Starting Five: Knox decision aftermath

Five-star senior Kevin Knox pulled off a bit of a surprise when he picked Kentucky over the weekend. Where does that leave the others chasing him? Which positional battle in 2018 is the most compelling and where does Trevon Duval end up are among the other topics in this week's Starting Five.

Now that Kevin Knox has picked Kentucky, where does that leave those that missed out him -- Duke, Florida State, Missouri and North Carolina -- and can they make up for him with a 2017 player?

Duke: The swing and miss on Knox was a tough one for the Blue Devils. Especially since they've had a strong history with players like him (Jayson Tatum, Jabari Parker, Justise Winslow and more). Even though he's a guard, Frank Jackson pulling out of the NBA Draft and coming back for his sophomore season would be huge, but the reality is the Blue Devils need a big wing. On Sunday, they offered four-star Jordan Tucker who has also been considering Georgia Tech, Syracuse and Oregon.

Florida State: Though missing on Knox hurts, the Seminoles aren't totally out of it for a big-time wing in the class of 2017. They remain in the mix for five-star shooting guard M.J. Walker and after some recent speculation that Virginia Tech had taken the lead after an official visit, FSU is pushing again and remains a legitimate threat for his signature.

Missouri: It was nice that Missouri was able to get Knox on campus, but new coach Cuonzo Martin and the Tigers were always considered a long shot. With 2017's top player Michael Porter Jr. in the fold, Knox wasn't a must-get either. There's not another big wing out there for the Tigers to pursue, but they still have an ace in the hole in Porter's younger brother Jontay Porter. Currently a five-star big man in the class of 2018, Porter has been mulling over the possibility of enrolling as a 2017 prospect and as of now Rivals.com would bet that Porter ends up making that move to 2017. Also still on the table is top 50 big man Jeremiah Tilmon, who the Tigers appear to lead for.

North Carolina: Knox picking Kentucky may have the biggest impact on UNC. With Justin Jackson going pro, the Heels had huge minutes for a big wing and they don't have a lot of options to fill that role. It puts pressure on Theo Pinson to take a big step forward next season and makes finding a big wing from the class of 2018 a major priority. Though he's not a jump shooter, the guy would appear to be the current No. 2 player in the junior class Zion Williamson and the Heels are in decent shape with him. After Williamson, though, UNC hasn't been linked with a lot of big wings so they'll be searching this summer.

Analyst Corey Evans touched on the subject last week in his Twitter Tuesday column, but when looking at positional battles in the class of 2018, none appears more intriguing than the battle for top point guard in the class honors. The class does not appear to have a surefire one-and-done type point guard, but there is some depth and a big group of players closely grouped together.

Currently ranked the top PG in the class, Darius Garland has done a nice job holding serve. However, separation between himself and others like five-stars Javonte Smart and Immanuel Quickley plus four-stars Jahvon Quinerly, Tre Jones, Courtney Ramey, Ayo Dosunmu, Devon Dotson and perhaps even David Duke isn't as wide as their rankings suggest. At a minimum, Quinerly, Jones and Dosunmu have made compelling arguments for five-star status while Ramey, Dotson and Duke have all made plays to move up in the rankings.

It won't be until at least the end of June before we rank these guys again, but it wouldn't be a surprise for all of them to end up in the top 30 range and though 2018 is a relatively average class overall, the point guards are looking like a strength and there should be plenty of them to go around.

Keeping with the theme of lead guards, Jalen Carey is another who has had a huge spring. A natural combo guard who can run the show a bit but is best sliding over to be a primary wing scorer, Carey has been crushing it for the New Jersey-based Playaz Basketball Club averaging 17.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in Nike's EYBL. As a result the offers have flooded in.

Since the beginning of April's two live evaluation periods, Carey has added offers from Kansas, Miami, Florida, Indiana, Texas, Notre Dame and Syracuse. Carey can add those to previous offers from programs like UConn, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and many others.

DePaul hosted class of 2019 point guard Tyger Campbell over the weekend for an unofficial visit and that movement is something to watch because the Blue Demons appear to have legitimate action here.

Keep in mind, DePaul recently hired Campbell's coach Shane Heirman as an assistant and the two have a great relationship. Nothing is ever certain in recruiting, but it wouldn't be a shock if Campbell ultimately ended up following Heirman to Chicago. Perhaps even more important to keep an eye on is whether or not Campbell stays in 2019 or elects to move to the class of 2018.

At the Ballislife All-American Game, 2017's top point guard Trevon Duval told our Krysten Peek that he'll have his decision date very soon. With an announcement imminent, the big question is where will Duval end up?

The finalists are Arizona, Baylor, Duke, Kansas and Seton Hall. There will undoubtedly be plenty of rumors over the next few days and every tweet he makes, t-shirt a family member wears and move that's made will be scrutinized. But, as Duval nears the finish line we give Duke the edge.