He’s already got that Duke starting 5 haircut

The #3 ranked SF on the ESPN 100 recruiting database for the 2015-2016 season announced on Monday that he will be attending Duke University in the fall to play for Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils.  After losing 4 starters (3 to the NBA draft, 1 to graduation) the Blue Devils desperately needed a strong recruiting class if they were going to have any chance at defending their National Title. With Ingram’s signing, Coach K’s incoming freshman class now ranks #1 overall in NCAA Basketball.

While Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow were expected to enter the NBA Draft as sure-fire lottery picks, it wasn’t until Tyus Jones also declared that Coach K ramped up his recruiting efforts to fill the void left from the departure of his star freshmen and graduating senior Quinn Cook.  5-star recruit Chase Jeter and 4-star recruit Luke Kennard declared their intentions to enroll at Duke early, but once Tyus Jones decided to bounce for the NBA, Duke went hard after 5-star recruit  Derryck Thornton and landed him.  5-star recruit Brandon Ingram has been soaring up ranking boards after strong performances at the McDonald’s All-American game and other showcases, and with today’s announcement he is the centerpiece of another strong recruiting class for Krzyzewski that also includes 3-star recruit Antonio Vrankovic.

When I dropped my NCAA Men’s Basketball 2015-2016 Early Predictions article, Thronton and Ingram weren’t signed yet (nor were they expected to go to Duke) so I left the Blue Devils off my list of contenders.  You can pencil them in with the creme of the crop as their incoming class will give returning players Amile Jefferson, Marshall Plumlee, Matt Jones, and Grayson Allen a huge boost.  With UNC the early favorite to take the NCAA Men’s Basketball crown and Duke landing another incredible recruiting class, the best rivalry in sports will be must-see-TV once again.