Ben McLemore Commits To Bill Self And Kansas Basketball
by Owen on Apr 3, 2011 4:07 PM CDT in Kansas Jayhawk Basketball 2010-11
In a recruiting year that has moved a little on the slow side so far for Bill Self, the Jayhawks finally got some pretty good news that they've been expecting. Ben McLemore, a top 20 shooting guard out of St. Louis Missouri, has given a verbal commitment to the Kansas Jayhawks. McLemore chose Kansas over Jayhawk rival and home state program the Missouri Tigers.
From the get go McLemore has described Kansas and playing for Coach Self as a dream scenario. Ultimately it is believed that McLemore has in fact wanted to be a Jayhawk for quite some time, and it's great to see that decision made official. This is a big recruiting win for Kansas and a win that hopefully turns the momentum in Bill Self's favor as he continues to work toward what he described as a class where the Jayhawk staff will need to hit a "home run".
Still on the Jayhawk radar are a handful of bigs including wing/forward DeAndre Daniels who was once believed to be a Jayhawk but now is reportedly visiting Duke in mid April. Otto Porter, Braeden Anderson, Jamari Traylor and Stan Simpson are four power forwards that have all been connected to Kansas of late. All four are hot names based on being the best available this late in the process but it's a bit unclear as to how interested the respective parties are. Porter would be another coup over rival Missouri but Kansas is very late in the process while Anderson has reported offers from Arizona, Kentucky and Kansas in the last two months.
Three scholarships available, two filled and anywhere from two to four more opening up. Can Self pull together a four to six person class that addresses the Jayhawk needs this late? Time will tell, but McLemore is certainly a big step one.
http://www.rockchalktalk.com/2011/4/...elf-and-kansas