A hardnosed 2020 four-star will soon be checking out the Duke basketball program in person.
Every few years, Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski hauls in a qualified garbage man. Finding just the right one — an Amile Jefferson, Lance Thomas, Nate James, Antonio Lang, or Brian Davis — can result in a gold-plated trophy.
Henry Coleman could be the next one.
After unveiling five finalists Sunday — Duke, Virginia Tech, N.C. State, Michigan, and Ohio State — the 6-foot-7, 220-pound power forward provided Stockrisers’ Jake Weingarten with dates for two official visits. Coleman will be at Duke the weekend of Aug. 31 and at Virginia Tech two weekends later.
More from Ball Durham
- Duke basketball: The architect behind digital dominance
- Duke basketball prioritizing frontcourt prospects in 2025
- Duke basketball: Unmasking the hate for the Blue Devils
- Duke basketball: Countdown to Craziness lands another huge visitor
- Duke basketball fills final open scholarship
The Richmond, Va., native (Trinity Episcopal School) also intends to schedule fall visits to the other three schools on his list and then announce before the early signing period (Nov. 13-20).
Coach K certainly has the ideal assistant — James — leading the way to prove Coleman’s Crystal Ball is accurate as is (all six experts to have entered picks see Duke as the landing spot for the No. 39 prospect on the 247Sports Composite).
Like James and all the other dirty-work specialists on successful squads in Durham over the decades, Coleman has deficiencies in ball-handling and shooting but overflows with strength, oomph, finishing ability, and competitive fire.
As a Blue Devil, Coleman (No. 22 in the video below) could become the go-to defender for shutting down star forwards.
The rising senior also appears comfortable in his own skin — i.e., he knows both what he is and what he isn’t.
"“Coach K and I have talked about my role and how I can come there and be a leader and help them win a championship,” Coleman recounted to Weingarten, “and how I can have a role like a Matt Jones or a Justise Winslow.”"
As has been the case for the Duke staff’s 2020 recruiting efforts as of late, help keeps coming from the two commits to date (five-star point guard Jeremy Roach and five-star small forward Jalen Johnson).
"“Jalen Johnson and Jeremy Roach have stayed in touch with me,” Coleman added, “and I have talked to them a lot over the past couple weeks.”"
Others holding 2020 Duke offers are five-star small forward Ziaire Williams, five-star center Walker Kessler, four-star center Mark Williams, and four-star combo guard D.J. Steward.
Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball recruiting updates, analyses, opinions, and predictions.