2016 Basketball Recruiting Thread

[Kedsy]

There's also the problem that it's impossible to know who the one-and-dones of the 2017 draft will be at this point.

Exactly. Is the OP OK with recruiting a "two and through" player? How can you tell the difference when these kids are sophomores or juniors in high school?

[MCFinARL]

Exactly. Is the OP OK with recruiting a "two and through" player? How can you tell the difference when these kids are sophomores or juniors in high school?

This has got to be one of the biggest challenges coaches face in recruiting these days--as teams reach out to younger and younger players, there is a real premium on identifying players who will work well in your program early, and a coach who gets in early on players who may bloom late can realize some major successes--unless big time programs swoop in at the end and steal the prize.

[FerryFor50]

Exactly. Is the OP OK with recruiting a "two and through" player? How can you tell the difference when these kids are sophomores or juniors in high school?

As long as Duke keeps recruiting smart, high characters kids like Kyrie Irving, Austin Rivers and Jabari Parker, who cares if they leave after a year?

I just don't want Duke recruiting guys like DeMarcus Cousins... guys that make you wish they weren't associated with your school.

[flyingdutchdevil]

As long as Duke keeps recruiting smart, high characters kids like Kyrie Irving, Austin Rivers and Jabari Parker, who cares if they leave after a year?

I just don't want Duke recruiting guys like DeMarcus Cousins... guys that make you wish they weren't associated with your school.

Also, if our players can read at a minimum fifth grade level, that would be a huge plus

[Henderson]

As long as Duke keeps recruiting smart, high characters kids like Kyrie Irving, Austin Rivers and Jabari Parker, who cares if they leave after a year?

I do. But I'm still glad we recruit them. Not recruiting the best players makes no sense at all. If OAD (or TAT) is a problem, it's systemic and should be addressed at that level, not by sacrificing the program to make a point. Plus, sometimes a great coach can develop a raw talent into an NBA-caliber player,* and surely no one would suggest the coach back off so that the player stays longer. Sean Obi may be such a player.

*BTW, I think this is rare and don't believe generally that coaches "produce" NBA players.

[jimsumner]

There's also the problem that it's impossible to know who the one-and-dones of the 2017 draft will be at this point.

At this point we don't even know if there will be one-and-dones in the 2017 draft.

[roywhite]

Exactly. Is the OP OK with recruiting a "two and through" player? How can you tell the difference when these kids are sophomores or juniors in high school?

I like the term.

That would leave:
3 and flee
4 or more (with a nod to redshirts and transfers)

As you say, pretty hard to identify these categories during the recruiting process, and it's tricky to balance a team with experience and talent these days.

[roywhite]

Seeing a new name of interest for the 2016 class, Udoka Azubuike, a Nigerian-born 6'10" big man now on the roster of Potter's House Christian Academy in Jacksonville, FL.

[FerryFor50]

Seeing a new name of interest for the 2016 class, Udoka Azubuike, a Nigerian-born 6'10" big man now on the roster of Potter's House Christian Academy in Jacksonville, FL.

Wouldn't it just be easier to call it "Hogwart's"?

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Wouldn't it just be easier to call it "Hogwart's"?

Gryffindor

[roywhite]

2016 Top 150 Rankings

#2 Harry Giles
#3 Thon Maker
#4 Jayson Tatum
#5 Dennis Smith
#7 Udoka Azubuike
#25 Tyus Battle

[tommy]

Best I can tell, this is what our list of '16 recruiting targets looks like:

Thon Maker, 7'0" C, Virginia. Top of many rankings, likely to re-classify to 2015. Great ballhandling skills for a guy his size, and good shooter. Very long, but very skinny. Needs to play much more on the inside.
Jayson Tatum, 6'8" SF, St. Louis. Superstar-to-be, so naturally, everybody wants him.
Harry Giles, 6'9" F, High Point, NC. We're right there for this big-time recruit.
Dennis Smith, Jr. 6'2" PG, Greenville, NC. Super quick, excellent handle. Many have him as the top PG in the class. We're recruiting this kid hard.
Tyus Battle, 6'5" wing, New Jersey. Lots of elite level competition to get this kid, who does it all.
Juwan Durham, 6'9" PF, Tampa. Maybe the best power player in the class, which is short on those types of kids.
Seventh Woods, 6'2" SG, South Carolina. Seems like a backup plan to Smith. Stock maybe dropping a bit lately.
Eron Gordon, 6'2" G, Indiana. Brother of Eric. Had him on campus last week. I don't see him in a Duke uniform, from what I've heard.
Josh Langford, 6'6" SG, Alabama.
Edrice Adebayo, 6'8" PF, Pinetown, NC.
Udoka Azebuike, 6'10" PF, Jacksonville, NC

Obviously, as these kids are just rising juniors, this list is going to change, perhaps change a lot as kids improve and get on the radar and others fall off for various reasons. But to the best of my knowledge, this list should give a pretty good idea of where we are right now. Looking forward to seeing a lot of these kids in Vegas and LA in the coming weeks.

