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

Four 2021 targets looking like Duke basketball players: Patrick Baldwin Jr.

BUZZ ON THE RECRUITING TRAIL: Two summers ago, Mike Krzyzewski made Hamilton (Wis.) small forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. — not even a sophomore at the time — his all-time youngest offer recipient. The 17-year-old has been hearing from Duke assistant Jon Scheyer since middle school. Per Chicago Tribune columnist Teddy Greenstein, Krzyzewski has told friends that the No. 3 prospect on the 247Sports 2021 Composite is the “perfect recruit.”

Baldwin Jr. recently unveiled 10 finalists: Duke, Georgetown, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Northwestern, UCLA, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Though he hasn’t specified an exact timeline, he has said he won’t trim his list again and plans to announce sometime before the early signing period. In addition to the 247Sports Crystal Ball unanimously seeing the battle as the Blue Devils to lose, Rivals insider Corey Evans chimed in this week with the same vision:

“I see it coming down to Duke and Milwaukee with the Blue Devils winning out over his father’s program.”

ALSO READ: Breaking down the 10 finalists for Patrick Baldwin Jr.

SCOUTING REPORT from BadgersWire analyst Asher Low: “Patrick Baldwin Jr. is the truth…an NBA frame and an NBA jumper to go along with it…looks like he is playing at a completely slower pace than others around him, yet he dominates games without being in a hurry…almost looks as if his shot was created in a lab…consistent mechanics and a quick trigger…an element of smooth in his dribble moves…one of the first NBA comparisons that pops into my mind is Kevin Durant.”

FINAL NOTE: Duke’s other four 2021 targets — i.e., the ones Ball Durham does not foresee as Blue Devils at the moment — are Rolling Meadows (Ill.) shooting guard Max Christie, Paul VI Catholic (Va.) shooting guard Trevor Keels, O’Dea (Wash.) power forward Paolo Banchero, and The Patrick School (N.J.) small forward Jonathan Kuminga (technically, Kuminga is still in the 2021 class, yet he graduated and seems likely to take the G League or overseas route next season).

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