Duke basketball: 7-footer announces decision date, looks like Blue Devil

With the final date to a high-rise prospect’s recruiting schedule now set, prognosticators continue to see a future Duke basketball player.

The Duke basketball architects’ plans are in place for a new Durham skyscraper. Mike Krzyzewski and his assistants are just waiting on the go-ahead from the 7-foot-1, 225-pound subject himself.

By way of a Tuesday evening tweet, IMG Academy (Fla.) senior center Mark Williams provided the date for when he’ll announce his decision: Nov. 1 (no word yet of the time or method). Between now and then, all that’s left on the Norfolk, Va., native’s calendar is an official visit to Duke the weekend of Oct. 25.

Williams, a four-star who has skyrocketed 69 spots over the past 16 months to No. 29 on the 247Sports 2020 Composite, will pick between Duke and two other finalists: UCLA, where he visited in late August, and Michigan, where he visited last weekend.

Whichever program lands Williams will receive an adequately athletic specimen with high energy, a penchant for blocks, and an expanding offering on offense — highlighted by his instincts for putbacks, his ability to finish fastbreaks, and his soft mid-range jumper. The 17-year-old greatly improved his stock over the summer by averaging 14.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks across 20 Nike EYBL games.

In Duke terms, the ceiling for Williams is probably an elongated version of Amile Jefferson; as for his floor, the name Casey Sanders comes to mind.

Eight of the nine Crystal Ball picks are in agreement that Williams will become a Blue Devil (the outlier prediction is seven months old and for a program no longer in contention, Stanford). Here’s a list, in no particular order, of some top reasons for the experts’ high level of confidence:

• As the younger brother of former Duke women’s basketball number-retiree Elizabeth Williams, Mark is familiar with the school.
• Williams is the best friend of Trinity Episcopal School (Va.) power forward Henry Coleman, a fellow 2020 four-star who announced his commitment to Duke on Sept. 27 and has not been shy about his desire for his buddy to make the same choice.
• At IMG Academy, Williams is currently teammate and roommate to five-star 2020 small forward Jalen Johnson, who pledged allegiance to #TheBrotherhood on July 4 and has been spearheading the Blue Devils’ peer-to-peer recruiting efforts ever since.
• Williams fits the profile of a Duke student-athlete — i.e., he’s well-spoken with a studious reputation.
• Krzyzewski and his team have made Williams a priority ever since extending an offer in late April.
• Plenty of playing time in Durham appears up for grabs in light of no other center yet to join the 2020 class paired with the expectation that no returning big men will be on the 2020-21 Duke basketball roster.

A potential roadblock, though, is Duke’s late pursuit of fellow four-star 2020 center Hunter Dickinson, who will take his official visit the weekend of Oct. 17 and could commit as soon as his departure date. That being said, with double-digit minutes likely available for two 7-foot freshmen — and the staff being upfront about wanting both — one can assume such a scenario would not deter Williams.

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Outside of Williams and Dickinson, the Blue Devils are not currently after any other undecided 2020 talent. So it seems the coaches are hoping both high-rises complete a class already containing five commits: Johnson, Coleman, five-star point guard Jeremy Roach, five-star combo guard D.J. Steward, and four-star power forward Jaemyn Brakefield.

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