Is Jaylen Blakes Committing To Duke?
Is Jaylen Blakes committing to Duke?
Right now I don’t know the answer to that question!
But what I do know is that Duke has reached out to the point guard according to various reports and confirmed by sources recently.
Why?
Duke is looking to replace Jordan Goldwire who was part of Duke’s back court during the 2020-2021 season.
Why?
Because Jordan Goldwire is transferring to another school to play his fifth season!
Could Jaylen Blakes fill the void in Duke’s backcourt?
That could be a possibility!
Why?
Late last week head coach Mike Krzyzewski and company reached out to Blairstown (NJ) Blair Academy point guard Jaylen Blakes to measure the four star recruit's interest.
And yesterday Duke offered Jaylen Blakes a scholarship.
Jaylen Blakes is rated s the nation's 101st overall prospect regardless of position and the 16th best point guard prospect in the high school class of 2021, Blakes has offers from Boston College, Connecticut, DePaul, East Carolina, Georgetown, Georgia, Harvard, Illinois, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John's, Stanford, Texas, and Virginia Tech in addition to his most recent nod from Duke.
And recently Jaylen Blakes shared his thoughts on what he is looking for in a college and he had this to say!
"I am looking for the best combination of academics and athletics, an alumni network that is supportive during my college years and after graduation, a school, culture and community that embraces student-athletes, are committed to diversity and inclusiveness and has a great school spirit at games," he told 247Sports.com. "From a basketball perspective, I am looking for a coach that trusts me and I know that the trust goes both ways. In order for the coach to trust me I also have to perform off the court and I want that coach to trust me as well and I want a coach that embraces me for the individual that I am and continues to invest in my development and knowledge of the game that continues to grow me as a person and as an athlete. I have been blessed at Blair with the culture of brotherhood, selflessness, community service and a focus on just making each other better and that's what I am looking for in a college program. One of the most important parts is winning. I have always wanted to win, I am competitive, so that's one of the most important parts."
"I'm extremely competitive, I'm a two-way player that takes pride in going to battle with my teammates with the common goal of winning. I am known as a three-level scorer and I am continuing to improve in that aspect and I am tough on defense. I pride myself on being tough and playing with pride on offense and on defense because if you're stopping your man from scoring and you're scoring on the other end then you're plus-minus is high. I try to demonstrate leadership and intensity on the court. You can never be satisfied with where you are so I am consistently trying to find ways to improve my game on and off the court and this includes spending time in the gym, connecting with my coaches and my mentors and watching film, both college and NBA games, so I am always trying to improve my game."
“according to an article by John Watson on 247sports.com”
If Jaylen Blakes does commit to Duke he will likely be the back point guard to Jeremy Roach who in his freshman season at Duke in 2020-2021 averaged 8.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 45.3%
“according to Jeremy Roach Stats, News, Bio | ESPN