Rakease Passmore signs with Kansas on the first day of the signing period
Guard Rakease Passmore has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at Kansas, KU coach Bill Self announced Wednesday. Passmore will be a freshman for the 2024-25 season at Kansas. He joins fellow signee Labaron Philon who also signed on Wednesday.
Passmore (6-foot-5, 185 pounds) is a four-star guard from Palatka, Florida who is entering his second season at Combine Academy in Lincolnton, North Carolina.
“When I see Rakease on film and in person and I see a prototypical Kansas wing,” Self said. “He’s got size. He’s got strength. He’s explosive, and can play above the rim. His shooting is getting better and better and he should be able to guard anyone. I think he is more of the underrated players in this class and I think he will have an immediate impact. Norm Roberts did great job in recruiting Rakease and his family to Kansas.”
Described as an explosive athlete who can get downhill, Passmore has the ability to catch and shoot threes and is a threat to create offense in transition at all times. He has also been described to have the tools to be impactful on the defensive side of the ball.
In 2022-23 as a junior, Passmore averaged 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while at Combine Academy as his team posted a 36-5 record under head coach Michael Wright.
Passmore played at A.C. Reynolds High School in Asheville, North Carolina before transferring to Combine. As a sophomore at A.C. Reynolds, Passmore averaged 19.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in 2021-22. He averaged 15.1 points and 5.9 rebounds his while playing varsity his freshman year at A.C. Reynolds.
“Coach Wright, Rakease’s guardian Jon Mobley and his mentor, A.J. Jones, have really helped with his development at Combine the past two years,” Self said.
Passmore is ranked No. 48 in the recruiting class of 2024 by 247sports.com, No. 49 by Rivals.com and No. 52 by ESPN.com. Additionally, he was an AAU teammate with fellow Kansas signee Labaron Philon on Team Thad.
2023-24 Kansas Men’s Basketball SigneesRakease Passmore – Fr., G, 6-5, 185, Palatka, Fla., A.C. Reynolds (N.C.) HS, Combine (N.C.) AcademyLabaron Philon – Fr., G, 6-4, 177, Mobile, Ala., Baker HS, Link (Mo.) Academy