Five-star forward Jayson Tatum commits to Duke
Five-star forward Jayson Tatum has committed to Duke.
A 6'8" small forward, Tatum picked Duke over Kentucky, North Carolina and his hometown school, Saint Louis. Tatum, a St. Louis native, becomes Duke's first commitment in the Class of 2016.
Tatum announced his decision Sunday after playing in a semifinal game at the Nike Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C. with his St. Louis Eagles team. The Eagles completed a 23-point comeback after guard Jordan Barnes hit a double-clutch, fadeaway game winning three from the right wing against Team CP3, which were led by another top 2016 recruit, power forward Harry Giles.
Speculation has surrounded the college commitments of Tatum and Giles, who have discussed playing together at the next level. They recently teamed up on internationally to win the U19 World Championships in Greece with Team USA.
Tatum told SI.com this week regarding the package deal with Giles: “I don’t want to say 100%, but [it’s] something we talk about a lot. Good friend of mine, great player.”
Also of note, Tatum made waves around the internet after a thunderous dunk on a defender at the U19 Worlds, which you can watch below.
• JOHNSON: Tatum proving to be cream of 2016 crop
- Jeremy Woo
