Busting Brackets
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Duke Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing early offers to 2020 prospects

By Lukas Harkins

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: The Duke Blue Devils mascot performs during the game against the North Dakota State Bison in the second half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: The Duke Blue Devils mascot performs during the game against the North Dakota State Bison in the second half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – MARCH 15: The Duke Blue Devils mascot. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – MARCH 15: The Duke Blue Devils mascot. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Mark Williams – Norfolk, VA

C | 7-foot-0 | 225 lbs | No. 45 overall

Starting with the lowest-rated offer at this point, Mark Williams is a powerful big man with a high ceiling. Listed as a 7-footer, he certainly brings plenty of height to the table and his game is only expanding. As a Virginia prospect, he is already in relatively close proximity to Durham and he could be really intriguing with the team. Although not necessarily a stretch big, Williams is an athletic center with the ability to run the floor, block shots, and finish around the rim quite effectively.

During the EYBL Atlanta session, Williams was very solid. He averaged 13.0 points (62.9% FG), 6.8 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game while helping to push Boo Williams (VA) to 3-1 on the weekend. He was obviously impactful in many facets of the game for his team and this resulted in an offer from Duke shortly after. The expectation should be that Williams continues to put together a strong EYBL season while his recruitment heats up even more. He already has 22+ scholarship offers.

https://twitter.com/MarkWi1liams/status/1124103786241437698

While it is still early in the 2020 recruiting season, the Blue Devils are already starting to trend as the favorite to land Williams. There have been two Crystal Ball predictions since the offer and both have been in favor of Duke (admittedly not from the most accurate predictors). It is impossible to say exactly where Duke fits in his recruitment, but you can be sure that they will be among the favorites as long as they remain interested. It is not easy to turn down an offer from arguably the best program in the entire country.

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