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Duke Blue Devils Strengthen Top Ranked Class With Javin DeLaurier Commitment

By Cody Daniel

Apr 7, 2015; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski greets the crowd during a welcome home ceremony at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 7, 2015; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski greets the crowd during a welcome home ceremony at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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The rich get richer. After already possessing the top ranked recruiting class for 2016, the Duke Blue Devils added yet another key piece with the commitment of four-star power forward Javin DeLaurier.

DeLaurier, a skilled and versatile big man, now joins a class that already features the nation’s No. 4 recruit, small forward Jayson Tatum, and the No. 14 recruit, point guard Frank Jackson. Additionally, he’ll step into a roster that will likely have a nice handful of returnees from a 2015 class that ranked No. 2., featuring five-star small forward Brandon Ingram and five-star point guard Derryck Thorton.

And despite already owning the top ranked class in college basketball, it’s unlikely that Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils are done yet. Duke is still in the running to land top ranked prospect in the country, Harry Giles, along with five-star power forward Wenyen Gabriel and five-star center Marques Bolden.

Duke is considered the heavy favorite to land Giles and Bolden, per 247Sports Crystal Ball projections.

Despite the versatility and undeniable ability for DeLaurier to come in and contribute immediately, he could find himself amidst an extremely deep rotation fighting for minutes off the bench. That’s simply a testament to how stacked Coach K’s roster could very likely be during a year where Duke will be heavily considered as national championship contenders.

DeLaurier’s commitment to Duke came over the Texas Longhorns and Notre Dame Fighting Irish, among numerous others. Texas had long been considered the favorite to land DeLaurier, up until this month when Duke’s persistency in his recruitment really amped up.

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