Duke basketball freshman helping to woo five-star Paolo Banchero

One incoming Blue Devil is now pitching in with Duke basketball recruiting.

Each new mixtape of O’Dea (Wash.) rising senior Paolo Banchero makes it more apparent that the 6-foot-9, 235-pound power forward is underrated at No. 4 on the 247Sports 2021 Composite. Of course, the same could be said for soon-to-be Duke basketball rookie Jalen Johnson, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound small forward who has inexplicably fallen the past year from No. 4 to No. 12 in the 2020 class.

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In fact, starting with their smooth footwork, creative passing, elite-level explosion, and overall formidable presences, there’s a myriad of similarities in the games of Johnson and Banchero. And according to their tweets on Friday night, each five-star sees a “No. 1” in the other’s future.

Surely to the liking of the recruiters in Durham, Johnson initiated the exchange with this flattering retweet of Banchero’s latest workout video:

Minutes later, Banchero responded with a compliment of his own for Johnson, in a manner that one might view as a positive sign for the Blue Devils:

Banchero, who has drawn comparisons to former Blue Devil great Carlos Boozer, named Duke a finalist in April along with Arizona, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Washington. Though the 17-year-old may still be many months away from a decision, Rivals insider Corey Evans opined this week that Kentucky and Duke are clear frontrunners (despite the fact that the Seattle native’s parents both played at Washington).

Still in play is a package deal consisting of Banchero and his buddy, Sunrise Christian (Kan.) five-star Kennedy Chandler. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound electric point guard, who boasts a No. 11 composite ranking, has called Duke his dream school but also has Kentucky and Tennessee among his top five (Memphis and North Carolina are the two on his list that he doesn’t share in common with his potential college teammate).

In other words, someone should tell Johnson to toss some praise Chandler’s way as well.

Is the Duke basketball staff due for another commitment?

Mike Krzyzewski and his gang got off to a quick start with their 2021 efforts, snagging a November pledge from Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) small forward AJ Griffin. Yet even though the 6-foot-7, 200-pound five-star remains the nation’s highest-ranked prospect off the board at No. 7, Duke could use another addition right about now to reaffirm its recruiting dominance (seven straight cycles with a top three haul).

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Others from the class who hold offers from Coach K are also five-stars: Paul VI Catholic (Va.) shooting guard Trevor Keels, Hamilton (Wis.) small forward Patrick Baldwin Jr., and IMG Academy (Fla.) center Charles Bediako. Of all the targets, the 6-foot-10, 205-pound Baldwin Jr., a silky phenom who ranks No. 2 and might have something to say about Johnson’s pick to be the No. 1 pick at the 2022 NBA Draft, seems likeliest to become a Blue Devil.

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more on Paolo Banchero plus other Duke basketball recruiting news and views.