Self pleased with recruiting haul, says KU program ‘will always prevail over time’
Kansas’ men’s basketball recruiting class of high school combo guard Bryce Thompson and big man Gethro Muscadin, as well as junior-college wing Tyon Grant-Foster, has been ranked No. 8 nationally by Rivals.com.
Success on the recruiting trail — the Jayhawks were also expected to land three-star guard Latrell Jossell Thursday night — had 17th-year KU coach Bill Self glowing during a media conference Thursday in advance of Friday’s KU-Monmouth game (7 p.m., Allen Fieldhouse).
“Considering everything that’s happened, I think it’s a terrific class. They all three were our main targets,” Self said. “I don’t think we could have recruited better than what we did at the respective positions that we were recruiting.
“I don’t think we could have done a lot better than we did based on our situation and am really proud to have all three in the fold because all three are going to be terrific players,” he added a day after the start of the week-long early signing period.
“To have three guys like this jump on board now I think is a pretty strong move on their part, but also more importantly it helps us out. Certainly it changes in my opinion what has been a fairly negative narrative that’s been put out about us.”
The “negative narrative” — which some analysts say has spawned some negative recruiting by competitors going after the same high school prospects — has to do with KU’s ongoing case with the NCAA.
The Jayhawk program has received an NCAA letter of infractions. Penalties could possibly be assessed next spring or summer if the Jayhawks cannot successfully dispute five Level One violations.
“We’ve missed on some guys, last year, this year,” Self acknowledged of recruits lost because of the uncertainty. But, he added, “the Kansas basketball program will always prevail over time. I think this recruiting class is kind of evidence of that.”
Self not only likes the caliber of players KU has landed in the early signing period, but the quantity of the haul. KU, which is one under the scholarship limit of 13, will lose two seniors in 2020 to graduation. So, technically, when Jossell issues his commitment Thursday night, KU will be one over the limit of 13 heading into the second semester. One or more non-senior players are expected to turn pro following the 2019-20 season.
“I thought it was more important this year than most (to sign players early) just because of the unknown that waits out there,” Self said. “I don’t mean unknown as being bad. Unknown could be positive (no sanctions). You just don’t know when this will be concluded. I thought it was important to get some guys early, just to have three good players in the fold that you didn’t have to worry about when it was going to end.”
Self said the three signees “have been reassured that we are being honest with them. They’ve not been reassured what the outcome will be, not at all.”
Either way … “Playing at Kansas is a pretty good deal for the vast majority of recruits out there — this tradition, this history, this interest level, this recent success,” Self said. “There’s a lot of things that go into attracting kids to come here. Now we are dealing with a situation we don’t know what the outcome will be. Those other things I just mentioned do not go away.
“That’s why I said over time the Kansas basketball program will always prevail over time. There may be some situations in the short term that obviously could be considered a loss, but over time — it’s 120 years — you will not totally set something back that’s been so successful for so long over something that is such a small span (of time). It happens to be now, so it makes it huge to us.”
For now, he’s singing the praises of this week’s three signees.
Of KC Schlagle graduate Grant-Foster, a 6-7 wing from Indian Hills CC, Self said: “If he was here now, he’d be playing all the minutes now. To think he grew up down the street and has blown up like this over the last 12 months is pretty amazing. People who follow that game (juco ball) are raving about him and deservedly so.”
Of Thompson, a 6-4 senior combo guard out of Tulsa’s Booker T. Washington High, who is ranked No. 19 nationally by Rivals.com, Self said: “He has a chance to be a special player. He has to get stronger obviously and improve in some areas. He has things you can’t teach from an IQ standpoint. We couldn’t recruit a better ambassador/player for our program than Bryce.”
Of Muscadin, a 6-10 senior center from Aspire Academy in Louisville, Kentucky, originally from Haiti, Self said: “He’s one of those guys kind of like a Markieff Morris … how good can he get? He can run, jump. He made two or three threes the other night in his high school game, playing in a highly competitive situation. He is active, a shot blocker. He’s not ready yet, but will be really good.”
All this recruiting news comes early in the 2019-20 season. The No. 5-ranked (1-1) Jayhawks will take on (1-2) Monmouth Friday evening in a game streamed on Big 12 NOW/ESPN-plus. Monmouth, picked to finish fourth in the MAAC by its league coaches, led by nine points at halftime Wednesday at Kansas State before falling, 73-54. That game also was streamed on Big 12 NOW/ESPN-plus.
“I have not watched the game yet. It’s on my computer,” Self said. “I wanted to watch it last night. I hate to say this, I couldn’t get it. I don’t have Big 12 NOW. Wasn’t it on Big 12 NOW? I’ve got to figure out a way to get it. Everybody out there that’s frustrated (with streaming of some games), yes I am too. I wanted to watch it last night. We did get the game through the way we record games,” he added.
“Up 29-20 at the half … K-State locked them up good the second half. That tells you K-State is a terrific defensive team. For them (Hawks) to get that many points in the first half and control at least 20 minutes tells you they are more than capable,” Self noted.
This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Self pleased with recruiting haul, says KU program ‘will always prevail over time’."
