Frank Jackson to Duke: Projecting Blue Devils' 2016-17 Rotation with 5-Star PG

The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team still has to figure out its lineup for this upcoming season, but with Tuesday's commitment from 5-star point guard Frank Jackson, the 2016-17 rotation is already starting to take shape.

Jackson, a 6'3" prospect from Utah who picked the Blue Devils over the Arizona Wildcats, BYU Cougars, Stanford Cardinal and Utah Utes, is Duke's second pledge in the 2016 class. In July, the team got a commitment from 5-star small forward Jayson Tatum of St. Louis, and combined with the current players who are expected to be on the team a year from now, head coach Mike Krzyzewski will have a formidable group at his disposal.

How will he use all the star power that's headed his way in 2016-17? Check out our projected playing rotation with the most likely starting lineup and the top reserves off the bench.

Point Guard

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Projected starter: Frank Jackson

Though NBADraft.net's 2016 mock draft doesn't list incoming freshman Derryck Thornton, the 18-year-old may have decided to reclassify from the 2016 class to play in college this season so he could start his NBA career a year earlier.

With that in mind, Duke made sure to get a point guard commitment for 2016-17 to avoid uncertainty at the position like it had for this upcoming season as recently as April. After Tyus Jones turned pro, there were no legitimate 1-guards on the roster until Thornton came aboard later in the month.

Jackson's decision to commit to Duke undoubtedly involved an expectation to play right away. Kyle Goon of the Salt Lake Tribune reported that Jackson no longer intends to go on an LDS church mission before college, as he had previously considered.

If Thornton were to return in 2016-17, thus giving Duke two high-caliber point guards, Jackson could shift over to the 2 and concentrate on his slashing and shooting.

Shooting Guard

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Projected starter: Luke Kennard

The all-time Ohio high school scoring leader averaged 38.1 points per game as a senior in 2014-15, but as a college freshman this year, he'll have to fight for playing time with sophomore Grayson Allen and junior Matt Jones. Come his second season, though, Luke Kennard should have the shooting guard position mostly to himself and will get to show off his explosive scoring ability.

Jones should still be around, unless he opts not to be Duke's lone senior in 2016-17, but he'll be more of a leader and mentor than a high-minute playmaker. Allen, who last season was in the position Kennard expects to be in this fall, is primed to have a big year in 2015-16 as one of the Blue Devils' go-to scorers, and he may parlay that success into a jump to the NBA draft after his sophomore season.

The 6'5" Kennard shot 59.3 percent from the field and 49.0 percent from three-point range during his senior year of high school, and he'll likely be Duke's perimeter sharpshooter in 2016-17 while also exhibiting the most all-around energy on the team.

Small Forward

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Projected starter: Jayson Tatum

When Tatum committed to Duke in July, Alec Brzezinski of Sporting News described him as "a 6'8" wing player who can shoot from the perimeter or drive to the basket." Though Tatum is slightly taller than the 2014-15 star, Brzezinski's words accurately describe what Justise Winslow was capable of and showed throughout the Blue Devils' championship season.

Duke is also expecting similar production this coming year from freshman Brandon Ingram, a 6'9" forward who—because of his thin, 190-pound frame—figures to be suited to play the 3 rather than spending much time in the paint.

Ingram is the best bet to head to the NBA draft among Duke's 2015-16 players, as NBADraft.net projects him to be the No. 8 pick next June. And while Jones is capable of handling the wing, he's only 6'5" and not as athletic as Tatum—and thus is unlikely to get the nod over the newcomer.

Power Forward

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Projected starter: Harry Giles

We're jumping the gun here a bit, since the top-rated player in the 2016 class hasn't made his college decision yet. But the 6'10" North Carolina prospect has spoken publicly about the possibility of being part of a so-called "package deal" with Tatum, and Giles may be even more interested in coming to Durham with Jackson also on board for 2016-17.

"It's definitely still a possibility," Giles told USA Today's Jason Jordan. "I'm definitely looking at the other schools on my list just as hard, though. We'll see what happens. We're best friends so I literally talk or text with [Tatum] a few times a day."

Of the 36 entries in 247Sports' Crystal Ball Predictor, 75 percent have Giles headed to Duke.

As it stands, Giles is planning to make official visits to Wake Forest (Sept. 19), North Carolina (Sept. 25), Kansas (Oct. 10) and Kentucky (Oct. 16) before checking out Duke on Oct. 31, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (via 247Sports).

Giles was dominant for Team USA at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship this summer, averaging 14.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. He ate up defenders at the 4 and would do the same for Duke in 2016-17.

Center

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Projected starter: Chase Jeter

The 6'10" Chase Jeter could start at either the 4 or the 5 for Duke this season as a freshman, depending on how Rice transfer Sean Obi looks during the preseason. But in his sophomore year, especially if Giles joins the Blue Devils, Jeter would fit best as the team's center.

He won't be as physical a force at the position as Jahlil Okafor was in 2014-15, but his 240-pound frame does have room to put on muscle. If Jeter continues to get stronger, his offensive game will be as integral as the defense that he's already known for.

Jeter averaged double digits in points and rebounds as both a junior and a senior at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, and his leaping ability would make him a fearsome shot-blocker at the 5.

Bench

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Key reserves: Matt Jones, Sean Obi

Jones started 18 games in his first two seasons, including the final 14 of 2014-15 after replacing Amile Jefferson in the lineup, but he may begin this upcoming year on the bench again, backing up Duke's latest crop of newcomers. The same should be the case in 2016-17 if he remains with the program, at which time he'd be the Blue Devils' only senior.

The 6'9", 265-pound Obi, a transfer from Rice who sat out the 2014-15 season, is in line to start at center this fall or share a reserve post role with Marshall Plumlee. A year later, Obi will likely strictly be a backup, though he should be the first big man off the bench.

Additional bench minutes could come from 2015-16 freshmen Antonio Vrankovic and Justin Robinson as well as any other players Duke is able to sign in the 2016 class.

All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.