Kansas Basketball Recruiting: The Wings – 2017

Jarred Vanderbilt – Small Forward – Houston Hoops

Vanderbilt is the closest thing we’ll have to a tweener on this list. At 6’8″, he could easily be listed as a true forward, but his play over the past year has been almost strictly as a wing.

Big, long, athletic, and powerful, Vanderbilt has the look of an NBA wing. He uses his explosiveness to excel in transition and at the rim, but has also shown a knack for making good passes in the half court. His ballhandling is improving with each year, although he can be over-reliant on spin moves when driving through the lane. His shooting still needs work, but his lefty release isn’t broken. His mechanics are not consistent yet, and he has shown no real inclination to be a shooter at this stage.

Defensively, though, is where Vanderbilt can really shine. His instincts for rebounding and steals are fantastic, which just adds to his exceptional open floor play. His length and quickness only elevate those instincts, allowing him to defend pretty much anyone he wants at the high school and AAU level. Moving into college, it’s his defensive play that will likely allow him to play on the perimeter. Even still, if he lands with a coach wanting to play small, Vanderbilt is already a great rebounder and should be able to help in that role just as well.

Tier 2

Kansas certainly has seen plenty of Vanderbilt, and he’s a guy that would be able to fit in nicely in head coach Bill Self’s defensive scheme and its use of switching on the perimeter. Through last summer, the most talked about school with regard to him was Kentucky. This summer may change that, as Texas, Baylor, and Alabama have reportedly all made strong moves. It’s hard to see Kansas being able to bring in Vanderbilt if they succeed with their first option in Michael Porter, Jr., which is why we have him down on Tier 2.

Next: Tier 3 Up Next