Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils have quietly expanded their recruiting efforts, adding another potential target to their 2025 board this week. Just days after Cooper Flagg announced his intention to enter the 2025 NBA Draft, Duke reportedly made a visit to four-star small forward Braydon Hawthorne.

Hawthorne, a 6-foot-8 prospect from Huntington Prep, reopened his recruitment in March after decommitting from West Virginia. He’s currently ranked No. 106 nationally in the 247Sports Composite and holds the top spot among 2025 recruits in his home state.

Since reopening his recruitment, Hawthorne has taken visits to Virginia Tech and Kentucky. According to 247Sports’ Travis Branham, Duke is the latest program to express interest, with the Blue Devils reportedly traveling to meet him in person.

Known for his 7-foot-2 wingspan and blend of shooting, rebounding, and defensive instincts, Hawthorne fits the mold of the versatile wing player Duke is currently seeking. His father confirmed Duke’s interest via a post on X (formerly Twitter).

With the recent departures of Cooper Flagg, ACC Tournament MVP Kon Knueppel, and All-ACC selection Tyrese Proctor to the NBA Draft, Duke has several gaps to fill on the wing. Despite already securing top-tier recruits like Cameron and Cayden Boozer and Nikolas Khamenia, Scheyer appears intent on adding more depth and versatility to his 2025-26 roster.

The Blue Devils wrapped up a strong 2024-25 season with a 35-4 record, going 19-1 in ACC play and finishing No. 3 in the AP Top 25. However, their run ended in a narrow 70-67 loss to Houston in the Final Four.

Hawthorne’s combination of size, skill, and defensive range could make him an ideal fit as Duke looks to retool for another championship run.

Duke makes the startling last-minute choice to drop a five-star recruit.

Late Thursday night, Duke basketball suffered a setback to its future roster plans.

Five-star forward Shelton Henderson has decided to reopen his recruitment, parting ways with the Blue Devils in what 247Sports described as a mutual decision around 11:30 p.m.

Henderson had originally committed to Duke back in early November, but the 6-foot-6, 220-pound standout will now seek a new destination. He’s currently ranked No. 2 in Texas, the No. 4 shooting guard nationally, and No. 21 overall in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports.

Though Henderson’s early pledge gave him time to deepen his Duke connection, it ultimately wasn’t enough to keep him in the fold. One factor in the decision may be that his lead recruiter, Jai Lucas, is no longer at Duke and is now the head coach at Miami.

While Duke awaits a bigger decision — Cooper Flagg’s potential NBA Draft announcement — Henderson’s departure is still a blow. And if Flagg does leave, losing Henderson only adds to the disappointment.

While Duke awaits a bigger decision — Cooper Flagg’s potential NBA Draft announcement — Henderson’s departure is still a blow. And if Flagg does leave, losing Henderson only adds to the disappointment.

For now, what’s certain is that Henderson won’t be suiting up for Duke. The next question is where the highly touted prospect will land.