Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils quietly expanded their recruiting efforts this week.
Just days after Cooper Flagg announced he would enter the 2025 NBA Draft, Duke reportedly visited four-star forward Braydon Hawthorne. The 6-foot-8 wing from Huntington Prep reopened his recruitment in March after decommitting from West Virginia and is currently ranked No. 106 nationally on the 247Sports Composite, while also being the top-rated player in his state for the 2025 class.
Since reopening his recruitment, Hawthorne has taken visits to Virginia Tech and Kentucky. Now, according to 247Sports’ Travis Branham, Scheyer and his staff have also traveled to meet with him.
Hawthorne, known for his 7-foot-2 wingspan, offers a valuable mix of outside shooting, rebounding, and defensive ability. His father confirmed Duke’s interest publicly on X, signaling how seriously the Blue Devils are taking this late-stage addition.
Duke, already dealing with the departures of Flagg, 2025 ACC Tournament MVP Kon Knueppel, and Third-Team All-ACC selection Tyrese Proctor to the NBA Draft, suddenly has several openings on the wing. Despite bringing in elite freshmen like Cameron Boozer, Cayden Boozer, and Nikolas Khamenia, Scheyer clearly isn’t finished building for the 2025-26 season.
The Blue Devils had a strong 2024-25 campaign, finishing 35-4 and reaching the Final Four, where they lost a tight battle to Houston, 70-67. Hawthorne’s all-around game — ball-handling, three-point shooting, and defensive versatility — makes him a perfect fit for what Duke needs moving forward.
Leave a Reply