Shelton Henderson, a 6-6 wing player, has decommitted from Duke University and has been granted his release, as reported on Thursday night. Henderson had initially committed and signed with Duke in early November, with former Duke associate head coach Jai Lucas being a key factor in his decision. Lucas, who is now the head coach at Miami, shares a connection with Henderson through their shared Texas high school and AAU basketball team affiliations.
With Henderson's departure, Duke's incoming freshman class is now down to three members, causing the team to drop to third place in the Class of 2025 recruiting rankings behind Arizona and Houston. Unless Duke adds another player to their class, this will be the first time since 2021 that they do not have the top-ranked recruiting class on Rivals.