Prime Duke basketball transfer target alters plans

Given the departure of former Duke basketball big man Dereck Lively II to the NBA and offseason surgeries to power forward Kyle Filipowski (both hips) and center Christian Reeves (left ankle), the Blue Devils might be short on post players for all-important workouts after the four incoming recruits arrive on campus in June.

With that in mind, not to mention the roster outlook, it would help to add another tall presence to the mix beforehand. While several towering talents have popped up in recent weeks as potential Duke prizes via the transfer portal, thus far, only one has visited the Blue Devils: former Virginia center Kadin Shedrick.

The 6-foot-11, 230-pound former four-star recruit, a mobile giant who averaged 6.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks across his three seasons as a Cavalier (he redshirted in 2019-20), made the trip to Durham last weekend. Then on Sunday night, he announced five finalists: Duke, Kansas State, Missouri, Texas, and Xavier.

Kadin Shedrick OVER THE TOP! @kcshedrick | @UVAMensHoops

📺: @espn pic.twitter.com/F8pMbw83jX
— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) February 8, 2022

And it looks like first-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his gang will remain the only ones to have hosted Shedrick for at least another week.

On Thursday morning, Shedrick, who hails from Holly Springs, N.C., a 30-minute drive to Durham, told On3's Joe Tipton that he is rescheduling visits to Texas and Missouri that were initially on tap for next Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Personal matters" are the reported reason. However, as has been evident in recent years, when transfers "reschedule" or outright cancel upcoming trips, it often means the player has already decided on a destination and doesn't want to waste the time of other suitors.

That may not be the case for Kadin Shedrick. Still, it's worth monitoring.

Tipton noted on Sunday that Shedrick also plans to check out Kansas State and Xavier in person before making a decision. But there are still no reported concrete dates for either of those trips.

Moreover, On3 currently gives the Duke basketball program a 91.5 percent chance of winning the race.

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