The Jayhawks are laden with star power, but newcomer Xavier Henry is quickly leaving his mark.

He stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 220 pounds at 18 years old. He’s one of Kansas’ all-time most sought-after recruits.

Everyone from fans, coaches, teammates and experts agrees: Freshman guard Xavier “X” Henry is worth all the hype.

Kansas coach Bill Self went through quite the ordeal this summer recruiting him, traveling to Oklahoma City to iron out commitment issues with Henry’s father. All that is behind them and Henry said he is happy in to be Lawrence — as if his constant smile weren’t convincing enough.

“It’s a great time to be here,” he said. “I want to be a part of it and I want my brother to be a part of it.”

When Henry first arrived at camp, Self said he was immediately impressed with how fit his new weapon was.

“There are not too many 18-year-olds like that,” Self said. “There are not too many guards that powerful.”

Henry has the rare ability to drive to the basket or make shots from long range. His versatility with the ball, mixed with his speed and physicality, makes Henry a mismatch for opposing defenses. His teammates say his physical presence is his greatest asset.

“He’s really, really strong,” junior guard Tyrel Reed said. “I think people underestimate his strength. He can get to the basket at any time and he’s also a threat from the outside, so he’s going to be a great player for us.”

Senior guard Sherron Collins tried his hand in practice against Henry, but even he had trouble guarding him.

“It’s tough,” he said. “I tried to guard him a few times and caught myself under the rim. He’s naturally strong. You just have to put a body on him and try to block him out.”

Henry’s first shots in each exhibition game were both three-pointers. In two games, he scored 24 points, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. He showed his ability to race down the court, push around defenders and finish while drawing contact.

Every freshman has to adjust to the college game. Henry will most likely have his ups and downs, Collins said, but his overall skill set will make up for it.

“It’ll take him a while,” Collins said, “but he’s a natural scorer so he’ll be alright.”

To finish out his repertoire, Henry is keen on grabbing offensive rebounds, which is rare to find in the guard position.

“I always like to crash the glass because that’s where you get free points,” he said. “It’s a good thing and it will get you involved real quick.”

He is one of five freshmen on the Naismith Preseason Watch List and is on the cover of the Nov. 16 issue of ESPN the Magazine along with teammates Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich. Henry was pleased with the cover, though he said he has not looked at the inside.

“It was nice,” he said. “It came out better than I thought it would.”

All the signs are good for Henry so far, but these are a lot of accolades for someone who has not played a college game yet, Aldrich said.

“It’s tough to put a freshman out like that because he hasn’t played any and just the lack of experience playing the college game,” he said. “But I think he can really be a good college player. He’s becoming a better teammate every day.”

— Edited by Sarah Kelly