The Duke Blue Devils landed a somewhat surprising commitment from 2021 top three recruit Paolo Banchero. He committed to Duke over the Kentucky Wildcats, the Tennesse Volunteers, and the Washington Huskies. Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski has landed another top-five talent to add to his impressive list of future NBA talent. He joins fellow 2021 top-ten recruit AJ Griffin heading to the Duke Blue Devils next fall. This is likely not the final five-star recruit that Duke lands in the 2021 recruiting class.
MAJOR commitment from Paolo Banchero who announced he will head to Duke to play for Coach K. Absolute surprise, although, the staff completed a full staff virtual meeting with Paolo and his family.
— Jake (@jakeweingarten) August 20, 2020
Banchero is the top-rated 2021 power forward in the class and will be an excellent “one and done” prospect for the Blue Devils. He is expected to be a high lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Coronavirus Pandemic has made it harder for programs and recruits to go through the recruiting process. The recruiting class of 2021 will have a unique experience when going through that process. There are several prospects that will not visit the campus before they commit to their program of choice.
Banchero projects to be one of the best players in college basketball in the 2021-22 college basketball season. Duke has a long history of adding talented players and Banchero lists as only the 9th best player since the rankings began. The Blue Devils still have offers out to several five-star recruits and should add a few more before the class is finished committing. One of those offers includes the best player in the 2021 class Patrick Baldwin Jr. and the Blue Devils are a favorite to land him.
