Duke basketball: Blue Devils battling Tar Heels for new 2021 five-star

A reclassed recruiting race could come down to Duke basketball and a rival.

Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski didn’t extend an offer to Montverde Academy (Fla.) small forward Caleb Houstan until late June, more than six months after Roy Williams invited the 6-foot-8, 200-pound five-star to join his North Carolina program.

Now, the extra time could help the Tar Heels seeing that Houstan announced on Friday his decision to reclass to 2021, effectively speeding up and ramping up his recruitment. That said, given the 17-year-old’s age and past hints at moving up a grade, the news should have come as no surprise to any of his serious suitors.

While there are not yet any Crystal Ball picks, some insiders seem to think both Duke and UNC are frontrunners. Possibly helping the Blue Devils, Houstan attends the same prep school of RJ Barrett and also hails from the same Toronto neighbor, Mississauga, as Coach K’s former one-and-done; plus, similar to Barrett, Houstan has a heavy dose of guard skills in a forward’s body.

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Oddly enough, by jumping from No. 7 on the 247Sports 2022 Composite to No. 6 among his new 2021 peers — perhaps telling of a relatively weak crop of top 10 rising seniors — Houstan bumped the lone Duke basketball commit from the class, Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) five-star small forward AJ Griffin, down to No. 7.

Houstan, who is best known as a smooth spot-up shooter, told Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he has no timetable for deciding on a college and also holds offers from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Gonzaga, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon, Seton Hall, Tennessee, Texas, Texas Tech, and Virginia. However, the lengthy, mild-tempered playmaker suggested the race’s end date could arrive without forewarning:

“Schools have been finding different ways with virtual visits, a lot of stuff on Zoom. I’ve been able to see what schools are about with the playing style. When I feel like I’ve found the right fit, the right place for me, I’ll make my decision.”

A key decision considering other ongoing Duke basketball recruiting battles

The race is now especially important for the Blue Devils given Houstan’s prowess in a guard-like role in addition to the fact that Krzyzewski and his bunch are no longer favorites for any 2021 guards. Less than two weeks ago, after being the predicted choice early on, the staff in Durham saw Rolling Meadows (Ill.) five-star shooting guard Max Christie choose Michigan State.

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Currently, outside of the No. 1 player in the class, Hamilton (Wis.) five-star small forward Patrick Baldwin Jr., Duke is not the perceived leader for any of its other 2021 targets, who are all five-stars: Sunrise Christian (Kan.) point guard Kennedy Chandler, Paul VI (Va.) shooting guard Trevor Keels, O’Dea (Wash.) power forward Paolo Banchero, and IMG (Fla.) center Charles Bediako.

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