Duke basketball: Five-star 2021 SG fits Blue Devil mold

Commonalities with coaches, a sharp mind befitting a Blue Devil, and early expert predictions all point to one of the top 2021 sharpshooters one day donning a Duke basketball jersey.

Three weeks ago, Max Christie received a Duke basketball offer. Three weeks later, among the Blue Devils’ 2021 targets, the 6-foot-6, 175-pound five-star appears the closest to a sure-thing future Duke pledge.

First and foremost, Christie hails from the Chicago area, the birthplace of Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and a breeding ground for Blue Devils over the years. Chicagoans Jahlil Okafor and Jabari Parker are the high-profile examples of late, but associate head coach Jon Scheyer serves as the most important example when speaking of Christie’s recruitment.

Scheyer holds the task of leading the pursuit of Christie; fortunately for Duke, the 2010 national champion once boasted a similar game to Christie’s — likely furthering what should be a close connection between the recruiter and the recruit half his age.

Like Scheyer, Christie offers a sweet stroke from deep, a set of handles reliable enough for him to fill in at point guard, and the height to match up against forwards when necessary. But Christie, who ranks No. 12 on the 247Sports 2021 Composite and currently holds 16 offers, boasts a touch more length and athleticism than Scheyer.

While Scheyer surely has a deeper knowledge of the game due to age, Christie seems on pace to become a similar hoops guru. The kid just looks like he’s always thinking one step ahead of the competition.

The 247Sports Crystal Ball makes it look as if Duke is essentially a lock to grab a commitment from Christie (all five experts to have entered picks see him bringing his game to Durham for the 2021-22 season). That being said, a top threat happens to come from another former shooting guard for the Blue Devils who also hails from a Chicago suburb: Chris Collins, the head coach of Northwestern, a program roughly 700 miles closer than Duke to Christie’s home.

Keep in mind, though, the rising junior’s recruitment is likely only in its infancy.

The other four 2021 prospects with Duke basketball offers — all five-star forwards — are Jonathan Kuminga, Patrick Baldwin Jr., Paolo Banchero, and A.J. Griffin.

ALSO READ: Coach K seeks another dynamite trio of forwards 

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