While the hype around the current freshmen class is at an all-time high after the Blue Devils' dominant blowout of Kentucky, Duke made an important addition to its 2019 recruiting class Friday night.
Four-star guard Rejean “Boogie” Ellis announced at Mission Bay High School in San Diego that he will be playing for the Blue Devils next season. Duke expects to lose the terrific trio of R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish to the NBA next year and will need to reload as usual in the one-and-done era. Ellis chose the Blue Devils over the likes of Oregon, Arizona, Memphis and North Carolina.
"I was up in the air until I went to Duke and was talking to Coach K,” Ellis told 247Sports' Evan Daniels. “It’s different when you’re hearing one of the best coaches of all time telling you that you’re a really good player and really give you a vision of how he sees you and how he wants to use you. He really presented that well and gave me a really good presentation and stuff like that so you could tell he really genuinely meant the stuff that he was saying. You could tell he doesn’t say that to everyone.”
The 6-foot-2 combo guard shot up the recruiting rankings after a strong shooting performance during the summer. Ellis has shown consistent improvement and growth in his game as a scorer and facilitator throughout high school, and he has a potent combination of athleticism and skill. The smooth jumper took him to the next level, leaving him ranked No. 40 by ESPN.
On the EYBL circuit this summer, Ellis averaged 23.0 points per game in tournament play, the fourth-highest in the league, edging out the likes of five-stars Vernon Carey Jr. and Isaiah Stewart. He also chipped in 5.0 rebounds per game to go along with 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. The Californian shot 50.5 percent from the field and 57.5 percent from beyond the arc, leading his Oakland Soldiers squad to a 5-2 finish. In the AAU season playing in the Nike 17U league, Ellis has averaged 16 points per game while shooting better than 40 percent from deep for the Soldiers.
Ellis will be joining Wendell Moore in Duke's 2019 class and will likely be competing with Alex O’ Connell for playing the two guard. If current freshman Tre Jones also leaves for the NBA Draft, Ellis may find himself as the starting point guard.
With Moore and Ellis committed, the Blue Devils will look to secure some players in the frontcourt. Duke is in the mix for the services of Carey and Stewart. Both of their likely destinations are cloudy, and with other top recruits like Bryan Antoine and Cole Anthony choosing not to play in Durham, the Blue Devils' 2019 class still has a lot of question marks.
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