Ukrainian basketball prospect Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk expected to visit KU

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self is pursuing another international prospect.

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, a 6-foot-6 guard from Ukraine, is expected to visit Kansas this weekend, according to Rivals.com.

Mykhailiuk, who won’t turn 17 until June, is an intriguing possibility for a number of reasons. He has been touted as one of the best young European prospects in recent memory. And despite his young age, he is expected to be eligible to join the class of 2014 after finishing high school in his native country.

Mykhailiuk surfaced as an option last month, after he attended the Nike Hoop Summit, a showcase event for young American and international prospects in Portland, Ore.

Kansas recruits Kelly Oubre and Cliff Alexander each played for the American team in the event, while Mykhailiuk was a late addition to the world team. While in Portland, he revealed that he was interested in exploring the option of playing college basketball in the United States. Information has been limited on his actual desire to play college basketball, but KU continued the recruitment process after the event. Mykhailiuk will also reportedly visit Virginia, per multiple reports.

Self has had success with international prospects in the past. Former KU center Sasha Kaun, who grew up in Russia, played at Kansas for four seasons, helping the Jayhawks to the NCAA title game in 2008. Last season, center Joel Embiid, a native of Cameroon, exploded onto the scene before leaving for the NBA after one season. And Andrew Wiggins grew up in the Toronto area before playing high school basketball in the United States.

Kansas has two open scholarships after the departures of junior point guard Naadir Tharpe and wing Andrew White III. In addition to Oubre, a 6-foot-7 wing, the Jayhawks will return two players with wing skills in Wayne Selden Jr. and Brannen Greene.

This story was originally published May 15, 2014 at 1:03 PM with the headline "Ukrainian basketball prospect Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk expected to visit KU."