All about Mackenzie Mgbako
Bull City Hoops spoke with Andrew Slater of Pro Insight about Mackenzie Mgbako, Duke’s newest commitment.
Five-star, uber-elite forward Mackenzie Mgbako just announced his intentions to attend Duke and play for new head coach Jon Scheyer.
Mgbako joins an already stacked class and provides the Blue Devils with its highest rated prospect to date for 2023.
But what exactly is Duke getting in Mgbako?
Bull City Hoops spoke with Andrew Slater of Pro Insight, who has evaluated Mgbako more than most in the industry, in order to get the very best answer to that question and learn more about the 6-foot-8 athlete from Gladstone (N.J.) Gill St. Bernard.
Bull City Hoops: Talk about Mgbako’s game a little. You’ve seen him as much as anyone. What makes him special? How will he be best utilized at Duke?
Andrew Slater: “He’s a 6-8 hybrid-forward who shot 38% from three, while playing up a level on EYBL. I think they'll utilize his defensive versatility and ability to score all over the court.”
Bull City Hoops: Sounds like a difficult guy to guard?
Andrew Slater: “He’ll be a matchup problem in the ACC. It's fair to say the future of Duke basketball will be defensive versatility and shooting.”
Bull City Hoops: Duke has had so much success with these versatile forwards who can handle, pass and shoot. Is there a close comparison that comes to mind for you when you comb through all of their successful prospects that are similar?
Andrew Slater: “Comps are never exact, but Mackenzie has some elements of a more modern Luol Deng, in terms of his versatility, character, and skill level at a similar point.
Bull City Hoops: You went back for that one with Deng. But I can see it for sure. What are some areas of growth for Mgbako as he has another year of high school ball before he gets to Durham?
Andrew Slater: “I think he needs to continue to tighten his handle, make his perimeter shot even more consistent, and rest his body. He's carried his last few teams without a break, while playing challenging schedules.”