say slightly different version of the sentence, 'Keep an eye on Baylor.'"

Cassidy added that his sources say a decision from Edgecombe "could come late this month or in early February."

If Kentucky prevails, the Wildcats' haul would leapfrog the five-deep Duke basketball collection, featuring top-ranked prep Cooper Flagg, for the top spot on 247Sports' 2024 Team Rankings.

This article first appeared on Duke Blue Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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