Duke basketball: Blue Devils receive closest thing to commitment

According to the predictor riding the nation’s longest hot streak, another piece of good Duke basketball recruiting news lies just around the corner.

Ever since becoming the director of basketball recruiting for 247Sports in 2017, Evan Daniels is 8-for-8 when it comes to his Crystal Ball picks favoring the Duke basketball program.

A ninth is now pending. On Saturday, Daniels — who is 22-for-22 for the 2020 class overall and hasn’t missed across his past 66 picks dating back to the 2019 class — officially predicted Trinity Episcopal School (Va.) power forward Henry Coleman to land in Durham.

Granted, all seven insiders who had already logged forecasts also see the Blue Devils snagging the 6-foot-7, 220-pound four-star who ranks No. 39 on the 247Sports 2020 Composite. The difference is that typically when Daniels stamps his name on a projection, an announcement is on the horizon, which lines up with the timeline Coleman provided the expert after returning from his official visit to Duke last weekend:

"“Probably around the October area, early October, maybe late October, depending on how the visits and everything fall in place.”"

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Duke was the first to host Coleman for an official visit. And the only other trip on his calendar is to Virginia Tech next weekend. In other words, his other three finalists — N.C. State, Michigan, and Ohio State — better get busy scheduling dates before the 17-year-old makes up his mind on where he’ll be a year from now, assuming he hasn’t already.

If the muscular prospect — similar in style and shape to former Blue Devils like Nate James and Amile Jefferson — does decide to call Cameron Indoor Stadium home, then Duke basketball worrywarts will be able to relax a bit about a potential 2020-21 roster void of returning scholarship big men.

Attacking, rebounding, hustling, and strong hands constitute the definite package Coleman will deliver to whichever school he chooses. Improved shooting and ball-handling, along with a deeper selection of post moves, should arrive before the end of his college career — which could last up to four years.

The Blue Devils currently boast 2020 commitments from two five-stars — point guard Jeremy Roach and small forward Jalen Johnson — and, in addition to Coleman, remain in hot pursuit of five-star small forward Ziaire Williams, five-star center Walker Kessler, four-star center Mark Williams, and four-star combo guard D.J. Steward.

Daniels has not yet made a pick for Kessler, Steward, or either Williams; that being said, the Crystal Ball does show Duke as the favorite in three of those four races.

ALSO READ: Duke’s options are quickly shrinking for 2020 class

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