Dukan Closes It Out

November 10, 2009

6:30 P.M. CST

Let's get one thing straight right off the bat.  The primary factor which drove the recruitment of Duje Dukan more than anything else was the opportunity to play college basketball at a high major D1 program.  Not only is that what he wanted, but even more importantly, those who were in control of his recruitment weren't going to settle for anything less.  Therefore, any of the spin doctors who try to tell you otherwise are simply clueless.

As it turns out, the 6'7 wing forward from Deerfield High School in Deerfield, IL has achieved his goal, as Dukan committed to the University Of Wisconsin after visiting the Madison campus and taking in the Badgers' exhibition game vs Bemidji State.  Dukan chose the Badgers over offers from Arizona State, New Mexico and George Washington. 

Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan decided to offer a scholarship to Dukan as soon as an opening became available in their 2010 class and as we hinted at in a previous entry, Ryan and his coaching staff were looking to move fast when it came to closing the deal on this one.  As it turns out, they have done just that as Dukan jumped at the opportunity.

Above everything else, Dukan was won over by the campus atmosphere in Madison as well as the opportunity to play in the Big Ten conference.  The fact that he will be able to do so at a school which is relatively close to home is an added bonus.  Dukan is also an outstanding student and sees Wisconsin as a perfect fit for him academically.  In addition, Dukan was already familiar with the college environment at Wisconsin, as he had previously taken an unofficial campus visit.

There is no question that Dukan remains one of the most widely debated players in Illinois from the class of 2010 when it comes to projecting where he fits in at the college level and he has been the subject of some absolutely ridiculous comparisons on the part of other analysts.  Putting all of that aside, Dukan has shown immense improvement in comparison with where he was at a year ago.  This was plainly evident when we watched him during the July evaluation period at Summer Jam 2009 in Mequon, WI.

Everybody knows that coach Ryan craves big men who can shoot the basketball, and Dukan definitely fits the bill in that area as he could very well be the best long-range shooter in Illinois regardless of class.  Not only that, but Dukan has also shown that he can put the ball on the floor and is a tremendous passer.  While his overall athleticism and defensive ability are still question marks, with the system that Wisconsin runs Dukan can probably be hidden a bit defensively while being valuable at the offensive end because of his ability to stretch opposing defenses.

A number of positive intangibles also make Dukan an attractive prospect, including the fact that he has an outstanding work ethic and comes from a strong basketball background, as his father is an international scout with the Chicago Bulls and played professionally in Europe.  When one takes these factors into account in addition to considering what Dukan brings to the table from a skills standpoint, it can certainly be argued that Dukan made an excellent college choice. 

Badgers assistant coach Howard Moore deserves a ton of credit for getting this one done.  Moore was instrumental in Dukan's recruitment throughout the process and along with coach Ryan, helped to close the deal.

Continue to check in with Illinois Prep Bulls-eye for all of the latest as it pertains to recruiting and high school basketball in Illinois.