Four-Star Forward Asa Montgomery Commits to Duke in 2027 Class

Asa Montgomery, a four-star forward from Power Springs, Georgia, committed to Duke on Wednesday. He is ranked No. 14 overall in the 2027 recruiting cycle by 247Sports and is the No. 4 small forward in his class.

Montgomery chose the Blue Devils over four other finalists: LSU, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and UConn. He took official visits to all five schools, and Duke received the last one, over the Oct. 2-3 weekend.

The 6-foot-7 forward is the third member of Duke's 2027 class. He joins Luke Paul of Australia and Kager Knueppel, the younger brother of former Duke player and current Charlotte Hornet Kon Knueppel.

His commitment moved Duke past LSU, Indiana, Missouri, UConn and Houston to the top spot in the 2027 team recruiting rankings from 247Sports.

The ranking continues a pattern under coach Jon Scheyer. Since he took over ahead of the 2022-23 season, Duke has finished with a top-two-ranked recruiting class every year. The Blue Devils have owned the nation's top-ranked class for three consecutive years and are on track to make it four this cycle.

Adam Finkelstein, the director of scouting at 247Sports, praised Montgomery's two-way feel for the game. He said the forward has "good instincts on both ends of the floor and a nose for the ball defensively." Finkelstein pointed to Montgomery's play in FIBA competition, where he got his hands on many balls, rebounded well enough to match up with opposing fours and proved switchable on the ball.

Finkelstein also said Montgomery shows a willingness and ability to handle the "little things" that could get him on the floor right away in college. He added that the prospect has clear upside. Montgomery is young for his grade and will not turn 18 until July after his senior year, which Finkelstein said leaves a long runway to add the scoring and skill seen in grassroots basketball. That growth could make him a versatile two-way threat.

When Montgomery arrives at Duke, he will likely play alongside a former teammate. He was on the USA Basketball Men's U17 National Team that beat Serbia earlier this summer, a squad that also included current Duke freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje.

Montgomery is not eligible for the 2027 NBA Draft because of the league's age requirement. That means he will have to play two seasons of college basketball before entering the draft.