Duke basketball: Foreign forward attracts surprising Blue Devil attention

The Duke basketball staff is reportedly eyeing a stretch-four from Finland.

Currently, 75 of the top 100 prospects on the 247Sports 2021 Composite have already committed to a school, including Duke basketball pledges Paolo Banchero and AJ Griffin, a pair of five-star forwards who rank No. 3 and No. 6, respectively. Plus, it seems just about all of those who haven’t made up their minds have named finalists.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that a heralded foreign teen has seen several high-major offers and blueblood interest within the two weeks since his move to the United States.

It is a bit surprising, however, that the Blue Devils are among the bluebloods to inquire about First Love (Pa.) senior Mustapha Amzil, who hails from Kotka, Finland, and intends on spending at least a year in college.

With Banchero and Griffin in tow, in addition to 247Sports Crystal Ball leads for five-star snipers Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Trevor Keels, it hasn’t looked as if Mike Krzyzewski and his assistants were interested in entering more 2021 races. Sure, they’re likely to lose their ongoing battles for five-stars Caleb Houstan and Charles Bediako, but that’s been the projection for quite some time.

But back to Amzil. In the last week alone, according to Mike Vukovcan of Pittsburgh Sports Now, the 6-foot-10, 215-pound forward has added offers from Pitt, Boston College, Dayton, Maryland, Oklahoma State, and St. John’s.

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And per the unrated recruit’s chat this week with Stock Risers insider Jake Weingarten, the list of possible suitors, including Duke, grows by the day:

“New schools are coming almost daily. I’m talking with East Carolina, Georgetown, Georgia State, Bradley, USF, WKU, and Eastern Washington. [Thursday], I will have a phone call with North Carolina, and more big-time schools are asking for my video…Duke, Kentucky, and Florida reached out to my coaches.”

Getting to know the potential Duke basketball target

Here’s a brief backstory that Amzil provided Weingarten:

“I moved to the states from Finland one and a half weeks ago. My mom is Finnish, and my father is Moroccan. I have three siblings, and my older sister plays at Cisco College in Texas. My younger brother plays in Finland still, and my little sister hasn’t picked up the ball yet.”

Weingarten noted that scouts began taking notice of Amzil at the 2019 U18 FIBA European Championships, where he averaged roughly 12 points, seven rebounds, and two steals. The suddenly coveted stretch-four broke down his own game to Stock Risers:

“I can play multiple positions and score on all levels. I like to get my teammates involved…I think my court vision is good…I have a high IQ. Rebounding is also one of my strengths. I need to improve on staying solid on the defensive end so I’m able to guard all positions…I’m constantly improving. I also need to keep my shot consistent.”

Of course, it remains to be seen if the Blue Devils will follow up on their initial curiosity in the 19-year-old. Yet judging from Amzil’s offer sheet and recent calls, there does appear to be a reasonable chance that he could wind up in the ACC, maybe even eight miles down Tobacco Road.

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