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Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Duke and Kentucky are fighting for the first recruiting class.
Order was restored on the recruitment trail in 2022, with the two recruiting centers back at the top of the rankings. The Blue Devils and Wildcats were ranked No.1 and No.2 in either order every year from 2014 to 2018 and again in 2020, with Memphis, Michigan and Gonzaga fighting in the mix in 2019 and 2021.
Despite the introduction of the name, image and likeness, as well as the announcement of Mike Krzyzewski’s retirement, Duke and Kentucky are once again fighting for the No.1. The Blue Devils took the lead after the engagement of Dereck Lively Monday evening.
Lively was the main Duke-Kentucky recruiting battle in 2022, as both programs looked like the favorites at different times over the past three months. Both schools welcomed Lively for a visit in June and made him a priority on the recruiting trail during the July live period. But the Blue Devils won, netting second in the category, giving them their third top 10 prospect this cycle.
Lively joins small forward Dariq Whitehead, skilled center Kyle Filipowski and sniper Jaden Schutt in Duke’s four-man class. The Blue Devils still have top 30 prospects JJ Starling and Mark Mitchell on their board.
Don’t count Kentucky out of the race, however. While Lively’s landing would have sealed the No.1 class for the Wildcats, John Calipari’s schedule still has the overall No.1 prospect to Shaedon Sharpe with two other five-star prospects to Chris Livingston and Skyy Clark. Five-star Cason Wallace and Adem Bona are in the Wildcats’ sights.
If Duke and Kentucky both land on their remaining targets, will the order at the top be reversed? It remains to be seen.
What is clear, however, is that no one else is going to catch Duke or Kentucky in 2022.
Previous ranking: 1 
It was imperative for the Blue Devils to start strong on the recruiting trail after announcing that Jon Scheyer would succeed Mike Krzyzewski for the 2022-2023 season. In Coach K’s absence this summer, Scheyer and his team solidified the Duke brand by netting three five-star talents at Dereck Lively, Dariq Whitehead and Kyle Filipowski. Lively’s commitment is one that could ultimately put the Blue Devils to the top class in America. It’s a sniper fire blocker with an offensive skill set that includes range to the perimeter. Whitehead is an elite advocate and competitor with natural leadership skills and tons of intangibles. He’s been a top prospect since he was younger, but he has retained his humility and has continued to improve year on year. Filipowski, on the other hand, has shown himself to be strong over the past two years. A great game man who stands just under 7ft tall but can still attack the dribble and facilitate for others, Filipowski’s game has exploded alongside a new commitment to conditioning and the consequent gains in mobility and speed from his feet around the rim. Duke also landed goalkeeper among the top 50 Jaden Schutt, one of the top shooters in the 2022 class.
Previous ranking: unranked 
Kentucky is the only program that can catch up with Duke in the class standings – although that’s a task that became much more difficult when Dereck Lively picked the Blue Devils over the Wildcats. But John Calipari already has three five-star prospects in the fold and can be seen as the favorite for two more. Overall No. 1 prospect Shaedon Sharpe was not classified at all last summer, but he established himself last summer as the top goalie in the class. He has good height and strength and is an elite athlete and rim finisher. Chris Livingston has been a name to watch since he started his high school career, and he remains one of the Top 15 prospects in 2022. He’s a versatile weapon on both ends of the floor and is at his best in transition. Then there’s Skyy Clark, a 6-foot-3 point guard who missed the summer with an ACL injury. Clark signed on to the Wildcats last October, and despite rumors of a reclassification in 2021, he stayed in 2022. Kentucky is still heavily in the mix for Cason Wallace (# 9) and Adem Bona (# 17).
Previous ranking: 2 
As Bill Self built one of the best varsity basketball teams this season by conquering the transfer market, he once again called on the Jayhawks to recruit the high school market to an elite national level. It all started with a commitment from the local Kansas product, Gradey Dick, last spring. Dick will provide them with a large, productive and reliable wing that has proven itself against elite competition and well balanced with its ground play. MJ Rice gives them a powerful wing with an enhanced skill level. He’ll remind Jayhawk fans a bit of Wayne Selden and make a perfect addition to Dick on the Wing. Zuby Ejiofor is a retro style striker who could play a small 5 ball in the modern game. It is powerful, explosive and ultra-aggressive with a high motor.
