Duke basketball: Top five reasons for Coach K’s sudden recruiting slump
By Matt Giles
Explanations for Duke basketball recruiting drought: EARLY 2020 SIGNEES
2. EARLY 2020 SIGNEES
This slide supports the notion from glass-half-full fans that Duke’s recruiting drought is far from a cause for concern. Rather, they might see it simply as a sign of a job well done early on by Mike Krzyzewski and his assistants on the 2020 recruiting trail.
Plus, they would probably point out that on top of wrapping up a six-deep 2020 class in time for the early signing period back in November, leaving little need for a commitment across the past eight months, the Blue Devils managed to haul in grad transfer big man Patrick Tape back in April (though the fact that he committed, decommitted, and then recommitted, all in the span of two weeks, was a bit perplexing).
Duke basketball faithful would also note that Coach K’s 2020 class signals his seventh consecutive haul finishing inside the top three on the 247Sports Team Rankings — not too shabby for an old man. However, critics could counter with the argument that only having a pledge from AJ Griffin no longer has the Blue Devils among the top 15 for 2021; plus, they would bring up the following claim that the makeup of the 2020 load is contributing to the slump…