Originally Posted by Wickedson
(Post 9369250)
Well, the month of February is going to be an important one for the Kansas coaching staff. A number of prospects are scheduled to visit, and it's only a matter of time before others pencil in a visit date.
Andrew Wiggins: 6-foot-7, 190-pound small forward
School: Huntington (WV) Prep
Rank: No. 1
Outlook: On Tuesday, Bill Self and Kurtis Townsend visited Huntington (WV) Prep to check in on Wiggins. Currently, the nation's top prospect has taken just one official visit (FSU), but plans to take in visits to Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina. It's believed that Kentucky and Florida State are the teams to beat, but according to Wiggins and Rob Fulford, Huntington (WV) Prep head coach, that isn't the case.
Fulford told me that Wiggins isn't the type of kid to string along a school or schools just for the attention. If he adds a school to his list, it's because he's seriously interested. Furthermore, Fulford told me that Wiggins will definitely visit Kansas at the end of his season. I know many of you have asked me if Kansas is a serious player for Wiggins, and according to Fulford, the answer is yes.
Julius Randle: 6-foot-9, 240-pound power forward
School: Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas
Rank: No. 2
Outlook: Reports the last few weeks seem to indicate Kansas is right at the top of Randle's list. Kansas has been recruiting the elite forward as long as any program on his list, and there's no doubt that Randle has an outstanding relationship with the coaching staff.
If familiarity is important to Randle, he is certainly familiar with the Kansas program and the coaching staff. He's been on campus a number of times, and will return for his official visit during the weekend of ESPN College Gameday (2/16/13).
I've maintained for a long time that Kansas is in outstanding position with Randle, and those thoughts haven't changed. Obviously, he is very fond of Coach Self, but also wants to compete at the highest level. He'd be able to do that at Kansas, while also playing relatively close to home.
If you ask me, Kansas is in outstanding position when it comes to its recruitment of Julius Randle.
Tyus Jones: 6-foot-1, 171-pound guard
School: Apple Valley (MN) High School
Rank: No. 3 in 2014 class.
Outlook: There's simply no denying that Jones is about as good as it gets when it comes to prospects in the 2014 class. In fact, he's so good that Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State and others have extended scholarship offers to the elite floor general.
When I first exchanged text messages with Jones months ago, he indicated that he grew up a big Kansas fan. Now, Jones will make his way to Lawrence, Kan., the weekend of February 23 for a visit. I'm hoping to chat with Jones before he arrives on campus, but we recently exchanged a few text messages and he's fired up about the visit.
All the heavy hitters are making a strong push for Jones, but growing up a Kansas fans can only help its chances with regards to the top floor general in the class.
Ahmed Hill: 6-foot-4, 185-pound shooting guard
School: Aquinas High School in Augusta, Ga.
Rank: No. 25 in 2014 class
Outlook: I exchanged a few text messages with Hill, the No. 25 ranked player in the class, this past spring and summer, but we then went several months without contact. However, late last week, Hill sent me a text message saying a member of the staff had been out to watch him, and he's planning to visit Kansas this season.
Hill, with interest from Duke, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, and others, didn't hold back when talking about his interest in Kansas. During our conversation, Hill said he's very interested in Kansas and will be out for a visit this season.
Joshua Perkins: 6-foot-2, 175-pound point guard
School: Regis Jesuit in Aurora, Colo.
Rank: No. 42 in 2014 class
Outlook: Perkins has never publicly stated that Kansas is his leader, but if you ask me, I get the feeling that Kansas is currently the team to beat. A week or so ago, Coach Self stopped by Regis Jesuit to watch a game, and shortly thereafter, Perkins narrowed his list of schools.
During an interview with Jayhawk Slant, Randy Perkins, the father of Josh Perkins, had nothing but glowing things to say about Self and the University of Kansas. It was at that time that Mr. Perkins indicated that he was in the process of figuring out the best date to visit Kansas. Again, I've never been told that Kansas is the leader for Perkins, but it's just a feeling I have at this time.
Shay Wildeboor
Senior Writer
JayhawkSlant.com
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