DeAndre Ayton, the consensus No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2017, impressed observers at the Basketball Without Borders camp in Toronto over NBA All-Star weekend and is the unofficial pick to go No. 1 in the 2018 NBA Draft.
DeAndre Ayton, the consensus No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2017, impressed observers at the Basketball Without Borders camp in Toronto over NBA All-Star weekend and is the unofficial pick to go No. 1 in the 2018 NBA Draft.
“Could really benefit from a year in college under a respected and strong-minded coach that will challenge him, but there are major question marks if he can get eligible due to the controversy surrounding his ‘high school,'” DraftExpress.com wrote. “Only time will tell, but may be too talented to pass up at the very top of the 2018 NBA Draft regardless.”
A native of the Bahamas, Ayton is being courted by Kentucky, Duke and Kansas, among others.
“Big man with an unlimited ceiling,” DraftExpress wrote. “Can absolutely do everything on the floor when he’s playing to his full potential.”
KANSAS OFFERS DENG GAK
Kansas on Thursday became the latest school to offer a scholarship to Deng Gak, a 6-foot-11 Class of 2017 big man from Blair (N.J.) Academy.
Jayhawks assistant Norm Roberts watched Gak at the Jersey school on Thursday.
“Deng is a very skilled and versatile big who proceses the game at a high level and has already at age 17 played on the global stage,” Blair coach Joe Mantegna told SNY.tv in the fall. “He is one of the highest-upside guys we have ever had at Blair. As importantly, he is a high-character, good teammate who comes from an academically-oriented family as well. The sky is the limit as he gets stronger, more assertive, and adjusts to the different way the game is played in the U.S.”
Mantegna previously coached current Miami Heat wing Luol Deng at Blair, and both Deng and Gak are of Dinka descent.
A native of Australia, Gak also holds offers from SMU, Providence, Minnesota, Seton Hall and Cincinnati.
KANSAS WATCHES KEVIN KNOX
Kansas assistant Jerrance Howard watched 2017 Tampa (FL) Catholic small forward Kevin Knox on Wednesday.
The 6-8 Knox also visited Duke and North Carolina last weekend.
“Both of the schools are really good,” he told Scout. “I really like both of them. The student sections were crazy. The atmosphere was just crazy. I visited both facilities and they were really nice and both are just really nice programs.”
Knox said he plans to wait until after AAU season to cut his list.
“I’m a ways from that,” he told Scout. “I’m thinking about cutting down my list after AAU season. It’s my last part of the season. I pretty much have some big time offers and that may be a good time to cut my list down.”
FREE THROWS
Kentucky and Oregon are the latest schools to reach out to 7-footer Omer Yurtseven of Turkey, Evan Daniels of Scout reported. For more on the big man who hopes to play for an American college in 2016, read this…..North Carolina head coach Roy Williams watched 6-5 Class of 2019 wing Wendell Moore Jr. on Thursday, according to Pat Lawless…Villanova assistant Kyle Neptune watched Jordan Tucker, the 6-7 wing from Archbishop Stepinac, on Thurday. Tucker is due to visit Maryland for the Michigan game this weekend….Aaron Walker, a 6-2 Class of 2016 guard from Cardozo (N.Y.) attended the Dayton-St. Joe’s game Wednesday night and took an unofficial visit to Manhattan on Thursday. Walker was named the MVP of the SNY Invitational, which Cardozo has won the last two years….Zach Brown, a 7-foot-1 big man who recently pledged to UConn, has left Putnam Science Academy (CT) after a brief stint, according to the Hartford Courant and other reports…Kalif Young, a 6-9, 240-pound Class of 2016 big from Orangeville Prep, added an offer from Vanderbilt, coach Larry Blunt told SNY.tv. The left-hander also holds offers from Marquette, Providence, Pittsburgh, Alabama, Minnesota, St. Bonaventure and Illinois State….O’Shae Brissett, a Class of 2017 wing from Findlay Prep, will officially visit USC this weekend, according to @DavidSchoenLVRJ…Kyran Bowman, a 6-2 2016 shooting guard from Havelock (N.C.), added offers from Memphis and DePaul…Oscar Frayer, a 6-6 small forward from Moreau Catholic (CA), will announce Friday for Oregon, Nevada, Grand Canyon or St. Mary’s.
