Although the Blue Devils have struggled of late on the court, Duke showcased its success on the recruiting trail Sunday when Class of 2016 recruits Frank Jackson and Jayson Tatum were named McDonald's All-Americans. The two will be opponents in the game before joining the Blue Devils as part of a class that is currently ranked second by ESPN and features the top two recruits in the class in Tatum and Harry Giles.
But Duke remains in the hunt to add to its already-stacked class.
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, along with associate head coach Jeff Capel and assistant Nate James, sat courtside to watch five-star center Marques Bolden Tuesday. The big man was named a McDonald's All-American earlier in the week and is the biggest remaining target for the Blue Devils.
#Duke will be in to see 6'11" 5-star Marques Bolden in TX today. Blue Devils in hot pursuit https://t.co/4oenHYpf98 pic.twitter.com/L1e0GC1o9B
— Andrew Slater (@ASlater247) January 19, 2016
Bolden has yet to release a timetable for his decision, but is believed to be deciding between Duke, Kentucky and Kansas. With the Blue Devils' and Wildcats' incoming classes currently ranked one-two, the team that lands Bolden could be on its way to securing top-class honors.
Duke continues to ramp up its recruiting efforts in the Class of 2017, with forward D.J. Harvey one of the program's top targets.
DJ Harvey says he wants to visit Oklahoma and Alabama. Says Duke, Arizona, Nova, Texas, NC State working hard
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) January 18, 2016
The high school junior had a chance to showcase his talents Monday when his team faced off against Tatum's in the Hoop Hall Classic. Although Tatum went for 40 points and 14 rebounds, Harvey finished with a double-double of his own with 13 points and 10 rebounds and emerged victorious.
The Blue Devils also remain heavily interested in Wendell Carter—the No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2017. In a recent blog for USA Today HSS, the forward talked about the excitement of talking to coaches and mentioned an entertaining recent conversation with Capel. The five-star recruit also talked about his intention to form a package deal with Gary Trent Jr.—the 15th-ranked recruit in the class.
Duke recently extended a scholarship offer to Class of 2017 prospect Kevin Knox. The forward will visit both the Blue Devils and North Carolina Feb. 12 before taking in Duke's contest against Virginia the following day. In the latest 2017 ESPN 60 rankings, Knox is ranked as the No. 6 recruit and could be a huge get for the Blue Devils.
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