Predicting 2021 Duke basketball class after major momentum boost
By Matt Giles
Predicting 2021 Duke basketball signees: AJ GRIFFIN
Even if the Duke basketball coaches had to fill out some of their potential 2021 needs with three-stars or transfers — the latter might be easy to come by seeing that some conferences seem so proactive about shutting down sports — they’d be sitting plenty pretty. After all, what more could any staff ask for than to have Paolo Banchero and Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) five-star AJ Griffin as centerpieces?
Despite ranking three spots behind Banchero on the 247Sports 2021 Composite, Griffin often checks in higher on 2022 mock drafts. Credit that to the 6-foot-7, 200-pound small forward’s armored physique, rare overall athleticism, and expansive artillery on the court.
One glance at mixtapes for both Banchero and Griffin, though, supports the notion that either, or both, could be in the running to continue Duke’s underclassmen-driven dominance in terms of top-shelf individual trophies. Yet to obtain the most cherished hardware of the team variety, it wouldn’t hurt if Griffin and Banchero were to enjoy the help of these next two now-predicted Blue Devils…