Major Duke basketball recruiting target locks in official visit
The Duke basketball recruiters are on the prowl for future talent at the five-spot, specifically Brewster (N.H.) center JP Estrella. His addition would equate to the Blue Devils boasting a heralded 2023 prospect at every position.
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And it looks as if Duke is leading the chase for Estrella, especially now that the mobile, versatile big man has scheduled an official visit to Durham. According to a tweet on Wednesday evening from Pro Insight recruiting insider Andrew Slater, the 6-foot-11, 210-pound upper-tier four-star will be on campus from July 31 through August 2.
That trip immediately follows his visit to Iowa (July 28-30).
As Slater also mentioned, Estrella has already visited Marquette and Tennessee. He noted that the Maine native, who ranks No. 56 overall on the 247Sports 2023 Composite, has "more offers than Twitter has space."
Furthermore, Slater pointed out that Estrella's mother played at Boston College. So there's that to consider.
Per Slater, Estrella hopes to choose a winner in his recruitment before his senior season begins in the fall.
Duke basketball eyes on the prize
Currently, both 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions for JP Estrella forecast the Blue Devils to emerge victorious.
Those picks and Duke's history in spinning visits into instant pledges — not to mention that, as things stand, the trip to Durham is his last scheduled official visit — suggest there's a reasonable chance Estrella joins "The Brotherhood" within the first week of August.
News of Estrella's Duke visit dates came on the same day the Middlesex Magic standout played an Under Armour Association game in Georgia in front of first-year Blue Devil head coach Jon Scheyer and two assistants. Perhaps their trip to watch him in person was all it took to lock in the dates for his upcoming official visit.
For now, it seems Cathedral (Ind.) five-star center Xavier Booker is the only other undecided 2023 recruit remaining on the Blue Devils' radar. Although a commitment from JP Estrella could complicate matters, it would be wise not to count out the powerhouse Duke recruiting team to end up with both.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for more Duke basketball recruiting updates.