Here’s what KU basketball coach Bill Self said about two Jayhawk signees on Wednesday
Labaron Philon and Rakease Passmore, teammates from Memphis’ Team Thad AAU program, on Wednesday signed letters-of-intent with Kansas, coach Bill Self announced.
Philon, a 6-foot-4, 175-pound senior point guard from Link Year Academy in Branson, Missouri (originally from Mobile, Alabama), averaged 35.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.6 steals per game in 2022-23 for Baker High School in Mobile.
He hit 52% of his shots, including 34% from 3-point range, and 82% of his free throws. Philon had 51 points in one game. He scored 2,334 career points in three seasons at Baker High School.
“When I had a chance to watch and study Labaron, I saw exactly what coach Case (Jeremy, KU assistant in charge of Philon recruitment) has been telling me all along. He’s athletic. He has vision. He has handles,” Self said Wednesday, the first day of the weeklong early signing period. “He can play some point, but can also score. He is very underrated. Coach Case deserves the credit for the recruitment of Labaron. He has stayed in close contact with him and his family for a couple years now.”
Philon is ranked No. 27 nationally by 247Sports.com, No. 35 by ESPN.com and No. 40 by Rivals.com. He chose KU over over Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi and Cincinnati. Philon decommitted from Auburn last April after Tigers assistant head coach Wes Flanigan departed for Ole Miss
“Philon was somebody KU targeted in the fall and moved quickly to land. His ability to play on or off the ball fits the prototype of guards who have done well in Lawrence,” wrote Eric Bossi, analyst for 247Sports.com.
“I chose Kansas because my game can fit into their system really well,” Philon told On3.com. “Coach Self is one of the best coaches ever and I can come in and make a big impact for the team. I would describe my game as smooth. Being able to drive and knock down tough shots. Also a player who can get it done on both sides and lead a team.”
Passmore, a 6-5, 185-pound shooting guard from Combine Academy in Lincolnton, North Carolina (originally from Palatka, Florida), chose KU over Oklahoma and LSU. He also received offers from Arkansas, Oregon, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, USC, Virginia and several others.
He played at A.C. Reynolds High School in Asheville, North Carolina, before transferring to Combine for his junior season of high school. Passmore played quarterback in Florida until suffering a concussion in eighth grade. At that point he took up basketball.
He is ranked No. 48 by 247Sports.com, No. 49 by Rivals.com and No. 52 by ESPN.com.
“When I see Rakease on film and in person I see a prototypical Kansas wing,” Self said. “He’s got size. He’s got strength. He’s explosive, can play above the rim. His shooting is getting better and better and he should be able to guard anyone. I think he is one of the more of the underrated players in this class and I think he will have an immediate impact. Norm Roberts (KU assistant) did great job in recruiting Rakease and his family to Kansas.”
Passmore averaged 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game as a junior at Combine Academy.
As a sophomore at A.C. Reynolds, Passmore averaged 19.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. He averaged 15.1 points and 5.9 rebounds his while playing varsity his freshman year at A.C. Reynolds.
“Passmore is an extremely explosive dude who loves to attack the rim. If he can become a consistent jump shooter, he could prove to be a steal,” Bossi wrote.
Passmore told ESPN.com: “Kansas was special to me because of the coaching staff, the way they win and the way they buy into their players. The plan for me is to come in and make an impact from day one, while getting better at things I can improve at on the court. Off the court, I plan on getting better as a person and planning for the future.
“NIL wasn’t my priority,” Passmore added. “I wanted to find the best basketball fit to help me accomplish my dreams of playing in the NBA and winning while I’m in college.”
An article co-authored by Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi wrote this of Passmore: “Passmore is one of the best athletes and finishers in the class. An explosive vertical athlete with great straight-line speed, Passmore has NBA-caliber leaping ability right now. When the game slows down in the halfcourt, he has a quick first step to get to the rim and is an adept passer once he draws defenders. Defensively, he’s effective on or off the ball and has the ability to grab a rebound and initiate the break. His biggest area of improvement will be consistency in his jumpshot.”
A third future Jayhawk, Flory Bidunga, has said he will sign his national letter-of-intent with KU on Thursday. KU has a policy of announcing its signings after the compliance department processes the paperwork.
Bidunga, 6-10, 220 from Kokomo (Indiana) High School originally from Democratic Republic of Congo, chose KU over Auburn, Duke and Michigan. Bidunga also considered Indiana, Kentucky, Florida, Cincinnati, Purdue, Michigan State and others during the recruiting process.
Bidunga is ranked No. 6 in the class of 2024 by Rivals.com and ESPN.com and No. 8 by 247Sports.com.
“The Big 12’s top program once again has hold of the Big 12’s top class, as Kansas’ three-man haul is topped by five-star center Flory Bidunga, one of the most unique and impactful players in the country,” wrote Rob Cassidy of Rivals.com. “The Jayhawks stood toe-to-toe with Duke to snatch the 6-10 center and dealt the Blue Devils a rare recruiting loss that surprised almost everyone that follows the sport. That victory on its own was enough to land KU on the winners side of this list, but Bill Self’s class also includes depth. ...
“Passmore was one of the biggest stock-risers of the summer, while the 6-4 Philon is a long and quick lead guard with an impressive wingspan and the ability to knock down shots from deep.”
This story was originally published November 8, 2023 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Here’s what KU basketball coach Bill Self said about two Jayhawk signees on Wednesday."
