Five-star eyes Duke basketball visit after attending UNC’s debacle

On the heels of being on hand as the Tar Heels unraveled at the hands of the Blue Devils, a coveted high school sophomore on the Duke basketball radar is planning to check out a few other ACC programs.

In his SI blog on Monday, Cannon School (Concord, N.C.) point guard Jaden Bradley, who ranks No. 8 overall on the 247Sports 2022 Composite, reflected on what he witnessed firsthand on Saturday in Chapel Hill between the Duke basketball visitors and their floundering rivals.

“I’m just coming off of a visit to North Carolina; I went there for the game against Duke and man,” the 6-foot-3, 170-pound five-star noted, “that was a crazy game! The atmosphere was even better than I expected it to be. Carolina was up big…The fans were going crazy, and the players were hype! But when [Duke freshman Wendell Moore] hit that buzzer-beater, it was quiet like there was no one in the gym.

“After the game, I did get a chance to meet with [UNC head coach Roy Williams]. I thought it would be awkward because of the loss, but he was OK.”

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Bradley, whose roadrunner legs and eye-popping finishes bring to mind former Duke basketball one-and-done Kyrie Irving, wrote in his blog that he intends to soon take three more unofficial visits: to Duke, Florida St., and Louisville. He did not provide dates, nor did he specify whether the trips will coincide with games.

One could assume, though, if Bradley has his way, he’ll be at Duke-UNC Round Two in Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 7. Of course, seeing that the 16-year-old apparently has no choice right now but to learn the saxophone — “My parents force me to play, but I might as well enjoy it, so I’m getting into it” — chances are higher powers will ultimately be in charge of all the details.

According to 247Sports, Bradley holds nine offers, with Auburn, FSU, Florida, and Tennessee standing out as the biggest names. His Crystal Ball does not yet contain any predictions.

Though Bradley, who visited Kentucky in October, has yet to land any blueblood scholarship invites, coaches from powerhouses have traveled to see him. Duke assistants did so in December.

Bear in mind, too, Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski has yet to hand out a 2022 offer.

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