CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Even as sophomore this past year, Emmanuel Mudiay was undoubtedly was one the very best point guards in the United States.
Accordingly, the 6-foot-4, 197-pounder out of Grace Prep (TX) is being courted by some of nation’s elite college basketball programs.
The Shiver caught up with Mudiay on Friday at the NBPA Top 100 Camp to discuss his recruitment, his game and his interest in Kansas.
Mudiay provided a school list included Baylor, SMU, Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arizona, Kansas, Marquette, and TCU. He said he has offers from all of those schools as well as others in the Big 12 that he could not recall off the top of his head.
“No, I’m just leaving all my options open,” Mudiay said of whether he has any favorites.
It makes sense that Mudiay is still open, as he said he has not taken any visits, has no trips planned and is not even sure where he would like to visit. Additionally, there are no coaches who he feels he has the best bond with and Friday was just the first day that coaches could even call players in the class of 2014.
“I talked to Kentucky, Baylor, SMU, Oklahoma, and TCU,” Mudiay said of which schools made contact with him yesterday.
He noted that the first school to call him was Baylor, one of the several in-state schools on his list.
Friday was also the first day that coaches were allowed to text message recruits, as that had been banned for several years.
“I think it’s a good thing,” Mudiay said of coaches being able to text players. “Most guys, all they wanna do is text.”
Asked who has been coming at him the hardest overall, Mudiay replied, “Mostly the Big 12, most everybody in the Big 12.”
Although much of his interest does come from the Big 12, Mudiay said he is not sure yet what conference he would like to play his college ball in.
Mudiay certainly has time to figure that out, as he is in no rush to make his college choice. The athletic lead guard said he is “gonna wait it out” when it comes to a commitment. He added that he will definitely hold off until senior year, but is not sure whether he will sign early or late.
On what he is looking for in a college, Mudiay commented, “A school that brings the best out of me and makes me a better person [and who can] . . . take me where I want to be, which is the NBA.”
Mudiay provided an update on where things stand when it comes to Kansas.
“They really were talking to me when Danny Manning was there,” Mudiay said. “[He was] who I really was in contact with. I don’t know now.”
The rising junior said that he has not spoken with a coach from Kansas since Manning left for the head coaching spot at Tulsa.
However, despite that, Mudiay said that he is still “possibly interested” in KU and discussed what he likes about the Jayhawks.
“They always work out with the team they have [and] . . . coach [Bill] Self is gonna get the best out of you [and get you] to play defense,” Mudiay said.
While he does not have a personal relationship with any of the current Jayhawks, Mudiay has come in contact with one of the outgoing players.
“I met Thomas Robinson once, but I doubt he remembers me,” Mudiay said.
On the basketball court, Mudiay is a player who is hard not to remember. In fact, he has drawn comparisons to some big-time players.
“Some people say [I play like] Tyreke Evans, some say Dwyane Wade,” Mudiay said, “but I really don’t pay attention to that, I just [play].”
When listing his primary strengths as a player, he included things such as finding his teammates and getting to the rack. However, he knows he is not perfect and mentioned the consistency of his shot as his chief weakness.
With his height and scoring ability, Mudiay is capable of playing either guard spot, but he confirmed that all the schools involved in his recruitment are pursuing him to play the point.
