If a report this week had legs, then would the Duke basketball allure be enough to keep a high school senior from choosing the same college as his girlfriend?
It doesn’t take an insider to know not to believe all the rumors that circulate concerning recruits. Twice this week alone, Duke basketball targets have — in one way or another — refuted the type of chatter that typically originates down the dark alleys of team-centric message boards.
First, after Kentucky fans all across social media had already drunk the punch convincing themselves that Paolo Banchero was a “silent commit” who would reclass to join the Wildcats next year, the five-star 2021 forward took to Twitter on Wednesday night to silence the concocted nonsense.
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Now, a different fanbase has allowed some apparently false intel to get inside its feelings regarding DeMatha Catholic (Md.) center Hunter Dickinson, a 7-foot-2, 260-pound four-star who ranks No. 34 on the 247Sports 2020 Composite and whose finalists are Duke, Notre Dame, Florida State, and Michigan.
On Thursday, The Wolverine’s Chris Balas reported that “Michigan head coach Juwan Howard is likely to get some more face time with big man Hunter Dickinson, who is planning to be in Ann Arbor with his girlfriend.”
Considering that Dickinson — who was on an official visit to Duke last weekend alongside Banchero — already checked out Michigan earlier this school year and intends to announce his college choice within the next couple of weeks, one can understand the excitement the above news would create among the program’s supporters.
But the news is apparently false. After a Twitter account that focuses on Notre Dame recruiting repeated the claim that the 18-year-old would be traveling to Michigan for an unofficial visit this weekend “with his girlfriend, who reportedly has been offered a track scholarship,” Dickinson himself retweeted the following reply: “Well that’s not true.”
Then late Friday night, the girlfriend, Maryland’s 2018 Gatorade Statewide Player of the Year, Ziyah Holman, replied to the same tweet: “I have a name” followed by back-to-back crying emojis. Come to find out, she too has a list of finalists for her All-American talents — she’s an under-20 world-record holder in the 4×400. And her six-team list includes two programs from the list of Dickinson: you guessed it, Duke and Michigan.
So what’s the takeaway? Well, when Duke is in the process of executing one of its now-notorious late swoops to snatch an elite prospect — Mike Krzyzewski did not offer Dickinson until after fellow 2020 center Walker Kessler unexpectedly committed to UNC in late September — it’s not unusual for opposing fans and writers to feel threatened and thereby grasp for any and all nuggets of hope.
That being said, it’s certainly far from a lock that Dickinson will ultimately bless Cameron Indoor Stadium with his massive frame, old-school post moves, and smooth outside shot — essentially a 2.0 version of former Duke basketball big man Brian Zoubek. As a matter of fact, the Crystal Ball favors Michigan (mind you, only two picks are in).
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Krzyzewski would surely love to hear good news from both Dickinson and fellow four-star center Mark Williams, who is currently in Durham on an official visit and has set an announcement date for Nov. 1. If the Duke staff is so lucky, then its 2020 recruiting efforts would likely be all but complete.
Such a feat, though, is easier said than done. While the Crystal Ball shows the Blue Devils hauling in Williams, who ranks No. 29, seemingly no expert believes Coach K and Co. will land both coveted centers. However, taking into account the sheer power of the Duke basketball recruiting machine, it’s wise to never say never.
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With no one disputing Dickinson’s girlfriend may very well end up at Michigan, though, here’s the question: Would it be possible for the thought of joining #TheBrotherhood to be more attractive than following a girl to college? That answer depends on who you ask.
The five 2020 Duke basketball commits to date are five-star small forward Jalen Johnson, five-star point guard Jeremy Roach, five-star combo guard D.J. Steward, four-star power forward Henry Coleman, and four-star power forward Jaemyn Brakefield. Currently, the class ranks as the nation’s best, per 247Sports. Dickinson and Williams are the only 2020 recruits to have not yet given an answer to their Duke offers.
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Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball recruiting updates, analyses, opinions, and predictions.