Previous ranking: 4
Hubert Davis made rapid inroads on the recruiting trail. He was ahead of Seth Trimble, a top point guard from Wisconsin who signed to the Tar Heels in June, weeks before delivering a huge performance during the July recruiting window. Jalen Washington is a tall, highly skilled player who can stretch the floor, pick-and-pop, and also play alongside another position if Davis chooses to explore larger lineups. Will Shaver is a real big man on the inside. It won’t be ready to have the same immediate impact as Trimble and Washington, but it will provide the kind of multi-year actor that programs need to develop to ensure continuity. Davis rounded out the squad with talented ESPN 100 forward Tyler Nickel, who will bring an extra dimension to Carolina’s frontcourt with his shooting ability.
Previous ranking: 3
No one did more work at the start of this recruiting class than Chris Holtmann and his team at Ohio State. Not only do they hold four early promises, including three ESPN 100 leads, but they’re all strategic additions that fit their system and culture. Bruce Thornton is the chef. A proven leader and accomplished winner, he will put his mark on the program from day one. Roddy Gayle is a versatile winger who is able to score in high volume but also to blend his individual talents with other top players. Felix Okpara is a big, spirited man in the middle with a very high long term cap. Bowen Hardman is a local Ohio State product that adds perimeter shot and ground spacing to the attack. Together they form a group that complements each other and has as much depth as any class in the country to date.
Previous ranking: 5
Virginia’s recruiting class of 2022 is shaping up to be one of the best the program has seen since 2016, a class that ultimately led Virginia to a national championship. Isaac McKneely is a skilled tall guard who is tough, smart, and able to play on or off the ball, much like Ty Jerome once did for the Cavaliers. Leon Bond is an offensive wing with a solid, open-air burst body and all the attributes to evolve into a top defender. Isaac Traudt is a skilled 6-foot-8 forward who can stretch the ground all the way to the bow and also operate at different points of the ground within an offensive structure. Together, this trio gives Tony Bennett not just three ESPN 100 leads, but three players with complementary skills who should all fit into his system. And then Bennett came out and landed the fast rising wing Ryan Dunn, who didn’t have a single division that I was offering six months ago. At 6ft 6in, he’s both tall and long and can take shots from the perimeter.
Previous ranking: unranked
Andy Enfield has recruited elite frontline prospects at a higher rate than most coaches in the country, and he continues to store talent up front in the 2022 class. The Trojans will host one of the best duos interiors of the country with five-star center Vincent Iwuchukwu and top 40 power forward Kijani Wright. Iwuchukwu steadily improved throughout his high school career and became one of the most productive tall men on the Nike EYBL Tour in July. Wright is a big man back who does most of his damage in the paint and on the back panel. He is a physical and efficient rebounder. Four-star Oziyah Sellers is the third member of the 2022 Trojans group; it is a local product which should have an impact on the offensive part.
Previous ranking: 6
What did Scott Drew do after winning a national championship? He landed one of the best basketball players in high school, local product Keyonte George, state rival of Texas, and a variety of others. George is one of high school basketball’s finest shot creators and tailor-made to make an immediate impact at the college level. He is joined by Dillon Hunter, another multidimensional offensive threat in the backcourt who has length, touch of shooting, and scalable playability to match.
Previous ranking: 7
Coming out of last year’s Final Four, Mick Cronin has the Bruins set to join the elite of college basketball. He built on the momentum of last March’s race by delivering a star-studded early recruiting class with some of the West Coast’s top prospects. Amari Bailey isn’t just one of the best basketball players in high school; he is also one of the most visible, and so his engagement, which really happened last February, will inspire other players to follow suit. One of those players is Dylan Andrews, a dynamic tall guard with an attacking style who excels in open ground but will also have the ability to defend as requested by Cronin.
Previous ranking: 8
Year after year, the Ducks continue to recruit at an elite level. Last year was one of varsity basketball’s top incoming shortcuts, and this year he’s one of the most college-ready playmakers at Dior Johnson. A true alpha who grew up under the microscope after establishing himself as an elite prospect at a young age, Johnson appeared to be linked directly to the pro ranks before Oregon clinched his enlistment. He is joined by one of ESPN 100 Kel’el Ware’s most intriguing prospects, a very talented tall man with size, skill, mobility and jumping ability, but an always inconsistent drive. If and when he finds out, we might still be looking at one of the best incoming tandems in the country this year.
Dropped out: Indiana (9), Michigan (10)
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