Duke basketball recruiters evidently have eye for 2020 talent

One major recruiting site’s updated rankings suggest the Duke basketball coaches have been making wise choices in regards to the 2020 prospects they pursue.

Unlike 247Sports’ composite ranking for each class, the Top247 only reflects the opinions of its own experts. And these hoopster-rankers see in the current 2020 Duke basketball targets exactly what Mike Krzyzewski and his assistants must have noticed before extending each an offer: talent trending upwards relative to peers.

When IMG Academy (Fla.) center Mark Williams picked up an invite to become a Blue Devil back on April 29, the four-star ranked No. 54 overall on the Top247. At No. 28 as of Wednesday’s changes — in light of gurus taking note of his ever-growing offensive skill set — the 7-foot-1, 225-pound native of Norfolk, Va., is now the highest-ranked four-star. (Williams has set an official visit to Duke for the weekend of Nov. 1).

ALSO READ: Duke target Mark Williams deserves a fifth star

Woodward Academy (Ga.) five-star center Walker Kessler is another key target for a class needing to replace an expected mass departure of big men from Durham following next season.

Though the 7-foot, 235-pounder’s No. 12 ranking is only one spot higher than when Duke extended an offer in December, he’s risen 19 spots since the first rankings for the 2020 class back in 2017. Kessler, who will take an official visit to Durham the weekend of Sept. 7, improved and then maintained his ranking due to an arsenal extending to the perimeter — not to mention his soft touch and supreme footwork drawing comparisons from Coach K to legendary Blue Devil Christian Laettner.

ALSO READ: Five signs Walker Kessler commits to Duke

Sticking with paint-dwellers, although Trinity Episcopal School (Va.) power forward Henry Coleman is now three notches lower than his No. 33 ranking in July when Coach K and Co. delivered an offer, the four-star was outside the top 60 as recently as May.

The 6-foot-7, 220-pound brute, who will visit Duke’s campus the weekend after next, has ascended the rankings this summer due in large part to wowing experts and suitors alike with floor-burn tenacity on both ends — not to mention his ever-expanding chiseled frame.

ALSO READ: One question mark fogs two of Duke’s 2020 races

Moving to the perimeter, Whitney Young (Ill.) combo guard D.J. Steward, who has not yet scheduled official visits for the fall, has moved up 16 spaces since the 2020 ranking’s inception and now sits at No. 25. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Chicagoan was at No. 31 before showing off his scoring prowess and slick passing at Peach Jam in July, which quickly led to a Duke basketball offer. He just landed a fifth star in the eyes of 247Sports.

ALSO READ: Prospect pits Blue Devils against Tar Heels

The latest 2020 prospect to reel in an offer from the Blue Devils, five-star small forward Ziaire Williams, has climbed one rung to No. 5 on the Top247 since Duke snuck up on longtime-favorite North Carolina by officially entering the battle the last week of July. The 6-foot-8, 190-pound sharpshooter with bounce, who at one time ranked as low as No. 49, has not yet scheduled official visits.

ALSO READ: Coach K seeks another trio of dynamite forwards

At the moment, the 247Sports Crystal Ball sees the Duke basketball staff hauling in four of the five 2020 recruits above: Mark Williams, Kessler, Coleman, and Steward.

The two 2020 Duke basketball pledges to date, five-star point guard Jeremy Roach and five-star small forward Jalen Johnson, have continued to hover within a few spots of their current rankings: No. 18 and No. 7, respectively.

ALSO READ: The critical recovery of Duke pledge Jeremy Roach

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