Not only are Paolo Banchero, AJ Griffin, and Trevor Keels extremely talented, their positional size is immense. These guys are not typical Freshmen in that sense.
Paolo Banchero stands at 6’10, 235 pounds. Banchero possesses nataural strength and knows how to play bully-ball in the paint. His size mixed with his explosiveness make him an incredibly physically imposing presence.
AJ Griffin is one of the most physically imposing players in the entire 2021 class. His measurables are off the charts. His 6’6, 210 pound frame is is far more advanced than the vast majority of other Freshmen. Even more daunting for opposing teams than his height and weight is his wing span. Griffin possesses a shocking 7’0 wingspan, which wreaks havoc for the opposition on both sides of the floor. During the summer of 2019, Griffin led USA Basketball’s U16 team which 3.4 steals per game. His length often catches opposing guards by surprise, resulting in numerous deflections and steals.
Trevor Keels already has NBA-ready body. At 6’5, 210 pounds, he will have the size advantage on many opposing shooting guards he faces at the college level. He knows how to his size to advantage as well. He is adept at backing down opposing guards, as well dropping his shoulder into defenders to leverage space with his strength.
With these three Freshmen on board, Duke can employ some physically intimidating lineups. All three can defend multiple positions and when sharing the floor with an elite rim protector like Mark Williams, (assuming he returns for his Sophomore year) Duke will be able to put together lineups with excellent size that have potential to be a defensive force. There is a copious amount of offensive talent between these three Freshmen as well.
All three players play with a strong intensity and take pride in the defensive end of the floor. The physical gifts are there in spades, but this trio has the right mindset to complement their physical gifts. The tools are there to simply overwhelm opponents with size and effort.
In most instances, Freshmen take time to be able to compete physically at the college level. That should not be the case with this trio. These three will be able to step in and become forces very quickly. These three Freshmen will make for an incredibly fun trio to watch.