Duke basketball: Three new clues in Patrick Baldwin Jr. chase
By Matt Giles
Latest hints in Duke basketball pursuit of top recruit: THE DELAY ITSELF
It’s no secret that Patrick Baldwin Sr., whom most insiders view as Duke’s No. 1 threat in the race, has struggled as head coach of the lowly Milwaukee Panthers. He’s finished with losing records in each of his three seasons at the helm and has posted a 37-58 overall mark. Plus, his best season was his first, which isn’t exactly an encouraging sign of improvement to his employer.
As harsh as it sounds, if the Horizon League member is unable to reel in Patrick Baldwin Jr., then the school might be searching for a new head coach in a year or two. Yet even if Baldwin Sr. was to pull off what would be the program’s all-time recruiting achievement, he’d probably need at least another notable piece or two in order to make a real splash during and beyond his son’s brief stay.
Therefore, attempting here to solve the puzzle via speculation, it seems Baldwin Jr. would have already committed to lacing ’em up for his father — and then been busy recruiting other top talents to join him — whether his primary intention was to boost his dad’s job security or simply to best enjoy his time playing for the man who raised him.
On the other side of the coin, if Baldwin Jr.’s gut is saying to sign on with #TheBrotherhood of Duke basketball, then it doesn’t much matter when he lets the world know. After all, just by adding his name to a projected 2021-22 roster that includes Paolo Banchero, AJ Griffin, and the handful of former top 60 recruits likely to return, a championship-caliber squad would surely be in place.
While this theory may prove baseless, it does align with a potentially telling new prediction…