Duke basketball recruiting move entices dream duo

One Duke basketball offer now effectively welcomes the idea of two top 2021 talents furthering their friendship as Blue Devils.

The Duke basketball coaches must have known they perhaps can’t have one without the other. Yet, for one reason or another, Mike Krzyzewski and his gang allowed five months to pass between their offer to O’Dea (Wash.) power forward Paolo Banchero in July and the one they finally delivered on Tuesday to Briarcrest Christian (Tenn.) point guard Kennedy Chandler.

Krzyzewski and Co. must have seen what Chandler, a 6-foot-1, 165-pound five-star who ranks No. 15 on the 247Sports 2021 Composite, clearly explained to Stock Risers’ Jake Weingarten — and others — back in the fall:

"“Paolo [and I] are trying to play together. I love playing with him. He is a great player to play with. We were teammates at USA [minicamp this summer] and just completely dominated.”"

Surely, the staff in Durham also heard what Banchero, a 6-foot-9, 235-pound five-star who ranks No. 3 among his 2021 peers, told Kentucky Sports Radio — and others — about his thoughts on the potential pairing:

"“[Chandler] is really the only one I’ve ever talked to [about joining forces with].”"

And the Duke recruiters had to have learned of what Chandler disclosed to Devils Den insider Steve Clark after Coach K and his cohorts watched the Memphis native help lead MOKAN Elite to a title at July’s Peach Jam:

"“It’s kinda like a dream for me if they would recruit me. I’ve always loved Duke growing up. It’s a dream school for me. For me, getting a Duke offer would be amazing. I watched them a lot, especially with their point guards, for a long time. They let their point guards do what they do, and it’s a really good team.”"

Though the Blue Devils’ invitation to Chandler arrived later than one might have expected, the reaction from Banchero to his buddy’s tweeted announcement came right on cue:

Also, notice in the above tweet the return eyeballs emoji — which typically appears on social media as an expression of piqued interest concerning some possibility — from Chandler to Banchero. Chances are they are now regularly eyeballing one another’s offer sheets and discussing shared favorites.

Chandler, whose zippiness and headfirst style of play spark memories of Duke basketball alum Chris Duhon, holds dozen of offers and has neither named finalists nor seen his 247Sports Crystal Ball fill with any predictions. He has, however, either taken or scheduled his five allotted junior visits (he traveled to Tennessee, Syracuse, and Ole Miss across the past two months and has February trips on tap to Florida State and Michigan).

Banchero, whose beefy build and versatile arsenal bring to mind former Duke basketball one-and-done Jabari Parker, narrowed his list of suitors in September to Duke, UNC, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgetown, Memphis, Baylor, Gonzaga, and Washington (his parents’ alma mater and owner of all eight Crystal Ball picks). The Seattle product took official visits in the fall to Duke, UNC, Kentucky, and Tennessee — alongside Chandler in Knoxville — and has scheduled a January trip to Gonzaga.

ALSO READ: Promising update on Duke’s pursuit of Paolo Banchero

If the two coveted prospects do in fact intend to choose the same school, then a quick glance at Chandler’s list of offers next to Banchero’s finalists suggests Duke, UNC, Tennessee, and Memphis are presently the four with a legit shot to benefit from what would undoubtedly be a terrifying twosome to opponents.

At the moment, five-star small forward A.J. Griffin represents the lone 2021 recruit to have committed to being a Blue Devil. In addition to Chandler and Banchero, the others holding Duke offers are five-star shooting guard Max Christie, five-star small forward Patrick Baldwin Jr., five-star small forward Jonathan Kuminga, and four-star center Charles Bediako.

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