Duke Basketball Recruiting: Top Targets in 2015 Early Signing Period

The Duke Blue Devils just moved to No. 1 (per 247Sports) in the recruiting rankings for 2016 after Sunday's commitment from 4-star power forward Javin DeLaurier. It's the Blue Devils' third pledge in this class, along with 5-star guard Frank Jackson and 5-star wing Jayson Tatum.

But they're far from done.

Duke is in deep trying to land several other big names for the 2016-17 season, and even with just one more addition, it will have a shot at locking up the No. 1 spot depending on which player that ends up being.

The early signing period is coming up in November, and here's a look at the top targets the Blue Devils are after right now. Not all of them plan to sign in the fall, but they remain the most sought-after prospects for the future plans.

C Marques Bolden

247Sports

Height, weight: 6'10", 235 lbs.

Ranking: 20th

Schools considering: Alabama, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky

Marques Bolden, the top-rated center in the 2016 class, took his official visit to Duke on Sept. 18, and he was set to go to Kansas last weekend but instead is scheduled to attend the Jayhawks' Late Night in the Phog Midnight Madness event in October. He's also had visits from coaches from the Alabama Crimson Tide and Kentucky Wildcats.

Duke appears to be the overwhelming favorite to get the native of DeSoto, Texas, where current Blue Devils junior guard Matt Jones is from. In 247Sports' Crystal Ball predictor, 71 percent of entries are for Duke, with the other 29 going to Kansas.

All that might be standing in the way of getting Bolden is whether he's impacted by the possibility of other frontcourt players committing to Duke this cycle. That would also be the case at Kansas and Kentucky, which could make Alabama his second-best option.

PF Wenyen Gabriel

247Sports

Height, weight: 6'9", 195 lbs.

Ranking: 16th

Schools considering: Boston College, Connecticut, Duke, Kentucky, Maryland, Providence

Wenyen Gabriel is one of the fastest-rising players in the 2016 class, and with that bump in notoriety has come a long list of big-name suitors. Duke got into the sweepstakes for this long and athletic forward on July 27, a few days before the North Carolina Tar Heels became the 23rd school to offer him a scholarship.

Since then the Blue Devils coaching staff has had plenty of contact with Gabriel, who plays at Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Massachusetts. They checked him out at school on Sept. 23, and an official visit is set up on the Duke campus on Oct. 16. In between he will have visited Kentucky, Providence and Connecticut, and he's also made an official stop at Maryland.

The Maryland Terrapins figure to be Duke's best competition for Gabriel, with 56 percent of the Crystal Ball predictor selections. The recent commitment from fellow power forward Javin DeLaurier to Duke could also impact his decision regarding the Blue Devils.

PF Harry Giles

247Sports

Height, weight: 6'10", 210 lbs.

Ranking: 1st

Schools considering: Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Wake Forest

The ultimate prize in the 2016 recruiting class is Harry Giles, who since the summer has been the No. 1-rated player in the country. If Duke were to secure his services, it would all but guarantee it has the No. 1 overall class.

But when such a commitment will come is up in the air. Giles, who is from High Point, North Carolina, recently transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia so he can play better competition on a game-by-game basis. This will also make it easier for the five schools still on his list to check him out in high-profile matchups, though Duke and the others have had plenty of contact with him.

As of now, Giles is scheduled to make his official visit to Duke on Oct. 30, after checking out Kansas and Kentucky on the previous weekends. There's also the topic of whether Duke commit Jayson Tatum can convince Giles to join him as a package deal.

"I'm staying on my man about joining me at Duke!" Tatum wrote in a blog for USA Today. "When we were in the Bahamas for the Nike event we were roommates and I'd lay the Duke shirt down on the table just to show him how good he’d look in the blue. Looks great on him!"

SG Josh Jackson

247Sports

Height, weight: 6'7", 185 lbs.

Ranking: 2nd

Schools considering: Arizona, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, UCLA

Josh Jackson has a long list of schools that he's still considering, and he seems in no hurry to trim it any further. The Detroit native, who attends a prep school in California, figures to be a lock to not sign until the spring and thus wait to see what needs his suitors have.

When it comes to Duke, it's not heavily pursuing any other shooting guards, but commit Jayson Tatum could play there, and the presence of Grayson Allen, Luke Kennard and Matt Jones on the active roster for 2015-16 makes the need to add another player at that position less of a priority.

Arizona is the leader on the Crystal Ball Predictor, but it has only 31 percent. Duke has zero percent.

Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.