Nolan Smith, a 6-foot-3 guard at Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill, committed in the morning and 6-7 forward Taylor King of perennial national power Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei committed in the evening. Dave Telep, the basketball recruiting analyst of scout.com, ranks Smith as the No. 16 player in the Class of 2007 and has King ranked No. 29.

"It is a tremendous day for Duke," Telep said. "To get commitments from two players in the top 30 has to be a great day."

The commitments are not binding on the school or the players, who can sign national letters of intent in the fall.

Smith is the son of former Louisville star and NBA player Derek Smith but chose the Blue Devils over the Cardinals.

"He is a really good player," Telep said. "He is really a good defensive player who gets after people.

"He is a guy whose father was a star at Louisville and who played in the NBA, but when Duke made a push for him, he committed early to it."

Smith plays alongside senior Tywon Lawson, a UNC commitment, at Oak Hill, which is 21-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country in some polls.

"Nolan's a great shooter, but he wants to make the players around him better," Oak Hill coach Steve Smith said on Wednesday. "When Tywon was out, Nolan stepped over and ran the team. He is a combo guard -- he can run the point or play at the two spot. He is a great shooter."

Nolan Smith averages 16 points per game. He is shooting 62 percent from the floor and 81 percent from the free-throw line.

Nolan Smith told Telep, "It's the environment. I just felt so much love from the coaching staff and everyone at Duke. They made me feel comfortable."

King is a versatile forward.

"He can do lots of things, but the bottom line is that he was recruited because of his shooting ability," Telep said. "Remember how Shane Battier used to come down off the break and hit a jumper? That is what Taylor King brings."

Taylor is averaging 26 points per game for 17-1 Mater Dei.

King said by telephone on Thursday night that he decided that he wanted to go to Duke a week and a half ago. He decided to make his announcement so that the schools that were recruiting him can pursue other players.

"I knew I wanted to go to Duke," King said. "I like everything about it -- the atmosphere, Coach K and the academics."

Although he is travelling cross country for his education, King said his family was supportive.

"The distance wasn't a factor," he said. "I want to win a national championship. I know that we will compete for a national championship at Duke, and I just want to have a successful four years there."

King has been in the national spotlight for years. He committed to UCLA before his freshman season at Mater Dei, but later changed his mind.