NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing Cassius Stanley’s final three

Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas is an elite NCAA basketball program. With head coach Bill Self as the leader, the Jayhawks are always one of the top teams in the country and they definitely belong in the national title conversation seemingly every single year. Of course, they struggled a bit during this past season due to injuries but it would be a mistake to assume that they will not be in the top-25 next year. NBA Draft decisions will certainly play a role in where they are ranked in the preseason but so will their work on the recruiting trail.

To this point, Kansas has landed two 2019 recruits but neither one is ranked in the top-100. This is certainly a tad surprising considering the recruiting potential of the Jayhawks but it is the truth. With this said, it makes sense for the program to target the best players available. That definitely includes Cassius Stanley, who is a plug-and-play kind of player due to his versatility on both ends. His high floor defensively and elite athleticism in transition will translate to minutes no matter where he goes. It is also worth mentioning that Kansas is heavily involved in the recruitment of several other top players at the moment as well.

With regards to Stanley’s fit on the roster, it is not exactly seamless. This is due to the potential of both Quentin Grimes and Devon Dotson staying in school. If neither player elects to turn pro or transfer, they will likely reprise their roles as the starting guards on the team. It is certainly possible, though, that the Jayhawks could land Stanley and play him in a small-ball three-guard lineup alongside Grimes/Dotson. For the moment, Kansas’ roster construction for 2019-20 is extremely fuzzy due to the questions regarding so many players who could potentially depart the program this offseason.

Regardless of any of that, though, Stanley should be a top priority. He is that talented.

Final Prediction: Oregon. With less than two weeks remaining until Stanley’s commitment date, Oregon is the program with the most stability heading into next season. The Ducks have a great head coach, a strong returning core, plenty of other freshmen coming in, and have all of the tools needed to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Of course, UCLA and Kansas can offer some great pitches but I think Oregon has the best combination of coaching, talent, and potential while also allowing him to stay on the west coast (although Eugene is a far cry from Los Angeles.)