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University of Kansas basketball recruiting

Class of 2020 guard R.J. Hampton, a 6-4, 170-pound combo guard from Little Elm, Texas, told 247 Sports recruiting analyst Evan Daniels on Friday that, after considering reclassifying into the 2019 class, he planned to remain in the 2020 class.

“A lot of factors led to it,” Hampton told Daniels. “There was a lot of stuff that weighed into it.”

One thing might be Hampton’s enjoyment of the recruiting process. Despite still being two years away from actually joining a college program, Hampton already has three official visits set in the coming weeks.

Daniels reported that Hampton plans to visit Memphis, with USA Basketball teammate Jalen Green (a 6-4 shooting guard and the top-ranked prospect in the 2020 class) on Sept. 13 and also will be in Lawrence for Late Night in the Phog on Sept. 28 and at Kentucky’s Big Blue Madness on Oct. 12.

“Outside of Memphis, I feel like the schools making me a priority are Texas, Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and recently Michigan has told me they are prioritizing me and want me to be their point guard,” Hampton told Daniels.

KUsports.com recruiting insider Matt Scott reminds us that while having juniors on campus for official visits is still rare and in its infant stages, it benefits both sides of the recruiting equation.

“It’s great for coaches,” Scott said. “Being able to show recruits and their families why their school would be a great fit for them earlier in the process allows schools to make more of a lasting impression before the grind of being recruited sets in and visits become more of just a process instead of an experience.

“It allows recruits to get all of the info they need about the schools they’re considering well before their senior year and that allows them to make a college decision earlier so they can fully enjoy their senior year of high school without the grind of recruiting weighing on their minds.”