The early signing period began with a bang for the Duke basketball program.
By signing on as a future Duke basketball player, O’Dea (Wash.) senior power forward Paolo Banchero has made official his August commitment.
By doing so within hours after the start of the Nov. 11-18 early signing period on Wednesday — just one day before Banchero’s 18th birthday — the 6-foot-9, 235-pound five-star from Seattle suggested there has been absolutely no wavering to his decision.
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And by doing so while decked out in Blue Devil gear at the ceremony in his high school gym, Banchero made 100 percent clear where his heart lies right now: in Durham.
It’s official , @Pp_doesit signs his letter to play for @DukeMBB pic.twitter.com/BQHcX07Xc2
— Chris Egan King-5 TV (@ChrisEgan5) November 11, 2020
By sealing his 2021-22 plans in ink, it appears as though the No. 3 overall prospect on the 247Sports 2021 Composite — still the country’s highest-ranked commit from the class — saw a significant uptick in his Twitter notifications.
One notification came via a 6-foot-8 forward from yesteryear. Kenny Dennard, a gritty senior on Mike Krzyzewski’s first Duke team in 1980-81 who nowadays stays active on social media by supporting Blue Devils and loathing Tar Heels, welcomed Banchero with a pic of himself wearing Brotherhood swag, to which the signee responded with appreciation for the old-school Dukie:
https://twitter.com/Pp_doesit/status/1326617810827538432?s=20
Here’s the latest assessment of Banchero from 247Sports recruiting analyst Travis Branham:
“Banchero arguably has the highest floor of anyone in the entire class and has made a case for being the No. 1 overall prospect in the class. His skillset, physicality, and feel for the game are terrific…”
Who else will sign with Duke basketball before Nov. 18?
Per Branham, Duke will see a signature on Wednesday night from its other 2021 prize to date in Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) small forward AJ Griffin, a chiseled five-star who boasts a No. 6 composite ranking.
Also, Krzyzewski and his staff still await answers from three five-star targets: IMG (Fla.) center Charles Bediako, Paul VI (Va.) shooting guard Trevor Keels, and Hamilton (Wis.) small forward Patrick Baldwin Jr.
Of the three, Bediako is the most likely to reveal a choice before next Wednesday, but he’s the least likely to pick the Blue Devils, for Alabama is the consensus 247Sports Crystal Ball favorite. While Duke holds unanimous Crystal Ball leads for both Keels and Baldwin Jr., insiders tend to project neither to announce this month.
Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball recruiting news and views.