Duke Lands Another Five-Star Recruit in Justise Winslow


For years, Mike Krzyzewski has been known for recruiting system-type players — not necessarily the top-ranked one-and-one recruits that most schools dream of. But for the last few years, from Kyrie Irving to Austin Rivers and now Jabari Parker (who actually does fit his system perfectly), the program has experienced a change in the type of recruits it has landed. And next year’s freshmen class will only transcend that trend. Today was another reminder of that after the Blue Devils received a commitment from Justise Winslow, a five-star small forward in the class of 2014, becoming the fourth top-30 recruit to pledge to Duke, after top-ranked center Jahlil Okafor, top-ranked point guard Tyus Jones and highly-touted shooting guard Grayson Allen. Winslow, a 6-5 swingman at St. John’s HS in Houston (TX), was also reportedly considering UCLA and Arizona. Duke’s recruiting class is starting to look like Kentucky’s — never thought we’d see the day.

More from the News & Observer: “Justise Winslow is the latest 5-star recruit to commit to Duke. Winslow, a 6-foot-5, 208-pound small forward from Houston St. John’s High, chose Duke over UCLA, Arizona, Stanford, Texas A&M and Florida. He is ranks as the 14th-best player in the Class of 2014, according to ESPN. Winslow’s strength is his defense, as he can guard multiple positions thanks to his lateral quickness. His athleticism extends above the rim, as he first dunked in eighth grade, his high school coach, Harold Baber, said at his announcement.”