Duke recruit Mohamed Bamba, NC State prospect Brian Bowen still undecided

A lot has happened in the past two weeks on the recruiting trail for the Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State basketball programs.

Five-star prospect Kevin Knox spurned both UNC and Duke by deciding to go to Kentucky. The Tar Heels had already secured a commitment from four-star prospect Garrison Brooks, a 6-9 215-pound power forward, just in case it didn’t work out with Knox.

Duke did the same.

Less than 24 hours after Knox chose the Wildcats, Duke contacted four-star prospect Jordan Tucker and offered him a scholarship.

Tucker, a 6-7, 200-pound small forward, would have likely chosen Syracuse if not for Duke’s offer. But he eventually committed to and signed with the Blue Devils.

“Jordan is one of the best shooters in the class, but he’s also a complete player who can get to the rim, rebound and defend,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a press release. “He has made a name for himself through hard work, and he’ll bring that strong work ethic to Duke.”

After landing Tucker, Krzyzewski and his staff turned their attention to their most important prospect, Trevon Duval. Duval, who’s the top point guard in the country and ranked No. 5 overall according to 247sports, signed with the Blue Devils on Monday.

“Trevon is a prototypical point guard: a heady, aggressive leader with a great feel for the game and the ability to make others better,” Krzyzewski said. “His natural leadership ability and relentless competitiveness set him apart from others at his position.”

The Blue Devils also signed three-star point guard Jordan Goldwire from Norcross, Ga. last week.

At N.C. State, Kevin Keatts secured a commitment from N.C. A&T senior transfer Sam Hunt, who will be a graduate student next season. Hunt, a 6-2, 175-pound guard will be eligible to play immediately.

The lefty guard averaged 15.4 points per game as a redshirt sophomore in 2015-16 and 12.7 as a redshirt junior last season for the Aggies. Pacific and East Carolina were the other two options for Hunt.

Who is left

There are two top unsigned prospects that still reportedly have interest in Triangle schools.

Mohamed Bamba, the No. 2 overall recruit, according to 247sports’ composite rankings, and Brian Bowen, the No. 18 overall prospect.

Bamba, a 6-11, 207-pound forward who played for Westtown School in Pennsylvania last season, has kept his recruitment quiet.

He is interested in Duke, Texas, Kentucky and Michigan. Bamba has said he hopes to make a decision before the NBA draft on June 22.

That would come after the May 17 deadline to sign a National Letter of Intent. In that case, Bamba would sign a financial aid agreement with the school he chooses. A financial aid agreement guarantees a student-athlete a scholarship but does not bind the player to the school. So if the student decides to leave that school, he will not have sit out a year if he chooses to go to a different school.

Bowen, a 6-7, 194-pound small forward, from La Lumiere High School in Indiana, is in a similar situation. It is unclear when he will make a decision.

N.C. State, DePaul, Baylor, Oregon, Florida State, Arizona and Creighton are on his list. Bowen was recruited heavily by former N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried and his staff, and there’s still a possibility that he’ll choose the Wolfpack.

This story was originally published May 18, 2017 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Duke recruit Mohamed Bamba, NC State prospect Brian Bowen still undecided."