Former Duke Recruit Shelton Henderson Flips His Commitment

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Apr 21, 2025 5:03 PM ET

Shelton Henderson reportedly chose a new ACC home on Monday.

Duke released Henderson, a five-star forward from the class of 2025, from his letter of intent last week. Shortly after reopening his recruitment, Henderson made his decision.

According to On3's Joe Tipton, Henderson flipped his commitment to Miami. He'll follow head coach and former Duke assistant Jai Lucas to the Hurricanes.

Per 247Sports, Henderson is the No. 21 overall prospect and No. 4 forward in his class. He received offers from programs such as Houston and Texas before Lucas recruited the Bellaire talent to Duke.

Henderson was a pivotal member of Duke's top-ranked 2025 recruiting crop, which also featured five-star power forward Nikolas Khamenia and Cameron and Cayden Boozer, the twin sons of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer.

Rather than playing for Duke after a Final Four appearance under Jon Scheyer, Henderson will join a Hurricanes program seeking a steep turnaround behind Lucas.

NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 01: Associate head coach Jon Scheyer of the Duke Blue Devils looks on during their practice session ahead of the 2022 Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four at Caesars Superdome on April 1, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)

Miami gained considerable momentum when making the Elite Eight in 2022 and Final Four the following year. However, the ACC squad missed the NCAA tournament with a 15-17 record in 2023-24 before regressing further last season.

Jim Larranaga stepped down early in his 14th season, and the Hurricanes finished 7-24 under Bill Courtney. They ranked 362nd out of 364 Division I teams in defensive rating.

Miami hired Lucas, who spent nine years as an assistant at Texas, Kentucky, and Duke before landing his first head coaching job at age 36. The former NBA guard went to the same high school as Henderson.

A scouting report from 247Sports' Adam Finkelstein demonstrates how Henderson can help Miami next season.

"Henderson can really change the game on the defensive end of the floor where his length, physicality, and motor are all major assets. He's extremely versatile, guards bigger players with ease, and is often able to contain smaller guards as well. He gets his hands on a lot of balls and is a very good perimeter rebounder," Finkelstein wrote.

"Overall, he has an overlap of extreme physical gifts, feel for the game, intangibles, and two-way versatility that is unique in this class, and there's still plenty of upside left to discover as he continues to develop and polish his skill-set."

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: