Insider claims Duke basketball has ‘ground to make up’ for five-star

Does Duke basketball still have any prayer in the battle for Caleb Houstan?

The Duke basketball program has never been the presumed frontrunner for Montverde (Fla.) senior Caleb Houstan, who ranks No. 8 overall on the 247Sports 2021 Composite and picked up an offer from Mike Krzyzewski in June. That said, the Blue Devils do possess a few possible advantages in their pursuit of the 6-foot-8, 205-pound sharpshooter.

First, it can’t hurt that Houstan plays for the same prep academy as RJ Barrett and also hails from the same hometown — Mississauga, Ont. — as the former Duke basketball one-and-done.

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Plus, as 247Sports insider Eric Bossi noted on Friday, the Blue Devils did recently land in Houstan’s top four with the finish line possibly just around the corner:

“Last week, five-star Caleb Houstan told 247Sports that he is down to Alabama, Duke, Michigan, and Virginia. He didn’t indicate a timeframe for making a decision or favorites, but I would expect that the skilled forward from Canada…decides before the end of the early signing period.”

As for where the Blue Devils stand in the race as the November signing period draws near, Bossi implied they are outside the top two, but he also suggested all four finalists still have a legitimate shot:

“I don’t feel near confident enough to make a Crystal Ball prediction on Houstan just yet, but if I had to bet, I’d say that Alabama and Michigan make up the upper tier while Duke and Virginia may still have a little ground to make up. This one is likely coming down to the wire.”

The Crystal Ball supports that notion, seeing that it is still void of predictions for the 17-year-old.

For those unfamiliar with Houstan’s coveted skill set, here’s the scouting report from 247Sports director of basketball scouting Jerry Meyer:

“Has good size as a combo forward with shooting range. Not overly athletic, but plays with strength and has body control. Dangerous 3-point shooter. Finishes well inside the arc. Composed with the basketball. Solid handler and passer. Strong rebounder. Comes up with points off the glass. A positional defender with versatility defensively.”

Other pieces to Duke basketball’s 2021 puzzle are sure to play a factor

Duke already has commitments from two five-star seniors in power forward Paolo Banchero and small forward AJ Griffin, who rank No. 3 and No. 6 overall in the class, respectively. Those two pledges alone could be a deterrent to Houstan if he is hoping to see at least 30 minutes per game as a college rookie.

And it surely doesn’t help Duke’s pursuit that there is so much uncertainty when it comes to the number of early departures the Blue Devils will see following the upcoming season, particularly at or near Houstan’s position.

Moreover, take into account the fact Duke does boast Crystal Ball leads for two other 2021 five-stars in small forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. and shooting guard Trevor Keels, who rank No. 1 and No. 16 overall, respectively.

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With that in mind, in combination with Bossi’s latest thoughts on the matter, it’s likely the only chance the Blue Devils have to reel in Houstan would be for at least one of Baldwin Jr. and Keels to soon announce they will head somewhere other than Durham.

The only other remaining 2021 Duke basketball target is five-star center Charles Bediako, who ranks No. 23 overall and is down to a final five of Alabama, Duke, Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas.

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more on Caleb Houstan plus other Duke basketball recruiting news and views.