Mathew Hurt and Cassius Stanley are joining the Duke class for the 2019-20 season. Hurt is from John Marshall Senior High School. He is a very versatile player who can play anywhere between the three to the five, being a matchup nightmare showing his versatility with his great shooting and skill work.
Stanley is from Sierra Canyon Prep School. Furthermore, he will be a dynamic guard who can bring high energy offensively in transition, but his overall offensive skill work can be improved upon. Next, defensively on the perimeter, he will be able to get after players with his length and athleticism. Both committed to Duke over the past few days. Indeed, Duke is the number one recruiting class in the country for the 2019-20 season.
Continuing, after landing the no. 9 prospect, according to 247 Sports Basketball Recruiting in Hurt on Friday Duke landed Stanley, the no. 28 prospect according to 247 Sports Basketball Recruiting, on Monday. Duke is set up to have the number one recruiting class in the country for the fifth time in six years. Hurt and Stanley will join a class with Vernon Carey Jr., Boogie Ellis and Wendell Moore bringing in five impact freshman. This class is built differently than the other previous classes as follows.
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In 2014 there were four five-star recruits in Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, Justice Winslow and Grayson Allen that went on to win the national championship against Wisconsin. This team had the veteran presence of Quinn Cook, Amile Jefferson and Matt Jones with the dynamic freshman completing a well-balanced team.
In 2015, came a class that was the lone group to be the number two recruiting class with Brandon Ingram, Luke Kennard, Chase Jeter and Derryck Thornton who lost in the Sweet 16 to Oregon. This class didn’t fulfill their expectations as Thornton and Jeter were major disappointments who would both later transfer out.
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Then in 2016 came Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles, Frank Jackson and Marques Bolden, all five-star recruits. This included the top two players in the class in Tatum and Giles. The team went on to lose in the Round of 32 in South Carolina. This group joined a dynamic team with Amile Jefferson, Matt Jones, Grayson Allen and Luke Kennard. Again, the depth and talent were there, but health and the team meshing together as a unit got in the way.
The 2017 class included Marvin Bagley, Wendell Carter Jr., Trevon Duval and Gary Trent Jr. This group of five-star recruits went on to lose in the Elite 8 in overtime to Kansas. This group joined the senior in Grayson Allen with little depth outside the starting five and just fell short.
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Lastly in 2018 Duke landed the top 3 players in the class in Zion Williamson, R.J Barrett and Cam Reddish. Along with two other five-star recruits in Tre Jones and Joey Baker. This led to losing in the Elite 8 to Michigan State. This class similarly joined a team with little depth and veteran presence and again this team just fell short with the inability to finish.
So where will this class fall in comparison? As individuals, they might not be as dominant, but they might be joining a better collection of talent. Duke will have a deep squad and better shooting. both areas of which were lacking a year ago. Joey Baker, Matthew Hurt, Boogie Ellis and Alex O’Connell will give Duke a perimeter shooting threat to spread the floor and create space. Tre Jones and Vernon Carey will operate in the middle of the floor which will create driving lanes for Moore and Stanley. This goes along with the interior depth of Marques Bolden, Javin Delaurier and Jack White. Likewise, this could be a very could defensive team with Tre Jones as the anchor. In addition, with Wendell Moore, Jordan Goldwire and Cassius Stanley on the perimeter as well. Combined with rim protection in Javin Delaurier, Marques Bolden and Vernon Carey Jr.
The closest comparison for this team will be the 2016-17 Duke team that had the depth and recruiting class. That team could not stay healthy and mesh at the right time. Can Mike Krzyzewski mesh all the pieces and talent together? Because if they do, they will be one of the deepest and most talented teams in the country. They would be led by Tre Jones, a point guard and leader of the team who could make this team’s journey end like 2014-15’s team. Will it fall short of that national championship goal like the previous four recruiting classes? Next, the versatility of being able to go small or big with great flexibility. In fact, a new dynamic that Duke can is implementing many different lineups.
Finally, Matthew Hurt and Cassius Stanley committing this week giving Duke the top class again. Now, will the expectations live up to the hype?
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