Ranking Duke basketball’s chances with five remaining 2021 targets
By Matt Giles
Analyzing Duke basketball recruiting races: Trevor Keels
Paul VI (Va.) shooting guard Trevor Keels is yet another Duke basketball recruiting target who might hold off until 2021 to unveil his destination at the next level. In fact, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound five-star, who sits No. 16 overall on the 247Sports 2021 Composite with a smooth outside jumper and the trustworthy aura of a five-star floor general, has yet to even name finalists.
Though the Crystal Ball for Keels remains empty, the buzz of late seems to be that Duke, North Carolina, Villanova, and Virginia are the main players. While it’s true Virginia and Villanova have put in the most time, assuming Keels does wait until after the season to make up his mind, it’s conceivable the return-or-go-pro decisions of two current Duke freshmen could weigh heavily on his own decision.
See, the Blue Devils could find themselves in perfect shape should they welcome back Jeremy Roach, a former five-star point guard and backcourt teammate of Keels in high school. Conversely, Mike Krzyzewski and his cohorts could be out of luck if former five-star combo guard DJ Steward was to also opt for a sophomore year and thereby essentially reserve a chunk of the playing time that might then have otherwise gone to a top-shelf newcomer at his position.
What may bode well for the Duke coaches at the moment, however, is their luck in having Keels on campus for an unofficial visit in March, just days before the NCAA suspended all in-person recruiting (currently through Sept. 30, but it’s likely that date will see at least another extension or two). Throw in the fact that the Cameron Indoor Stadium game he attended just so happened to be the last game the 2019-20 Blue Devils played and capped off an oh-so-sweet sweep of UNC.
Chance of Duke basketball landing Trevor Keels? 30 percent