Kansas Basketball: 2017 Big Man Targets

Billy Preston – Forward – Pro Skills

Already 19 years old, Preston is one of the best players in the 2017 class. He’s a 6’8″ combo forward that likes to play from the perimeter.

Preston excels with the ball in his hands, often playing as a playmaking forward. He handles the ball really well, and is capable of making high quality passes all across the floor. His shooting is good, though not consistent, enough to make him a perimeter threat. He does have post skills too, though he tends to shy away from playing as a back-to-basket guy.

Defensively, Preston has the athleticism to be a versatile defender. He can switch onto guards effectively and can body up well enough against big men in the post. He doesn’t quite have the quickness to translate that versatility to the elite college level, but it will help him as a forward in switching on screens.

Tier 3

We’re going to start out with Preston in Tier 3. Preston recently cut his list to 4 – Arizona, Kansas, Maryland, and Southern California. At this point, we’ve heard his college choice is likely to be either Arizona or USC, with Maryland having an outside chance. Even then, of all the “won’t play in college” kids in the past few years – we’ve heard his chances are the least of the bunch.

Next: What Happened with KU and Cody Riley?