Duke basketball: Pivotal announcement awaits Blue Devils

A week that began with a piece of unsettling Duke basketball recruiting news should end with an addition to the program — if not, though, heightened concern would surely ensue.

The fact that Trinity Episcopal School (Va.) four-star Henry Coleman falls one star short of each of the three current 2020 Duke basketball commits — point guard Jeremy Roach, combo guard D.J. Steward, and small forward Jalen Johnson — doesn’t mean his commitment would be any less valuable.

Actually, one could argue the opposite would be true in regards to the 6-foot-7, 220-pound power forward who ranks No. 40 on the 247Sports 2020 Composite and is set to announce his college choice on Friday at 3:30 p.m. EST from his high school — no word yet of a live-stream.

One, Coleman has a blue-collar mentality, a strong pair of mitts, an adequate overall skill set, and a sturdy build — all sparking memories of the title-winning playing days of the Duke basketball assistant responsible for leading his recruitment, Nate James. In other words, he has the potential and what seems to be an extreme willingness to fill in wherever necessary inside the arc.

Two, in the wake of five-star center Walker Kessler making Duke’s countless hours of pursuit all for naught by taking UNC’s bait on Sunday — and taking into account the possible absence of big men returning to Durham next year — Coleman’s commitment is nothing shy of absolutely imperative. When he unveils his decision, the Blue Devils will either take one step toward the panic button or snuggle up inside their newfound security blanket.

Remember, if Duke does hear a second rejection this week from a post target, they’ll have just one left: four-star center Mark Williams, who scheduled an official visit to Durham for the weekend of Nov. 1 and will likely announce soon thereafter. Also, even though Mike Krzyzewski and his assistants have sparingly scouted a few other big men — no offers yet — consider that roughly half of the 2020 power forwards and centers ranking inside the top 100 have already committed elsewhere.

Worry aside, though, the Crystal Ball shows no doubt that Coleman will become the Blue Devils’ fourth 2020 commit — 12 picks are in, including one from Evan Daniels, who is 32-for-32 this cycle. If the predictions prove correct, then Duke would likely surpass Kentucky for the nation’s No. 1 class to date.

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Coach K and Co.’s only legit threat in landing Coleman appears to come from his dad’s alma mater, Virginia Tech, though he has not yet cut his three other finalists: N.C. State, Ohio State, and Michigan. Tellingly, the 17-year-old’s only official visits were to Duke the weekend of Aug. 30 and to Virginia Tech two weekends later.

But based on the Blue Devils being in a position to offer so much potential playing time down low and Coleman’s perceived appreciation of such a unique opportunity, his rejection would be even more shocking — and devastating — than the one from Kessler.

Outside of Coleman and Williams, the only other uncommitted 2020 talent with a Duke basketball offer at the moment is five-star small forward Ziaire Williams.

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