Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum are two of the top players in the 2016 class. They are a good tandem on the court, as seen by their play together for the USA team, and are great friends off the court. While a package deal is not 100%, Giles and Tatum have begun talking about a package deal for college. While package deals do not always work out as planned, we recently saw one of the same magnitude work out in the 2014 class, with Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones committing to Duke. Nothing is guaranteed, but there is a good chance it happens.
Jayson Tatum reiterated that he believes he and Harry Giles will stay together. About the chances, he said "I feel they are very good because we're really good friends and enjoy playing together."
This package deal definitely plays into Wake Forest's favor. Harry Giles is a Winston-Salem native, who has been recruited by Wake Forest since middle school. About Wake Forest, Harry Giles replied "It's right in my hometown of Winston-Salem so I know I'm home - you can't go wrong with that."
Without Harry Giles, it is extremely unlikely that Jayson Tatum would commit to Wake Forest. If Giles were to commit to Wake Forest though, Jayson Tatum would definitely consider. "Yeah I could see Wake Forest being my school if both of us attended there."
While it will be tough for Danny Manning to recruit Giles and Tatum away from the top teams in the country, Giles' location could allow it to happen. Manning will need to prove to the duo that he can prepare them for the NBA. They first goal will be convincing Harry Giles to stay local. Giles appears open to the idea, but it will be a tough sell. From there, Giles and Manning can put their energy into recruit Tatum, which would be a huge duo for Wake Forest.
Beyond the obvious increase in play during the 2016-17 season, commitments from Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum would go a long way in creating a Wake Forest powerhouse, led by Danny Manning. While there are other ways to achieve this, commitments from Giles and Tatum will achieve this before Manning's third season at Wake Forest. The chances may not be great of Danny Manning convincing Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum to attend Wake Forest, but the potential rewards are extremely high. Expect Danny Manning to do everything he can to get this top duo to Wake Forest, and it would not be surprising if Wake Forest is a team in the conversation to the very end.
