Recruiting Roundup: Josh Jackson, DeAndre Ayton, Thon Maker, Brandon Randolph
On top of getting a key Big 12 win over Texas on Saturday, Kansas also hosted two likely pros on the recruiting front in Josh Jackson and DeAndre Ayton.
The 6-foot-8 Jackson out of Prolific Prep (CA) is the No. 1-rated prospect in the Class of 2016 according to 247Sports.com and is the projected No. 3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com.
Jackson’s mother, Apples Jones, played college ball at Allen County Community College in Iola, Kansas, and Kansas head coach Bill Self watched Jackson at the Marshall County Hoopfest in December.
“Wish I could just make this decision tomorrow,” Jackson said last month at the Hoopfest. “But I’m still not sure where I want to go and I know this is one of the most important decisions I will make in my life. I want to make sure I don’t have any regrets about it so I’m going to take my time.”
The Michigan native has already taken an official to Arizona, and will reportedly take one to Maryland as well.
Jackson is also considering home-state Michigan State, with head coach Tom Izzo watching him several times this year, including last week at the Flyin’ to the Hoop when Jackson went for 32 points.
The 7-foot Ayton, meantime, is the No. prospect in the Class of 2017 and a projected future pro as well.
In addition to visiting Kansas on Saturday, Ayton also went for 35 points, 21 rebounds and eight blocked shots as his Hillcrest Prep (AZ) team beat Sunrise Christian (KS), 71-67, in Wichita.
Self and assistant Kurtis Townsend watched the performance, as did Jayhawks Perry Ellis, Cheick Diallo and Dwight Coleby, according to KUSports.com.
As for the visit to campus, the native of the Bahamas was impressed by the crowd at Allen Fieldhouse.
“I couldn’t hear myself, to be honest. I love stuff like that,” Ayton said. “I love playing in front of people. I love entertainment. And I just felt all the love with Kansas, like a player if I was there.”
Ayton, who recently told SNY.tv he was the “most dominant player in the country,” is considering Kentucky, Duke and UCLA, among others.
THON MAKER TAKES SAT
Thon Maker took the SAT on Saturday and will soon begin organizing his official visits, his guardian Ed Smith told SNY.tv.
“We do the SAT and then we start planning from there,” Smith said after the 7-foot Maker visited St. John’s last week.
For the latest on Maker, the 7-footer out of Athlete Institute in Ontario, Canada, click here.
BRANDON RANDOLPH ADDS LOUISVILLE OFFER
Brandon Randolph, a 6-foot-6 junior guard from The Westtown (Pa.) School, added an offer from Louisville, PSA Cardinals director Terrance “Munch” Williams said.
The Yonkers, N.Y., native, also holds offers from Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Seton Hall, Vanderbilt, VCU, Quinnipiac, Manhattan, George Washington, James Madison and Hofstra, with interest from Kansas, North Carolina, Marquette, Xavier, Maryland, Georgetown, St. Joe’s and Oregon State.
“He’s a high Division 1 player who will play from Day One on the campus he lands on,” Williams said. “Basketball will be a profession for a long time. He’s one of the few big shooting guards in the country at 6-6 and scores the ball from all three levels. Needless to say, he’s a handful.”
