Bill Self is cooking up quite the roster for next season. In the past couple of days, KU had already secured two commitments from the high school class of 2026, and they just got started on 2027 today.
Today, five-star forward Javon Bardwell announced his commitment to the Kansas Jayhawks, choosing the Jayhawks over Louisville, Texas, and USC. Bardwell is currently a member of the class of 2027; however, there is heavy speculation that he will reclassify to the class of 2026.
The 6-foot-6 small forward is originally from Harlem, New York, but grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. He stayed local for high school, playing for PHHoenix Prep in Scottsdale, and also competes in the Overtime Elite league for the Diamond Doves.
Bardwell is currently operating at an extremely high level. He displays elite athleticism, and shows the potential to become a future pro. All of these factors could contribute to a decision to potentially reclassify.
Bardwell is ranked as the No. 13 overall prospect in the country for the class of 2027, according to 247Sports. He is the Jayhawks' first commit in the class, and the third recruit to commit to Kansas within the past six days, with another possibly coming on Sunday. Bardwell is the second five-star to commit to Kansas this week along with Taylen Kinney in the class of 2026
Kinney is rated by On3 as the No.15 player in the nation, the No.3 point guard. 247Sports touts Kinney as the No.13 player in the nation and the No.1 point guard in the nation. The 247Sports Composite ranks Kinney as the No.17 player in the land and as the No.2 point guard, with all three leaning towards Kinney as the No.1 player in the state of Georgia.
KU seems to be getting back to its winning ways as Bill Self likely enters the final stretch of his career.