Duke Basketball: Blue Devils extend offer to another 2021 five-star

As Saturday was college coaches’ first opportunity to contact 2021 recruits by phone, the news of a five-star quickly picking up an offer to become a Duke basketball player should come as no surprise.

For almost a year, five-star small forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. was the lone 2021 recruit holding an offer from the Duke basketball coaches.

ALSO READ: Top 2021 prospect could cap off Coach K’s career

Not anymore.

According to a tweet from Rivals’ Corey Evans on Saturday, five-star shooting guard A.J. Griffin now also has an open invitation to become a Blue Devil.

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The 6-foot-7, 200-pound superb athlete out of White Plains, N.Y., where he attends Archbishop Stepinac, also holds offers from seven other programs, per 247Sports, including Wake Forest and Pitt from the ACC.

Griffin appears worthy of both the Duke offer and his No. 10 composite ranking due to his snazzy handles, elite speed, noticeable unselfishness, and keen court awareness. Also, he seems to be a strong and willing defender. And speaking of strong, there is meat to his chiseled physique, which is rare for prospects only halfway through their high school careers.

In terms of a former Duke basketball player he resembles, one name stands out: R.J. Barrett, due to their similar frame, above-average athleticism, and ability to finish at the rim. However, Griffin seems a bit more advanced on the defensive end than Barrett was at his age; like Barrett, though, Griffin still has plenty of work to do with his outside shot.

At this time, the 247Sports Crystal Ball for Griffin contains no picks.

Considering 2021 recruits’ phones are no longer off-limits to Krzyzewski and his staff, one should expect more offers coming soon. The Duke coaches also reportedly used Saturday to reach out to Baldwin Jr., five-star shooting guard Terrence Clarke, and five-star power forward Paolo Banchero.

ALSO READ: Five-star 2021 SG hungry for Duke offer

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball recruiting updates, analyses, opinions, and predictions.