Durham, N.C. — In his first season as head coach, Duke’s John Scheyer landed three of the top 10 ranked players in the class of 2022.
For the first time since 1980 Duke basketball will be under a new leader with the retirement of the legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski. While Coach K had many qualities that made Duke basketball great, one of his most important ones was his ability to recruit.
During his 42-year tenure with the Blue Devils, Krzyzewski brought in six top-ranked recruiting classes with the most recent coming in last year according to 247sports.com. Even though Krzyzewski will no longer be leading Duke, it appears that this won’t affect their dominance in recruiting.
Coach Scheyer’s first recruiting class ranks first overall in the nation, here is an in-depth look at the three top 10 ranked players who will be taking over the program.
Dereck Lively ESPN Rank in the class of 2022: No. 1
Dereck Lively is a 7-foot-1-inch 215-pound center from Chester, PA. During his senior season, Lively averaged an astounding 14 PPG, 14 RPG, and 4.5 BPG on his way to leading Westtown School to a state title.
One of the reasons Lively is the best-ranked player in the nation is his elite ability to protect the rim. Lively had 12 blocks in the state title game and while many players across the country can score, there are few who can control a game defensively in the way Lively can.
Dariq Whitehead ESPN Rank in the class of 2022: No. 4
Dariq Whitehead is a 6-foot-6-inch 190-pound small forward from Newark, New Jersey. However, Whitehead’s decorated high school basketball career took place at the prestigious Montverde Academy in Florida.
What makes Whitehead special is his ability to win, he has arguably the most impressive resume of any 2022 recruit. During his senior season, Whitehead averaged 16.5 PPG, 5 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.5 SPG on his way to leading Montverde to their sixth national championship.
He also boasts the accolades of McDonald’s All American Game MVP and was named the James Naismith Prep Player of the year.
Kyle “Flip” Filipowski ESPN Rank in the class of 2022: No. 5
Kyle Filipowski is a 6-foot-10-inch 220-pound Center from Westtown, New York. During his senior season at Wilbraham & Monson Academy averaged 19.5 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 2 SPG, and 1.4 BPG.
Filipowski seems to play his best in the biggest moments. In the Hoophall Classic, a tournament that features the best teams and players in high school basketball, “Flip” showed why he is an elite prospect. He scored 28 points and came down with 10 rebounds in a dominant 72-42 win over Life Christian Academy.
Filipowski also made history by setting the tone for the recruiting class by being the first player to commit to Duke under Scheyer back in August.
Despite the departure of Coach K, the future looks bright for Duke next year with these players joining their program.
