Ranking Duke basketball’s chances with five remaining 2021 targets

Which 2021 Duke basketball offers are most likely to result in commitments?

With Kennedy Chandler’s pledge to Tennessee on Friday, the Duke basketball staff’s list of rejections continues to grow. Meanwhile, the list of offers does not. Does this imply the coaches are confident they will produce enough signees from their current 2021 wishlist? Maybe. Or maybe they’re instead feeling optimistic about the potential return next year of all but one or two of their current underclassmen.

Yet regardless of whether the short offer sheet is a reflection of the faith they have in themselves as closers or their sense that a one-and-done storm will spare Durham this season, one would imagine Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) five-star small forward AJ Griffin is becoming more and more lonely as Duke’s lone commit for going on 10 months.

Furthermore, considering the Michigan State win six weeks ago in the Max Christie sweepstakes and the G League’s knockout blow a few days later for now-reclassed Jonathan Kuminga, an out-of-character streak of three rejections is now facing Mike Krzyzewski and his gang (owners of four of the nation’s past seven No. 1 hauls).

But might Duke still salvage an enviable collection of 2021 talent without entering additional races? Well, let’s try answering that by taking a look at what the Blue Devils may have working in their favor for each of the five remaining names. And let’s do so in ascending order of the perceived likelihood for each target to join Griffin in The Brotherhood…