Duke Basketball Recruiting – Jahlil Okafor & Tyus Jones May Not be the Dynamic Duo

By David Aldridge:

"One of the biggest ideas in Duke basketball recruiting circles over the past few months has been that Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones, two of the top recruits in the class of 2014, would commit to Duke in a package deal. Jones is the top ranked point guard while Okafor is the top big man in the class of 2014.

Both players have talked openly about wanting to play together in college so it’s not a stretch that they could become Blue Devils, but it’s still early in the recruiting process and many things could change.

Jones and Okafor are considering Duke, Baylor, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, and Ohio State. If Mike Krzyzewski and his staff are able to land these two top prospects, they’ll have to earn it by beating out some of the other top recruiters in college basketball.

An article recently surfaced that Duke was the current leader in the recruitment of Jahlil Okafor. The report was based on comments from Okafor’s AAU coach, Mike Irvin, that he thought Duke had a great chance to land Okafor and Jones.

Okafor and his father quickly refuted the comments, stating he currently has no leader and that he wants to go through the full recruiting process before making his decision.

This might be creating some nervous anxiety among Duke fans who were already dreaming of pick-and-roll’s between Jones and Okafor in Cameron Indoor Stadium, but it’s simply a reminder that things are always fluid in the world of recruiting.

It’s also not a lock that the top high school point guard and top big man will eventually team up in college. Along with the schools both players are considering, Jahlil Okafor is also interested in Arizona and Illinois, while Tyus Jones has Minnesota on his list of schools.

As Jahlil Okafor’s father stated in an interview with ESPNChicago, “The ultimate goal is for both the boys to play together, but they may not find a situation that fits them both.”

Nothing is guaranteed.

While Duke will certainly be in the running to land both players and the staff has clearly made both guys a top priority for the class of 2014, the Blue Devils are pursuing many other excellent players in addition to Jones and Okafor. Duke has already received a commitment from four-star guard Grayson Allen and they are still being considered by multiple five-star players, including Kevon Looney, Justise Winslow, Myles Turner and Goodluck Okonoboh.

For a roster that already features some great young talent, the possibility of adding multiple five-star recruits in the class of 2014 means Coach K will keep the momentum rolling through the next couple years, even if that doesn’t include Tyus Jones or Jahlil Okafor.

The Duke basketball program is bigger than two gifted high school recruits. And if they chose to play elsewhere, Duke fans can wish them well and be excited about the other fantastic players Mike Krzyzewski recruits."

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Duke Basketball Recruiting – Jahlil Okafor & Tyus Jones May Not be the Dynamic Duo