Duke basketball: Physical five-star forward grabs Blue Devil attention

Apparently, the Duke basketball recruiters are eyeing a top paint prospect.

A tweet on Tuesday from recruiting insider Andrew Slater claims the Duke basketball staff has contacted Windward School (Calif.) power forward Kijani Wright. With broad shoulders complementing his impressive motor around the basket, the 6-foot-8, 220-pound five-star would be a prize for the Blue Devils should Mike Krzyzewski ever enter the race and then manage to come out on top.

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Since Monday, when college coaches could begin contacting rising juniors, Wright has also heard from Arizona St., Arizona, Penn, Michigan State, Kansas, BYU, Southern Cal, Auburn, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Loyola Marymount, Gonzaga, Cal, UCLA, Oregon State, and Holy Cross.

The No. 10 overall recruit on the 247Sports 2022 Composite boasts roughly 10 offers, with Pitt being the only official ACC suitor to date. To go along with his chiseled frame and notable intensity, Wright appears in the video below to display a confident set of post moves, a top-notch feel for positioning down low, a refined half-hook with his right hand, and a soft jumper that extends beyond the arc.

In February, Rivals analysts Corey Evans and Eric Bossi ranked Wright No. 65 among all current high school prospects while pointing out the following comparison:

“He looks like a young Julius Randle and plays with just as much toughness and physicality. One of the West Coast’s premier big men recruits.”

Might the Duke basketball coaches see Kijani Wright as a reclass candidate?

As is the case for almost every other heralded hoopster in his class, the 247Sports Crystal Ball for Wright remains void of picks, making it difficult to get a feel for any leaders in his recruitment. But his age — turned 17 in January — and the fact Rivals recently noted his “tremendous grades in the classroom” appear to suggest his pursuers should be on the lookout for a reclass to 2021 at some point down the road.

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No Duke offers are currently on the table to 2022 recruits. Yet the first could conceivably come at any time now.

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball recruiting news and views.