They weren't able to make it to Durham for Duke-North Carolina, but Chase Jeter and Jayson Tatum should still be in for a treat Saturday night.
The highly touted duo will be at Cameron Indoor Stadium for No. 4 Duke's contest against Syracuse at 7 p.m. to witness one of the ACC's blooming young rivalries. The Blue Devils and Orange have played three hotly-contested games in their first three battles as conference foes.
Jeter is one of two Duke commits in the class of 2015 and is fresh off his fourth state championship and Tatum is the top small forward in the class of 2016 and is considering becoming a Blue Devil in the future.
A five-star center from Las Vegas, Jeter is the only big man committed to join Duke's squad next year. Shooting guard Luke Kennard—who visited Durham for the Blue Devils' contest against North Carolina Feb. 18—and Jeter currently combine to give Duke the ninth-best recruiting class for next year, according to ESPN. Jeter is a big reason why, as the motor the 6-foot-10 big man plays with allows him to take full advantage of his athleticism and long arms.
Jeter played his high school basketball at one of the top programs in the nation, Bishop Gorman, and concluded his career with a 21-point, 17-rebound effort to lead his team to its fourth straight state championship. The big man committed to Duke Aug. 4, 2014.
It seems unlikely that Tatum will announce a decision as early as Jeter did in his recruiting process, as the 2016 small forward is rumored to have interest in Duke, Kansas and Kentucky, according to 247Sports' crystal ball. The Blue Devils are the slight favorites to land the St. Louis native's services at this point and Saturday marks Tatum's first official visit.
Tatum has the chance to be a dominant swingman at the collegiate level, and is known for his smooth mid-range game, as well as his ability to play from multiple spots on the court.
The possibility of a packaged deal featuring Tatum, five-star power forward Harry Giles, five-star point guard Dennis Smith, Jr., and combo guard Tyus Battle does not seem like an impossible dream for Duke, according to 247Sports, but once again it is very early in the recruiting process.
Keep up with the Blue Zone for all your Blue Devil team news and recruiting news as the season draws to a close and check back every Tuesday for weekly recruiting roundups.
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