Duke has just unveiled what could be the biggest recruiting stunner in the Class of 2021.
On Thursday, five-star forward Paolo Banchero made a shocking announcement that he is committed to the Blue Devils. He captured Duke over the Kentucky Wildcats, Washington Huskies, Arizona Wildcats, Gonzaga Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers.
For much of Banchero’s recruitment, Kentucky was seen as the bright favorite, but Tennessee had picked up a lot of steam in recent weeks. A large part of that was the Vols landing Kennedy Chandler, who discussed in collaboration with Banchero in college. Banchero even wrote in the blog post over the summer that there was a good chance he would collaborate with Chandler in college.
But if not Kentucky or Tennessee, Gonzaga and Washington saw the next biggest supporters for the native Seattle (WA). Duke got no buzz, so this is a testament to how well Banchero’s cards played close to the vest. No one predicted that Duke would be the choice at Rivals as 247 Sports. And it was widely expected that Banchero would wait until the spring to make a decision.
Oh well. Now Kentucky will have to find new frontcourt goals in the Class of 2021. Plus, the one-time transfer rule is expected to pass next year, so Kentucky may have a glutony of frontcourt options, though neither will be as good as Banchero. He has all the tools to be an annual NBA All-Star, so this is still a big loss for the Wildcats.
