Lets start this week with an update on the Class of 2016. Although the Blue Devils remain focused on landing a package deal consisting of Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Dennis Smith Jr., Duke has turned its recruitment in a different direction starting with point guard Frank Jackson.
The 6-foot-3 guard originally committed to BYU in September 2013 only to decommit last December following a strong season at Lone Peak High School. The Alpine, Utah native began to receive serious interest from a number of programs including Stanford, Maryland and Duke and landed offers from the Cardinal and Terrapins. During the guard's visit to campus Monday, Jackson picked up an offer from the Blue Devils and now appears to be a highly coveted Duke target—especially if the aforementioned Smith commits to N.C. State as many expect.
One of the reasons Duke delayed offering the five-star talent could be the 2-year religious mission Jackson was scheduled to take before entering college. The mission would prevent the guard from taking the court for the Blue Devils until 2018. But, Jackson seems to have recently decided to postpone his mission until his playing career was over.
As for his performance on the court, the guard—who is the No. 20 prospect in the 2016 ESPN 100—dazzled at the NBPA Top 100 Camp with his playmaking ability and shooting off the dribble. Jackson also threw down an impressive poster dunk that caught the eyes of many in attendance.
Moving to the Class of 2017, Duke offered five-star point guard Trae Young a scholarship during his visit to campus this weekend.
The Norman, Okla., native also had an impressive NBPA Top 100 Camp and appears to be one of the fastest-rising junior prospects.
Staying with the class of 2017, the Blue Devils also offered center DeAndre Ayton a scholarship this week. Ayton is the top-ranked player according in his class according to ESPN and currently has offers from powerhouses such as Arizona, Kentucky and Kansas.
Another junior receiving serious interest from the Blue Devils is 6-foot-7 power forward Jarred Vanderbilt. The Houston native is currently the third-ranked prospect in the 2017 ESPN 60 and said that Duke is among the school's recruiting him the hardest.
Lastly, two Class of 2016 prospects formerly recruited by Duke have reopened their recruitment—though the Blue Devils seem to have moved on from both.
Guard Tyus Battle decommitted from Michigan, and visited Syracuse this past weekend. Although Battle was long thought to be headed to Duke to join Tatum and Giles in a star-studded class of 2016, the Edison, N.J., native will likely be deciding between Syracuse, Michigan and Notre Dame. Power forward Sacha Killeya-Jones originally spurned the Blue Devils for Virginia, but decommitted after the Cavaliers began pursuing other power forwards. Since his decomittment, Jones has been offered by both Kentucky and North Carolina and it is unclear if the Blue Devils have any intention of re-entering his recruitment.
That’s all for this week’s recruiting roundup. Be sure to stay with the Blue Zone for your latest recruiting news.
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