Zachary Lyon:
Future150 Regional Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball: NC, SC & VA
Durham, NC (Future150) -- The Big Dance is finally here and while everyone would like to cut down the nets, there can only be one champion. That being said, there is always the chance that the next season could be better than the last. With that in mind, Future150 would like to introduce "The Next Step", a segment dedicated to breaking down each program's recruiting class as they bow out of the tournament; because theres' always next season.
Duke knocked UNC-Wilmington and Yale out in the first two rounds, but couldn't get past a super athletic Oregon Ducks team. What's the next step for Coach K's squad?
Duke is surely losing Marshall Plumlee to graduation and Brandon Ingram to the NBA Draft. There is also a good possibility sophomore sensation Grayson Allen decides to leave early for the NBA Draft. So who's heading to Durham next season?
Coach K has continued his dominance on the recruiting trail bringing in arguably the #1 class in the country that includes the #2 player in the nation in Harry Giles and the #3 player in Jayson Tatum. The class also includes five star CG Frank Jackson, four star PF Javin DeLaurier, and Australian CF Jack White.
This class starts and ends with superstars Giles and Tatum. Giles is a 6'10 ultra versatile forward from WInston-Salem, North Carolina. He is so special because of the skillset that he possesses with his size and strength. He can run the floor in transition, score the ball from all three levels, and is a nightmare to deal with on the glass.
With Tatum the Blue Devils are getting another versatile weapon that will be capable of playing multiple positions. He has a certain smoothness to his game that you don't see in many other prospects his age. His mid-range pull up and slashing abilities are his bread and butter on offense. If he can become efficient from the three point line, he will be virtually unstoppable on the offensive end.
Next up comes Frank Jackson out of Lone Peak, Utah. Once committed to BYU, Jackson is a super athletic combo guard that can score from all three levels with ease. It will be interesting to see what kind of role he carves out in the backcourt among Derryck Thornton, Luke Kennard, Matt Jones, and possibly Allen.
The last two pieces of this recruiting class may not have as big of an immediate impact as the first three will but they will both be vital pieces to Duke down the road. DeLaurier is a four man out of Shipman, Virginia that thrives off of rebounding, offensive tip-ins, and putback dunks. His development at Duke will be interesting to watch.
Duke's latest addition to their 2016 class came from Austrailian forward Jack White. White is said to be a decent scorer on offense and has good length which he uses to his advantage to shoot over the top of the defense as well as block shots and protect the paint on the defensive end.
With veterans Matt Jones, and Amile Jefferson returning along with the young core of Derryck Thornton, Luke Kennard, Chase Jeter, plus a loaded five man class, expect Duke to be preseason #1 and many folks picks to cut down the nets during the 2016-17 season.
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