Duke basketball ‘super team’ talks drive next two recruiting classes

Based on what recruits are saying, the quality levels of the 2020 and 2021 Duke basketball classes depend more on early commits’ likability than the program’s popularity.

The modern Duke basketball recruit seems less concerned with the name on the front of the jersey than the names on the backs of his teammates’ jerseys.

The modern teenager with one-and-done dreams notices that the formations of NBA “super teams” often translate into championships. He watches championships lead to increased endorsement deals for those involved. He deduces his most surefire way to become a lottery pick is to be a part of a championship squad for his brief college stay.

USA Today’s Jason Jordan asked two elite Duke targets this week about how title-driven choices from NBA free agents this summer have affected their mindset when choosing a school.

"“I was shocked at all the moves,” Whitney Young High School (Chicago) combo guard D.J. Steward said. “All those stars on one team? Man! That got me thinking. We all want to win; why not better our chances and do it together.”"

As has become routine for Steward in the three weeks since picking up a Blue Devil offer, the 6-foot-3, 165-pound 2020 four-star alluded to the abundance of texts from his primary suitors: five-star small forward Jalen Johnson and five-star point guard Jeremy Roach, currently Duke’s only 2020 commits, who both continue going after those 2020 studs holding Blue Devil offers.

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"“They stay in my ear,” said Steward, who ranks No. 27 on the 247Sports Composite due to his polished set of perimeter skills. “It’s something to think about.”"

And another recent recipient of a Duke offer delved deeper into the benefits of joining forces with peers of similar talent levels.

"“When you play with other elite players it’s just different,” O’Dea High School (Seattle) power forward Paolo Banchero told Jordan. “You just understand the game on a different level with them and it makes everything easier.”"

Banchero, a 6-foot-9, 235-pound gifted bruiser who ranks No. 4 in the 2021 class, explained further:

"“You’re all going through the same stuff and you’re all at the same level. They can relate to how hard recruitment is and everything like that. Then you get on the court and they’re as talented as you are and because of that, you’re winning. We all love to win.”"

Like it or not, at least until the one-and-done era ends — likely in 2022 — Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff are sure to continue chasing after the cream of the crop with the understanding such talents will only reside in Durham for one season.

Fortunately for the staff, the ever-rising popularity of one-and-done package deals — initiated for Duke by 2014 five-stars Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor — simplifies the recruiting plan:

1. Secure one or two five-stars who are chummy with other stars.
2. Let them take care of the rest.

Voila.

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