Maybe I’m reading into it too much or maybe I’m not, but what’s the coincidence Kansas has started to recruit and land more local prospects?
There’s obviously factors playing into who we have been targeting and landing, but I think there’s a method to coaches madness. Just look at our roster for the foreseeable future. Agbaji, Harris, Grant-Foster, Braun, and now Muscadin are all local four-star prospects. All of them grew up following or rooting for the Jayhawks. There’s something to be said for getting kids who dearly want to be a part of your program and actually take stock in its success. All of them have aspirations to play ball after college, I’m sure of it. Not everyone Kansas signs gets it from a fans point of you, but I think these kids do.
Now take into consideration the familiarity among the players. Many of these guys played AAU ball together. Not just against each other but with each other. That chemistry can’t be replicated.
Also, easy to say just go out and land the best possible players regardless of where they come from. With the recent NCAA and FBI issues, it’s going to be tough sledding with those that didn’t grow up with a vested interest in Kansas basketball. I feel confident the guys that we are getting from the local programs are more apt to see things through the good and tough times. Once again, most of these guys see Kansas as the IT program. Just like us fans.
Lastly, many fans, myself included, I have been clamoring for the coaches to go away from the one-and-done prospects. I think programs like Villanova, North Carolina, Virginia have shown us that it doesn’t take a bunch of five star McDonald’s all Americans to win a national title. I still believe talented experience with team chemistry will prevail over young talent most of the time. Kansas isn’t sitting at the top of college basketball coming into the season because we have a bunch of young one and done talent, but rather we are loaded with experience that happens to be talented. I look forward to seeing these local studs put on a Kansas jersey and continue the successful tradition of Kansas basketball.
There’s obviously factors playing into who we have been targeting and landing, but I think there’s a method to coaches madness. Just look at our roster for the foreseeable future. Agbaji, Harris, Grant-Foster, Braun, and now Muscadin are all local four-star prospects. All of them grew up following or rooting for the Jayhawks. There’s something to be said for getting kids who dearly want to be a part of your program and actually take stock in its success. All of them have aspirations to play ball after college, I’m sure of it. Not everyone Kansas signs gets it from a fans point of you, but I think these kids do.
Now take into consideration the familiarity among the players. Many of these guys played AAU ball together. Not just against each other but with each other. That chemistry can’t be replicated.
Also, easy to say just go out and land the best possible players regardless of where they come from. With the recent NCAA and FBI issues, it’s going to be tough sledding with those that didn’t grow up with a vested interest in Kansas basketball. I feel confident the guys that we are getting from the local programs are more apt to see things through the good and tough times. Once again, most of these guys see Kansas as the IT program. Just like us fans.
Lastly, many fans, myself included, I have been clamoring for the coaches to go away from the one-and-done prospects. I think programs like Villanova, North Carolina, Virginia have shown us that it doesn’t take a bunch of five star McDonald’s all Americans to win a national title. I still believe talented experience with team chemistry will prevail over young talent most of the time. Kansas isn’t sitting at the top of college basketball coming into the season because we have a bunch of young one and done talent, but rather we are loaded with experience that happens to be talented. I look forward to seeing these local studs put on a Kansas jersey and continue the successful tradition of Kansas basketball.
