Duke added another piece to its already star-studded 2021 class on Monday, when it landed guard Jaylen Blakes of New Jersey’s Blair Academy. Blakes, who plays his grassroots ball for the New York Lightning organization, chose the Blue Devils over offers from Illinois, Georgia, Stanford, Georgetown and countless others.
Below, Rivals.com has a look at what Duke is getting in the 6-foot-2 as well as what it means for the bigger picture.
WHAT DUKE IS GETTING
The 6-foot-2 Blake comes with deceptive length because of his long arms (a 6-foot-8 wingspan), and his coaches rave about his IQ, toughness and mentality. But while people like to point to the hard-nosed guard’s intangibles as his defining traits, there’s plenty of skill at work as well. He boasts a pretty consistent pull-up jumper that comes with some range and is capable of playing both spots in the backcourt. He handles the ball relatively well and is capable of playing with breakneck speed without seeming out of control. Blakes also has a knack for finishing through contact. He’ll need to get a bit more consistent in the midrange and when it comes to facilitating, but the well-rounded guard certainly has the skill set to make a massive impact on the ACC down the road.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE BLUE DEVILS
Duke has long seemed like a perfect fit for Blakes, who mirrors the Blue Devil program’s blend of high-level academics and high-level basketball. The classroom side of things was always going to figure heavily into the guard’s college decision, so this is the logical conclusion of that narrative. It’s part of the reason Duke was able to breeze to the top of Blakes’ recruitment despite only making things official with a scholarship offer last week.
Mike Krzyzewski’s elite 2021 class now boasts four members, as Blakes adds depth to a haul headlined by five-star guard Trevor Keels, Five-star forward Paolo Banchero and five-star wing AJ Griffin. The Blue Devils are looking for a roster reshape after last year’s pandemic-plagued 13-11 campaign and this crop of freshmen is certainly a reason for optimism on that front.
