Prized Duke basketball target should be beyond Kentucky’s reach

One potential Duke basketball commitment is playing with Big Blue emotions.

North Carolina and Kentucky faithful won’t admit Duke basketball recruiting supremacy. Evidently, they’re unable to process that Hamilton (Wis.) small forward Patrick Baldwin Jr., who sits atop the 247Sports 2021 Composite, may join two top 10 Blue Devil commits: O’Dea (Wash.) power forward Paolo Banchero, No. 3, and Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) small forward AJ Griffin, No. 6.

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With that duo still the cycle’s only top 10 pledges, one can imagine the degree of displeasure for Tar Heels and Wildcats.

Last week, Corey Evans of Rivals shot down speculation from a UNC supporter who had inquired as to whether Banchero’s August commitment to Duke somehow gave the Heels a better chance at landing Baldwin Jr., a 6-foot-10, 205-pound phenom with a picture-perfect shot.

This week, the insider spotted a similar question from a Wildcats fan. Said fan seemed to be hanging to any strands of hope, even if limited to Kentucky being a Baldwin Jr. finalist alongside Duke, UNC, Georgetown, Michigan, Northwestern, UCLA, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Evans responded with another crushing blow:

“I just do not see it. Kentucky made the final list for Patrick Baldwin Jr., and the Wildcats have a major need in the frontcourt, especially for a shot-maker as good and talented as Baldwin. But if they were to win out with the five-star, it might go down as one of John Calipari’s biggest upsets on the recruiting trail since he took over in Lexington…”

Evans kept on explaining reality to Duke’s recruiting rival:

“Duke and Milwaukee are seen as the favorites for Baldwin. The Blue Devils just enrolled his friend and former travel teammate, Jalen Johnson, and they were one of the first programs to prioritize Baldwin. They have also done some of their best work with talented players from the Midwest…”

Reiterating the insight he provided to the Tar Heel a week prior, Evans continued:

“Paolo Banchero’s commitment to Duke does not affect their chances with Baldwin. Milwaukee, which employs Baldwin’s father as its head coach, is not a typical landing spot when it comes to a five-star talent, but the family connection could be just enough to keep [him] home…”

Finally, Evans basically asked Big Blue Nation to scram with all Baldwin-to-Kentucky nonsense:

“If it is not Duke or Milwaukee, it might even be Georgetown or North Carolina before he considers Kentucky.”

When might the top Duke basketball target decide?

Baldwin Jr., who visited Duke in February and took in a home win over Virginia Tech, planned to pick a college before his senior year. But the 17-year-old recently began expressing uncertainty about that timeline due to the ongoing ban on in-person visits.

Only three other 2021 talents, all top 20 in the class, are still weighing offers from Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski: Paul VI (Va.) shooting guard Trevor Keels, Montverde (Fla.) small forward Caleb Houstan, and IMG (Fla.) center Charles Bediako.

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball recruiting news and views.