Duke has landed a star-studded recruiting class in 2024, with their new crop of incoming players ranking as the top overall recruiting class in the nation. The group is headlined by star forward Cooper Flagg, who just earned himself an expected honor for his continued strong play in his final year of high school.

Flagg has widely been regarded as the top prospect in this recruiting class, and Duke managed to convince him to commit to their squad for the 2024-25 campaign. Since then, Flagg has continued balling out while he finishes up high school, and his big outings have helped him earn a roster spot on McDonald's All-American team.

“Rosters for the 2024 McDonald’s All American Game, an annual exhibition featuring the top high school players from across the nation, were unveiled on Tuesday. The list features 24/7's No. 1-ranked basketball recruit Cooper Flagg, who committed to Duke, and espnW 100's No. 1 basketball recruit Sarah Strong, who has not committed to a college yet.” – Cydney Henderson, USA Today

Cooper Flagg's future Duke teammate Kon Knueppel a notable snub

Duke basketball prospect Kon Knueppel in the foreground.

Flagg's inclusion on the roster should come as no surprise, and he will be joined by one of his future Blue Devils' teammates in Isaiah Evans on the East roster. However, you can make an argument that another Duke recruit should have been included, as Kon Knueppel is widely believed to be one of the biggest snubs after he wasn't selected for the honor.

“This year, Wisconsin Lutheran five-star forward and early Blue Devil signee Kon Knueppel, who ranks No. 16 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite and has routinely recorded 30-point outings as a high school senior, looked deserving of the prestigious distinction but did not make the cut for the April 2 showcase in Houston.” – Matt Giles, Sports Illustrated

Regardless of Knueppel's snub, it's clear that he, Flagg, and Evans are going to ensure that Duke has an influx of new young talent next season. Getting a spot on the All-American roster would have been nice, but these guys will quickly realize they have bigger fish to fry once they arrive at Duke and begin to work towards winning a National Championship with their new team.