NCAA: Why Carlton Bragg Should Become A Kansas Jayhawk

Kansas is one of the few college basketball programs that can seemingly pick and choose between which recruits they want to join their tradition. Unfortunately in the case of 2015 5-star power forward Carlton Bragg, Kansas isn’t the only school in his remaining five college choices that has that same recruiting dominance with Kentucky and Arizona in the mix, as well as UCLA and Illinois. But of these notable programs, Lawrence, Kansas is the best place for Bragg to call home once he begins his college days.

Kansas’ interest in Bragged spiked this summer after his impressive showings with the Ohio Basketball Club. This alone should be enough to make Bragg take a second thought towards his college decision. I mean, when somebody from the historic University of Kansas ask you to come play basketball for them, the list of better options shortens dramatically.

My assumption would be the realistic top three choices will come down between Kansas, Illinois – who has been on the Bragg trail for quite some time – and Kentucky, which is the team many consider the favorite for Bragg as expected.

So let’s make this short and sweet.

If Bragg wants to win championships, or even compete for one, Illinois isn’t the place for him. It’s been years since they actually had a championship caliber team and it’s unlikely they will have one during Braggs time there.

As for Kentucky…we all know they are consistently a top team with championship aspirations and put their players into the NBA at the highest rate in college basketball, but Bragg would also have to share time with countless other elite players and this could possibly take away from the stardom Bragg could have at a program like…let’s say Kansas.

As for why Kansas is the right choice; head coach Bill Self has a storied history of making his big men successful, as seen with Joel Embiid, Thomas Robinson and the Morris twins. This trend will continue with freshman Cliff Alexander and after what will likely be his only season in college and with that said, this will leave a gaping opportunity in the post for Bragg to come in and make an immediate impact as a star player for one of them best teams in the country. Then of course, just as with Kentucky, the name Kansas across your jersey almost guarantees you will be taken on draft night.

With the whole point of college basketball for these kids, being able to come in and have an immediate impact on a contending team and then become a professional as soon as they choose to is the dream scenario and all of that is possible at Kansas. Of course there’s still an entire season before Bragg has to make any decisions and the way it plays out will likely affect that choice, but just ask guys like Embiid and Andrew Wiggins; Kansas has more than enough to offer.