Hey all,
Recently, Nick Smith, Keyonte George, and M.J. Rice traveled to Lawrence to officially visit the University of Kansas men's basketball program. After making many calls and talking to a few people, I can tell you that all three had an amazing time during their visit to Kansas. Again, during my conversations the past couple of days, the biggest thing to Smith, George, and Rice was the family atmosphere and the feeling of being wanted by Bill Self and his staff. It's not like the staff just wants these guys, but needs them in the program in order to reach the ultimate goal and in order to keep the tradition at Kansas moving forward and on track.
At this point, I think Nick Smith, the 6-foot-5, 175-pound point guard from Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood, Ark., might be the most realistic of the three right now. The No. 39 ranked player in the 2022 class, I think that Smith sees an opportunity to do big things at Kansas should he ultimately decide to sign with Kansas. I know that he's got a lot of options to consider, including the hometown Razorbacks, but I know that Kansas did an amazing job during his visit.
Keyonte George, the 6-foot-5, 190-pound combo-guard Ischool Entrepeneurial Academy in Lewisville, Texas is down to Kansas, Baylor, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, and Texas and is eventually going to have a difficult decision to make when the time comes to make a final decision. I made a few extra calls about George, the No. 5 ranked player in the class, and the staff did an absolutely amazing job from start to finish when it came to his visit. Everybody was involved from Self to his staff to the players and everybody in-between. The thing with George is, and I don't think this is major news to any of you, but the University of Texas is gonna be tough to beat here. For me, it will be interesting to see if George takes any additional visits in the fall or decides before the beginning of his senior year.
M.J. Rice, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound small forward from Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif., will likely be the biggest hurdle the staff has to clear, from what I've been told. Obviously, NC State is a real threat, and making the move to the professional ranks, from what I've been told, is also being considered. If you asked me today like right now, I'd say that Rice isn't likely to sign with Kansas, but I've been wrong before, so don't hold me to that.
I know that we've discussed Omaha Biliew, the 6-foot-8, 205-pound power forward from Montverde (FL) Academy, but I can't stress to you enough how much he LOVES the University of Kansas and Coach Self. I've exchanged several text messages with his trainer and he's done nothing but gush about the visit they took to Kansas earlier in the month. I know that he's planning to return during the weekend of Late Night in the Phog.
Keep an eye out on Adian Shaw, the 6-foot-8, 190-pound small forward from Link Year in Branson, Mo. Shaw, the No. 56 ranked player in the 2022 class, sent me a text message during his visit and told me he was chilling at Self's house and having a great time. I'm not suggesting that a commitment is going or that Kansas is the team to beat. However, my feelings about Shaw have changed a bit since his visit to Kansas.
Recently, Nick Smith, Keyonte George, and M.J. Rice traveled to Lawrence to officially visit the University of Kansas men's basketball program. After making many calls and talking to a few people, I can tell you that all three had an amazing time during their visit to Kansas. Again, during my conversations the past couple of days, the biggest thing to Smith, George, and Rice was the family atmosphere and the feeling of being wanted by Bill Self and his staff. It's not like the staff just wants these guys, but needs them in the program in order to reach the ultimate goal and in order to keep the tradition at Kansas moving forward and on track.
At this point, I think Nick Smith, the 6-foot-5, 175-pound point guard from Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood, Ark., might be the most realistic of the three right now. The No. 39 ranked player in the 2022 class, I think that Smith sees an opportunity to do big things at Kansas should he ultimately decide to sign with Kansas. I know that he's got a lot of options to consider, including the hometown Razorbacks, but I know that Kansas did an amazing job during his visit.
Keyonte George, the 6-foot-5, 190-pound combo-guard Ischool Entrepeneurial Academy in Lewisville, Texas is down to Kansas, Baylor, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, and Texas and is eventually going to have a difficult decision to make when the time comes to make a final decision. I made a few extra calls about George, the No. 5 ranked player in the class, and the staff did an absolutely amazing job from start to finish when it came to his visit. Everybody was involved from Self to his staff to the players and everybody in-between. The thing with George is, and I don't think this is major news to any of you, but the University of Texas is gonna be tough to beat here. For me, it will be interesting to see if George takes any additional visits in the fall or decides before the beginning of his senior year.
M.J. Rice, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound small forward from Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif., will likely be the biggest hurdle the staff has to clear, from what I've been told. Obviously, NC State is a real threat, and making the move to the professional ranks, from what I've been told, is also being considered. If you asked me today like right now, I'd say that Rice isn't likely to sign with Kansas, but I've been wrong before, so don't hold me to that.
I know that we've discussed Omaha Biliew, the 6-foot-8, 205-pound power forward from Montverde (FL) Academy, but I can't stress to you enough how much he LOVES the University of Kansas and Coach Self. I've exchanged several text messages with his trainer and he's done nothing but gush about the visit they took to Kansas earlier in the month. I know that he's planning to return during the weekend of Late Night in the Phog.
Keep an eye out on Adian Shaw, the 6-foot-8, 190-pound small forward from Link Year in Branson, Mo. Shaw, the No. 56 ranked player in the 2022 class, sent me a text message during his visit and told me he was chilling at Self's house and having a great time. I'm not suggesting that a commitment is going or that Kansas is the team to beat. However, my feelings about Shaw have changed a bit since his visit to Kansas.
