Duke basketball: Sizing up the final five for five-star Charles Bediako

Where does Duke basketball stand among Charles Bediako’s remaining suitors?

There’s no telling when Duke basketball target Charles Bediako will choose a college. But the 6-foot-11, 225-pound five-star, who transferred from Andrews Osborne (Ohio) to IMG (Fla.) for his senior year and ranks No. 23 overall on the 247Sports 2021 Composite, did advance the race on Saturday by naming his top five via Tipton Edits: Alabama, Duke, Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas.

Dwayne Washington, who as the founder of the UPlay Canada grassroots program saw Bediako enter the spotlight while shining among his fellow Canadian stars, recently explained to 247Sports insider Eric Bossi what the big man has to offer and what he’s seeking in a destination:

“What’s going to be most important to him is his ability to develop as a forward, a big forward that can run the floor. The style of play, the opportunity to play early, and also the coaching staff, and how they work with him, will be important…He wants to find a niche and show his talent, which is being a great teammate, blocking shots, rebounding, making midrange shots.”

So how many of the finalists have a reasonable shot to land Bediako? And how do they all stack up? We’ll look for answers by peeking at 1) what the 18-year-old has said about the programs, 2) their 2021 pledges to date, 3) their expected needs at his position after this season, and 4) where their pursuits may stand. Let’s start with the biggest underdog…