Talk of Duke basketball staff shaking up race for 2020 center

No Duke basketball offer is yet on the table for the largest specimen among elite high school seniors, but chatter and circumstances suggest one may be on the way.

Back in July, the Duke basketball coaches were showing some interest in Dematha Catholic (Md.) center Hunter Dickinson. At the time, though, most of their focus centered on five-star 7-footer Walker Kessler.

And with the strong pursuit of Kessler no secret — and with no offer in Dickinson’s hand from Mike Krzyzewski and his staff — it came as no shock in late July when the four-star excluded Duke from his list of seven finalists: UNC, Florida State, Notre Dame, Purdue, Louisville, Michigan, and Providence.

But when one door shuts — Kessler surprised recruiting gurus on Sunday by committing to UNC over heavily favored Duke — another one always opens. Suddenly, yet unsurprisingly, the buzz is reportedly growing in regards to the Blue Devils potentially entering the fray for Dickinson, a 7-foot-2, 255-pounder who ranks No. 34 on the 247Sports 2020 Composite.

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"“It should be noted,” Rivals insider Corey Evans wrote about Dickinson on Wednesday, “there is word that Duke could be showing interest, which might change some things.”"

Evans also explained why the Blue Devils wouldn’t likely be too late for the 18-year-old:

"“He just took an official visit to FSU over the weekend and could potentially take a few others in the coming weeks, but for now, Dickinson is in no rush to make a college decision and will first cut his school list one last time.”"

One would assume Dickinson’s trimmed list won’t include the Tar Heels, who already have a loaded frontcourt in store for next season and are also still in the mix to snag five-star 2020 center Isaiah Todd.

One would also assume Dickinson would find room on his list for the Blue Devils if they were to come after him. After all, the current outlook for available minutes in Durham should be enticing: possibly no returning big men will be on the 2020-21 roster, and four-star Mark Williams is the only 2020 center holding a Duke offer.

The simplest way for Duke basketball fans to get a general feel for the game of Dickinson — who averaged 13.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks across 18 Nike EYBL games this year — is to envision the following image: Brian Zoubek, but with a bit more mobility, a stronger base, and an ability to knock down an open 3-pointer.

At the moment, Dickinson’s Crystal Ball contains only one pick — favoring Notre Dame — which is another sign the battle for his services may still be wide open.

Duke’s current list of 2020 offers with answers still pending only includes Mark Williams, five-star small forward Ziaire Williams, and four-star power forward Henry Coleman.

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Though the Blue Devils’ 2020 class does not yet include a frontcourt player, it does already consist of three five-stars — small forward Jalen Johnson, combo guard D.J. Steward, and point guard Jeremy Roach — and ranks No. 2 in the nation behind Kentucky, per 247Sports.

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