NEW YORK — The perception may be that Myles Turner is leaning towards Texas, but Kansas is working hard to get the 6-foot-11 Texas big man to jump across state lines.
Kansas head coach Bill Self will meet Sunday with Turner in Texas, David Turner confirmed to SNY.tv.
That meeting will come some 48 hours after Joel Embiid, the potential No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, and the two Kansas pledges in the Jordan Brand Classic tried to get Turner to commit to Kansas while in New York.
“He says he’s just weighing out his options right now,” Kansas-bound Cliff Alexander said after getting MVP honors for the West by putting up 23 points and 8 rebounds in a 158-147 loss to the East. “Me, Kelly [Oubre] and Joel have been talking to him. Joel talked to him earlier [Friday] at the hotel trying to get him to commit. Hopefully, he does that.”
Turner was unable to play in the game with an ankle injury, but is set to announce April 30 on ESPNU.
The projected No. 11 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com, he is considering Texas, Kansas, SMU, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Duke and Texas A&M.
Alexander and Oubre (24 points, 5 rebounds) combined for 47 points and 13 boards in the game and will go a long way towards filling the gaping holes left at Kansas by the departures of Embiid and fellow-potential No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins.
The addition of Turner to that group would give coach Bill Self another elite big man, even if there are questions about Turner’s health.
“Myles Turner is a human injury, he’s hurt all the time,” New York recruiting guru Tom Konchalski told SNY.tv. “And that’s a function I think of him having to get stronger and really work on his body. He’s a long way away physically from being able to play in the NBA. I think he has tremendous potential but he’s a long way away physically.”
