Duke, North Carolina Pursue Multiple Top 2027 Basketball Prospects

The recruitment period for the high school basketball Class of 2027 is underway, with top programs actively pursuing elite prospects. Baba Oladotun, the No. 1 player in the class, has received new offers from Auburn, Pitt, BYU, and numerous other schools including Houston, Duke, and Ohio State. Duke is aggressively targeting Marcus Spears Jr., a 6’7" power forward from Texas ranked as high as No. 3 nationally, who already holds offers from SMU, Texas, Stanford, LSU, and Oklahoma State. North Carolina has also been active in reaching out to rising juniors to build early relationships with top talent. Meanwhile, Cole Cloer, a 6-foot-7 forward ranked No. 32 in the Class of 2026 and the top prospect from North Carolina, has garnered 14 offers including from UNC, N.C. State, and Wake Forest, and is planning official visits to programs like Florida and Alabama. These recruiting efforts highlight the intense competition among college basketball programs to secure commitments from promising young athletes.