Did Duke basketball just find its next star walk-on? Davidson Day grad hopes so
Former Lake Norman High boys’ basketball player Nick Arnold, an unranked senior, is going to play at Duke.
Arnold made the announcement on his social media account, saying that he would be a preferred walk-on with the Blue Devils.
Arnold played last season at Davidson Day with a plethora of major college recruits, including 6-11 center Will Stevens, who has signed with Clemson.
Before coming to Davidson Day for his senior season, Arnold was a key player for a Lake Norman team that was a state power.
Arnold averaged 15 points, six rebounds and five assists as a junior at Lake Norman.
He also was a key player on the 2023-24 Wildcats team that finished 28-3 and reached the N.C. 4A state semifinals, where it lost in overtime to future Duke star Isaiah Evans and North Mecklenburg High School.
Arnold averaged seven points, six rebounds and four assists as a sophomore.
“The biggest thing about him is that he just plays so hard,” said Rick Lewis of Phenom Hoop Report, the state’s foremost high school basketball recruiting authority. “And he’s what Duke was looking for in a preferred walk-on: Someone who can come in and be a great practice player, have great academics and play hard and come. It was a good fit, and he’s a great kid.”
This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 6:15 AM with the headline "Did Duke basketball just find its next star walk-on? Davidson Day grad hopes so."
