Get to know DeAndre Ayton, a seven foot youngster who has the distinction of being the best high school player regardless of class. (He wears Jersey "0")
That's according to the Scout Ultimate 100 and the countdown was done when he was a sophomore-which means he bested two other classes above him. Some of the big names include Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram who are set to go 1-2 in the 2016 NBA Draft. He also topped Josh Jackson, Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum, the top three prospects of the 2017 NBA Draft.
Ayton is a center but he can actually play the four in the NBA (in 2018 when he becomes eligible. He has range all the way to the three point line and is very fluid with his movements.
With this type of talent, one would expect that the college coaches, specifically the kings of recruitment Coach K of Duke and John Calipari of Kentucky would be all over him by now, but that's not the case, as ESPN Insider revealed.
Ayton himself confirms, "Kansas is the only one right now. That's the only one I've been hearing from. Kansas, Kansas, that's all I've been hearing."
This is definitely an aberration but there are some rumblings that Ayton might forego college altogether in favor of playing overseas for a year after he graduates from high school. Ayton refuted this.
"College is a must," Ayton said. "I'm definitely going to college. Some people are saying go overseas, play pro for one year and enter the draft. I think that's too risky. I don't want my draft stock to go down. I just want to be No. 1, hopefully. Go to college and try to win a national championship."
So why won't the big fish bite on the highest quality bait? Kentucky Wildcats blog A Sea of Blue analyzed why their own coach Cal and rival Mike Krzyzewski have not made the move for Ayton.
There were rumors of academic eligibility concerns, but they have not been confirmed. What is known is that Ayton has listed Duke, Kentucky and Kansas as his top three choices but only Kansas has been fervent in their efforts.
Kansas coach Bill Self has been the biggest risk-taker among the three, which has resulted in some eligibility issues. Kentucky for its part, has relieved themselves of controversy since Enes Kanter was not allowed to play.
ASOB clarified Duke and Kentucky's position: "Cal, K and other big-time coaches have become more hesitant to take these risks, as evidenced by both programs rarely having eligibility concerns with recruits. They're at the top of the game, and they'd rather take a lesser-ranked elite talent than the best guy(s) if they have eligibility concerns heading into college."
Duke and Kentucky have been battling for the no.1 spot for the last three years and are unlikely to bend over backwards for one recruit. The clear and definitive reason why the two (and other top programs aside from Kansas) has shied away from Ayton remains a mystery.