When people think about Duke University, most picture a basketball culture that is rich in success. From their countless National Championships to the absurd amount of first-round draft picks it is easy to say that Duke has been and will be a basketball powerhouse in the NCAA. Yet in the past two seasons they have struggled in the NCAA tournament. Losing to Oregon in 2016 and South Carolina in 2017.

The main root of the recent struggles of Duke basketball is the amount of players they have that go to the draft after only one year of collegiate play. For example, Duke freshman Marvin Bagley Jr., arguably the best college basketball player this year, declared for the draft after this season. The problem this creates for the Duke coaching staff is how to replace the talent that is either graduating or more likely than not heading to the draft.

Recruiting and signing top high school recruits is a major part of filling and maintaining the level of talent that is required to be a top program. Luckily, Duke is great at it. This year is no exception for the Blue Devils, Duke managed to snag four of the top 10 high school prospects, three of them being in the top five. These players include R.J. Barrett, Cameron Reddish, Zion Williams and Tre Jones.

 “We look for three things: the talent to be on a championship team; a love of academics and a willingness to work, because they’ll need that at Duke; and character, which is maybe the most important. Are they good guys? Team players? How do they interact with their parents, teammates, teachers? Thank goodness we’ve found a number of kids who fit that profile,” said Duke head Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Krzyzewski thinks he hit the jackpot with his newest additions that will add to his roster in the upcoming season. Even if you are not a Duke fan, the combination of these up and coming basketball stars will be fun to watch.