Five-star power forward recruit Carlton Bragg has decided to attend Kansas.
Bragg, a class of 2015 prospect, had been down to Kansas, Kentucky, and Illinois prior to his announcement.
And in fact, while announcing his commitment, Bragg made an unfortunate blunder by putting on a Kansas hat and saying that he was attending Kentucky before quickly correcting himself and saying he was, indeed, attending Kansas.
Gotta really feel for the 19-year-old. In a really nice, classy move, one of his coaches had him go back up there, and officially re-do the commitment by putting the hat back on and firmly saying he would be attending Kansas.
Later at the press conference, Bragg alluded to his relationship with Bill Self and the connection that he felt he formed with the coaching staff and players as the main reason he committed to the Jayhawks. His coach also noted that Illinois was the most relentless school in recruiting him.
This is a pretty big commitment for Kansas, as they had been without a committed recruit for the class of 2015 before Bragg decided to attend school in Lawrence. Bragg, the 16th-ranked player in the country according to the 247Sports composite rating, is the highest-rated recruit to come out of Ohio since Jared Sullinger in 2010. He's a 6-foot-9, 220-pound power forward from Villa-Angela St. Joseph High School in Cleveland. Considered a supremely athletic, physical forward, Bragg is an above-the-rim type of player that would immediately add to the athleticism of any team he joined. He's also noted to have shooting range, potentially out to the 3-point line by the time he plays in a college game.
Jerry Meyer of 247Sports had this to say about how he will fit within Kansas' scheme.
"I really like the fit for Carlton Bragg at Kansas because his game is tailor fit for the type of high-low system of Bill Self," said Meyer. "Bragg is very comfortable with the ball in the high post. He can feed the post and kick it to the wings proficiently from there and he has potential to legitimately stretch the defense as a shooter. He also scores with his back to the basket and is capable of being a strong rebounder," added Meyer.
Bragg playing under Kansas Head Coach Bill Self is another reason why Meyer likes the fit.
"I also like the fit because Coach Self will demand that he focus and play hard," said Meyer. "A lack of that at times has been the main criticism of Bragg. I can see Coach Self and the nature of the system and program at Kansas getting the best out of Bragg," Meyer added.
As far as an immediate roster fit though, it's a bit more questionable at this juncture. The team currently has an awful lot of players like him on the roster, and none of them are seniors. Six-foot-nine center and five-star recruit Cliff Alexander has had a somewhat underwhelming freshman campaign, so it's unknown at this point if he'll be a "one-and-done" player as was speculated upon before the season. Perry Ellis is only a junior and he may return despite his excellent skill level. Plus, starting center Jamari Traylor and backup big man Landen Lucas will definitely be back. His skill level as a five-star recruit should obviously necessitate him playing time. But given how slowly Self has brought along freshmen in the past and the seemingly glutted roster, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him sit early in his career.
As far as what this means for Kansas, it's obviously nice to get another star big man in the fold. Since Self has been the Jayhawks' coach, he's brought in a multitude of power forwards that have gone on to the NBA such as the Morris twins, Thomas Robinson and Darrell Arthur, as well as quite a few centers like Cole Aldrich and Joel Embiid. There are very few places in the country that develop big men into pro prospects like Kansas does, so Bragg should be in a good place that will foster his skill level into the future.
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