NCAA Basketball: Analyzing new options for 5-star 2022 recruit Enoch Boakye
. Blue Devils . . team. 434. .
The noise of Jalen Johnson’s decision to leave Duke all but puts a dent in their hopes of making the 2021 NCAA Tournament. It’s literally a rarity for the program under head coach Mike Krzyzewski, having made the Big Dance 22 straight times. But since many “blue bloods” are struggling, the current pandemic and its impact on young teams can be the excuse used on the recruiting trail.
Even still, Johnson is likely to be a lottery pick for the NBA Draft, the latest of many former Blue Devils. If Boakye feels he’s ready to be a “one and done” type of talent, Duke would be a great destination. He would be joining a pair of current top-10 overall commits in small forward AJ Griffin and power forward/center Paolo Banchero.
If Boakye were to reclassify, he and Banchero wouldn’t have much issue playing together, since the ladder has the ability to space the floor. Having a true rim protector would be beneficial for the team in a way they don’t have this season.
The one big question would be what happens with Mark Williams, a former top-25 center recruit that played little in the first half of the season but since has been in double figures in terms of minutes played. He’s clearly a project who won’t be going pro but has shown genuine signs of improvement and promise. If he doesn’t transfer, Williams would start over Boakye due to simple experience. That position battle may make the Blue Devils an unlikely suitor.