How Duke basketball supposedly overtook lead for 2021 five-star

Duke basketball recruiters have an easy way to overthrow leaders in battle.

Since former 247Sports recruiting guru Evan Daniels moved on to another profession a few months back, Rivals chief insider Corey Evans has arguably become the top name in the biz. It helps that Evans has owned the scoop on several elite recruits of late. Now, the prognosticator is referring to the Duke basketball program as the leader for Paul VI (Va.) shooting guard Trevor Keels, a savvy sharpshooter who ranks No. 16 overall on the 247Sports 2021 Composite.

First, per Evans, despite the notion Keels is reportedly not yet eyeing the homestretch of his recruitment, a growing assumption is that the early perceived favorite for the 6-foot-5, 210-pound five-star has lost a chunk of momentum:

“There is some question as to how much of a chance Villanova has with the five-star after landing Jordan Longino and Angelo Brizzi last week, but Keels confirmed…his Nova offer remains on the table…While Villanova was potentially on the cusp of his commitment earlier in the spring, he has given no reason to believe that he is anywhere near deciding. Villanova will now have to do a little damage control as far as the number of bodies that it could have in its backcourt…”

Evans, whose team at Rivals has apparently spoken directly to Keels several times, then noted a handful of schools standing out alongside Villanova as legit contenders for the 17-year-old: Duke, North Carolina, Ohio State, UConn, and Virginia. But the expert did point out the one he now views as the one to beat (the same one that attracted a teammate of Keels in five-star 2020 point guard Jeremy Roach):

“Duke appears to be the leader. The Blue Devils have not offered a whole lot of prospects in the 2021 class, with Keels being the only guard-wing that they have offered.”

The only evidence Duke basketball recruiting followers should need

So how exactly did Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski supposedly gain so much ground on Villanova and persistent hopeful Virginia? After all, opposite to the Wildcats and Wahoos, for months after extending an offer to Keels in December, the crew in Durham seemed to be more focused on Rolling Meadows (Ill.) five-star shooting guard Max Christie. Well, possibly long before Christie’s July pledge to Michigan State, Coach K & Co. opted for another route.

Evidently, factoring in Duke’s supreme track record in terms of snagging its priority pursuits across recent recruiting cycles, Evans only felt the need to provide a simple defense of his tagging a new No. 1 in the Keels chase:

“Maybe the Blue Devils strike out, but it appears that Duke has centered on Keels as the guy they want the most in the backcourt. Very rarely does Coach K miss on someone that he really, really wants.”

Indeed, that’s pretty much accurate. In November, grabbing a headstart while boasting three of the nation’s previous six No. 1 classes, Duke reeled in Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) five-star small forward AJ Griffin, who remains the premier commit among rising seniors with his No. 6 composite ranking. Plus, the general consensus is the Blue Devils are in an optimal position for the addition of Hamilton (Wis.) five-star small forward Patrick Baldwin Jr., aka the No. 1 in 2021.

ALSO READ: Three reasons No. 1 recruit may delay his decision day

Four others from the class are still holding Duke basketball offers. All are five-stars: Sunrise Christian (Kan.) point guard Kennedy Chandler, Montverde (Fla.) small forward Caleb Houstan, O’Dea (Wash.) power forward Paolo Banchero, and IMG (Fla.) center Charles Bediako.

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