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Kansas, Recruiting, USA Basketball, USA U18 Team

Bill Self says coaching USA Basketball is a recruiting advantage for Kansas — but may be a bigger disadvantage

June 12, 2018

By ADAM ZAGORIA

ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO — From Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski to Kentucky’s John Calipari to Texas’ Shaka Smart, the men who have coached with USA Basketball have often been said to have a huge recruiting advantage over their competitors.

By virtue of coaching either the U.S. National Team (Coach K) — or a youth team such as the U19 or U18 side (Calipari and Smart) — these coaches get unprecedented access to some of the top high school players in the nation during the summer. Often these coaches are recruiting several of the players they coach in USA Basketball.

As a result, USA Basketball changed the rules two years ago to allow college coaches to attend international events such as the FIBA Americas U18 Championship here this week and next month’s FIBA U17 World Championship in Argentina — as well as the recent tryouts in Colorado Springs, CO — even though they don’t coincide with NCAA live periods.

Kansas coach Bill Self is now coaching the USA U18 team and is once again in a position to both win a gold medal — and coach both one of his future players and two players he’s recruiting in the Class of 2019.

It’s not lost on many of the other coaches here that Self’s starting five for the first three pool play games includes Kansas signee Quentin Grimes plus Matthew Hurt and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, two elite players Kansas is heavily recruiting.

Breaking News, USA Basketball, USA U18 Team

Bill Self says Team USA wanted another shot at R.J. Barrett after Calipari-coached team lost

June 11, 2018

author: Adam Zagoria

By ADAM ZAGORIA

ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO — Bill Self was hoping Team USA would get another shot at Duke-bound phenom R.J. Barrett.

Barrett and Team Canada eliminated the John Calipari-led USA team last year in the FIBA U19 World Championship in Cairo, Egypt by authoring a LeBron-esque 38-point, 13-rebound, 5-assist game in the semifinals.

The 6-foot-7 Barrett and Canada went on to win gold, and Self was hoping for a shot at redemption this week at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship here in Barrett’s home country.

But alas, Barrett is training in Los Angeles with other future NBA prospects before heading to Duke at the end of the month and is not with the Canadian U18 side.

Recruiting

2019 Scottie Lewis cuts to seven schools (UPDATED)

June 7, 2018

author: Jacob Polacheck

By JACOB POLACHECK & ADAM ZAGORIA Scottie Lewis,

Recruiting

Nico Mannion Names Top Ten Schools

June 4, 2018

author: Jacob Polacheck

By JACOB POLACHECK

Nico Mannion, the 6-foot-3 point guard from Pinnacle (AZ) High School, named his top ten schools on Monday via Twitter. Kansas, Duke, Oregon, Arizona, Utah, Villanova, Marquette, USC, UCLA, and Vanderbilt were the schools to make the cut.

Mannion told ZAGSBLOG in April that he was planning on reclassifying to the Class of 2019.

“I’m actually thinking about reclassing to 2019,” said Mannion. “I’m going to take college credits this summer so I have the option if I want to.”

According to 247Sports, Mannion is ranked as the No. 23 overall player in the Class of 2020 and the No. 2 player from the state of Arizona.

“I don’t know if I want to play my senior year in Arizona, it might get boring,” he said of attending Pinnacle High there. “If I’m ready after my junior year, there’s no reason to stay in high school.”