Morning report 2024-08-02

How many days until LATE NIGHT in The PHOG! ?
and other dates of interest...
All times shown are Central Time .
RECRUITING CALENDAR DATES for D1 MEN'S BASKETBALL
August overall is a quiet period, bifurcated by a two week dead period in the middle of the month.
The next full "Recruiting" Period begins on SEP 4.

2024-08-01 thru 09-03: quiet period, except as noted below‡
..2024-08-06 thru 08-20: dead period‡
2024-09-04 thru 2025-04-30: recruiting period, except as noted below‡
..2024-11-04 thru 11-07: dead period‡
..2024-12-24 thru 12-26: dead period‡
..2025-04-03 thru 04-10: dead period‡
*Recruiting Calendar linked below contains detailed info on and explanation of recruiting periods.
‡ NCAA.org: 2024-25 NCAA RECRUITING CALENDAR Division I Men’s Basketball

KU ATHLETICS

✦ KU MEN'S HOOPS -
• Rivals' Shay Wildeboor writes about "WHAT KU'S 2025 RECRUITING CLASS MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND SOME NAMES TO KEEP AN EYE ON MOVING FORWARD" 2024-08-01
With another summer nearing its end of the start of the fall semester right around the corner, prospects from the 2025 class will start taking official visits in the near future. For some prosects, the process of taking visits has already started, while many will be going through the process for the first time.

After making some calls, I’ve been told that Bill Self and his staff have not yet scheduled any official visits with prospects they are targeting in the 2025 class, but will likely change in the very near future.

I don’t have to tell any of you that the game of recruiting has changed with the birth of the transfer portal. The ability to grab a star player from another school is as easy and common as ever before.

Still, Kansas is always going to recruit at a high level. It doesn’t matter if it's at the high school level or via the portal, Self and his staff will always look to sign the best players possible.

The staff will continue to recruit and evaluate moving forward, but there are some prospects in the 2025 class that have emerged as top priorities for Self and his staff.

Darryn Peterson, the 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard from Huntington (WV) Prep is probably the top player on the board. He recently took a visit to Kansas and narrowed his list of schools to eight on Wednesday. I believe the plan is to take some additional visits in the fall, but from where I stand, it appears that Kansas is the team to beat.

A name to keep your eye on is Meleek Thomas, the 6-foot-4, 171-pound guard from Overtime Elite (Pro League) in Atlanta, Ga. Kansas doesn’t get much run in the media when it comes to the recruitment of the No. 5 ranked player in the class. However, I’m told that an official visit to Kansas will take place in the fall.

Obviously, Bryson Tiller, the 6-foot-9, 228-pound small forward from Overtime Elite (Pro League) in Atlanta, Ga., is a name that Kansas fans are very much aware of. The No. 14 ranked player in the 2025 class has been on KU’s campus several times and has a serious interest in Bill Self and the Jayhawks.

Remember the name Chris Cenac, Jr., the 6-foot-9, 220-pound power forward from Link Year in Branson, Mo. The No. 16 ranked player in the 2025 class had an unforgettable spring and summer and has emerged as one of the most coveted prospects in the class. Kansas is very involved and a visit is expected to take place.

Sebastian Williams-Adams, the 6-foot-7, 215-pound small forward from St. John’s High School in Houston, Texas, is a big fan of Bill Self and Kansas. The No. 33 ranked player in the 2025 class took an unofficial visit to Kansas back on December 23, 2023, and loved everything about his time on campus. He’s got an offer on the table from Kansas and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him return for another visit in the fall.

Eric Reibe, the 7-foot-0, 230-pound center from Bullis School in Potomac, Md., is a name to remember. With Hunter Dickinson preparing for his final year in Lawrence, Kansas would love to add another legitimate big man to its roster. Reibe, the No. 66 ranked player in the class, certainly fills that role.

Lastly, Isaiah Denis, the 6-foot-4, 170-pound guard from Davidson (NC) Day is a player that has turned heads with his play on the court this spring and summer. The No. 100 ranked player in the 2025 class is likely due to a big jump in the rankings, and I’ve been told that a visit to Kansas has been discussed and is potentially in the works.
Shay Wildeboor
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


✦ KUFB -
• KUAthletics.com: Kansas football will host its 2nd Annual Lawrence Kickoff Party at South Park on Mass Street on Saturday, August 24 from 5:00-8:00 p.m., coinciding with the Downtown Lawrence Welcome Back Jayhawks Weekend

✦ KUAthletics - Other
• KUAthletics.com: Horejsi family makes $10 million commitment to the Gateway District Project and reimagined David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
Thank you, Horejsis, for sharing the fruits of your labors to improve Ol' KU, her students and alums and the people and economies of Lawrence!
"I've been rich, and I've been poor, and one thing I can say for sure - I'd rather be rich!" - 1964 romcom "I'd Rather be Rich"

✦ ELSEWHERE -
The Paris Summer Olympics continue!
Link to the Medals Count.
US leads in total medals (41, with host nation France second with 29), but still trails in Golds. China leads with 13, USA and Great Britain have 9 and France, Australia and Japan have 8.

✦ LFK weather forecast
Today: Mostly sunny. High 93°F ( 33.9°C), (P)recipitation 1%
Tonight: Clear. Low 64°F (17.8°C), (P)recipitation 2%

That is all for now.

Hope you have a GREAT day and a GREAT weekend!

ROCK CHALK!

✦ Thought for the Day
"To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one man's life."
- T.S. Eliot