Duke Adds to Its 2019 Recruiting Riches by Landing Four-Star Cassius Stanley
Duke's No. 1 recruiting class got even stronger on Monday with the commitment of four-star shooting guard Cassius Stanley. Here's what he'll bring to Durham.
Molly Geary
The rich got richer on Monday, as one of the top remaining uncommitted prospects in the 2019 class, four-star guard Cassius Stanley, announced his commitment to Duke.
Stanley's decision comes on the heels of top-10 recruit Matthew Hurt also choosing the Blue Devils on Friday, further cementing what's poised to be Duke's fourth consecutive year with the nation's No. 1 recruiting class on the 247Sports composite.
A 6'5" shooting guard out of Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth, Calif., Stanley wasn't thought to be Durham-bound even one month ago. His top three had been Kansas, Oregon and UCLA before a late push by Coach K and the Blue Devils got them into the picture, culminating in a recent visit to campus before Monday's commitment.
Stanley's announcement garnered a welcome tweet by the departing Zion Williamson.
As a senior in high school, Stanley averaged 17.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists a game. He's ranked as the No. 29 recruit in the 2019 class and his highlights and mixtapes are popular on YouTube, where he has built up quite the following already.
SI.com NBA draft expert Jeremy Woo breaks down the guard's game and what Duke fans should expect:
"An extremely upper-tier high school athlete, Stanley flies up and down the court and has a ton of natural ability. He's a plus transition player and will help beef up Duke's rotation right away, and he continues to improve playing off the dribble and putting pressure on the rim. Stanley is most comfortable with the ball in his hands, and will need to work on his set shooting and effectiveness away from it going forward. Defensively, when engaged he has the ability to be a clear plus. Consistency and offensive polish are the two things he'll need to focus on, and his skill level will need to help enhance his athleticism more to maximize his potential. It's worth noting that he will turn 20 years old in August, making him extremely mature for a college freshman from an age standpoint."
Duke's 2019 class now contains five top-35 players on the 247Sports composite, ranging from No. 3 Vernon Carey to No. 34 Boogie Ellis. They're joined by Stanley, Hurt and Wendell Moore (No. 22). The Blue Devils needed to reload after losing Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish to the NBA, though point guard Tre Jones is set to return for his sophomore season.
Duke was ranked fifth in SI.com's Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2019–20.
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