Duke basketball: Four 2021 recruits who look like future Blue Devils

Four rising seniors stand out as the most probable Duke basketball signees.

In all, Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski has handed out eight offers to the 2021 class. All eight are to five-star prospects. And the 73-year-old Hall of Famer has stood pat on the number since December, suggesting he and his top-tier recruiting team are confident they’ll land their fair share of the eight.

If half the targets ink letters of intent with Duke during November’s early signing period, then obviously the program would be in an ideal position, no matter how many current Blue Devils depart next spring. Krzyzewski could then wait to see what happens, knowing that even if he had to settle for three-stars or grad transfers to fill a few holes, the five-star quartet would ensure the total incoming talent is immense.

So how many of the 11 primary players on the 2020-21 roster figure to bounce? Well, Jordan Goldwire and Patrick Tape will graduate. Between sophomores Wendell Moore and Matthew Hurt, at least one is likely to turn pro. Jalen Johnson feels like a certain one-and-done. Of the other five freshmen, 1.5 is a fitting over-under for how many will bolt. Altogether, let’s say five return for the 2021-22 campaign, meaning five to seven replacements will be the need.

Now, after absorbing the current buzz on the 2021 recruiting trail, it’s time to predict which four names will put Coach K & Co. in supreme standing via fall signatures. We begin with the one who has verbally committed to Duke…