What to make of Duke basketball’s tumbling class ranking

Welp, it doesn’t take much these days to pass Duke basketball’s 2021 class.

Make no mistake. A court of law may claim the two 2021 Duke basketball commits are not yet 18 years old. But on a court, it’s obvious O’Dea (Wash.) power forward Paolo Banchero and Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) small forward AJ Griffin are both grown [expletive] men.

In other words, folks don’t mistake either Banchero, who ranks No. 3 overall on the 247Sports 2021 Composite and joined #TheBrotherhood in August, or Griffin, who ranks No. 6 and committed in November, for a twig. And the sheer force evident in the movements of both men is a testament to both their brute strength and beyond-their-years self-confidence.

ALSO READ: Has Duke already landed the top 2021 recruit?

In fact, when watching this week’s new SLAM HIGHLIGHTS mixtape featuring both Banchero and Griffin, one could argue the probable one-and-done future teammates share the same strong suit. That strong suit, of course, is the actual “strong suit” they both appear to adorn and effectively use to their advantage.

Below, notice how both the 6-foot-9, 235-pound lean heavyweight (Banchero) and 6-foot-7, 205-pound chiseled rock (Griffin) successfully intimidate and overpower defenders via their innate power and sure-footed thunder steps. Notice how they swiftly and viciously put an end to opponents’ offensive possessions whether by blocks in the paint or swipes on the perimeter.

Plus, while both display a little razzle-dazzle from time to time, neither relies on such gimmicks for their points production and public attention. Rather, Banchero and Griffin attack the basket, full-steam-ahead style, while maintaining control by keeping their eyes on the prize instead of the ground.

Fortunately, Duke basketball fans now have this one consolidated YouTube video to turn to whenever seeking a quick fix to their craving for goosebumps from future Blue Devils in the present recruiting cycle.

The added entertainment for Duke basketball faithful

It doesn’t hurt the fuzzy feeling to know that Mike Krzyzewski and his gang remain the only staff to have landed a pledge from 2021’s top 10. Add in the fact they already check said box twice with Banchero and Griffin. Moreover, they still wear the crown as the only program to reel in two five-stars from the current crop of prep seniors.

With that in mind, watching the above tape with 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings in hand is a fun way to have a chuckle. Despite no other hauls containing more than one five-star — not to mention that Seton Hall’s class snuck into the top 10 while consisting of a four-star and two measly three-stars — the site has now dropped Duke’s five-star duo from No. 10 to 12.

Yessir, that’s a knee-slapper.

Considering the funny math so far, there’s no telling how far Duke’s 2021 class could fall should Coach K & Co. soon snag another of the five-star targets: Paul VI (Va.) shooting guard Trevor Keels, Hamilton (Wis.) small forward Patrick Baldwin Jr., 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.