Incoming Duke basketball star recruits Trevor Keels to stay

Dariq Whitehead plus Trevor Keels would equal Duke basketball delights.

Nobody wants to see an innocent grandma behind bars. To help ensure her escape, 2022 Duke basketball signee Dariq Whitehead stepped up to the plate on Wednesday via Twitter to aid in the Blue Devil fanbase’s quest to convince Trevor Keels to stick around for a sophomore campaign.

ALSO READ: Star guard has potential to return next season

First, give credit to veteran Duke fan “ALaw” for energizing the “Bring Back Trevor Keels World Tour” on Tuesday night by tweeting his terms as to what it’ll take to get “Granny” out of her cage. But before anyone goes to file an MPR (Missing Person Report), understand that the picture he used to emphasize his demand is just a popular meme; it’s floated around social media for years.

The message in the fan’s tweet is clear: “Granny isn’t getting out until [Trevor Keels] returns to Duke!”

Whitehead, a five-star small forward out of Montverde Academy (Fla.) who ranks No. 2 overall on the 247Sports 2022 Composite, came across the funny plea. He then tagged Keels with the following quote tweet: “I know you don’t want granny staying in there.”

Keels has not retweeted, liked, or commented on it. Yet fret not, Duke basketball faithful, for it looks as if the savvy shooting guard just hasn’t touched his Twitter account since publicly declaring for the NBA Draft two weeks ago.

Speaking of that, on Tuesday, first-year Blue Devil head coach Jon Scheyer suggested to the media that Keels is still mulling whether or not he’ll return. The 18-year-old has until June 1 to withdraw his name as a draft entrant; currently, ESPN.com has him No. 25 on its “Best Available” draft board.

What the quote tweet says about the Duke basketball rookie

No matter what Trevor Keels decides, it’s a safe bet that Dariq Whitehead will draw a starting nod from the get-go and play a significant role in Duke’s rotation all season. As a beyond-his-years playmaker and competitor — Whitehead doesn’t turn 18 until August — the reigning McDonald’s All-American Game MVP will likely average 25-35 minutes per game.

However, should Keels opt to dwell in Durham for another year, one must figure that Whitehead might, in turn, have to give up a handful of minutes per game to accommodate the return of a double-digit scorer.

With a sophomore Keels and freshman Whitehead in town alongside junior point guard Jeremy Roach, who fully emerged as a clutch weapon and starting floor general in March, the Blue Devils would surely be in the conversation for the nation’s best backcourt. After all, all three are determined defenders, and each has crafty skills on the other end of the floor.

Therefore, a Trevor Keels return could translate into the Blue Devils beginning the season with a top-five national ranking.

Dariq Whitehead must recognize that. And his quote tweet alone says all you need to know about his character. Yes, it implies that he’s entirely on board to put winning above his stats.

Or he’s just concerned about “Granny.”

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball news and views.