Freshman forward gives the Garden State a better name
Published on Wed., July 23rd, 2008
Beware Kansas fans, the bad puns involving the state of New Jersey are coming shortly. That’s what happens when four of the seven newcomers to the Kansas basketball program played their high school basketball in the Garden State.
Kansas coach Bill Self ventured from the fruited plains and found four top prep players along the Jersey turnpike.
Incoming guard Tyshawn Taylor played at St. Anthony’s in Jersey City, NJ., and incoming forwards Marcus and Markieff Morris — who actually hail from Philadelphia — played ball at Apex Academy in Pennsauken, N.J..
But it’s Quintrell Thomas, a 6-foot-8 incoming freshman forward, who can be blamed with starting the trend.
Thomas, a native of Elizabeth, N.J., committed to play at Kansas last October. The Morrises and Taylor followed, and now Kansas is stocked with East Coast talent, a commodity that was once quite scarce in Lawrence.
As an undersized power forward, a few recruiting experts have likened Thomas’ game to that of former Jayhawk, Darnell Jackson. Thomas showed glimpses of that game at two alumni scrimmages earlier this summer. Thomas was physical and an active rebounder, although while standing next to former Jayhawk Julian Wright, Thomas showed he might be closer to 6-foot-6 than the 6-foot-8 he has often been listed at.
With Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaun graduated and Darrell Arthur’s early entry into the NBA draft, sophomore Cole Aldrich is Kansas’ only returning front court player.
The Jayhawks may need Thomas to play an important role early on in his career. And if Thomas and mates from New Jersey are successful, fans may hope Self journeys out to the Jersey shore more often.
— Edited by Matt Hirschfeld
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