Patrick Baldwin, Jr. was on campus for the VT game last night. Sat with the Crazies, etc.
In your learned opinion, sj, do you think Baldwin is coming to Duke?
I would be beyond shocked if he didn't. His favorite player is Jayson Tatum and he was allegedly the earliest offer ever for Coach K (freshman year). All the TEA LEAVES are certainly pointing in our direction, as well.
To add: Baldwin is good of course (elite shooter) but he's hardly a transcendent talent like Zion. As a matter of fact, Griffin is the jewel of the class according to most of Draft Twitter. So I would caution people on having unrealistic expectations for Baldwin.
I do think Griffin and Baldwin is an excellent pairing and will be the best pair of wings in the country, BUT . . .
My confidence in young talent being able to carry you to a national title has really taken a hit since I first started posting here. I think you need overwhelming young talent for it to work. Kentucky had AD. 2015 Duke- Okafor, Jones, and Winslow were all beyond excellent.
To me, we need Baldwin and Banchero on that '21 squad to be considered the clear cut favorites. Banchero is a 5-star forward/center from Seattle who is considering Gonzaga, Duke, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Banchero and Griffin are favorites of Draft Twitter.
1A: Griffin 1B: Banchero 3: Baldwin 4: Chandler 5: Christie
That's how I'd rank our main targets/commitments right now based on what I've seen and heard from others who watch AAU and high school more closely.
In terms of likelihood they're at Duke: Baldwin > Christie > Chandler > big gap > Banchero