SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Wendell Carter is going to Duke and he wants to bring some friends along.
The newly-minted McDonald’s All-American is recruiting fellow All-Americans Mohamed Bamba, Trevon Duval and Kevin Knox to join him.
“Oh yeah, I talk to Mo, Trevon, Kevin Knox,” Carter, who dyed his hair blue for the game, said after putting up 28 points and 18 rebounds in a 68-60 loss to The Patrick School (N.J.) at the Hoophall Classic.
“I talk to them almost every day. Just tell them to look at the past players that have come through Duke, try to show them that it could be them that’s going to the league doing successful things.”
Wendell Carter tries to rip the rim down ? @wendellcarter34 @PaceKnights #HHClassic pic.twitter.com/NPimBmqV4g
— Overtime (@overtime) January 16, 2017
Carter isn’t alone in his recruiting efforts, however.
Kentucky-bound point guard Quade Green has been “relentless” in his efforts to lands the 6-11 Bamba, his PSA Cardinals teammate.
“I tell him all the time, ‘BBN, BBN,'” Green reiterated Monday on ESPNU. “I don’t say nothing else to him. I laugh at him, he laughs right back. That’s all our conversation has been.”
Bamba said here on Saturday night he’s down to Duke, Kentucky, Texas and Michigan and will decide in the spring.
The 6-8 Knox, meantime, is considering Duke, Kentucky, UNC and Florida State and will sign in the spring.
The 6-3 Duval is down to Duke, Arizona, Kansas, Baylor and Seton Hall. With Oak Hill point guard Matt Coleman picking Texas over Duke on Monday, the Blue Devils could use Duval in 2017.
“I just tell him [if] he come up there and we will be one of the best duos to ever be in college,” Carter said when I asked what his message is to Duval. “Go ahead and try to win the national championship.”
Carter figures to be in the ears of Duval and the others at the McDonald’s Game.
“Oh, yeah, of course,” he said.
As for being named to the game himself, Carter said, “It feels good.”
Duke signee Wendell Carter rocking the blue hair today. pic.twitter.com/RpCLvkw4JF
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) January 16, 2017
As for how Carter will fit in at Duke, they will lose Amile Jefferson to graduation and could lose some combination of freshmen forwards Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles and Marques Bolden to the NBA Draft.
“Just come in and play my game,” he said. “Of course Coach K and Coach [Jeff] Capel and all the other assistant coaches will help me with my game but it’s really just to play my game.”
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