KU Jayhawks basketball target TyTy Washington lives up to hype at Iverson Classic
Blue-chip high school basketball point guard TyTy Washington didn’t reveal any leaders in his college recruitment to reporters after scoring a game-high 22 points in Saturday’s Iverson Classic all-star game in Memphis.
However, recruiting analyst Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com deduced after speaking to a source close to the situation that Washington, the No. 12-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2021 according to ESPN.com, may be favoring Kentucky and Arizona over fellow finalists Kansas, Baylor, LSU and Oregon.
“Lots of people are in his ear about staying home for Arizona, but I don’t think he goes anywhere but UK,” Zagoria said in quoting his source.
Washington, a 6-4, 180-pound senior from Compass Prep School in Chandler, Arizona, will announce his college choice at a yet-to-be-determined time on Saturday.
He won the Iverson Classic three-point shooting contest on Friday, then followed it with a 22-point effort in a losing cause during the actual game on Saturday. He played for Team Loyalty, which fell to Team Honor, 143-131.
“In a game where bad shots were launched in abundance, Washington opted to create for his teammates in the first half, masterfully maneuvering past his defenders and finding the open man for kick-outs,” SI.com’s Jason Jordan wrote after Saturday’s game. “Washington was automatic from the perimeter in the second half and led all scorers with 22 points,” Jordan added.
Hunter heading to ISU as top prospect
It looks as if Iowa State has a Big 12 preseason freshman of the year candidate on the 2021-22 roster in Tyrese Hunter, a 6-1 point guard rom St. Catherine’s in Racine, Wisconsin who scored 19 points in a losing cause at the Iverson Classic.
He is ranked No. 36 in the Class of 2021 by 247sports.com, No. 37 by ESPN.com and No. 44 by Rivals.com.
“Hunter had the hot hand at the Iverson Classic, efficiently draining three-pointers and mid-range jump shots on the way to a 19-point outing. Hunter showed off his trademark high-wire act and athleticism, but also competed on the defensive end. Expect Hunter to be an instant impact player for the new coach, T.J. Otzelberger, and the Cyclones,” wrote SI.com’s Jordan.
Hood-Schifino outstanding in KC
Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 6-5 junior shooting guard from Montverde (Florida) Academy fared well at the KC Classic AAU tournament held last weekend at Hy-Vee Arena.
Hood-Schifino, who plays for CP3, is considering Kansas, Tennessee, Arizona, Arizona State, Indiana, Seton Hall and others after decommitting from Pittsburgh.
“His skillset, feel, IQ and versatility as a guard have shined,” wrote Travis Branham of 247sports.com. “Schifino possesses very good size and physical tools for the position and his frame has filled out well as he has continued to mature since our last viewings of him.
“He impacts the game both on and off the ball given his innate ability to function both as a scorer and facilitator. As a scorer, Schifino connected on several mid-range pull-ups and as a facilitator he was most impactful in the pick-and-roll,” Branham added.
KU recruiting Thompson twins
Twins Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, who have included KU on their list of potential colleges, also impressed at the KC Classic last weekend.
Amen Thompson is a 6-6 junior point guard from Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Ausar Thompson a 6-6 junior shooting guard from the same school. They play for Florida Pro Basketball on the AAU circuit.
Amen is ranked No. 38 and Ausar No. 40 in the in the recruiting Class of 2022 by Rivals.com. They are considering KU, Alabama, Arizona, Dayton, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Memphis, Oklahoma State and others.
“Both are elite defenders. Amen is more of the playmaker and Ausar more of the slashing scorer,” wrote Eric Bossi of 247sports.com.
“After generating a buzz during their sophomore season, the Thompsons really started to ascend late in the summer of 2020 and after huge junior seasons, they have become two of the most talked about players in their class. Still, there is room for them to improve. Specifically, each can improve with their jump shot and their own self evaluations agree with that assessment,” Bossi added.
Of their recruitment, Amen Thompson told Bossi: “All of the schools that are recruiting us have been coming at us pretty hard. All the coaches sound pretty cool so it isn’t like we can really pinpoint any coaches that are standing out.”
Ausar added: “We are 100% going to school together. It will be the team that we fit best with. We want the place where the coaches and team are like family to us and where we can be our best.”
Traore has productive tourney
Yohan Traore, a 6-11, 230-pound junior power forward from Prolific Prep in Windsor, California, was one of the standouts last weekend at the “Who Want the Smoke Showcase” AAU tourney in Dallas.
“It was my first time seeing Yohan Traore since Geico Nationals (March 31-April 3 in Fort Myers, Florida) and he looked very confident in his abilities. He displayed a natural shooting touch out to 18 feet and dunked everything he could while operating inside. He has the size, mobility, and skill as a big man that guards would love to play with and he is tracking as a potential top 150 name,” wrote Brandon Jenkins of 247sports.com.
Traore, who is unranked in the Class of 2022 at this time, currently has a list of schools that includes KU, TCU, Santa Barbara and others.
