Cooper Flagg, other Duke basketball recruits visit Blue Devils for Countdown to Craziness

DURHAM –Duke basketball’s Countdown to Craziness offers fans the chance to get a first look at the Blue Devils ahead of each season.

But it also serves as a big recruiting weekend for head coach Jon Scheyer and the program, which welcomed six recruits from the 2024 class to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Friday night.

Duke currently has three recruits — Darren Harris, Isaiah Evans and Kon Knueppel — in the Class of 2024 set to join the Blue Devils as freshmen in the 2024-25 season.

Five-star recruits Cooper Flagg, VJ Edgecombe and Patrick Ngongba are on official visits this weekend in Durham.

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Flagg, the top-ranked recruit in the nation among Class of 2024 prospects according to 247Sports, is at the top of Duke’s wish list. Flagg, a 6-foot-8, 195-pound wing, had an unofficial visit to Durham in August before making a trip to UConn in late September.

After canceling his visit to Kansas, it appears Flagg’s stop in Durham this weekend will be his final recruiting visit before coming to a decision. The early signing period begins in mid-November.

Considered the favorite to be the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg and the recruits received a rousing ovation from the Cameron Crazies on Friday night.

Flagg attends Montverde Academy, which has produced several Duke standouts, including RJ Barrett, Dariq Whitehead and current freshman Sean Stewart.

Flagg was named the USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year in 2022 after leading Team USA’s U17 team to a gold-medal finish in the FIBA World Cup. In early July, Flagg averaged 25.4 points, 13 rebounds, 6.8 blocks and 5.7 assists per game at the famed Peach Jam tournament.

Duke basketball recruits VJ Edgecombe, Patrick Ngongba also visit Blue Devils 

Following Flagg, Edgecombe and Ngongba are Duke’s primary targets in the 2024 class.

Edgecombe, a five-star wing from New York, was the 2022-23 MaxPreps New York High School Basketball Player of the Year. The 6-foot-5 Edgecombe led Long Island Luthern to a state championship, averaging 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game last season.

An athletic wing known for his efficiency at getting to the rim, Edgecombe is No. 6 nationally in the 247Sports Composite. Alabama, Baylor, Florida, Kentucky and St. John’s are among the other programs chasing Edgecombe.

Ngongba is a 6-foot-10, 250-pound center from Virginia and the teammate of Harris at Paul VI Catholic, which produced Trevor Keels and current Duke senior Jeremy Roach.

Ngongba is No. 25 nationally in the 247Sports Composite. UConn, Kansas State, Kentucky and Michigan are among the other schools recruiting Ngongba.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Cooper Flagg, other Duke basketball recruits visit Blue Devils