Three of the top high school basketball prospects in the country are making official recruiting visits to Kansas University this weekend.
On campus today are:
Giles is the son of former KU forward Chester Giles, who played for Ted Owens in the late 1970s. C.J. Giles averaged 8.2 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks a game last year.
“He’s probably one of the faster big guys you’ll see,” Rainier coach Mike Bethea told visionsports.com. “He plays hard. He’s going to give you 12 to 15 rebounds a night.”
Giles has narrowed his choices to KU, Miami and Arizona. He has visited Miami and has a trip to Arizona scheduled Oct. 17.
“It’s been really hard for me,” Giles told the Seattle Times about the recruiting process. “All the coaches calling every day. But I’m loving all of the visits.”
Giles is the No. 39-ranked player in the U.S. by rivals.com.
Robinson averaged 18.0 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals as a junior.
Mike Sullivan of rivals.com calls Robinson a “ball-hawking defender and smart player who has the ability to drain a perimeter jumper or take it to the basket. He has the ability to float the ball over bigger bodies and is one of the few athletes with the skills to kiss the ball off the glass.”
Robinson has visited UConn and Georgia Tech, and still might make visits to Kentucky and St. John’s.
“I want to play for a team that has a chance to win it all,” Robinson said. “I also want to go to a program that will give me the best chance of being the best player I can be on the court and off the court.”
Russell is the No. 31-rated player nationally by rivals.com.
Thomas, a teammate of Cal freshman Leon Powe the past three years, averaged 15 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and two steals a game a year ago.
“I saw him a lot this summer, and I think he’s one of the top-five point guards in this (national) class,” Bob Gibbons of All-Star Sports said. “The thing I like about him is he’s a true point guard. He’s an excellent leader and as good a defensive player at that position as I saw.”
Thomas has a final list of KU, North Carolina and Arizona State.
“It may sound funny, but I just want Quentin to be Quentin this year,” Oakland Tech coach Hodari McGavock told the San Francisco Chronicle. “By nature, he is a passer and he makes the guys around him better. His forte is passing and as far as scoring goes, he just needed to add a few more weapons to the arsenal … and he’s done that.”
Thomas is rivals.com’s 119-rated player.
“He doesn’t get enough credit,” McGavock said. “He’s still having to prove himself. … He can shoot the ball fine. He just has to take more shots. But, at the same time, I don’t want him to feel pressure to carry us.”