Jalen Duren reclassifies to class of 2021, set to enroll at Memphis
Jalen Duren, the nation’s third overall high school basketball prospect, according to On3.com, has announced he will reclassify to the class of 2021 and will enroll at Memphis. He announced the news Friday evening at 6:30 P.M. on ESPN’s SportsCenter. The press conference was held at Team Final headquarters in Delaware.
Duren played for Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) and is rated as a five-star prospect, according to On3.com. The uber-talented center has drawn comparisons to players such as Chris Webber and Bam Adebayo. He is unquestionably the most dominant big man in his class.
WHY MEMPHIS?
Duren spoke with On3’s national high school basketball recruiting expert Joe Tipton earlier in the week. The gifted center spoke with On3 about why he loved the Tigers and Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway.
“Penny (Hardaway) is a players coach. He’s done it before and he’s been through all levels of basketball. Their pitch is the NBA knowledge they have, with adding Larry Brown and Cody Toppert. Just the development that they can provide.”
The Philadelphia, Pa. native chose Memphis over Miami, Kentucky, the G League, and the Australian NBL. According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Duren turned down a $2 million offer from the Australian NBL.
THE DECISION
Duren’s decision to re-classify to the class of 2021 picked up steam in June, when Adam Zagoria broke the news on his blog. According to Zagoria’s report, the 6-foot-10 center turned down reportedly $1 million to play for a NBA G League Select team.
The new NIL laws for college basketball likely made the college route more enticing for Duren.
The 6-foot-10, 230-pound superstar led the Montverde Eagles to a national championship in 2021 over Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel-Aire, Kan.), 62-52.
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As a junior, Duren averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game for Montverde. Check out the block below, which puts his freakish athleticism on fine display.
NIKE EYBL CIRCUIT
His dominance continued in Nike EYBL play, where he averaged 13.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and 2.3 assists per game for Team Final. He guided Team Final to a Peach Jam title over Brad Beal Elite, 64-61. The Nike EYBL Peach Jam is a tournament where the nation’s elite school basketball prospects compete each year. Duren also earned MVP honors at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam (please see graphic below).
2021 PANGOS ALL-AMERICAN CAMP
In June, Duren dominated at the 2021 Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas, Nevada. There were NBA scouts in attendance and the freakishly talented center did not disappoint. Many scouts told reporters that Duren could play in the NBA right now. It shouldn’t be surprising that Duren was named MVP of the Pangos All-American Camp. Check out his highlights from the camp below.
MEMPHIS 2021 RECRUITING CLASS
The commitment from Duren is one of the biggest commitments in Memphis basketball history. Duren joins a crop of top tier talent that ranks the Tigers’ 2021 recruiting class as one of the top 15 recruiting classes in America. Here’s a list of the other players joining the Tigers for the 2021 recruiting class.
- Johnathan Lawson: 6’6, 165 lbs., SF (Four-star) Wooddale (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Josh Minott: 6’9, 175 lbs., SF (Four-star) St. Andrew’s School (Boca Raton, Florida)
- Sam Onu: 6’11, 255 lbs., C (Four-star) The Phelps School (Malvern, Pa.)
- John Camden: 6’7, 195 lbs., SF (Three-star) Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, New Hampshire)
Memphis also has the following players transferring into the program for the 2021 season.
- Tyler Harris: 5’9, 150 lbs., PG (Four-star) Transferring from Iowa State
- Chandler Lawson: 6’8, 205 lbs., SF (Four-star) Transferring from Oregon (brother of Johnathan Lawson)
- Earl Timberlake: 6’6, 215 lbs., SF (Four-star) Transferring from Miami
EMONI BATES JOINING JALEN DUREN?
The Tigers will now turn their eyes to fellow five-star Emoni Bates, another top prospect in the 2021 recruiting class who recently reclassified. Bates played AAU basketball with Jalen Duren on Team Final. He will be choosing between the G-League, Memphis, Michigan State, and Oregon. The Tigers have been trending recently with Bates. If Memphis can land Duren and his former AAU teammate, it’d give them one of the best recruiting classes in America, without a doubt.