Duke basketball target: ‘Good chance’ package deal happens

A coveted duo may still be in the cards for the Duke basketball recruiters.

The subject has rarely come up in recent interviews. But in an SI blog on Thursday by O’Dea (Wash.) five-star Paolo Banchero, the 6-foot-9, 235-pound power forward on the 2021 Duke basketball wishlist made sure to update readers on the idea of joining forces in college with Sunrise Christian (Kan.) five-star point guard Kennedy Chandler:

“[We] have had talks about maybe teaming up in college. That’s my boy…it all depends on how we’re feeling in the end. We want the best for each other, so maybe that can be together. If it’s not, we’re gonna do what’s best for us individually. There’s a good chance that it could happen, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

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For those just now tuning in, Banchero and Chandler formed a tight bond last summer at a USA Basketball camp and then began mentioning the possibility of picking the same destination. As for which school could be the lucky recipient of such a powerful package deal, three are finalists for both prospects: Duke, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Banchero, a Seattle native, has three more suitors on his individual list: Arizona, Gonzaga, and Washington (the Crystal Ball leader and both his parents’ alma mater). As SI recruiting insider Jason Jordan suggested, despite his No. 4 overall ranking on the 247Sports 2021 Composite, the burly athlete’s weapons might be underrated:

“Paolo Banchero is an SI All-American with one of the most versatile skill sets of any player in the country…He’s already led O’Dea (Seattle) to a state title, won MVP of the NBPA Top 100 Camp last summer, and won Underclassmen of the Year in the Nike EYBL. This past season, he was equally dominant…”

Chandler, a Memphis native who sits No. 11 overall in the class, is also still considering Memphis and North Carolina. Yet he has made clear that Duke was his dream school as a kid (the Crystal Ball also favors the Blue Devils). In February, Rivals analysts Corey Evans and Eric Bossi placed the 17-year-old No. 37 on their “Top 100 High School Basketball Players” — Banchero came in at No. 7 — and included the following snippet:

“The top point guard in the junior class, he’s not the biggest at his position, but he’s got a way of winning. Gets to the rim, finishes, and is a tough on-ball defender. Led his MoKan team to a Peach Jam title as a rising junior.”

In terms of decision timelines, Chandler has hinted at signing in the fall. Banchero, however, expressed much more patience in his blog:

“I think with the pandemic slowing up my recruitment I’m more so thinking that I’ll probably wait longer than I probably would have…just so many things that I don’t know. I’m guessing that there will be a college basketball season, but who really knows. I want to take extra time to think about it…I’d rather be safe than sorry, but I understand why some players might want to go ahead and end it and commit early.”

The other rising seniors still on the Duke basketball radar

Four more 2021 talents hold offers from Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski and are also five-stars: Rolling Meadows (Ill.) shooting guard Max Christie, Paul VI Catholic (Va.) shooting guard Trevor Keels, Hamilton (Wis.) small forward Patrick Baldwin Jr., and IMG Academy (Fla.) center Charles Bediako.

ALSO READ: Four 2021 recruits who look like future Blue Devils

Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) small forward AJ Griffin remains Duke’s lone commit from the class.

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