Dereck Lively commits to Duke
Duke’s young coaching staff, led by head coach in waiting Jon Scheyer, has struck again on the recruiting trail. This time they did it by landing five-star big man Dereck Lively II, effectively pushing themselves into the No. 1 slot of the team recruiting national rankings.
Lively, who announced his commitment Monday evening on Instagram Live, is a critical piece to Duke’s pending success in the 2022-’23 season, Scheyer’s first as head coach.
The Blue Devils already had five-star prospects Kyle Filipowski and Dariq Whitehead and four-star recruit Jaden Schutt on board, but one of the key missing components was a legitimate post presence.
Lively gives them that and more.
“This is the guy that may be the most important piece of this upcoming class and I’m not saying he’s the best scorer by saying that. I’m just saying he’s a game-changer defensively and a guy who can run with the guards. Heck, he’s as fast and quick as any of them,” our very own Clint Jackson said.
At 7-foot-1, 220 pounds, Lively can provide defensive protection in the lane and thanks to his versatility and skill level, he can help take the pressure off the Blue Devils’ guards and wings. His presence alone will help with spacing for those on the perimeter.
“This is the guy that may be the most important piece of this upcoming class …”
He also gives Scheyer and Co. the luxury of running and maintaining an up-tempo style of play without sacrificing a force at the five.
According to Jackson, there are some similarities with Duke sophomore Mark Williams, but he believes there’s a better comparison when it comes to athleticism and end-to-end speed.
“Duke hasn’t had a big man who can run, leap and block shots like this since Casey Sanders back in the late 1990’s,” Jackson said. “Lively, unlike Sanders, also has reliable hands and a jumper from the perimeter.”
His skill-set, though, goes well beyond this initial description.
There’s a reason he’s the No. 2 player on the 247Sports composite rankings. Jackson goes talked more in-depth about Lively’s abilities and how he can change the look of this Duke roster.
“He’s a supremely gifted athlete who leaps effortlessly, is light on his feet and can change directions like a 6-3 guy,” he said. “His length, his anticipation, his instincts around the basket are all elite. And he cleans up everything around the basket so he gets a ton of garbage buckets inside. I love that he can also catch and shoot the ball along the perimeter. His Team Final coaches will tell you that his shooting was where he made the biggest leap over the last 12 months.”
Lively had a final list of seven schools - Duke, Kentucky, UNC, Penn State, Florida State, Michigan and Southern Cal, but his decision ultimately came between two programs: Duke and Kentucky.
Scheyer and the Duke staff came out with a huge win in this recruitment.
Great pickup for Duke! Go Blue Devils!
Big time pickup. This staff is showing their recruiting chops in a huge way. Putting other coaches on notice.