These NBA Draft prospects considered KU basketball. See their take on Bill Self
Duke star Isaiah Evans couldn’t hide his smirk.
The former five-star prospect was asked by a Star reporter about his recruitment coming out of high school. He had a bevy of offers, including from Kansas.
The minute Kansas and Bill Self were mentioned, Evans had to stifle a laugh.
Self, after all, has a way of making a lasting impression on recruits, even if they don’t end up at Kansas.
“I talked to him,“ Evans told The Star. “It was pretty good. Self is just one of those guys. He’s super confident. Real slick with his words, in a good way. It was cool talking to a legend like that.”
The projected first-rounder’s experience wasn’t unique. A number of NBA Draft prospects opened up to the Star about what it’s like to be recruited by KU and, more notably, Self.
Many in the room at NBA Draft media day held a Kansas offer. One of those players was Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff Jr., who is projected to go top-7 in the NBA Draft. His final two schools were Arkansas and Kansas.
“I loved Kansas, I loved coach Self,” Acuff said. “Coach (Kurtis) Townsend had a relationship with my dad back then, so that was a great school for sure. I love them, for sure. I respect them a lot.”
Alabama guard Labaron Philon initially committed to KU before decommitting just months before he was supposed to arrive on campus.
He noted that Self was accepting of his final decision.
“Coach Self, he was a great coach, really, and he really just understood where I wanted to be and understood my game,” Philon said. “I feel like I could have went there, but I decided to go back to Alabama. Those coaches at Kansas still look at me the same and have the same relationship. I’ve been seeing them around. It’s been great.”
Yet not every prospect in attendance held a KU offer.
Two Kansas City-area natives — Illinois’ Keaton Wagler and Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz — said they weren’t offered by KU.
Wagler is projected to go top 10 in the draft, while Stirtz is projected as a first-round pick. Only one of them wanted to end up at Kansas.
Wagler, the former four-star recruit from Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, had dreams of playing for Kansas.
“Growing up, my dream school was KU, but I didn’t get the offer,” he said.
Stirtz, however, had no desire to play for the Jayhawks and didn’t really have much of an opportunity. He was an unranked recruit from Liberty High School.
“No,” he said, when asked if he wanted to play for KU. “I was a K-State guy, but they didn’t offer me.”
This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "These NBA Draft prospects considered KU basketball. See their take on Bill Self."
