After flying under the radar while other big names schools are reeling in multiple recruits, the Kansas Jayhawks finally have their first commit with five-star power forward, Carlton Bragg, choosing Kansas over Kentucky, Arizona, Illinois and UCLA.
New #Jayhawk hoops commit Carlton Bragg sporting the #KU hat #kubball pic.twitter.com/eRAmYA2SMr
— JayhawkSlant (@JayhawkSlant) January 8, 2015
This was a commitment that came down to the final moments, as even Bragg said he would be attending Kentucky as he put on the Kansas hat, before immediately apologizing as correcting himself.
“I twisted and turned on the decision daily, but now I am ready. I would like to thank the coaches for recruiting me. With that said I would like to make my decision. Next year I will be playing at Kansas,” he told Scout.com.
Bragg’s commitment to Kansas is one that could potentially cause a bit of a logjam in the paint next season, should Perry Ellis and Cliff Alexander both decide to return for another season. But as seen with the massive frontcourts of Kentucky and conference foe, Texas, that’s a pretty great problem to have.
As you may know from previous faces to wear Kansas’ jersey, such as Joel Embiid, the Morris twins and Thomas Robinson, head coach Bill Self loves his post players, which ultimately played a key role in why Bragg decided to take his talents to Lawrence.
"‘I felt the love that Coach (Bill) Self had, and the love that he had for his guys, and I just felt it was the right place.”"
So where could Bragg fit at Kansas next season, whether it be amongst some pretty notable low-post presences or with the spotlight shining bright on him?
Unlike Ellis and Alexander, Bragg won’t necessarily have to be confined to the interior, if he is to join them next season. Bragg has tremendous athleticism, and although he has great size for a power forward at 6’9”, his decent ball handling ability and touch from the perimeter could allow him to find some additional minutes on the perimeter in some bigger lineups.
His skill set is that of a natural stretch-forward, which will allow him to be utilized in several lineups if the Jayhawks’ current forces in the paint both return. But worst-case scenario, Bragg would be a tremendous backup option off the bench as a freshman to give Ellis and Alexander some relief minutes.
Now if Bragg were to find himself as the lone power forward of the three big names next season, he’ll be able to survive right out of the gate on athleticism alone. He runs the floor well and lives above the rim, which will result in easy baskets while he’s trying to settle into the flow of competing at the D-1 level. He’s pretty much the polar opposite of the current freshman big man at Kansas, as Bragg is more of your face-up, slashing style big man.
He’s not a guy you can expect to see banging bodies with some of the opposition’s biggest guys, which, although it could become a weakness in some defensive match-ups, will also make him that much harder to guard with his quickness and solid arsenal of midrange moves.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Bragg ultimately becomes a small forward at Kansas, depending on how his outside game improves between now and when he arrives on campus. But there’s no denying that Self received a special talent who is going to cause matchup problems for several teams.
Now let’s see if Bragg’s commitment can start a domino effect and lure some other big name talents to play in The Phog.
Quotes courtesy of scout.com