Having recently landed Kyle Singler-the jewel of its 2011 recruiting class-Duke can now direct its attention to power forward Patrick Patterson.
The 6-foot-8, 234-pound Patterson from Huntington, W.Va. would be the final piece to one of the top recruiting classes in the country, but he recently said he will not make his decision in the fall signing period.
Patterson, the 11th-ranked national prospect according to scout.com, is a natural power forward who is already built to play at the college level. His solid mid-range game makes up for weaker post play.
"[Patterson is] a very sturdy and rugged kid," said Dave Telep, National Recruiting Director at scout.com. "He can legitimately play the middle part of the floor."
Patterson's size has led some to compare him to Shelden Williams, although Telep said Patterson is not the defensive presence Williams was coming out of high school.
The power forward has soared up scout.com's rankings in the past year, as he has steadily improved during his high school career. Telep said he is "one of the guys who, from his junior year to his senior year, improved the most in the Class of 2007."
Aside from his talents on the court, Patterson is a strong student in the classroom.
"[Patterson is] just a talented player, a high-character kid, a state champion," Telep said. "Success follows him."
The Blue Devils are competing with Florida, Kentucky, Wake Forest, Virginia and West Virginia for Patterson. He took his official visit to Duke in late September.
Although Telep did not give any program a clear advantage, many experts view Kentucky as the senior's favorite. The Wildcats are also heavily recruiting point guard Jai Lucas, a friend of Patterson's.
Patterson's mother has formed a friendship with the wife of Kentucky coach Tubby Smith, but the power forward's father is a life-long Duke fan. Patterson himself grew up rooting for both schools.
Singler's commitment, however, complicates the Blue Devils' pursuit of Patterson, as Duke has seemingly committed to using all of its available scholarships. One may open up after this season if sophomore Josh McRoberts leaves college for the NBA as some expect.
Patterson may accept Duke's offer under the condition that he receive a scholarship in time, much like Lee Melchionni did in 2002. However, the situation may be cleared up by the spring, when Telep said he expects Patterson to make his decision.
If he does commit to Duke, Patterson would join Singler, forward Taylor King and guard Nolan Smith in a class that is already ranked third in the country by scout.com.
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