Julius Randle is good at basketball
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Julius Randle of Prestonwood Christian (TX) is arguably the best basketball player in America in the class of 2013. A 6-foot-9 power forward with a ridiculous combination of strength and skill, Randle has the nation’s elite programs coming after him.
In fact, as he told The Shiver at 11th Grade AAU Nationals, he does not even have a group of schools in mind.
“Pretty much everyone,” Randle said of who is recruiting him. “I don’t even have a list, so I haven’t cut anything down. I think it’s the last tournament of the summer, so after this I’m gonna release a list, I guess.”
The Texas Titans star does not have any particular schools that he has been in touch with the most, either.
“I honestly haven’t been really taking calls and stuff like that,” Randle said. “So, I’ve just been focusing.”
Randle has not been on any unofficial visits this summer, but he has tripped to a number of schools in the past.
“Yeah, I pretty much–any school you see on my list I pretty much visited,” Randle said. “Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Baylor, North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, everywhere.”
The Lone Star State prospect does not have any additional visits planned. He also dos not know when he will make his commitment.
“I have no clue,” Randle said of his timetable. “I haven’t thought about anything.”
What Randle does know though, is what he is looking to find in a college.
“Just a coach I can trust, a coach that’s gonna push me, help me be the best player I can be and just help me max out my potential on and off the court.”
The big man said that there is no coach in particular with whom he has the best relationship. In addition, he explained that location and conference are not a factor him.
“No, I mean, my family wants what’s best for me,” Randle said. “My mom wants [me to go] wherever I’m happy at, so she’s not gonna force me to stay close to home or anything.”
Randle’s AAU teammate, Matt Jones, is a top-notch shooting guard in the class of 2013 and he is committed to Duke. Do Randle and Jones discuss going to the ACC school together?
“We talk about it, but he doesn’t put any pressure on me at all,” Randle said.
As far as things go with Kansas, Randle talked about the recruiting pitch that he is hearing from the Jayhawks.
“I mean, coach [Bill] Self said I can be the best player he’s ever coach and he can use me in a lot of different ways because my game is unique,” Randle said. “So, that’s pretty much how they’re recruiting me.”
Randle talked about what it means to him to hear the KU head coach say that, knowing who else he has coached.
“It’s an honor,” Randle began. “A coach like that, it’s an honor to have him say [that], but you know, when you get on campus, you got to put in the work.”
The rising senior also provided his thoughts on the Kansas style of play.
“They do a lot of high-low offense, stuff like that,” Randle said. “So, I mean, they get their big men the ball.”
Randle listed “attacking the basket” as the strongest aspect of his game. He said of his primary weakness, “Just controlling my pace.”
Finally, Randle talked about what position he feels he projects at when he gets to college.
“I’m just a player, I don’t know,” Randle said. “So, I think I can play a lot of different positions.”
