Twins from Florida being recruited by Kansas: ‘They are big time in the open floor’
Twins Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, a pair of 6-foot-6, 195-pound junior combo guards from Pine Crest High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, have been offered scholarships by Kansas, Rivals.com reported Friday.
Ausar is ranked No. 127 in the recruiting Class of 2022 by Rivals.com; Amen No. 113.
The twins also are being recruited by Florida, Florida State, Florida Atlantic, Iowa State, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Alabama, LSU, Arizona, Syracuse and others.
“Big time athletes with 6-6 size, great basketball frames and some real feel for the game. They are big time in the open floor and probably both among the top five perimeter defenders I have seen in the class. They will be making big jumps during next week’s rankings updates,” wrote Eric Bossi of Rivals.com.
The two, who are originally from Oakland, California, impressed at the recent Crossroads Elite Invitational in Andover, Kansas.
“The two put on an absolute show and were dynamic on both ends of the floor. They have great basketball bodies, compete and have tremendous feel for the game. Amen is a little more of a passer and has the passing skill to be a big point guard while Ausar is a little bit more of a slasher. Both could use some work with their jumpers,” wrote Bossi.
Amen averaged 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game as a sophomore at Pine Crest High School while Ausar averaged 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 steals.
Skyy Clark eliminates KU
Skyy Clark, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior point guard from Brentwood Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, has eliminated Kansas from his list of schools, he announced on Twitter.
Clark, the No. 16-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2022, who may switch to the Class of 2021, has a final list of Kentucky, North Carolina, UCLA and Memphis.
He cut KU, DePaul, Michigan, Oregon, Tennessee State and USC. It’s the second time KU has been cut. KU was eliminated by Clark in August, but added back on Sept. 1.
“I picked these schools because I’ve been praying about my future and asking for guidance and this is where God has led me,” Clark told Rivals.com. “These are the best fits for my game and I feel like each would help me get my game ready for the next level.”
In returning KU to his list on Sept. 2, Clark, who averaged 25.5 points and 4.2 assists a game his sophomore season at Heritage Christian High School in Los Angeles, said to Jayhawkslant.com: “I added Kansas to my list after dropping my Top 8 because even though they didn’t make the Top 8 they went harder in recruiting me and that meant a lot to me.
“A lot of schools I never heard from again, but Kansas turned it up a notch, which I loved. It showed me how they thought of me as a player and a person.”
Now, for a final time it appears, KU is out of the running.
Hardy to sign during second semester
Jaden Hardy, a 6-4 senior combo guard from Coronado High School in Henderson, Nevada, who has Kansas on his list of 12 schools, will announce his college choice in the late signing period, he told Rivals.com.
Hardy, the No. 5-rated player in the recruiting Class of 2021 according to Rivals.com, has a list of KU, Kentucky, UCLA, Oregon, Arizona, Illinois, Memphis, Michigan, Arizona State, Georgia, Georgetown and Texas Tech.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be early in the year or late signing period in April. I’m just going to wait it out and when the time feels right, I’m going to commit,” Hardy told Rivals.com.
KU is considered a longshot especially with the NBA’s G League an option.
“I just want to see how it is and how this first year goes for all the top players that chose that (G League) route like Jalen Green and Daishen Nix,” Hardy told Krysten Peek of Rivals.com. “I’ll be asking them about how they like the team and the coaching staff and just get their feedback on the whole process before going to the NBA. I don’t know a lot about it, but it’s something that I’m definitely going to look into and keep an eye on.”
If he decides to attend college a year, it appears Kentucky is the leader.
“A lot of recruiting experts still think the Wildcats have the lead. Don’t be too quick to rule out UCLA or Arizona,” wrote Peek.
This story was originally published September 12, 2020 at 10:41 AM.
