Kansas basketball: Bill Self still successfully recruiting despite allegations
Kansas basketball head coach Bill Self isn’t letting COVID-19 or NCAA allegations slow him down on the recruiting trail.
There’s been a lot of bad publicity around the Kansas basketball program lately due to NCAA allegations alleging serious infractions against the program and head coach Bill Self. Despite all the negative energy, Self and his staff have been dishing out offers to a number of recruits in the class of ’21 and ’22.
The fact that the Jayhawks are in the midst of a massive fight with the NCAA would probably be enough to steer many recruits away, but not Zach Clemence, who committed yesterday.
The four-star forward is ranked as the No. 34 overall prospect in the class of ’21, and he’s the first to commit to that class for the Jayhawks. Clemence held offers from multiple schools including Arkansas, Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Ohio State, Nebraska, and others; however, Clemence said that “Kansas has always been my first pick.”
The fact that Self and the Kansas Jayhawks were able to get a borderline five-star recruit to commit during these wild times is no small feat. Like every other school in America, Kansas has to battle the coronavirus while recruiting, which means no in-person visits.
The Jayhawks’ battle with the NCAA is unique though, so Clemence must trust Self completely to commit before any ruling has come from the NCAA. The next step in that process is a hearing; however, there’s no telling when it’ll be held.
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Perhaps the commitment of Clemence will break the ice for Kansas’ 2021 recruiting class. Around 20 different recruits in that class currently hold offers from Self and the Jayhawks, so it’s only a matter of time until the class begins to fill out with future Kansas Jayhawks.