Duke basketball: Breakneck point guard hears from Blue Devils

A lightfooted point guard has entered the Duke basketball recruiting radar.

Between returning sophomore point guard Jeremy Roach and incoming freshman shooting guard Trevor Keels — both are former five-star recruits — chances are at least one will be bound for the professional level by this time next year. Outside of those two, the only other scholarship guard set to be on the 2021-22 Duke basketball roster is a four-star 2021 signee in Jaylen Blakes.

With all that in mind, the recruiters in Durham are likely hoping to acquire a couple of quality backcourt pieces via the 2022 recruiting trail. And one such candidate appears to be Keenan (S.C.) point guard Jazian Gortman, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound four-star who ranks No. 32 overall on the 247Sports 2022 Composite.

According to Gortman’s chat this week with Travis Branham of 247Sports, the Blue Devils are now in the preliminary stages of potentially entering the zippy floor general’s growing recruitment:

“I talked to them two weeks ago, and they just want to build a relationship with me, get to know me personally, and things like that. It’s a pretty good program. There are some pretty good players that came out of that program, so I look forward to them recruiting me.”

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That said, Duke is not the only major program that has shown new interest as of late. No, Gortman has also recently heard from coaches at Illinois, Kentucky, and Texas.

Plus, he already holds roughly two dozen offers. Five of those offers are from ACC schools in Clemson, Florida State, Miami, NC State, and Wake Forest.

At this point, Gortman has not provided a list of favorites in the race. However, he did note to Branham that he might announce his college destination as soon as late summer.

In other words, if Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his gang plan to enter the fray, then they may need to act fairly quickly.

Some scouting reports on Duke basketball recruiting prospect Jazian Gortman

Last weekend, at the Rocky Top Invitational in East Tennessee, Jazian Gortman led his Nightrydas Elite (Miami) EYBL squad to a 3-0 record. His dazzling performances at the event included a 25-point outing in a win over Team Strive for Greatness (Los Angeles).

After analyzing Gortman last week at an invite-only run in South Carolina against other top-notch talents from the state, here’s how Jamie Shaw of Rivals described the “pure electricity” show that the lightning perimeter weapon routinely puts on full display:

“Plain and simple, Gortman can do things with the ball in his hands that many just are not able to do. Whether it be Gortman’s sharp and crafty handle or his ability to make shots all over the floor, when Gortman is on the court, all eyes are firmly planted on him, with everyone in the gym on the edge of their seats.”

Projecting him as a future first-round NBA draft pick, 247Sports recruiting analyst Brandon Jenkins suggested in early May that Gortman is perhaps equally as dangerous on the other end of the floor:

“Defensively, his long arms combined with his quick feet make him a great defender. Gortman is more than capable of guarding the length of the floor and is adept at getting under opposing ball-handlers and generating steals.”

Of course, adding in the nugget that the last recruit from South Carolina worked out pretty well for the Blue Devils — see Zion Williamson — it sure seems as if Jazian Gortman might soon become a worthy recipient of a Duke basketball recruiting offer.