Recruit Talk: Big day for Kansas recruiting on Friday
The stage could not be set up more perfectly for the No. 1 high school basketball prospect in the country. On Tuesday night. Jahlil Okafor, the 6-10, 270 pound center from Chicago’s Whitney Young High School, will not only get to watch one of the most anticipated college basketball games of the season, but will also get to watch the two finalists on his college list go head to head.
Duke and Kansas will clash in the main event of the State Farm Champions Classic, right in Okafor’s backyard at the United Center in Chicago. It appears now, however, that Okafor will now only be going to the game purely to watch a great basketball game. Believed to be in a package deal with top point guard prospect Tyus Jones (No. 4 in the 2014 class overall), Okafor has reportedly made his college decision.
Okafor and Jones both tweeted Monday night that they would both be announcing their college decision Friday, November 15th at 3:00 p.m. at their respective high schools.
I’m excited to announce my college decision on Friday Nov 15th, 3pm at Apple Valley High school. Be there and thanks for all the support!
— Tyus Jones (@Tyusjones06) November 12, 2013
I’m excited to announce my college decision on Friday Nov 15th, 3pm at Whitney Young high school. Be there and thanks for all the support!
— Jahlil Okafor (@BigJah22) November 12, 2013
Okafor is a big, space-eating “old school” center that already has impeccable footwork and post moves for such a young player. Jones is a pure point guard who many analysts say is a Chris Paul clone with great court vision and leadership qualities. Package deal or not, both players will make an instant impact next year wherever they choose to go.
The time and date of the two prospects’ announcements is particularly interesting for Kansas fans, as it is the exact same date and time that top power forward prospect Cliff Alexander, also from Chicago, will be announcing his college choice.
Kansas has also been heavily involved with the big and physical Alexander, and there has been a great deal of speculation on whether or not Okafor and Alexander could and would play together in college. Okafor and/or Alexander would fit perfectly into Bill Self’s high/low offense. All of the questions surrounding these three players’ recruitments will finally be answered on Friday afternoon, on what could be an upsetting day or a banner day for Kansas basketball recruiting.
If Self misses on Okafor and Alexander, it is widely expected Kansas will go hard after the No. 2 recruit, Myles Turner.
