Former Lansing High and Kansas City Kansas Community College forward Clay Young has joined the Kansas University basketball team as a walk-on, coach Bill Self announced Wednesday.

The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Young will be a redshirt sophomore at KU.

Young started every game and averaged 10.0 points and 5.6 rebounds while at KCKCC in 2013-14 under head coach, and former Oklahoma player, Kelly Newton.

Young led the Blue Devils with 17 blocked shots and averaged 1.6 assists per game as a freshman. Last year in the second game of the season, the Lansing native tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), missed the remainder of 2014-15 and took a medical redshirt. Young was a 2014 Academic All-American while at KCKCC.

“We found out about Clay through his junior college coach, Kelly Newton,” Self said Wednesday. “Norm (Roberts) and I recruited Kelly hard when we were at Tulsa and he was at Neosho (County) Community College. We stayed in touch and he told us all along he had a young man that wanted to go to KU and would do anything to be a part of the program. We brought Clay over in the spring and we liked him. He’s a nice young man who does well academically and is fitting in very well.”

Young went to KCKCC from Lansing High School where he was a four-year starter who earned honorable mention all-state recognition following his senior year under head coach Rod Briggs. He averaged 9.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists his senior season where he was named first team All-Kaw Valley League in leading Lansing to the 5A state title game.

“I’ve been a KU fan all my life and I thought (after KCKCC) if I had a chance to walk-on at a big-time program, it would be Kansas,” Young said. “Coach Newton and I started talking to the (KU) coaches in March about being a walk-on. I found out in July it was going to be a real thing. I know my role as a walk-on. I’m going to push the guys as much as possible and be the best teammate I can be.”

More later on KUsports.com and in the Journal-World.