Three Duke basketball targets who may pick G League over Cameron

Duke basketball targets who could land in the G League: Patrick Baldwin Jr.

While Paolo Banchero may have the most ideal frame for the NBA, Hamilton (Wis.) small forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. may have the most ideal overall game. True, the 6-foot-10, 200-pound five-star could still use a few pounds. Yet as the son of a college coach, his hoops aptitude, fundamentals, and shooting stroke are as advanced as they come at his age.

During a chat in late April, Baldwin Jr. hinted at first to Corey Evans of Rivals that the G League is not for him. However, by the end of his statement, the No. 2 overall prospect on the 247Sports 2021 Composite had all but admitted that the thought won’t completely leave his mind anytime soon:

“I haven’t done a lot of research to make an educated statement on that, but I just feel that if people choose to go to the G-League, it is up to them…I am not going to sit here and say that I am against it because I want to see everyone succeed…if that is where people feel they fit best, opposed to going to college, I will support it.”

Baldwin then left the door open:

“Me and my parents, we talked about it…but nothing of huge depth since that decision is a year away…we have talked about it off and on. Nothing really too heated or too deep, but we look at it as just another option and, in the future, we will do more research on it and try to make the best decisions about the G-League or for going to college.”

As for his top pursuers, Mike Krzyzewski has long been one of them, offering Baldwin Jr. a scholarship nearly two years ago now. Duke does lead inside the 247Sports Crystal Ball, but many insiders believe his namesake, Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Pat Baldwin, could prove to be a legit contender.

Outside of the Blue Devils and his father, the 17-year-old’s other eight finalists are Georgetown, Michigan, Virginia, UCLA, Kentucky, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Northwestern. Like Banchero, Baldwin Jr. also plans to announce without making more cuts, but he hasn’t been clear on a timeline for doing so.

To date, the Blue Devils have one 2021 commit: Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) small forward AJ Griffin, a five-star the Duke basketball coaches may have to somehow shield from G League salespeople.

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