In the end, the combined size and talent-level of Duke basketball’s 2020 class may depend on what happens behind closed doors by this weekend’s end.
The time is now. Today is the day. Pick any cliché concerning immediacy; it applies to the Duke basketball staff’s pursuit of Woodward Academy (Ga.) center Walker Kessler.
Before his visit concludes on Sunday — Duke is the only school he will have officially checked out twice with the same coach in place for both — if Mike Krzyzewski and his assistants have not received a wink-wink commitment from the Kessler camp, then they will leave the door wide open for the other five finalists: Michigan, Auburn, North Carolina, Gonzaga, and Cal.
Kessler, a 7-foot, 235-pound five-star who ranks No. 14 on the 247Sports 2020 Composite, still has a scheduled trip to UNC for Sept. 20 and one to Gonzaga two weekends later, leading up to his expected announcement sometime before the November signing period (he took an official visit to Auburn in June and to Michigan last weekend; he has no plans to visit Cal).
Despite the Blue Devils currently holding 80 percent of the Crystal Ball picks for Kessler, Rivals’ Dan McDonald suggested in an article on Friday that the Wolverines, Tigers, and Tar Heels each have reason to hold out hope:
"This weekend will be Coach K’s big opportunity to seal the deal…By all accounts, the visit to Michigan went really well. Juwan Howard and his staff really impressed the Kessler family…Auburn had some momentum with Kessler as well after a great June visit, along with receiving a commitment from his good friend Justin Powell, so the Tigers remain in a good spot…Keep an eye on North Carolina in this one…he’s built a really strong relationship with Roy Williams. The coaching staff has him sold on how he can fit alongside Day’Ron Sharpe, and Kessler has mentioned in the past being intrigued by how Luke Maye played in Chapel Hill. This could end up being a classic Tobacco Road recruiting battle down the stretch."
ALSO READ: Five signs Walker Kessler commits to Duke
Considering Kessler’s advanced footwork in the paint, his soft touch extending beyond 20 feet, his keen eye for open teammates, and his knack for consistently making the right play — his ceiling is to become a cross between all-time NBA great Dirk Nowitzki and Duke basketball legend Christian Laettner — Coach K can ill afford to let Ol’ Roy win this fight.
Ultimately, though, McDonald anticipates too many factors working in the Blue Devils’ favor for Kessler to end up anywhere but Durham:
"For right now, I’m sticking with my Duke pick. The Blue Devils have been consistent with him, have the academic situation he likes, a great point guard committed and they aren’t too far from home. The recent surge in Duke players being picked high in the NBA Draft is appealing to him as well."
The five-star floor general McDonald referenced is Jeremy Roach; he and five-star small forward Jalen Johnson give the Duke coaches a two-deep 2020 class at the moment (six total signees by spring would be ideal). In addition to Kessler, remaining at the center of the staff’s radar are four-star combo guard D.J. Steward, four-star power forward Henry Coleman, four-star center Mark Williams, and five-star small forward Ziaire Williams.
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