Five-star center to play at Free State on Saturday night
DeAndre Ayton, one of the nation's most coveted prospects in the 2017 class, is not only scheduled to unofficially visit Kansas this weekend, but his high school team, Hillcrest Academy from Phoenix, Ariz., is set to play Sunrise Christian Academy at Free State High School on Saturday night.
On the hardwood, DeAndre Ayton, the 6-foot-11, 240-pound center from Hillcrest Academy in Phoenix, Ariz., is a wanted man. The No. 4 ranked player in the 2017 class is being heavily recruited by the likes of California, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, San Diego State, UCLA and others.
Originally from the Bahamas, Ayton, a five-star prospect, made his way to Lawrence this weekend to take part in the "Grind Session", which is an event that features Hillcrest Academy and Sunrise Christian Academy going head-to-head at Free State High School on Saturday night.
However, before Ayton and his teammates take the court at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night, they'll be on hand to watch No. 3 Kansas host Texas on Saturday afternoon.
"Yes, DeAndre is in town right now and he is playing a game at Free State high school on Saturday night," said Larnelle Johnson, DeAndre Ayton's mentor. "We play in the "Grind Session" and they just invited us to play out here. Before we play on Saturday night, the entire school is going to attend the Kansas game on Saturday.
"We are very excited about the game on Saturday," he added. "I can tell you that the kids are very excited. Being able to watch Kansas play is a big thing for the kids."
Early on in his prep career, Ayton was considered the top basketball prospect in the 2017 class, and one of the truly elite prospects in the prep ranks. However, after being at the top of the rankings, Ayton slipped down several spots (No. 4), and did so far a variety of reasons.
Now, with his junior year at Hillcrest Academy underway, Ayton, according to Rivals.com National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Eric Bossi, is poised to take back his spot at the top of the rankings.
"DeAndre would be the first to tell you that he did not perform very well late last spring or during the summer," Eric Bossi told Jayhawk Slant on Friday morning. "Part of it was coming off an injury and a lot of it was effort and not being in the greatest of shape. This winter, he has come out totally refreshed and with a new approach on everything.
"He is playing hard every game and he's got his body in the best condition its ever been in," he added. "There is a really good chance that he is going to make his way back to No. 1 when we update the rankings."
It's easy to see what Ayton is a top priority for Bill Self and the University of Kansas men's basketball program. He's got the size, skill, athleticism and talent to be an absolute difference maker on both ends of the court. When healthy and on top of his game, few, if any at all, can match his production in the 2017 class.
"DeAndre wants to shoot jump shots," said Bossi. "The thing with DeAndre is, and a reason why he's made a strong case to go back to No. 1, not only does he have the size, but last spring and summer he had a tendency to just hang out and do nothing but shoot jump shots. This year, he's attacked the glass, worked from rim to rim in transition and he's really made himself a beast around the basket.
"DeAndre can also step out and shoot -- I mean, he can really shoot for a big guy," he added. "The thing I like about DeAndre is he's got the entire package. You talk about his size, his athleticism, his ability to protect the rim, his ability to finish at the rim and now he's a 7-foot-0 guy that can trail in transition, take a pass and hit a 22 footer. How on earth do you defend that?"
In regards to his recruitment, Ayton has emerged as a top priority for some of the nation's top college basketball programs. California, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, San Diego State, UCLA and others have made it clear that the five-star big man is a big-time priority in the 2017 class.
Currently, at least according to Ayton, Kansas, Kentucky and Duke are the front runners in his recruitment. There's no doubt that Kansas, with Coach Kurtis Townsend leading the way, has made a favorable impression on Ayton.
"From what I know, Kansas has recruited him as hard, if not harder, than any other program in the country," said Bossi. "They've made themselves a pretty consistent presence in his recruitment and they've been involved since the second he came to the states."
Ayton, late on Saturday afternoon, will make his way from Allen Fieldhouse to Lawrence Free State High School in hopes of leading Hillcrest Academy past Sunrise Christian Academy.
Saturdays nights "Grind Session" matchup is the perfect opportunity for Kansas fans to get a closer look at not only one of the nation's top prospects, and possibly the top prospect, in the 2017 class, but also a prospect that may very well call Kansas "home" following his prep career.