Duke basketball in two-horse races for two 2020 targets

A couple of key Duke basketball recruiting battles are entering their final rounds, and the Blue Devils appear to have only one major obstacle left in each.

The Duke basketball coaches have already reeled in two 2020 pledges: small forward Jalen Johnson and point guard Jeremy Roach. As unique as those five-star gifts are to the program, though, neither fulfills two pressing needs: a sharpshooter and a towering center.

An ideal candidate for the sharpshooter opening is Whitney Young (Ill.) combo guard D.J. Steward, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound four-star who is on the verge of becoming a five-star with his No. 26 ranking on the 247Sports 2020 Composite.

In addition to boasting picture-perfect form from deep — 38-for-97 from downtown across 16 Nike EYBL games this year — Steward is an above-average athlete and do-anything, trustworthy backcourt option in the mold of former Duke basketball guard Daniel Ewing. And per 247Sports recruiting insider Evan Daniels, despite all six Crystal Ball picks currently favoring the Blue Devils, there remains one legit competitor.

"“Steward seems to be a battle between Duke and Louisville,” Daniels wrote on Friday."

Steward’s other six finalists, which he announced on Aug. 1, are North Carolina, Indiana, Depaul, Illinois, Iowa State, and Texas. Since returning from an unofficial visit to Louisville in June, he has not yet scheduled official visits for the fall; regardless, he will still likely commit in time for the early signing period in November.

As for the only five-star big man the Blue Devils are after, Woodward Academy (Ga.) center Walker Kessler, Daniels sees another two-horse race (as does the Crystal Ball: eight picks for Duke, one for Auburn, and one undecided).

"“With Kessler, [Auburn has] picked up a lot of steam,” Daniels opined, “and word on the street is the Tigers and Duke are in a battle.”"

Ranking No. 15 overall with a polished game in the paint and a smooth stroke from beyond the arc, Kessler has drawn comparisons to Duke basketball legend Christian Laettner from Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Kessler took an official visit to Auburn in June and next weekend will make a return trip to Durham — he was in attendance for Duke’s win over St. John’s back in early February. The 7-foot, 235-pounder is on a visit to Michigan this weekend and has scheduled trips to UNC for the weekend of Sept. 20 and to Gonzaga two weekends later. Cal is the only one of six finalists not yet on tap to host the coveted post presence, who also intends to sign in November.

As for the other three 2020 prospects still holding offers from Coach K and Co., Daniels’ thoughts provide promising news for Duke basketball fans.

"“I think they are in tremendous shape with Henry Coleman and Mark Williams,” Daniels asserted about the four-star power forward and center, respectively. “…[Ziaire] Williams is much more open with Stanford, USC, and North Carolina and others involved.”"

Ziaire Williams is a five-star small forward who has a 3-point shot comparable to Steward’s and is the only Duke target who will likely wait until the spring to decide where he’ll play his college ball.

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