The Duke basketball program received positive news on the recruiting trail after a potential disaster awaited.
Things have not been great for the Duke basketball team to begin the 2020-21 season.
In addition to the delayed beginning of the year, the Blue Devils (2-2) have not performed up to expectations, and things got worse on Friday night after news broke that top recruiting target Patrick Baldwin Jr. suffered a major ankle injury.
Sussex Hamilton’s (Wis.) head coach Curt Hogg said following the game, “I can’t imagine if something pops out like it did, it’s probably not just going to be a sprain. It was dislocated.”
However, the injury is not as serious as it appeared on Friday evening.
ALSO READ: Top Duke recruiting target suffers devastating and major injury
Hogg updated the status of his star on Wednesday morning, and the outlook for Patrick Baldwin Jr. appears much more promising than it did only a few days ago.
Antonio Curro, the Founder and Director of Basketball Scouting and Grassroots Basketball Platform Initiatives for NY2LASports provided an update on the ankle of Baldwin Jr.:
Accurate update on 2021 Patrick Baldwin Jr. @_pbaldwin23 Patrick’s X-rays and MRI came back negative. There was no dislocation, fractures or breaks. He has a high ankle sprain and he will be out indefinitely @ebosshoops @jeffborzello @PaulBiancardi @WisBBYearbook @jakeweingarten
— Antonio Curro (@ACNY2LA) December 10, 2020
Patrick Baldwin Jr. being labeled out as ‘indefinitely’ is for the best as high ankle sprains are always difficult to predict how fast a player will recover.
A typical timeline could range anywhere between four to six weeks, not factoring in if surgery is necessary for severe cases, which could then push the timetable back further.
Sports Illustrated recruiting expert Jason Jordan tweeted that Patrick Baldwin Jr. told him he will be sidelined for 2-3 months.
Patrick Baldwin Jr., the top wing in the #SI99, tells me he’ll be sidelined for the next 2-3 months with an ankle injury.
— Jason Jordan (@JasonNCJordan) December 9, 2020
“But after I recover this shouldn’t ever affect me long term, which is great.”
It seems as if Baldwin Jr. will avoid any surgeries on the ankle as he was primed for a major senior season, coming off a junior campaign where he was named as the Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year and averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game.
The 6-foot-9 small forward scored 43 points in his only full game of the 2020-21 season.
When will the Duke basketball target make his college decision?
Now that a major injury has been avoided, a potential commitment could be coming sooner rather than later for Patrick Baldwin Jr.
The five-star prospect narrowed his list down to 10 finalists back in May, including Duke, North Carolina, UCLA, Virginia, Michigan, Kentucky, Georgetown, Northwestern, Milwaukee, and Wisconsin.
ALSO READ: Has Patrick Baldwin Jr. cut his list?
Baldwin debunked a social media rumor on Wednesday that he was down to two schools, Northwestern and Milwaukee, where his father, Patrick Baldwin Sr., is the head coach of the Panthers’ program.
Source: trust me bro https://t.co/1P7H5GmppG
— Patrick Baldwin Jr. (@_pbaldwin23) December 9, 2020
However, according to StockRisers recruiting insider Jake Weingarten, Baldwin Jr. has cut Virginia and Wisconsin from his list, trimming his potential schools down to eight.
Duke has already landed commitments from Adrian Griffin Jr. and Paolo Banchero in the Class of 2021, both ranked inside the Top-10 in the class, and are still courting Baldwin Jr., Trevor Keels, and Charles Bediako.
Despite having both Banchero and Griffin Jr. signed, the Duke recruiting class is only ranked at No. 28, according to 247Sports.
Mike Krzyzewski has posted a Top-3 recruiting class every year since 2014, according to the outlet, and do not expect 2021 to be any different.