KU recruiting target is Nevada’s prep athlete of the year, plus lots more Jayhawks news
Jaden Hardy, a 6-foot-4 senior-to-be combo guard from Coronado High in Henderson, Nevada, who has Kansas on his list of schools in recruiting, has been named Nevada Preps Boys Athlete of the Year by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Hardy, who is considering Kansas, Kentucky, Texas Tech, Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, Georgetown, Georgia, Oregon, Memphis, Michigan and Illinois, averaged 30.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.4 assists a game in his junior season.
He’s rated as the No. 6-ranked player in the recruiting class of 2021 by Rivals.com.
“He’s such a dynamic scorer. To me, he’s the best shooter in the country. He’s one of the best passers in the country. He’s a great defender and he’s now learning to trust his teammates.” Coronado coach Jeff Kaufman told the Review-Journal.
Of his recruiting, Hardy said: “It’s going well. You only get to go through this once, and you only get to pick one. I’ll probably make my decision after my senior year.”
Chandler to play at Sunrise Christian
Kennedy Chandler, a 6-foot senior-to-be from Briarcrest Christian High in Memphis, has announced that he plans to transfer to Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas for his senior season.
Chandler, ranked as the No. 10-rated player in the recruiting class of 2021 by Rivals.com, will be a teammate of Zach Clemence, a 6-10 senior-to-be at Sunrise who has committed to KU. Also on the team is Gradey Dick, a 6-6 junior-to-be who is being recruited heavily by KU. Dick, formerly a standout at Wichita’s Collegiate High, is ranked No 30 in the recruiting class of 2022 by Rivals.com.
Chandler, meanwhile, is considering North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, Memphis, and Tennessee and does not currently have KU on his list of possible college destinations. He’s also considered a potential candidate to skip college and play in the NBA G-League.
“Sunrise … it’s just close to my AAU team, Mokan (Elite),” Chanlder told 247sports.com. “It’s family all around there. I know some kids that go to Sunrise. And the coaching staff is really great. I feel like for me to go to Sunrise, they’re going to push me every day in practice and push me to be a better player.”
Twins to tangle in playoffs?
Marcus Morris of the Los Angeles Clippers and his twin brother, Markieff Morris of the Los Angeles Lakers, have differing opinions, of course, about which team would win in a possible playoff series between the squads.
The two former Kansas basketball players spoke on the podcast, “The Laker Files.”
Marcus said the series, which could eventually happen once the NBA playoffs finally begin, would go seven games. He said the Clippers would beat the Lakers in a “blowout” Game 7.
“Lakers in four,” Markieff Morris said in rebuttal.
The Lakers, who are led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, are 49-14. The Clippers, who boast Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, are 44-20.
SI.com noted the Lakers have won 16 NBA championships, while the Clippers have yet to make it past the second round of the playoffs. The Clippers are 2-1 against the Lakers this season.
The Morris twins’ FOE foundation recently donated 150 masks to the Sayre Health Center’s coronavirus testing site. The health center is located in their hometown of Philadelphia.
“We cannot express enough how thankful we are for all the #healthcareheroes saving the community,” read a tweet from the twins’ foundation.
Wiggins averaging 19.4 ppg with Warriors
Former KU wing Andrew Wiggins, who was acquired by the Golden State Warriors in a trade with Minnesota on Feb. 6, played well in 12 games before the season was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 12 games with the Warriors, Wiggins averaged 19.4 points. He hit 45.7% of his shots and was 33.9% from three-point range.
“Wiggins showcased his talent and his inconsistency during the start of his Warriors’ tenure, but most believe his game will continue to improve once (Steph) Curry and (Klay) Thompson return next season,” wrote Josh Schrock of Yahoo Sports. “His passing and defense really stood out in his first 12 games and those skills should fit nicely alongside two of the best shooters in NBA history.”
Graham up for possible postseason award
Former KU point guard Devonté Graham of the Charlotte Hornets is a candidate for the NBA’s most improved player award, ESPN.com reported.
In a panel of ESPN staff members, Bam Adebayo of Miami was the current leader for the award (106 points), followed by Brandon Ingram (52 points), Luka Doncic (30 points), Graham (29 points) and Pascal Siakam (25 points)
Others receiving votes: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Markelle Fultz, Jaylen Brown and Trae Young.
Graham has averaged 18.2 points per game on 38.2% shooting and 7.2 assists per contest for the Charlotte Hornets a year after averaging 4.7 points and 2.6 assists for Charlotte.
NYBL calls off entire season
The Nike Youth Basketball League has officially canceled its 2020 spring and summer AAU season because of coronavirus pandemic.
That means the Peach Jam, the signature youth basketball event of the summer, is off. It had been scheduled for July 8-12 in North Augusta, S.C.
The NABC and NCAA are considering additional recruiting periods beginning in August. There could be evaluation periods in August, September and October, 247Sports reported.
The NCAA has extended its recruiting dead period through July 31, canceling the July evaluation periods. USA Basketball could step in and hold some clinics in August, 247sports.com indicated.
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 10:53 AM with the headline "KU recruiting target is Nevada’s prep athlete of the year, plus lots more Jayhawks news."
