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UNC Basketball: Vernon Carey Jr. commits to Duke

By Alec Lasley

SPRINGFIELD, MA - JANUARY 15: Vernon Carey Jr. #22 of University School dribbles in a game against Oak Hill Academy during the 2018 Spalding Hoophall Classic at Blake Arena at Springfield College on January 15, 2018 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
SPRINGFIELD, MA - JANUARY 15: Vernon Carey Jr. #22 of University School dribbles in a game against Oak Hill Academy during the 2018 Spalding Hoophall Classic at Blake Arena at Springfield College on January 15, 2018 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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The no. 3 overall recruit in the 2019 class, Vernon Carey Jr., announced today that he would be attending Duke University next year.

The 6-foot-10 forward committed to Duke during the noon hour on ESPN at his high school, NSU University school in Florida, with friends and family surrounding him.

Carey Jr. listed Michigan State and North Carolina in his final three, but days leading up to the announcement, Duke seemed to have the clear edge.

The recruit had this to say on why he chose to attend Duke, “Coach K… The recruiting class they are bringing in this year (Moore) and (Ellis), and hopefully a couple more guys with me too… they said I would be a positionless player.”

Below was a tweet from Carey during his official visit in Durham.

https://twitter.com/vernoncarey22/status/1054072402571943937

Carey joins a Duke recruiting class that includes forward Wendell Moore (no. 19) and guard Boogie Ellis (no. 41), immediately vaulting them into the top five recruiting classes.

Carey will slide into the Duke starting lineup taking the place of Zion Williamson, becoming an immediate contributor. A skill set that reminds me slightly of Marvin Bagley, look for Carey to play that role, to a lesser extent, on next year’s Duke team.

The Florida native is highly skilled and very versatile allowing him to play all around the court. With a much more developed frame than most players at his age, he is able to use his broad shoulders and length to overpower defenders on the block.

The lefty has great touch in and around the basket, but also has range that stretches out to the three-point line.

As a junior, Carey averaged 26 points, 10.4 rebounds and four blocks per game for a 36-2 team that won a 5A state title, the City of Palms Classic title and advanced to the final of the GEICO High School Nationals, as he finished ahead of North Carolina’s Nassir Little for Florida’s Mr. Basketball award.

Carey was also a  member of the 2018 USA U17 World Cup team, where he started all seven games and averaged 11 points and 6.9 rebounds en route to a gold medal.

Carey will go head to head with North Carolina frontline commit, Armando Bacot, next year as another front court rivalry will be renewed on Tobacco Road.

The Tar Heels currently have two commits for the 2019 class, Bacot and guard Jeremiah Francis.

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