Predicting 2021 Duke basketball class after major momentum boost
By Matt Giles
Which 2021 preps figure to join the two Duke basketball commits now in tow?
Ahhh…there’s something so invigorating about the day after a top recruit picks #TheBrotherhood. Haters unplug. And the joy amplifies, of course, when the pledge is the caliber of Duke basketball’s latest na-na-na boo-boo to opposing fans, O’Dea (Wash.) rising senior Paolo Banchero.
Plus, it sweetens the insta-memory when such an announcement arrives as out of nowhere as the tweeted one from the 6-foot-9, 235-pound five-star on Thursday evening.
ALSO READ: Coach K compares Paolo Banchero to Blue Devil legend
Before likely becoming a 2022 lottery pick, the No. 3 overall prospect on the 247Sports 2021 Composite looks to supply the 2021-22 Blue Devils with his premier mix of maturity, confidence, bounce, agility, versatility, you name it. By following in the footsteps of recent freshman sensations such as Zion Williamson, Marvin Bagley III, and Wendell Carter Jr., Banchero could cement Duke’s case as “Power Forward U.”
But more importantly in regards to the present, Banchero provided Mike Krzyzewski and his crew serious momentum — and then some — with still about three months to go before just the early signing period begins. Naturally, that begs the question: just how loaded will this haul become?
Well, let’s attempt to answer that by first looking at the other commit already in the bag. Then, by browsing chatter across ongoing recruiting races involving the Blue Devils, we’ll forecast which of the other Duke basketball targets should wind up in Durham as well…