Duke basketball commit Jalen Johnson entices 2020 SF Ziaire Williams

Apparently, Duke basketball commit Jalen Johnson welcomes the idea of joining forces during the 2020-21 season with an elite prospect at his same position.

First, let’s get one thing straight: Duke basketball fans shouldn’t read too much into Saturday’s pic on social media announcing the seven finalists for Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 2020 phenom Ziaire Williams.

True, the 6-foot-8, 190-pound small forward is wearing a No. 23 North Carolina jersey while donning No. 1 jerseys for the other six who made his cut: Duke, UCLA, Arizona, Stanford, Southern Cal, and Oregon.

Doesn’t matter. Here’s why:

1. The pic of Williams wearing light-blue toilet paper is from his official visit to UNC back in March — an outdated tactic Roy Williams and his staff use on all five-star visitors.
2. As of last season, thanks to Zion Williamson, the No. 1 Blue Devil jersey means more to teenagers than the jersey of the former Tar Heel who was leading the Washington Wizards to more losses than wins when they were toddlers.

ALSO READ: Zion Williamson sells himself short to Michael Jordan

What Dukies should pay attention to are the words Jalen Johnson attached to Williams’ announcement via Instagram:

"“Y’all can’t convince me any other jersey look more fire than that Duke jawn on bro…let’s make history brotha!!”"

Williams, who ranks No. 7 on the 247Sports Composite, responded back with two sets of eyeball emojis — suggesting a double dose of excitement from Johnson’s proposal.

Ever since his July 4 commitment, Johnson, a fellow small forward who ranks No. 4, has teamed with Duke’s other 2020 pledge — five-star point guard Jeremy Roach, who ranks No. 18 — to pitch the idea of forming a superteam to all Blue Devil targets. But the fact Johnson is reaching out to a guy who could potentially compete with him for minutes in Durham points to his unselfishness.

That being said, Johnson is a strong, pass-first combo forward while Williams is a slim, slick sharpshooter from the wing — similar style to former Blue Devil stars Rodney Hood and Brandon Ingram.

The fact Williams included Duke among his finalists — despite Mike Krzyzewski and his assistants only entering the race with an offer three weeks ago, about nine months after UNC’s offer — is a sign he’s highly intrigued by the thought of joining #TheBrotherhood.

Plus, a few recruiting insiders are starting to see a future with Williams in Durham. The Crystal Ball still shows UNC and Stanford tied for the lead, but Duke is now the only other school registering any expert picks.

Furthermore, Rivals expert Corey Evans recently broke down the chase for Williams in a way that has Tar Heels sweating and Blue Devils salivating:

"“The Blue Devils need a shot-making guard or wing, which is why they just offered Ziaire Williams,” Evans explained. “Williams…was favored heavily by North Carolina and Stanford throughout recent months, but if Duke continues to prioritize, my guess is that he could end up in Durham.”"

Williams will soon start scheduling official visits for the fall. He has not provided a definitive timetable for making his final decision.

But even if Williams is ultimately planning to choose UNC — or one of his other finalists — Duke basketball fans should find sufficient joy at the moment from the Blue Devils suddenly becoming a serious contender for a recruit the Tar Heels have long been banking on to headline their class.

Ol’ Roy didn’t see Coach K coming for this one.

The other 2020 Duke basketball targets Johnson is helping his future coach reel in are five-star center Walker Kessler, four-star center Mark Williams, four-star combo guard D.J. Steward, and four-star power forward Henry Coleman.

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