Kansas filled four of its five men’s basketball scholarship agreements during the early signing period.
KU coach Roy Williams announced Tuesday a fall signee class of guards Aaron Miles (6-foot-1), Michael Lee (6-2) and Keith Langford (6-4), plus power forward Wayne Simien (6-8).
So, will the Jayhawks save scholarship No. 5 for the second semester or recruit somebody else?
“It depends on what we find,” Williams said. “If we find what we want, we’d use it. It’d be somebody bigger. It’s always hard to get big guys, there are not that many around. If not, we’ll have four (again) next year.”
Williams couldn’t announce the verbal commitment of guard Jeff Hawkins (5-11, KC Sumner), who will join the program as a walk-on next year and receive a scholarship the following four years.
The guard-heavy class means the Jayhawks will play three guards next season.
“I don’t think it’s bad,” Williams said of a small lineup. “It means the big guys better rebound the heck out of it.
“We will be a better ballhandling team, shooting team, dribbling team, better against pressure and applying pressure.”
Lots of teams go with three or more guards nowadays.
“We will play three (guards) because we were not able to get to the prototype, picture-perfect small forward,” Williams said.
“What we could do is play Kirk Hinrich, Jeff Boschee and Michael Lee; Kirk, Jeff and Aaron Miles; Kirk, Jeff, Miles, Keith Langford. You could put a lot of guys in there.”
Busy with this season, KU’s coach will have plenty of time to work on next year’s lineup specifics. But Tuesday was the day to discuss the talent of his current signees.
Miles, a point guard from Jefferson High in Portland, Ore., is a prep teammate of No. 2-guard Lee.
“He (Miles) does everything: pass, shoot, defend, dribble, lead. He’s a magnificent prospect,” Williams said. “He’s the all-around point we are looking for. We watched Aaron and Michael both play for a couple years.”
Williams says he became interested in Lee after Texas prep 2-guard Daniel Ewing tapped Duke and Minnesota 2-guard Alan Anderson picked Michigan State.
“I said, ‘Tell me if somebody (other than those two) has a better package than Michael does?’ Nobody on our staff could come up with one,” Williams said. “(Lee) has the ability to shoot and defend. The past summer, Aaron was hurt and Michael went to the point guard spot. He truly is a guard.”
Simien, of Leavenworth High, attended Williams’ summer camp ever since the sixth grade.
“He kept growing and getting bigger and bigger,” Williams said. “He is very strong. He knows how to play and knows how to do the right things.”
Added KU junior Nick Collison, “Wayne Simien can add some beef to the frontline. I saw him his junior year. He was huge. And he’s talking about getting here next summer and working with our coaches. I can’t imagine how big he’ll be.”
North Crowley, Texas, shooting guard Keith Langford also puts a smile on WIlliams’ face.
“He is a shooter, an all-around player,” Williams said. “Coach (Neil) Dougherty went to see him play. He scored 46 points in a game and missed three shots. I saw him when he was not good at all and fell in love with him. He knows how to play the game.
“None of these guys are one-dimensional, all can play.”
One sport only: Miles and Lee will not play football at KU. Miles took over as starting QB at Jefferson after an exhibition and regular-season opening football loss this season.
Here’s the story:
“Aaron was discouraged his high school team didn’t play very well in their first scrimmage game and lost, 31-0, in the first game,” Williams said. “The next Monday he walked into the head coach’s football office and said, ‘I’m going to play again.’ He hadn’t played since ninth grade. He’s thrown 15-20 touchdown passes.”
They won the city championship and are 1-0 so far in the Oregon state playoffs.