Top-10 basketball prospect Josiah Turner has reshuffled his list of official campus visits, giving Kansas University a shot to make the all-important final sales pitch.
Turner, a 6-foot-3 senior point guard from Sacramento (Calif.) High, who originally was to visit Arizona on Oct. 22-23 — a week after attending KU’s Oct. 15 Late Night in the Phog — will visit U of A on Sept. 17-18.
Turner — he improved from No. 12 to 10 in the latest Rivals.com rankings — will visit Louisville on Sept 3-4, UConn Sept 10-11 and Oregon on Oct. 1-2. He still has UCLA and Oklahoma on his list.
“It’s huge,” Rivals.com analyst Shay Wildeboor said of the significance of nabbing the last visit in the world of recruiting.
“By the time he announces, it will be the last thing he’ll remember. He attended Late Night on an unofficial visit last year. He’s coming back on an official visit this year and has made KU his final visit. He obviously has great interest in KU.”
Turner averaged 27.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.8 steals per game his junior season.
Angelo Chol, a 6-8 senior center from San Diego’s Hoover High, also will visit for Late Night. He is Rivals.com’s No. 76-rated player. Ben McLemore, a 6-5 senior from Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., who likely will visit for Late Night, is No. 17 overall. The country’s No. 1 prospect, 6-3 point guard Austin Rivers of Winter Park (Fla.) High, tells the Orlando Sentinel he likely will visit KU, Duke, North Carolina and Florida. Duke is believed to be the favorite.
No. 4-rated LeBryan Nash, 6-7 from Dallas Lincoln, said he may visit for Late Night. KU is expected to receive visits from No. 19-rated Norvel Pelle, 6-8 from Price High in Compton, Calif., No. 44 Jakarr Sampson, 6-7 from St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio, and No. 79 Mikael Hopkins, 6-8 from DeMatha High in Hyattsville, Md.
Rap: Krizz Kaliko, a rapper from Kansas City, has produced a song called “Game On,” which is a tribute to KU’s hoops team. For KUsports.com editor Jesse Newell’s take on the song, go to http://www2.ljworld.com/weblogs/newell_post/2010/aug/26/ku-fans-meet-your-new-bas/
Coming Sunday: Former KU guard/journalism major Keith Langford, who is beginning the final year of a two-year, $2.6 million deal with Khimki Moscow of the Euroleague, recently contacted the Journal-World about writing a piece for the paper.
He gained a following writing a column for the University Daily Kansan while at KU.
“In reflecting upon my time at KU recently, I wanted to give a piece of my life these last five years,” said Langford, 26, who will discuss his pro career and shed some insight into what he said was a disappointing final season at KU. To read the Langford column, pick up a copy of Sunday’s paper or check KUsports.com.