The Duke brand is hot right now as the Blue Devils picked up their second top-50 commitment in a past week with the addition of five-star Dariq Whitehead. Below, Rivals.com explores Filipowski’s decision and outlines what it means for the Blue Devil program.
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2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Top 30
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WHAT DUKE IS GETTING
Whitehead's commitment comes only a few days after Duke landed the fast-rising Kyle Filipowski. The 6-foot-6 Whitehead is coming off one of the most dominant summers of anyone in the country after averaging 17.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in leading his Team Durant (Md.) 17u team to the Final Four of the Peach Jam.
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WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE BLUE DEVILS
Whitehead has been one of the most notable names in the 2022 class since his freshman year. He also comes from one of the most prominent high school programs, Montverde (Fla.) Academy in the country. Whitehead is Duke’s second top-100 commitment of the 2022 cycle, and its first current five-star. Whitehead is a strong wing, who can handle and pass while playing tough defense and rebounding. While the jump shot may be a question mark, he thinks the game and brings a winning pedigree and a sense of toughness to the lineup. Filipowski and Whitehead are a great foundation for this class, as Duke still has offers out to the likes of five-star Dereck Lively and four-stars Anthony Black, Jaden Schutt and others.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
“Duke is Duke. I liked the visit a lot. It was great getting to know coach Jon Scheyer. I had talked to him over text a lot but getting to know him in person was important and great. He’s a super cool guy – down to earth. He means everything he says.”
