Duke Recruiting continues to heat up as the Blue Devils look to add fresh talent for the upcoming season. While the team has successfully kept a large part of its roster intact from last year, there’s still work to be done. Now, an intriguing new name has entered the conversation: Braydon Hawthorne.
Hawthorne, a 6-foot-8 forward and former West Virginia commit, is catching the attention of those following Duke Recruiting closely. He’s considered a fringe Top 100 prospect, but anyone who knows college basketball understands that rankings can be wildly unpredictable. As Purdue’s Matt Painter often points out, after the top handful of players, player ratings are a “crapshoot” and should be taken with a grain of salt.
History backs that up. Look at players like Walter Clayton and Joseph Tugler — neither were highly rated recruits, yet they went on to become key contributors. Even Kon Knueppel, who now has NBA lottery buzz, wasn’t seen as a future star just a year ago. If you know anyone who predicted that, they deserve serious bragging rights.
In short, you never really know how a player will develop until they get to college. That’s why Braydon Hawthorne could end up being a hidden gem for Duke. His size, versatility, and potential are all reasons why he’s worth keeping an eye on as the Blue Devils continue to build out their squad.
As of now, here’s a quick look at Duke’s roster heading into next season:
- Isaiah Evans
- Caleb Foster
- Maliq Brown
- Patrick Ngongba
- Darren Harris
- Cameron Sheffield
- Cameron Boozer
- Cayden Boozer
- Nikolas Khamenia
One fun note: when Duke added Cameron Sheffield, many thought he was out of eligibility. Turns out, he has one more year left, and fans might even get to see him guard Cameron Boozer in Cameron Indoor Stadium — talk about a Cameron overload!
While the current roster is packed with talent, there’s still room for a player like Hawthorne to carve out a role. With strong development and the right fit in Duke’s system, he could thrive under Jon Scheyer’s leadership.
The Duke Recruiting scene will likely stay busy in the coming weeks. As the transfer portal remains active and unsigned recruits make their final decisions, expect the Blue Devils to stay aggressive in looking for the perfect additions to round out their lineup.
If Braydon Hawthorne does end up wearing Duke blue, it will be another reminder that recruiting isn’t always about chasing the highest-rated players — it’s about finding the right ones.
Stay tuned, because the next big star for Duke Basketball might just be one of the names flying under the radar today.