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Son of Duke Basketball Legend Earns Spotlight Look
Nov 11, 2017; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski (right) shares a laugh with former player Shane Battier after a win against the Utah Valley Wolverines at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke won 99-69. The win was Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski's 1000th at Duke. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Providence Day School (N.C.) junior small forward Zeke Battier, son of 2001 Duke basketball national champion and two-time NBA champ Shane Battier, doesn't have a ranking or rating by his name on major recruiting sites. Nor does the 6-foot-7, 200-pound lefty hold a truckload of offers. But he's already taken visits to a couple of Division I programs.

And it wouldn't be a surprise if the 17-year-old Battier eventually winds up on the Blue Devils' 2027 recruiting wishlist. After all, two current Duke basketball players, twins Cayden and Cameron Boozer, are the sons of one of Shane Battier's college teammates in former two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer.

Plus, Zeke Battier's budding skillset earned some noteworthy recognition this week, as SLAM HS Hoops posted highlights from his recent outings, pointing out that his dad sits on the bench:

Legendary Father

Shane Battier, a retired-number legend in Cameron Indoor Stadium who still owns the all-time wins record as a Blue Devil (131) and was in attendance for the now-No. 4-ranked Duke basketball squad's 93-56 home victory over the Howard Bison on Sunday afternoon, currently serves as an assistant coach for the Providence Day Chargers.

With his dad watching and offering guidance, Zeke Battier is looking to help Providence Day build on its impressive 2024-25 campaign, in which the program finished 27-5 overall in the younger Battier's first season at the school after transferring from Ransom Everglades School in Miami, Fla.

However, the Chargers lost their entire starting five from last season. As things stand, they're off to a 0-4 start in their daunting early schedule. The losses include last week's defeat at the hands of the Gaston Christian School (N.C.) Eagles and junior guard Jeremy Duhon, son of 2001 Blue Devil national champ and third-year Eagles head coach Chris Duhon.

  • "[Battier] continues to stand out as an exceptional shooter, now pairing his perimeter touch with greater assertiveness and physicality," Phenom Hoops' Patrick O'Brien recently wrote about the stock-rising prospect in naming him one of the top five frontcourt talents at the Phenom National Tip-Off earlier this month.
  • "Defensively, he impressed with his timing and positioning as a shot-blocker, protecting the rim and altering plays. Battier’s blend of size, shooting, and defensive instincts gives him notable upside moving forward."

Of course, the defensive prowess is to be expected from Zeke Battier, as Shane Battier was a three-time NABC Defensive Player of the Year recipient at Duke before becoming a two-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection as a pro.

Thus far, Zeke Battier has checked out the Northwestern Wildcats, coached by Duke basketball alum Chris Collins, and the Villanova Wildcats.

Fourth-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff, now boasting the No. 5-ranked haul in the 2026 recruiting cycle, haven't officially extended any offers on the 2027 trail yet.


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

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