Basketball phenom Zack Duncan: From Japan to Canada to Cape Henry to NCAA
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Q&A with Cape Henry Collegiate basketball player Zack Duncan.
Please introduce yourself, and tell us where you attend high school, what sport you play and how many years you have played.
Zack Duncan: My name is Zack Duncan and I am graduating from Cape Henry Collegiate. I played varsity volleyball as a sophomore and junior and varsity basketball for the last three years as a guard. I was a two-time captain for the basketball team. I have been playing organized basketball since house league in 1st grade.
You moved here without your family. How did you decide to attend and play for Cape Henry Collegiate?
Duncan: My parents met in Japan, and that’s where my brother, Porter, and I were born. We followed my dad’s work in the airline industry as we moved to Guam, Chicago and Calgary. My last year in Calgary, COVID-19 shut everything down and suspended all basketball for months. I was getting anxious because it had been my longtime dream to play NCAA basketball, and I was worried that the pandemic was going to harm my recruiting process.
When the U.S.-Canada border finally opened in the summer of 2021, I visited my grandparents in Virginia Beach. My dad attended Cape Henry from 2nd grade to 6th grade, and while I was in town, he suggested that I reach out to Cape Henry to see if I could join in on a couple of basketball workouts. But, because of COVID, the only way I would be allowed on campus was if I was a “prospective student.” So, I took a couple school tours and took some placement tests so that I would be allowed to work out with coach Hall.
When the test scores came back and the people at Cape Henry said that they would grant me admission, I had a tough decision to make. I knew that going to Cape Henry, living in the U.S. and playing AAU basketball would set me up best to play college ball. But Porter was still in school, my mom couldn’t leave him, and my dad’s job was still in Calgary. I ended up taking the leap of faith and leaving my family behind in Canada. I moved in with my grandparents just in time for the 2021-2022 school year.
The plan was for me to continue to live on my own in Virginia Beach, but as Porter approached high school, he wanted to do the same thing I did. My dad was at a point with his job where he was ready to pursue something outside of Calgary, so they made the decision to join up with me in Virginia Beach.
What was the basketball recruiting process like, and why did you decide on Washington and Lee?
Duncan: Recruiting for me really began last spring. In April 2023, my AAU team played in two big tournaments that saw countless college coaches in attendance. I was never the star of the show, but I did my best to prove my toughness and how hard I was willing to play. Soon enough, college coaches began reaching out to me, asking for my tournament schedule for the rest of the summer and inviting me onto campus to play against other recruits. This made for a very busy summer as we attended as many of these recruiting camps as we could. Washington and Lee stood out to me because, not only would I be able to fulfill my dream of playing college basketball there, but the academics and reputation of the school were great as well. On top of that, the coaches have done such a great job of calling to check up on me and have been so welcoming.
Your academic standings are just as impressive as your athletic abilities. What will you be majoring in, and what advice would you give to other athletes who want to achieve their athletic and academic goals?
Duncan: I will be majoring in business. My advice would be to not focus on outcomes or results too much. It’s easy to become discouraged if you’re not happy with how things turn out. I try to stay focused on my effort and the things I can control; things will work out in the end.
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