### Breaking: Scheyer Lands Second Straight No. 1 Recruiting Class, Cementing Duke’s Dynasty in Durham
**DURHAM, N.C. — November 8, 2025** — In a move that has college basketball insiders buzzing and rivals scrambling, Duke University head men’s basketball coach Jon Scheyer has officially signed the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class for 2025, marking the second consecutive year — and third in four seasons under his watch — that the Blue Devils have dominated the high school talent wars.<grok:render card_id=”027433″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> The announcement, timed perfectly with the early signing period’s close, comes as Duke enters the 2025-26 season as a preseason top-5 contender, fresh off a Final Four run that showcased the fruits of Scheyer’s relentless recruiting machine.
This isn’t just another elite haul; it’s a statement. Scheyer, the 38-year-old phenom who took over for legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski in 2022, has now assembled three No. 1 classes (2022, 2024, and 2025) in his brief tenure, with every cycle finishing in the top two.<grok:render card_id=”a638cd” card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> “We’re building something special here — not just for now, but for the next decade,” Scheyer said in a packed Cameron Indoor Stadium press conference Friday, his voice echoing off banners honoring five national titles. “These young men aren’t just talented; they’re winners, leaders, and Duke basketball through and through.” The class, headlined by twin five-star phenoms Cameron and Cayden Boozer, adds immediate NBA lottery buzz to a roster blending returning sophomores like Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster with international firepower.
The 2025 signees — five in total after late-cycle surges — boast an average 247Sports Composite ranking of No. 12 nationally, with four top-20 prospects and a projected one-and-done rate that could rival Duke’s famed freshman factories of yore. At the core are the Boozer brothers, sons of Duke alum and NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, who flipped their commitments from hometown Miami in early October, sending shockwaves through the ACC.<grok:render card_id=”24a7a3″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> Cameron Boozer, the class’s No. 2 overall recruit and a two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year, is a 6-foot-9 forward with a 22.2 points, 11.4 rebounds stat line from his junior season at Christopher Columbus High School in Florida. His twin, Cayden (No. 21), is a pass-first wizard at 6-foot-3, dishing 7.6 assists per game while anchoring the same squad to three straight state titles.
“This was always the dream,” Cameron Boozer told reporters post-signing, flanked by his family and Scheyer. “Duke’s where legends are made. Dad told us stories about Coach K, but Coach Scheyer? He’s the future.” Carlos Boozer, who won a national title under Krzyzewski in 2001, beamed from the front row. “These kids grew up idolizing this place. Jon’s vision sold them — and me — on keeping it in the family.”
Flanking the twins is Nikolas Khamenia, a 6-foot-8 California forward ranked No. 19 overall, who chose Duke over UCLA after a whirlwind October visit to Durham.<grok:render card_id=”69f149″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> Khamenia, a blue-collar scorer with NBA scout whispers of one-and-done potential, averaged elite numbers at Harvard-Westlake and impressed at USA Basketball minicamps. “Coach Scheyer sees me as a connector — tough, skilled, ready to win now,” Khamenia said. His commitment vaulted Duke to the top spot in rankings, per 247Sports and ESPN.
Rounding out the early core was five-star wing Shelton Henderson (No. 15), a 6-foot-6 Texas dynamo from Bellaire High School whose silky jumper and defensive tenacity made him a must-have. Henderson, who edged out Texas and Louisville, called Duke “my dream school since I started watching basketball.”<grok:render card_id=”e2ceb6″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> Scheyer praised his “versatility and winning pedigree,” noting Henderson’s role in two Texas state championships.
But Scheyer wasn’t done. In a May masterstroke, the Blue Devils flipped Italian sensation Dame Sarr, a 6-foot-7 FC Barcelona guard projected as a 2026 first-round pick, from Kansas’ grasp just days after his official visit.<grok:render card_id=”bf4692″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> The third international gem in Scheyer’s era (joining Australia’s Tyrese Proctor and South Sudan’s Khaman Maluach), Sarr brings EuroLeague polish and two-way upside. “Duke’s the biggest stage,” Sarr posted on social media, his announcement video featuring clips of Zion Williamson and Jayson Tatum. Days later, four-star power forward Sebastian Wilkins (reclassifying from 2026, now No. 25 in 2025) from Brewster Academy committed, citing Scheyer’s “genuine belief” in his impact.<grok:render card_id=”19cbd4″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> Wilkins, a 6-foot-8 New England bruiser and nephew of NBA great Damien Wilkins, beat out Maryland to solidify Duke’s frontcourt depth.
This quintet isn’t hyperbole fodder; it’s a roster blueprint. Analysts project Cameron Boozer starting at the four, with Khamenia and Wilkins battling for minutes alongside returning junior Maliq Brown. Sarr and Cayden Boozer could form a dynamic backcourt tandem with sophomore Darren Harris, while Henderson’s wingsuit athleticism stretches defenses. Returning pieces like Foster (a sharpshooting guard off the bench last year) and Evans (a versatile scorer) provide continuity, minimizing transfer portal needs despite a quiet offseason.<grok:render card_id=”924919″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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Scheyer’s secret sauce? Relationships over razzle-dazzle. Unlike the NIL-fueled free-agency era elsewhere, Duke’s pitch leans on development, brotherhood, and Cameron Indoor’s electric pulse. “We’re not buying talent; we’re cultivating it,” Scheyer emphasized. His staff — bolstered by new assistants Evan Bradds and Tyler Thornton — hosted elite visits during Countdown to Craziness, where recruits like the Boozers mingled with current stars. Social media lit up: #Duke2025 trended nationwide, with fans posting montages of the class’s Peach Jam dominance (the Boozers’ Nightrydas Elite swept 15U-17U titles).
The ripple effects are seismic. Rivals like North Carolina and Kentucky, already envious, now face a Blue Devils squad with five top-30 freshmen — a rarity even in Duke’s golden age. “Scheyer’s out-Krzyzewskied Krzyzewski,” quipped ESPN’s Jay Bilas, a Duke alum. On X (formerly Twitter), reactions poured in: “Duke’s future is absurd,” tweeted @CLTBlueDevil, tallying 1,100 likes for a post hyping the class’s “19-2 record and three No. 1 hauls.”<grok:render card_id=”df4c15″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> Critics, though, whisper of depth overload: Can freshmen mesh without hazing vibes? Scheyer’s response: “Talent finds a way — look at last year’s Final Four.”
Beyond the court, this class embodies Duke’s global brand. Sarr’s Barcelona pedigree joins Khamenia’s California cool and Henderson’s Texas grit, creating a melting pot primed for March magic. As the Blue Devils tip off exhibition play next week, eyes are on practice scrimmages where Boozer brothers trade no-look passes and Wilkins swats shots like his uncle in his prime.
Scheyer’s track record silences doubters. Since 2022, Duke’s 73-20 mark includes an ACC title and Elite Eight berths, with 13 five-star commits.<grok:render card_id=”fce6d8″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> This 2025 group? It’s his magnum opus — a bridge from Krzyzewski’s empire to an AI-era dynasty. “We’re just getting started,” Scheyer grinned, eyeing 2026 targets like five-star Bryson Howard, son of another NBA All-Star.<grok:render card_id=”a3304f” card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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In Durham, where basketball is religion, Scheyer’s second straight No. 1 feels like gospel. The faithful chant: Let the madness begin.
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