Samuel Same ready for return visit to Kansas

Samuel Same did not have a chance for much down time this year because once his football season ended at Derby he moved right into basketball.

Same, a defensive end prospect, has been getting a lot of interest for his talents on the football field, but he always likes to watch a good basketball game.

He took an unofficial visit to Kansas for the Missouri game.

“It was phenomenal,” he said. “I was extremely excited to be able to watch some more high-level basketball. I've been to a KU game before when I was a lot younger. I was in elementary school, so it's not a very clear memory. But just being able to go back when I'm much older and I can really appreciate it, it was a great experience. It was a great experience for me, and I was very happy that I was able to go.”

The Kansas coaching staff offered him a scholarship last summer and have been recruiting consistently ever since. He has been to Lawrence for football games and during the summer to learn more about the Kansas program.

His most recent visit was getting to learn the staff better.

“It was less information-based than my first visits,” he said. “This was more just about furthering the relationship with the coaches and some of the other recruits that were there. My mom actually was there for this visit as well. That was a good experience for her, because she's been to KU games before, but it has been a long time since the last time we had went to one together.”

His mother Frieda enjoyed the basketball just as much as he did.

“My mom completely loved the atmosphere,” Same said. “The game was a great game to watch as well. She really enjoyed being able to put the names and the faces to the coaches that have been talking to me. She was excited to further that relationship with them at the game as well.”

Same has been talking with the Kansas coaches during his football season and that continued since he moved into playing basketball at Derby. He likes how the staff has been staying in contact with him and building a relationship.

“It's been great,” he said. “I feel like we have built a stronger relationship as more communication has gone on, and I really enjoyed how they made it a point to continue trying to talk to me. I appreciate how that has gone.”

He said his focus is playing basketball and will use the spring and summer time to take more visits for football.

The good news for the Jayhawks is the fact he will be in Lawrence again next week for the Kentucky game.

“I’m mostly focused on basketball, but before the season I had already planned on coming up again to KU for the Kentucky game,” Same said. “That's what I'm planning on doing. But other than that, mostly I try to prioritize just basketball during the basketball season. I don’t have any other visits scheduled or planned out, but I'm looking at making some more visits during that spring and going into that summer time.”