KU commit Vick decides to reclassify and play for Jayhawks this season

Self announces signing of Memphis prep, who leaves Class of 2016 for 2015

LaGerald Vick, a 6-foot-5, 175-pound senior shooting guard from Memphis’ Douglass High, who committed to Kansas University on May 17, today announced plans to reclassify to the recruiting Class of 2015 and play for KU this season.

“Just confirmed when I’m leaving this weekend. Kansas it is!” Vick wrote this afternoon on his Facebook account.

An hour or so later, KU coach Bill Self announced the signing of Vick to a grant-in-aid agreement.

“The whole thought with LaGerald was that he would reclassify and become a 2015,” Self said. “We knew he’s talented enough that if he stayed a 2016, we’d wait on him. He completed all of his academic requirements. We were cautious not to say too much, too soon. He’s officially signed and a member of the 2015 recruiting class.”

Vick, who averaged 26.0 points and 11.0 rebounds for Douglass this past season, was one of three finalists for the Class AA Mr. Basketball Award for the state of Tennessee his junior and senior seasons and was named Class AA all-state, by The Tennessean, in 2013-14 and 2014-15. A three-year starter for Red Devils, Vick earned all-district recognition three times and all-metro honors twice while in high school. Vick plays AAU basketball for Team Thad and coach Norton Hurd.

“LaGerald is a terrific athlete that is going to become a terrific basketball player,” Self said. “He’s got great size for a guard and has tremendous quickness and explosiveness for his size. We think he can be a guy that can get his own shot but also force a lot of help by driving the ball and could be an elite defender in time.”

 Since reclassifying, Vick is ranked No. 33 by Rivals.com. He was No. 137 prior to reclassifying and chose Kansas over Kentucky and Kansas State. He joins KU power forward signees Carlton Bragg, from Cleveland, and Cheick Diallo, from Centereach, New York in KU’s 2015 signing class.

“LaGerald’s mother, La La, has done a tremendous job of raising her family,” Self added. “Although we’ve only known LaGerald and his mother for a couple of months, we really connected on their visit to Lawrence. I not only think we’ll have a great time coaching LaGerald, but I think we’ll also have a lot of fun with mom being part of our family.”

On May 17, he explained his decision to attend KU over Kentucky, Kansas State, Auburn and others.

“It was the history of it,” Vick said. “It is a good program. I felt it was home for me there.

“I talked to Wayne Selden,” Vick added of the KU junior guard. “He talked highly of the program, told me what coach Self was about and what he wasn’t about, stuff like that.”