With it being a quiet week in the recruiting world, we've taken the time to look at and breakdown the loaded class of 2016 for this week's Recruiting Roundup. Although it’s too early to project right now, the class of 2016 has the potential to be one of the better recruiting classes in recent history for the Blue Devils.
Duke has currently offered six players, all of whom are not only highly ranked, but of the six, five reportedly have the Blue Devils as favorites or near-favorites at this point. Moreover, Duke is one of the few schools that are being considered for the most sought after package deal of the class, as Dennis Smith Jr., Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles have all expressed an interest in playing together.
We'll start with the top player of the 2016 class: Jayson Tatum.
Jayson Tatum: If one thing was made clear from July and August period, Duke wants to land Tatum. Not only was a coach at every game, Tatum told reporters about his daily communication with the Blue Devil coaching staff. It’s too early to know whether or not the 6-foot-7 small forward will choose Duke, but it is clear Tatum has noticed how much effort the Blue Devils are putting forth. As we covered last week, Duke made Tatum’s top 10 and will compete against powerhouse programs such as Kansas, Kentucky, UNC and UConn for the St. Louis native. According to 24/7’s crystal ball, the Blue Devils are the leader with 47% of the votes, followed by Kentucky, Kansas, Memphis and St. Louis. Landing Tatum would be a big move for Duke not only because of his talent, but also because adding him to its class could possibly help lock down a few other players—namely Giles.
Harry Giles: If Tatum is Duke’s 1A target, then Giles is a very close 1B. Giles is a North Carolina native and considered to be the top power forward of the class. Additionally, with package deals becoming the norm, Giles said a package deal of himself, Tatum and Smith Jr “is in consideration”. Nabbing that trio would be an incredible coup for the Blue Devils, considering their current lineup features the touted duo of Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones, who committed to playing in Durham together this past spring. Giles has yet to cut his list, but most believe it will come down to Duke or UNC for the talented in-state recruit.
Dennis Smith Jr: Smith Jr is the top-ranked point guard in the class of 2016 and is another in-state recruit. The 6-foot-3 Fayetteville, N.C., native has both the vision and talent necessary to be a dynamic point guard. As we talked about before, Smith also has been rumored in the mega-package of himself, Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles. Luckily for Duke, they have been the favorite for Smith and according to 24/7, 90 percent of the voters believe the NC native will be wearing the Blue Devils jersey in a few years.
Thon Maker: Maker absolutely dominated AAU ball, against lesser completion albeit, and made a strong case to be the No. 1 player in the class of 2016. The seven-footer displayed his versatility and ability to dominate the paint as well as his smooth outside shot, as he won multiple awards and was unguardable during the summer. Maker recently announced that he would not reclassify to 2015, which was rumored, and instead would transfer to Orangeville Prep in Ontario and suit up for Athlete Institute. Maker has also yet to cut his list, but Kansas and Kentucky seem to be the leaders at this point, with Indiana, Missouri and Duke gaining ground. At this point, Maker seems the least likely of all Duke offered to become a Blue Devil.
Tyus Battle: Duke may have offered the combo guard from New Jersey late in the process, but it has not seemed to affect his interest in the Blue Devils at all. Since being offered at the Peach Jam, Battle has not stopped gushing about Duke. As we previously covered, Battle will visit Duke for the Countdown to Craziness later in October, and at this point, it seems to be Duke’s recruitment to lose.
TJ Leaf: Leaf is an example of another player who, like Battle, Duke offered late, but since receiving the offer, has been raving about the Blue Devils. The 6-foot-9 California power forward is your prototypical Duke stretch big man and would be an optimal pickup for the Blue Devils, as Leaf does not project as a one-and-done and could be a foundation piece for the future.
That’s all for this week’s roundup, be sure to stay with the Blue Zone for all your recruiting news.
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