No. 2 Giles commits to Duke
What a week it was for five-star power forward Harry Giles. The nation's No. 2 player suffered a likely season ending knee injury on Tuesday during his first game with Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill. But, it wasn't all tough news for Giles, who committed to Duke on ESPN's Sportscenter on Friday afternoon.
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BREAKING DOWN GILES: The attributes that have turned Giles into one of the most elite prospects in a 2016 class that is full of them are easy to see the minute he steps on the floor. He has ideal size at 6-foot-10, he has long arms and he is a very good athlete who runs the floor like a much smaller player.
As much as Giles checks all of the boxes on the checklist of physical attributes, it is his skill that separates him from the pack. He handles the ball proficiently for a big man and is always a threat to grab a rebound and race coast to coast with it for a basket. He has good hands, good touch and is comfortable scoring with either hand near the rim or with short jump hooks. More recently, Giles has extended his shooting range to where he's very reliable to 17 feet and on top of that he's an outstanding passer out of the low post.
The knee injury is the second of Giles' high school career and there are going to be obvious questions about when he will be back at full strength and how quickly he will be able to make an impact. But, there aren't any questions about Giles tools or ability.
IN HIS OWN WORDS: "Next school year I will be attending Duke University," Giles said during the broadcast. "I feel like Duke was the place for me. Every time I go to Duke it feels like home. Every time I talk to coach K it is a special feeling. Ever time we talk, it is always the same feeling, it feels great."
RIVALS' REACTION: Duke had been considered the leader on Giles for quite some time, so it's no surprise to see him pick the Blue Devils. However, Mike Krzyzewski and his staff still had to seal the deal and they are undoubtedly excited. By adding Giles to the mix, the Blue Devils will move from No. 2 to No. 1 in the 2016 team rankings when they are updated on Signing Day next week. Giles joins the No. 3, No. 10 and No. 41 ranked players in 2016 in small forward Jayson Tatum, combo guard Frank Jackson and power forward Javin DeLaurier.
WHAT'S NEXT?: The Blue Devils are still very much in play for at least one more five-star player in the class of 2016. Center Marques Bolden is still in their sites and they'll look to try and finish things out by landing him.
