TheShiver.com broke the news that class of 2011 SF, LeBryan Nash (Dallas, TX/Lincoln, pics), would officially visit Kansas on October 15th for Late Night in the Phog (link) while in Venice Beach, California for the Boost Mobile Elite 24. The visit to Kansas was thought to be the third and final visit Nash would take since he announced that Oklahoma State, Baylor and Kansas were the only three schools he would consider, but according to his AAU coach Tony Johnson, Nash could be making a fourth and fifth visit as well.
Nash’s recruitment has been filled with assumptions about which school he would ultimately choose. Oklahoma State has long been considered to be a favorite for Nash, but according to Johnson, that’s just what everyone has assumed without speaking with Nash himself.
“Everybody just assumed that he was going to Oklahoma State,” said Johnson. “A lot of that is because Byron Eaton (former Oklahoma State PG) is his half brother. Nobody even asked him about it so they just assumed that he would go there,” he added.
Nash did visit Oklahoma State two weeks ago, and he will head to Waco to visit Baylor this weekend according to Johnson. The Bears have recently been considered a favorite for Nash too, but again, much of those thoughts have been based on assumptions according to Johnson.
“Everybody assumed he was going to Oklahoma State so no one else was really recruiting him. Everyone was asking about him, but no one was really recruiting him,” said Johnson. “Then Baylor came in and started recruiting him, and Kansas came in after that. Now he might visit Texas and Arizona. Those two are on the list now,” added Johnson.
Now that the assumptions are out the window, Nash can focus on each school that he’s considering in order to make the best decision for him. According to Johnson, finding the right head coach for Nash will factor into which school he ultimately chooses.
“That’s what we’re looking for. A coach that gets his motor running,” said Johnson. “Once he establishes that the sky is the limit,” he added.
Kansas head coach Bill Self could be what Nash is looking for, he’s also a big reason why Kansas is being considered.
“He likes Bill Self,” said Johnson. “He likes the coach and the style they run. Out AAU team (Dallas Mustangs) runs a lot of the same stuff that coach Self runs,” said Johnson.
As for his play on the court, Johnson feels that Nash is one of the most versatile players in the country.
“He can play four spots. He can play four different positions,” said Johnson. “He can play the 1 through the 4. His jumper is great, but there is room for improvement. His ball handling is great and he can pass like a point guard,” he added.
One comparison that is often made with Nash, because of his versatility, is to current Los Angeles Laker Lamar Odom. Johnson understands the comparison, but does point out some differences.
“He’s (Nash) more physical than Lamar,”said Johnson. “Odom is taller, he’s like 6’10″, and LeBryan is about 6’7″. I think LeBryan will top out around 6’8″, but he’s also about 225-230 pounds,” he added.
According to Johnson no in-home visits have been scheduled as of now, and he’s not sure if or when any will be scheduled. However, Nash will be participating in open gyms at his high school and you can be sure that coaches from all five schools will stop by to see Nash at work.
