Over the years, Coach K has discussed some of his recruiting philosophy. Duke doesn’t cast a wide net, targeting a relatively small number of players each year. He pays attention to how potential recruits behave around their families, looking for respect and good structure. He likes guys who want to be part of something bigger than themselves. He has frequently recruited players whose parents were athletes (that’s a fairly long list now if anyone wants to compile it) and he likes guys who come from winning basketball cultures.
That could be familial or it could be like Danny Ferry or Kenny Blakeney, who both attended DeMatha High in Hyattsville, Maryland, where they absorbed the winning culture started decades ago by legendary coach Morgan Wooten.