Prospect Spotlight: Khalil Dukes (2020)

A year after experiencing a tremendous turnaround with a 17-6 overall record, the Parkville Knights welcome a trio of transfers from Mt. Carmel to help boost their roster with quality depth. One of those players is Khalil Dukes, a 6-foot-1 guard who will bring a lock down defender to the starting lineup.

“Mt. Carmel just wasn’t a good fit for me,” Dukes told Prep Hops in a recent interview. “I wasn’t able to really showcase my full talent.”

For head coach Josh Czerski, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to do so. Playing alongside two of the top players in Baltimore County in ’20 John Godinez and ’20 Jordan Strickland, Dukes will look to take advantage of the defense’s schemes based around stopping those two players.

“Coach Czerski has told me that I’ll be starting on the wing,” Dukes continued, “and that I have to bring a defensive mindset. On offense, really letting John run the show and take my chances scoring from the wing.”

Offensively, Dukes is more of a slashing guard. He brings nice athleticism and soft touch with his attempts in the paint. Shooting isn’t a strength yet, but it was a focus for him this spring and summer with Crusader Nation.

One thing that has been consistent with Dukes throughout his high school career is his work in the classroom. It’s still early in the school year, but he has exceptional grades with the lowest being in the high 80s.

In my opinion, Dukes would be a great find for Division III programs. His relentless work ethic, willingness to play a role and his success in the classroom is something that any team could use.

“A goal of mine this year is to finish with a double-double every game,” Dukes said. “I just want to step in and do whatever it takes to help my team win. We have expectations of coming in and winning the county. We still have some work to do with chemistry, but I think once that gets figured out, we could do that along with make a run in states.”