Kansas Recruiting 2010

The recruiting class for 2010 will be very key for the Jayhawks as they attempt to retool after losing two All-America candidates and 2 potential NBA lottery picks. Sherron Collins and Mario Little will graduate, Cole Aldrich and Xavier Henry should be lottery picks and several NBA draft sites have Tyshawn Taylor going in the first class. That is a lot to lose, so who exactly is Bill Self aiming for in 2010? Who will come to Kansas and step in to help fill the shoes of 3 or even 4 Jayhawks?

Harrison Barnes: 6'6 206; Ames, Iowa; Rivals 150 Ranking: 5 Star, #2
Long and lanky, Barnes is capable of playing both the 2 and 3 guard position at the high-major Division 1 level. Can shoot, slash to the basket, and even rebound well for his size. Also, Barnes is a winner helping Ames Senior High to an Iowa state title. Barnes played well in the 2009 Jayhawk Invitational and really enjoyed his summer visit to Lawrence. Played in the Invitational with 2010 Jayhawk commit Royce Woolridge. Barnes also seems to have a good head on his shoulders, which is very important to have as the Rivals #2 ranked player for his class. (see: Lance Stephenson) Getting a good education is also paramount for Barnes, who is also high on Duke. Coach Self really has his sights set on Barnes as he would be the quintessential replacement for Mario Little and Xavier Henry who, by all accounts, doesn't plan on staying in Lawrence for more than a year. This would be an incredibly important get for the Jayhawks: great player, great kid, fills a huge hole.

Ray McCallum: 6'1 175: Detroit; Rivals 150: 4 star, #36
The departure of Sherron Collins and possible departure of Tyshawn Taylor could leave a big hole at the point guard spot in 2010 for the Hawks. While Elijah Johnson and Royce Woolridge capable of playing the point very well, it sure would be nice to lock in an elite point guard to help fill the void. McCallum is probably Kansas's best bet for a Top 10 point guard in the class of 2010. A coach's son, dad Ray is head coach at Detroit University, Ray is a team first point guard that really knows how to distribute the basketball. He can finish above the rim in transition and finishes strong in traffic for his slight frame. Kansas sights seem to be set on McCallum as the next Kansas bound elite point guard.


Royce Woolridge: 6'3 175; Phoenix; Rivals 150: 4 star, #65
Woolridge comes from great bloodlines, dad Orlando played several years in the NBA. The younger Woolridge can absolutely fill it up. He really knows how to put the ball in the basket, even scoring 30+ in the Arizona state championship game. Royce has already committed to Kansas and has been committed for a while now. Royce stands 6'3 now but his father is 6'9 and both his parents expect Royce to end up around 6'5. His Rivals ranking may be a bit low for his skillset, even though he jumped up about 20 spots in the most recent Rivals rankings update. Woolridge lit up the '09 Jayhawk Invitational, scoring 30+ multiple times. Woolridge is an athletic scorer that is accurate from very deep range. Look for Royce to gain a couple inches and probably gain several spots on the Rivals ranking by the end of his senior season. Its great to already have him in the bag.

One of the glaring absences from this list would seem to be a big man or some sort of a post player. Well, the Jayhawks don't seem to be too heartset on adding a big man. The Morris twins should be around 3 more years, Thomas Robinson looks to be a solid 4 year player and Jeff Withey will be nice and bulked up by the 2010-2011 season so the Jayhawks should be set down low for the time being and a post player is not necessary for the 2010 class. These are just 3 guys we have highlighted here. They all seem to be very high on Kansas and vice versa. They all also fill different needs for the Jayhawks and have been highlighted for that reason. But, as always is the case with recruiting, things will change and new names will pop up. Doron Lamb, Roscoe Smith and a slew of other 4 and 5 star recruits have offers on the table from Kansas and have Kansas on their list. The 3 listed here though are the early favorites to commit to Kansas sometime this upcoming year. Either way, Kansas fans should not worry, Coach Self and staff are some of the best recruiters in the country and will undoubtedly lock up another elite class for 2010.