Duke basketball: 2020 center makes changes, advantage Blue Devils

A couple of minor alterations to a recruit’s plans present an even sunnier outlook for the Duke basketball staff’s chances.

And then there were three. Not only did the most essential of the remaining 2020 Duke basketball targets trim what was a five-deep list, but his two cuts consisted of the only school other than Duke with a Crystal Ball pick, Stanford, and the one he was supposed to travel to this weekend, Ohio State.

Plus, he moved up the dates of his final official visits, suggesting good news could come the Blue Devils’ way even sooner than expected.

On Wednesday, Stock Risers’ Jake Weingarten reported that IMG Academy (Fla.) center Mark Williams is now only considering Duke, Michigan, and UCLA. Also, the 7-foot-1, 225-pound four-star, who was in Los Angeles for an official visit the last weekend of August, has rescheduled his trips to Ann Arbor and Durham: he will be at Michigan this weekend, three weeks earlier than the initial date, and at Duke Oct. 25-27, a week earlier than before.

Prior to the amended dates, the consensus was Williams — who ranks No. 29 on the 247Sports 2020 Composite due to his long arms, strong finishes, supreme shot-blocking, and elite instincts — would choose a program in early November and sign early (Nov. 13-21). Now, the Virginia native’s announcement could come as soon as the end of October. No matter the date, though, Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski is likely to like what he hears.

"“Obviously, they’re a legendary program with Coach K,” Williams said to Weingarten. “They’ve been recruiting me hard, and they want to create a really special 2020 class. I feel like they do a good job of adjusting for their bigs to do what they do well from year to year.”"

Adding up all the signs, one would be hard-pressed to find anyone who truly believes Williams, who is the younger brother of Duke women’s basketball great Elizabeth Williams,will end up anywhere other than Duke — a.k.a, the college choice of his best friend, four-star power forward Henry Coleman, and his current teammate/roommate, five-star small forward Jalen Johnson.

ALSO READ: Henry Coleman commits to Duke, buddy likely to follow

With the expectation that no scholarship post players will return to Durham following the upcoming season and no centers yet on Duke’s list of 2020 commits, the Blue Devils certainly have a pressing need for Williams — i.e., plenty of minutes in the paint and a starting gig will be up for grabs next fall.

In addition to Coleman and Johnson, the Blue Devils hold 2020 commitments from two five-star guards: Jeremy Roach at the point and D.J. Steward at the two-spot. And in addition to Williams, Duke basketball offers are still on the table to five-star small forward Ziaire Williams and four-star center Hunter Dickinson.

ALSO READ: Why Coach K may be slowing down recruiting

UPDATE: Soon after Weingarten tweeted the news about Williams, Coleman retweeted it with the following message: “I need him at DUKE!!!!!”

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