Duke Basketball: Early Recruiting Wish List for 2016

Mike Krzyzewski has quickly reloaded Duke’s basketball roster after the mass exodus to the NBA. Duke is losing a combined 57 points per game from the three freshmen (Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow) who declared for the draft as well as senior leadership from Quinn Cook.

It initially appeared as if Duke was facing a potential down year in 2015–16, but the coaching staff was able to convince 5-star recruit Derryck Thornton to graduate from high school early and come to campus, and Duke received another boost when small forward Brandon Ingram committed to the Blue Devils earlier this week.

As Duke has ensconced itself in the world of recruiting likely one-and-done players, sweating out late commitments may become the norm over the next few years. Players are waiting longer than ever to choose a college because they like to see who leaves which program and evaluate how much playing time is available at each school before choosing a team.

While this year’s freshmen shined bright and left quickly, the new recruiting class may stick around longer. Of the five incoming freshmen (Ingram, Thornton, Chase Jeter, Luke Kennard and Antonio Vrankovic), Ingram is the only one highly likely to leave after one year, and he may need a couple of years in college to add weight to his slim frame.

Duke will have just two seniors (Marshall Plumlee and Amile Jefferson) next season, so if this year’s recruits stay on campus for a while, the Blue Devils may not have to scramble as much in recruiting for 2016–17. However, with two hot-shot in-state prospects considering Duke and a potential package deal in play, here are the players Duke fans should start following in the class of 2016.

Jayson Tatum

Currently listed as the No. 3 player in the 247sports.com Composite Rankings, Tatum is a 6’8” small forward from St. Louis, Mo. While many players still have a long list of schools they are considering, Tatum has already trimmed his list to Duke, UNC, Kentucky and Saint Louis.

If Ingram declares for the draft after next season, Duke will have a need for another tall small forward who is capable of playing power forward in small-ball lineups. Tatum would fit right into the roster and likely be an immediate contributor, if not a star.

Getting Tatum would be another great coup for the Duke program, and it could have an added benefit. Tatum has discussed the possibility of committing as a package deal with two of the other elite recruits in his class, who both happened to have grown up about an hour away from Durham.

Harry Giles

The second-ranked recruit by 247sports, Giles is a 6’10” power forward who is known as a monster dunker and beast on the glass. He’s from nearby Winston-Salem, and getting Giles on campus would make a second straight year that Duke has been able to get an in-state blue chip recruit to commit, something the program has not exactly been known for.

With Jefferson and Plumlee gone after next season, Duke could possibly go into 2016–17 with just Jeter, Sean Obi and Vrankovic as the only bigs on the roster. Jeter’s slim frame could cause him to struggle, and as just a 3-star recruit, Vrankovic is not likely to be an impact player at Duke.

Getting either Tatum or Giles would be huge for Duke’s outlook in 2016–17, and getting both of them would likely make the Devils a Top Five team in the preseason. Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor are a tough act to follow as a package deal coming to Duke, but Tatum and Giles have the talent to potentially re-create their on-court success.

Dennis Smith Jr.

Smith is another in-state prospect who could make an immediate impact for the Blue Devils. Rated as the top point guard and fourth overall in his class, Smith hails from Fayetteville, N.C., and attends Trinity Christian School in Greenville, N.C.

Many people have written Duke off as a landing spot for Smith after Thornton’s commitment and reclassification, but Duke could still be a great landing spot for Smith even with Thornton. It was just last summer that everyone was saying Cook would spend his senior year sitting on the bench behind Jones, only to see the players mesh perfectly on the court and help Duke to a national championship.

Even without Smith, Duke will likely enter the 2016–17 season as a national title contender. If Coach K and his staff are able to use the dual success of Jones and Cook to persuade Smith to join Thornton in the backcourt, Duke could have one of its most talented teams ever in a couple of years.

The Others

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

At this point, Duke is still in the running for a number of other recruits, many of whom are also highly ranked. Here are some of the most notable remaining targets for the Blue Devils.

• Tyus Battle - 6'6" shooting guard from Edison, N.J.

Battle's highlight video

• Udoka Azubuike - 6'10" center from Jacksonville, Fla.

Azubuike's highlight video

• Frank Jackson - 6'3" point guard from American Fork, Utah

Jackson's highlight video

• Jay Huff - 6'10" power forward from Durham, N.C.

Huff's highlight video

Duke's potential recruits for the class of 2016 will become a lot clearer after the summer evaluation period. Hopefully Coach K and the staff are able to put together another highly ranked class that can continue Duke's winning tradition.