Another Duke basketball recruiting target trending elsewhere

Duke might need to expand its sights to cap off its 2023 collection.

The four-deep five-star foundation was a cinch. But the Duke basketball recruiters seem to be looking for at least a fifth top-tier piece to their top-ranked 2023 recruiting class. And they appear to be encountering obstacles when trying to apply this finishing touch.

Cathedral Prep (Ind.) five-star big man Xavier Booker, who committed to Michigan State on Saturday, is no longer an option. The same may be true for Brewster Academy (N.H.) four-star center JP Estrella, who was supposed to begin a now-canceled official visit to Duke on Sunday.

Meanwhile, looking at the 247Sports Crystal Ball for the nation's top four-star, Jesuit High School (Calif.) small forward Andrej Stojakovic, Duke's recent efforts come across as borderline futile.

All five predictions there, counting the one from Blue Devil insider John Watson on Saturday, peg UCLA as the outright favorite for the son of former three-time NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic.

Furthermore, the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine gives UCLA a 92.2 percent chance to end up with Stojakovic's services. As for the Rivals FutureCast, all three expert picks favor the Bruins, who extended an offer to the 6-foot-6, 185-pound flamethrower back in April and hosted him for an official visit in June.

Still, it's at least worth noting that Andrej Stojakovic put Duke in his top six on Friday. Of course, UCLA also survived the cut, joining Oregon, Stanford, Texas, and Virginia.

Stojakovic told Travis Branham of 247Sports that he hopes to announce his decision before the early signing period in the fall.

A four-star or better to complete the Duke basketball haul?

Perhaps undecided high school seniors are hesitant to compete for minutes in a class that already includes four of the top 25 prospects on the 247Sports 2023 Composite: small forward Mackenzie Mgbako (No. 2), power forward Sean Stewart (No. 8), point guard Caleb Foster (No. 19), and shooting guard Jared McCain (No. 21).

Or maybe first-year head coach Jon Scheyer and his crew have just been too late to battle for heralded prospects who value the heavier interest from other coaches early in their recruitments.

Whatever the explanation, it looks like the Blue Devils' only serious 2023 pursuit at this point is for Worcester Academy (Mass.) power forward TJ Power. The 6-foot-8, 210-pound four-star, who ranks No. 63 among his peers and has yet to name finalists, took official visits to Duke and UNC last week.

RELATED: Decommitted 2023 five-star must want Duke to enter the race

Power's 247Sports Crystal Ball and Rivals FutureCast remain empty. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine gives a slight edge to Virginia (23.7 percent) over Duke (20.7 percent), UNC (17.8 percent), Notre Dame (14.8 percent), and Iowa (14.8 percent).

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for more Duke basketball recruiting updates.