Mike DeCourcy

The month of July is for barbecues, baseball, beer and … hoops?

If you think one of those doesn't fit, you didn't spend the first full week of July chasing the country's best high school ballers as the NCAA's summer evaluation period began.

These are some of the important vacancies top programs will be looking to fill:

Washington
Primary need: frontcourt size. The Huskies built a fearsome perimeter arsenal and need big bodies to complement that group.

Key target: Josh Smith, 6-9, Kent, Wash. UW has done its best recruiting in keeping great players home. Smith is a 270-pound force in the low post.

Others pursuing Smith: UCLA, Texas, Louisville, UConn, Duke.

Connecticut
Primary need: wing scoring. The Huskies' lack of perimeter depth was exposed when Jerome Dyson went down last season, and he's only got another year.

Key target: Tobias Harris, 6-7, Dix Hills, N.Y. Harris excelled attacking the rim at the LeBron James Skills Academy. He is ranked No. 29 nationally by Scout.com.

Others pursuing Harris: Georgia Tech, Louisville, Syracuse, Maryland, six more.

Duke
Primary need: Program-changer. The Devils built depth in their recruiting class with three commitments. Freshmen Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly are promising bigs. They need someone to elevate all this, as Christian Laettner or Jason Williams once did.

Key target: Harrison Barnes, 6-8, Ames, Iowa. The No. 1 player in 2010, Barnes relies on strength, quickness and intelligence. "From a year ago until now, I thought I made huge strides," he said. "But I think there's still a long way to go from here."

Others pursuing Barnes: Kansas, North Carolina, Iowa State, six more.

Indiana

Jim Rogash / Getty Images The Week in Sports Pictures The nation grieved for those hurt, killed and affected by the Boston Marathon bombings. After one of the suspects was caught on Friday — following a day-long lockdown and manhunt — sports returned to Boston over the weekend.

Primary need: Guard play. IU has abundant needs as coach Tom Crean continues reconstructing from the implosion that preceded his arrival. But a great guard can make an immediate difference.

Key target: Kyrie Irving, 6-2, Elizabeth, N.J. Observers debate whether he's a point or a shooting guard. Irving answers: "I'm known for scoring, but I just want to be a complete point guard."

Others pursuing Irving: Duke, Kentucky, Notre Dame, six more.

Also on NBCSports.com Posnanski: Emrick still rises above the rest What does retirement hold for Beckham? Oxbow ruins Orb's Triple Crown bid at Preakness Follow us on twitter: @NBCSports  |  Facebook