[rhynelander]

If Tyus Jones sticks around for more than two seasons, there's a chance we could run a all Tyus backcourt. Tyus Battle picked up an offer today.

http://duke.247sports.com/Bolt/5-Sta...-Duke-29689420

Also three of our top 2016 targets and another one who we've been in contact with are planning on talking about a package deal. I know it's a ways out, and package deals fall through more often than not, but maybe Jah and Tyus will show its a great move. Smith Jr., Tatum and Giles would be scary out there with Sean, Semi, Matt, Grayson and maybe Luke.

http://zagsblog.com/articles/kentuck...h-harry-giles/

[roywhite]

If Tyus Jones sticks around for more than two seasons, there's a chance we could run a all Tyus backcourt. Tyus Battle picked up an offer today.

http://duke.247sports.com/Bolt/5-Sta...-Duke-29689420

Battle sounds like the kind of wing shooter that Coach K likes.

Tyus Battle Scout.com profile

Battle is a big-time perimeter shooter with easy range from downtown and also is a capable pull-up shooter who elevates very high off the dribble. He's a fine handler as well with an above-average first step, and thus he can play without the ball or use it to create for himself. He's slender but not frail, and over time he should develop ample strength to play on both ends of the court. He's also an above-average athlete

[johnb]

an article on Tyus Battle from a nj newspaper, today:

"Duke is significant from a historical perspective," Gary Battle, Tyus's father, said. "...when Tyus started playing, when he was skilling and drilling, ...he was working in the same gym that Jay Williams did back in the early 2000s, and Luol Deng, who I used to work out with once in a while. So he knew those kids when he was little. He used to root for (Duke) because Luol played for that team.

"We've been Duke fans just because of the closeness of the people in the program. Tyus, we're just a basketball family and we're basketball fans. (The offer) was obviously a big deal."

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/...d-tyus-battle/

Obviously, he'll look around and doesn't graduate until 2016, but I'd say that early experiences with Jay and Luol have to help our chances of getting him...

[Henderson]

an article on Tyus Battle from a nj newspaper, today:

"Duke is significant from a historical perspective," Gary Battle, Tyus's father, said. "...when Tyus started playing, when he was skilling and drilling, ...he was working in the same gym that Jay Williams did back in the early 2000s, and Luol Deng, who I used to work out with once in a while. So he knew those kids when he was little. He used to root for (Duke) because Luol played for that team.

"We've been Duke fans just because of the closeness of the people in the program. Tyus, we're just a basketball family and we're basketball fans. (The offer) was obviously a big deal."

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/...d-tyus-battle/

Obviously, he'll look around and doesn't graduate until 2016, but I'd say that early experiences with Jay and Luol have to help our chances of getting him...

Thanks for the link. I liked this quote too: "Coach K is a Hall of Fame coach, the USA basketball coach and everything else," Gary Battle said.

K's involvement with USA Basketball has been, and continues to be, a big plus for recruiting. It seems so obvious, but I remember when people were asking whether it would be a distraction for him. "[A]nd everything else." Like character building? Like a Duke education? Like becoming a member of a life-long basketball family on which to draw later in life?

[SilkyJ]

an article on Tyus Battle from a nj newspaper, today:

"Duke is significant from a historical perspective," Gary Battle, Tyus's father, said. "...when Tyus started playing, when he was skilling and drilling, ...he was working in the same gym that Jay Williams did back in the early 2000s, and Luol Deng, who I used to work out with once in a while. So he knew those kids when he was little. He used to root for (Duke) because Luol played for that team.

"We've been Duke fans just because of the closeness of the people in the program. Tyus, we're just a basketball family and we're basketball fans. (The offer) was obviously a big deal."

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/...d-tyus-battle/

Obviously, he'll look around and doesn't graduate until 2016, but I'd say that early experiences with Jay and Luol have to help our chances of getting him...

Good read. Quick Question: Tyus is a 2016 prospect, no? Is he reclassifying?

[CarmenWallaceWade]

Thanks for the link. I liked this quote too: "Coach K is a Hall of Fame coach, the USA basketball coach and everything else," Gary Battle said.

K's involvement with USA Basketball has been, and continues to be, a big plus for recruiting. It seems so obvious, but I remember when people were asking whether it would be a distraction for him. "[A]nd everything else." Like character building? Like a Duke education? Like becoming a member of a life-long basketball family on which to draw later in life?

Really like our chances here. They seem to love Duke and have for a while. I read somewhere that Battle's Dad used to call his son when he was young and pretended to be Coach K offering him a scholarship.

[tommy]

Good read. Quick Question: Tyus is a 2016 prospect, no? Is he reclassifying?

Yes, he is 2016. Mods may want to consider moving the Tyus Battle-related posts to the 2016 recruiting thread.

[conmanlhughes]

This really puts a damper on our chance to obtain him. Love his ability to stretch the floor AND play defense.

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcspor...ll-reclassify/