Predicting 2021 Duke basketball class after major momentum boost
By Matt Giles
Predicting 2021 Duke basketball signees: PATRICK BALDWIN JR.
Composite ranking: No. 1 overall
Scouting report for Patrick Baldwin Jr. (from Eric Bossi of Rivals): “Patrick Baldwin Jr. is everything that a program — and eventually the NBA — could want in a forward prospect. Now pushing 6-foot-10…[he] is one of the best jump shooters in the land, handles the ball extremely well, is a playmaker for others, and has the type of versatility that is craved in the era of positionless basketball.”
Finalists (10): Duke, Georgetown, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Northwestern, UCLA, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Recent recruitment chatter: The consensus these days is that beating out UW-Milwaukee head coach Pat Baldwin for the services of his own five-star namesake is easier said than done, even for the Duke recruiting machine. That said, Hamilton (Wis.) phenom Patrick Baldwin Jr. has seen steady Blue Devil attention, dating back to his middle school days, and more than two years ago now became the all-time youngest recipient of a Mike Krzyzewski offer.
On the other hand, many insiders figured Baldwin Jr. would have already made up his mind if Duke had as strong of a lead as the Crystal Ball has always implied. Seemingly no one saw Paolo Banchero coming off the board first. Speaking of that, though, maybe what Banchero pumped up to ESPN’s Paul Biancardi on Thursday about Baldwin Jr. specifically could be just the nudge that the No. 1 prospect needs (or so Dukies can dream for now):
“I got a chance to bond with Patrick over the AAU and camp circuit…[We] have played together on the same team, so Patrick, you know, we play well off each other like no other, bro. I’m going to see you [and] all that.”
Hard to say no to that.
Predicted month for Duke commitment: September
At this time, it feels like the two other 2021 talents holding Duke offers, Montverde (Fla.) five-star small forward Caleb Houstan and IMG (Fla.) five-star center Charles Bediako, won’t be Durham-bound. No worries. Patrick Baldwin Jr., Trevor Keels, AJ Griffin, and Paolo Banchero would suffice.
As for whether such a gold-star class would definitely rank No. 1 in the country, well, that requires a separate discussion…
Related Story. The absolute absurdity of updated class rankings. light
Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball recruiting news, views, and predictions.