Shelton Henderson:The reason I decided to join Duke Basketball is that I’ve never felt this happy before…

Shelton Henderson, the top-ranked player in Texas and one of the top-20 prospects in the 2025 basketball recruiting class, announced his commitment to the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday. Despite receiving offers from Houston, LSU, Texas Tech, and other schools, the 6-foot-6, 4-star small forward from Bellaire High (TX) decided to play for Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils instead of Texas or Louisville.

Shelton Henderson, the top-ranked player from Texas and a top-20 talent in the 2025 class, told On3 that he has committed to Duke.

Despite receiving offers from Houston, LSU, Texas Tech, and other schools, the 6-foot-6, four-star small forward from Bellaire High (TX) finally choose to play for Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils over Texas and Louisville.

Henderson is the nation’s No. 16 overall prospect and the No. 5 small forward in the 2025 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking – a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media organizations.

The Houston native joins four-star PG Cayden Boozer (No. 20), four-star SF Nikolas Khamenia (No. 26), and Five-Star Plus+ PF Cameron Boozer (No. 2 nationally) as Duke’s fourth commitment this cycle. Henderson spoke with On3 about his choice to pledge to Duke.

“I selected Duke because they believe in me. The pipeline is so deep with people they have sent to the NBA and I think they could also get me there. I also liked the fan base and the vibe. Ever since I first began watching basketball, this has been my ideal school.

Henderson thinks Duke is the right place for him to continue improving as a player. He feels more at ease with this choice because of his friendship with assistant head coach Jai Lucas.

“I believe Coach Scheyer and the entire team will truly encourage me to reach my full potential and support me in playing to my strengths while also working on my limitations every single day.” I am also relieved to have someone who understands my perspective, especially because Jai Lucas is