KU coach Bill Self recruited his uncle 22 years ago. Now, he wants the nephew
Kansas coach Bill Self already has a special connection with UTEP transfer guard Ahamad Bynum.
Self recruited Bynum’s uncle, Will Bynum, when Self had just started coaching at Kansas in 2003. Bynum chose to transfer to Georgia Tech, but Self remembers the recruitment vividly, according to his newest transfer target.
Now, in a full circle moment, Self is recruiting Will’s nephew, Ahamad. It’s something the younger Bynum never saw coming.
“It was surprising to me, man,” Bynum told The Star. “I didn’t think they were going to look my way.”
The Jayhawks have four roster spots to fill, so naturally, Self isn’t resting on his laurels. Bynum told The Star on Saturday night that he has a Zoom meeting set up with Kansas for early next week.
Bynum and his agent, Clay Milnes, said they’ve already had phone calls with Self and his staff. Bynum has also talked to a slew of other schools, including Seton Hall and Pittsburgh, but said he’s excited to speak in-depth to Self and the KU coaches next week.
For Kansas, Bynum could be an important addition. He averaged 10.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game last season. He also possesses an element the Jayhawks desperately lack — shooting. Bynum shot an eye-popping 44.4% on 3-pointers while taking 5.3 3s per game last season.
He raised his percentage from 20.7% in his freshman season to 44.4% last year, a feat Bynum attributes to putting in extra reps over the offseason.
KU currently has only one player on its roster who shot above 33% from deep last season: Loyola Chicago transfer guard Jayden Dawson. He shot 36.3% on 3-pointers for the Ramblers.
Bynum is looking for an opportunity to play a significant role wherever he ends up.
“I’m looking for (a place) where I can play a big role,” he said. “Me, playing at UTEP this year, I had a good year coming off the bench.”
He’s also got some familiarity with KU’s roster as he played in AAU with new Jayhawk Tre White. He’s also impressed by KU’s roster and the idea of playing alongside incoming five-star freshman Darryn Peterson.
“It would be great to play alongside him because he’s a real point guard and real floor general,” Bynum said. “I feel like we would definitely be playing together real well.”
Bynum hopes to decide on a school by next month. He also wants to set up a visit to Lawrence in the coming days and noted that if a visit to a school goes well, he could sign during the visit itself. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
He, like many other transfers, was impressed by Self’s coaching pedigree.
“I know Coach Self is a great coach and he’s coached a lot of pros,” Bynum said.
Bynum even left a special message for Jayhawk fans.
“I’m a hooper, man, and I love basketball,” Bynum said. “Going to Kansas would be great situation. It would be a great decision for me and Bill Self. I can definitely help Kansas win more games.”
This story was originally published April 26, 2025 at 8:52 PM.
