Duke does not have a traditional point guard on its roster for 2016-17, but the Blue Devil coaching staff is taking steps to make sure they lock up at least one for the 2017-18 campaign.
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff offered five-star point guard Quade Green during the Philadelphia native's campus visit Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
Duke has offered five-star point guard Quade Green, he tells ESPN.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) June 21, 2016
Quade Green, a class of 2017 PG playing for the PSA Cardinals (NY), just picked up an offer from Duke on an unofficial visit.
— Pat Lawless (@PatLawless_) June 21, 2016
A 5-foot-11, 155-pound prospect, Green is ranked as the No. 22 player and No. 3 point guard in the Class of 2017 by ESPN. He currently holds offers from several other top programs, including Arizona, Kansas, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan State and Villanova, and is expected to visit Kentucky in the next few weeks.
As expected, five-star point guard Quade Green picked up an offer from Duke today during visit. He visits UK later this month.
— Ben Roberts (@NextCats) June 21, 2016
Green is the third point guard to earn an offer from Duke, joining five-star prospect Trae Young—ranked No. 21 overall in the class by ESPN and expected to be leaning toward Kentucky according to 247sports' crystal ball—and four-star guard Tremont Waters. Waters is ranked 31st in the class by ESPN and projected to be favoring Duke by 247sports, but the Class of 2017 is still very early in the recruiting process.
The crystal ball that compiles 247sports analysts' predictions also projects that Green is now leaning toward the Blue Devils after his visit.
If 247sports' predictions hold, Duke will likely secure its fourth straight top-ranked recruiting class, as the Blue Devils are favored to land four five-star players ranked in the top 10 of the class—big men Wendell Carter and Mohamed Bamba, small forward Kevin Knox and shooting guard Gary Trent, Jr.
Trent attends Apple Valley High School in Apple Valley, Minn., the former stomping ground of 2015 national champion and Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Tyus Jones.
Many of the stars in the Class of 2017—including Green, Young and Bamba—have been training with USA Basketball early this summer, with the trio and wings Hamidou Diallo and Michael Porter, Jr., comprising five finalists for the U18 national team holding Duke offers.
The 18 finalists will continue training July 11-15 before the final 12-man roster is selected ahead of the FIBA Americas U18 championship in Chile.
Carter, Knox and Trent have been training with the U17 national team and already made the final roster, with the team starting play in Spain Thursday. Another Class of 2017 wing who holds an offer from Duke, Troy Brown, Jr., is part of the team.
Keep up with the Blue Zone throughout the year for further recruiting updates.
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