Duke basketball should survive cut from key 2020 target

One could say the only real news would be if the Duke basketball coaches ever again fail to make a recruit’s list of finalists.

Duke basketball target Walker Kessler essentially already did what he plans to do on Friday.

But any news is significant from the five-star 2020 center, a fluid 7-footer who ranks No. 16 on the 247Sports Composite. In fact, with the Blue Devils figuring to be in dire need of big men with possibly as few as zero returning after next season, any tidbits from the Kessler camp are arguably more important than all other Duke recruiting news at the moment.

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According to a Wednesday tweet from EPI Training, the Fairburn, Ga., native (Woodward Academy) will announce on Friday the six programs remaining in contention for his services.

Three weeks ago, during a chat with 247Sports’ Evan Daniels, Kessler reeled off what he called “a top five or top six.” The number turned out to be five at the time: Michigan, Gonzaga, Auburn, Duke, and UNC.

Chances are he simply forgot to mention Georgia — where his dad, uncle, and older brother all played — and his official upcoming final six will just be Georgia plus the five above.

Kessler, who made an official visit to Duke in early February and is already a Blue Devil in the eyes of the Crystal Ball (70 percent of the picks), also told Daniels he plans to take an official visit in the fall to each of the five schools he mentioned.

After those visits, he hopes to announce his final decision sometime before the start of his senior season and sign in November.

With official lists, though, often come quick announcements. So there is certainly a shot he could forget the visits and decide at any time.

If the Blue Devils are lucky enough to win him over, then they will benefit from a talent whom head coach Mike Krzyzewski has compared to Christian Laettner. His outside shot is as pure as any coach could dream of from someone his size. And his footwork, IQ, eye for rebounds, and touch around the rim are equally dreamy:

Kessler will need to spend more time in the weight room and work on his quickness.

But his strengths outweigh his weaknesses.

And right now, the need to snag him outweighs the need to snag each of the other five 2020 recruits holding a Blue Devil offer: five-star shooting guard B.J. Boston, five-star point forward Cade Cunningham, four-star power forward Henry Coleman, four-star center Mark Williams, and four-star combo guard D.J. Steward.

ALSO READ: Four reasons Duke still has shot at Cade Cunningham

The Duke basketball staff already has 2020 commitments from five-star small forward Jalen Johnson and five-star point guard Jeremy Roach (still the only two 2020 recruits among the nation’s top 20 yet to be off the board).

Next. Three reasons Duke wins 2020 NCAA Tournament. dark

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

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