Duke targets shine for Team USA, NBPA Top 100 notes

A pair of Duke recruits are teaming up with two incoming Blue Devils in hopes of bringing home another gold medal for the United States.

Class of 2015 commit Luke Kennard and target Chase Jeter were in Colorado Springs, Colo., this weekend competing at the U18 FIBA Americas Championships for the U.S. Among their teammates were Duke freshmen Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow, both of whom are starters for the squad.

Kennard and Jeter both receive consistent minutes off the bench for the Americans, and have each played a role in Team USA's three blowout victories to cruise into Monday's semifinal round against the Dominican Republic. Kennard led the way for the U.S. with 30 points and hit 7-of-12 from beyond the arc in the team's opener, a 156-58 rout of Uruguay. The lone 2015 Duke commit is averaging 16.0 points per game for the Americans through three contests.

Jeter, a late call-up to the squad as an injury replacement, is making the most of his opportunity to represent his country, averaging 11.0 points and 6.0 rebounds through pool play. Jones (6.3 ppg, 6.7 apg) and Winslow (14.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg) are among the team's most experienced players.

Before being added to the team Wednesday, Jeter's weekend began at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, Va., where the nation's top 100 high school basketball players battled it out. After his lone day of participation at the camp, the Bishop Gorman standout said he considered Duke, Arizona, UCLA and UNLV to be his top pursuers.

In Charlottesville, Class of 2016 target Dennis Smith, Jr. continued to shine and solidify his spot atop national recruiting boards. 2016 big man Thon Maker also had an impressive weekend battling against players a year older, and impressed the coaches in attendance with his skill and athleticism. Kingston, N.C., forward Brandon Ingram, who holds a Duke offer in the Class of 2015, measured a gaudy 7-foot-4 wingspan to go with his 6-foot-9 frame.

Another name to watch going forward: 2016 center Udoka Azubuike. The 6-foot-10 big man from Jacksonville, Fla., ranked No. 6 in his class by ESPN, has burst onto the Blue Devils' recruiting radar and picked up offers from Duke and Kentucky last week.