On the same day they landed point guard Derryck Thornton, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and his entire staff met Tuesday night with Brandon Ingram, the highly coveted 2015 forward from Kinston (NC) High.
This was Ingram’s second meeting with Coach K and the staff since Friday. He met with Kansas on Saturday and N.C. State on Monday and is set to meet with North Carolina head coach Roy Williams Wednesday before announcing next Monday.
“What has stood out with them is them telling me how unique I was,” Ingram told ESPNU on Tuesday before the second Duke visit. “[Coach K] knows a lot about me and they are a great fit for me.”
Apparently the addition of Thornton to Duke’s recruiting class made a positive impact on Ingram.
“It impacts [my decision] a lot,” he told ESPNU. “That [lack of a point guard] was one of my concerns coming and looking at the particular schools so that impacts a lot.”
Some observers believe Ingram could still end up at North Carolina because he is close with former Tar Heel Jerry Stackhouse, who also played for Kinston (N.C.) High and coached Ingram during the summer on Stackhouse Elite. Ingram is also close with former Tar Heel Reggie Bullock.
“It will factor a little bit but not much,” Ingram said of those relationships. “I take advice from those guys and they tell me to go wherever I fit the best and wherever I’m happy, so it may factor a little bit but not much. I have a good relationship with coach Roy Williams and coach Steve Robinson.”
Ingram has said he likely would have committed to the Tar Heels in the fall had it not been for the academic scandal at Chapel Hill and potential sanctions.
“[Coach Williams] talked privately a little bit, and they have just got the [notice of] allegations April 17th, so we’ll go from there and [Wednesday] with the next in-home visit so we’ll see,” Ingram said.
A North Carolina spokesman told SNY.tv that the school has not, in fact, received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA.
Despite Ingram’s concerns, coach Williams will get the last chance to persuade the rising wing that Chapel Hill is still the place for him.
“They’ve been recruiting me for my whole high school career so there’s not to many more things to ask,” Ingram said.
Photo: Via @cliftonrouse
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