Patrick Baldwin Jr. picks dad over Duke basketball as recruiting saga ends

The recruiting saga of longtime Duke basketball target Patrick Baldwin Jr. is officially over. 

In the end, the favorite won, and by a sizable margin, as Duke basketball recruiting target Patrick Baldwin Jr. announced his commitment to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Baldwin Jr., who was reported to announce his decision on ESPN, which didn’t happen, sat next to his father, Pat Baldwin Sr., and announced to the world that he would spend his one year at the collegiate level playing under the coaching prowess of his first-ever coach.

The five-star forward had narrowed his Top-10 down to three finalists: Duke, Georgetown, and Milwaukee.

Patrick Baldwin Jr. ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the updated 247Sports Composite Rankings and the No. 1 small forward in the Class of 2021 as well as the No. 1 player in the state of Wisconsin.

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Listed at 6-foot-9, 190 pounds, Baldwin Jr. should dominate the Horizon League, which never lands one-and-done prospects nor is known for putting players in the NBA, but that will change after next season.

The Hamilton (Wis.) standout is projected as a Top-10 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Milwaukee only has four NCAA Tournament appearances in school history, none since 2014, and head coach Pat Baldwin Sr. has yet to produce a winning season in his four years as the program’s head coach.

According to the 247Sports recruiting database, no other high school senior has committed to play for the Panthers next season.

Duke basketball is still fine without the services of Patrick Baldwin Jr.

Landing the five-star forward would have been icing on the cake for the Blue Devils, but Duke is still in a great position without Patrick Baldwin Jr.

The five-time National Champs bring in a Top-3 recruiting class comprised of Paolo Banchero, Adrian Griffin Jr., Trevor Keels, and Jaylen Blakes while also adding graduate transfers Theo John and Bates Jones.

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Banchero is an early favorite for the National Player of the Year and could be the top overall pick in next year’s draft.

Mike Krzyzewski also returns a core group of players, including Wendell Moore, Joey Baker, Mark Williams, and Jeremy Roach.

Duke will be returning to the NCAA Tournament next season after missing the Big Dance for the first time since the 1994-95 season.