Arizona prep junior DaRon Holmes II makes unofficial recruiting visit to Kansas
DaRon Holmes II, a 6-foot-8, 195-pound junior power forward from Millennium High School in Goodyear, Arizona, made an unofficial recruiting visit to the University of Kansas on Monday.
Holmes, the No. 33-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2021 by Rivals.com, averaged 16.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.2 blocks a game his sophomore season in leading Millennium to a runner-up finish in Arizona’s Class 5A.
Holmes has an early list of KU, Arizona, USC, Cal, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Pepperdine, Marquette, Arizona State, Texas Tech and others.
“Appreciate Coach Self for being very generous with his time and wisdom. Coaching staff was tremendous!” DaRon’s dad, DaRon Holmes, wrote on Twitter on Monday.
Both of Holmes’ parents attended KU. DaRon II lived in Kansas until seventh grade when he moved to Arizona with his family.
“It really means a lot,” Holmes II told Azcentral.com, referring to his being offered a KU scholarship in May. “It shows they trust me. It reminds me I have to keep working and be focused.”
He described his game to Rivals.com: “It’s positionless now, but I’m not going to say like all the other bigs that I want to be a guard. I’m going to be a big and guard. Anywhere a school wants me to play is where I’ll play and do my role. ... I can play all three levels, so it doesn’t matter. Whatever is the best.”
Anthony Ray of arizonapreps.com is one analyst who believes Holmes is a rising star.
“The state of Arizona has rarely seen a prospect like Holmes take the floor of the Arizona hardwood — a big post prospect with superb length and versatility,” writes Ray. “Holmes is a complete mismatch problem in the (high school) ranks or on the club circuit. Whatever level he plays in, Holmes is a unicorn prospect that changes the way defenses prepare for him and his teammates. What makes him even more difficult to defend is that he is able to handle the basketball in the open court or on the perimeter and make plays for himself and his teammates. He has a high basketball IQ and is a very willing passer that enjoys seeing his teammates have success — a rare quality for today’s elite prospects.
Ray adds: “Holmes is a very long and rangy prospect that runs the floor like a guard, and enjoys getting out into the open floor. He is an athletic post performer that is able to score inside and out, with a variety of offensive skillsets, and excellent potential and upside. He is a good shooter with range and has excellent feet and hands — a unique overall prospect and talent that is rarely seen in the state. This young man is also a very fine young man with an excellent personality and attitude which really makes him enjoyable to be around.”
Nix lists KU, four others
Daishen Nix, a 6-4 senior point guard from Trinity International in Las Vegas, on Monday revealed his final five schools on Twitter. They are: KU, Kentucky, Maryland, Alabama and UCLA. Nix, who is originally from Alaska, is ranked No. 14 in the recruiting Class of 2020 by Rivals.com.
“Picking my top 5 wasn’t easy. There are some good schools with great coaching staffs that are being left off this list — Washington, Marquette and Arizona just to name a few,” Nix wrote on Twitter.
KU one of 10 on Brakefield’s list
Jaemyn Brakefield, a 6-8, 205-pound senior small forward from Huntington (West Virginia) Prep, on Monday narrowed his list of prospective colleges to 10 on Twitter.
They are: Kansas, Auburn, Florida State, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi, Oregon, UCLA, and West Virginia.
Brakefield, the No. 33-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2020 by Rivals.com, averaged 15.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in 17 games this past AAU season for Phenom University AAU.
R.J. Davis schedules three visits
R.J. Davis, a 6-0, 160-pound senior point guard from Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York, will visit Pittsburgh (Sept. 20-22), Marquette (Sept. 27-29) and North Carolina (Oct. 11-13), Zagsblog.com reports. He has already made an official visit to Georgetown.
Davis, the No. 105-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2020 by Rivals.com, also reportedly is considering visiting KU, Texas, UCLA and Indiana.