Duke basketball lands 2027 commitment from Australian guard Luke Paul

Duke basketball has landed its first commitment in its 2027 recruiting class.

Luke Paul, a 6-foot-6 point guard from Western Australia, announced his commitment to coach Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils on Thursday, Oct. 1. Paul announced the news on ESPN's NBA Today.

"I want to go to a place that's going to help me develop my play and performance and get me to the next level which is the NBA," Paul said before unveiling his Duke shirt.

Paul will join Duke for the 2027-28 season. He is currently rostered for the Cairns Taipans of Australia's National Basketball League, signing with the club in June as part of a multi-year deal with the NBL's Next Stars program. He became the youngest player to join the program in January at 16 years old.

Paul earned MVP and All-Star Five honors at the 2025 FIBA U16 Asia Cup while helping Australia win the gold medal. He recorded 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in the championship game against China and averaged 14.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists throughout the tournament.

Most recently, Paul averaged 15.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists at the 2026 FIBA U17 World Cup in Turkey. He was named to the tournament's All-Star Five as he led Australia to the bronze medal.

Paul's commitment gives Scheyer and the Blue Devils an early addition to their 2027 recruiting class as Duke prepares for the 2026-27 college basketball season.

Duke will officially open its season Nov. 2 against Army at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils are scheduled to host Countdown to Craziness on Oct. 3 and play exhibition games against Belmont, Tennessee and Kansas before the season opener.

Anna Snyder covers Duke for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at asnyder@usatodayco.com or follow her @annaesnydr on X, formerly known as Twitter.