photo by: Journal-World Illustration

University of Kansas basketball recruiting

It has yet to arrive in Kansas and might never get here, but if it does KU basketball coach Bill Self believes wild times are ahead for college athletics.

Self for the first time on Wednesday morning publicly shared his thoughts about the new law passed in California that allows college athletes to make money off of their likeness and endorsement deals while still in school.

“It’s wild,” Self said Wednesday on a radio appearance on 610 Sports in Kansas City. “I mean, you’ll have student-athletes doing every barbecue commercial, every dry cleaning commercial, car commercials. You’ll have them doing all this stuff in a way to generate money, which I’m not saying is wrong in theory, I just think it’s going to be the wild, wild west in a way that we’ve never seen before.”

Although there is nothing imminent that suggests such a law is coming to Kansas, the California law, signed by the governor earlier this week and set to go into effect in 2023, has kickstarted the conversation about California’s move could mean for college athletics in general.

One of the most attention-grabbing aspects of the new California law — a Congressman in Ohio recently announced plans to propose a federal law along the same lines — is the potential recruiting advantage it could provide universities and programs in states that follow California’s lead.

KU football coach Les Miles said earlier this week that schools in markets like New York City and Southern California would have more to offer student-athletes from an endorsement perspective. But Miles seemed unfazed by any perceived advantages this might give California and other states that elect to adopt the new rules.

“I think we’ll compete very comfortably,” Miles said. “With the quality of education, the kind of campus we have and the people that are here, I think we’ll compete very well. It’ll be interesting to see.”

Late Night visitors

One of the most powerful recruiting tools in all of college athletics is set for Friday night, as the 35th annual Late Night in the Phog event kicks off at Allen Fieldhouse.

Every year, some of the top prospects from across the country make the trek to Lawrence to take in the spectacle that is Late Night, and this year certainly is no different.

KUsports.com recruiting insider Matt Scott on Wednesday night published his up-to-the-minute list of scheduled Late Night attendees. The group, which includes players from the 2020, 2021 and 2022 recruiting classes, features five five-star prospects and some of KU’s most important targets in the current class.

Here’s a quick look at the scheduled visit list by class:

Class of 2020

6-5, 5-star SG – Bryce Thompson – Booker T. Washington/Tulsa, OK Video

6-10, 5-star PF – Isaiah Todd – Word of God Christian/Raleigh, NC Video

6-0, 4-star PG – KK Robinson – Oak Hill Academy/Mouth of Wilson, VA Video

6-10, 3-star C – Davion Bradford – Mehlville Senior/St. Louis, MO Video

6-8, 4-star PF – J.T. Thor – Norcross/Norcross, GA

6-11, 5-star PF/C – Marial Mading – Chipola Junior College/Marianna, FL Video

Class of 2021

6-10, 4-star PF – Zach Clemence – Sunrise Christian Academy/Bel Aire, KS Video

6-1, 5-star PG – Kennedy Chandler – Briarcrest Christian/Memphis, TN Video

6-7, 5-star SF – Harrison Ingram – St. Mark’s/Dallas, TX Video

6-10, 4-star C – Roosevelt Wheeler – John Marshall/Richmond, VA Video

6-7, 4-star SF – Kendall Brown – Sunrise Christian Academy/Bel Aire, KS Video

6-11, 4-star PF/C – Javonte Brown-Ferguson – Mount Saint Joseph/Baltimore, MD (originally from Canada)

6-4, 3-star SG – Tamar Bates – Piper High School/Kansas City, KS Video

Class of 2022

6-7, 4-star SF – Mark Mitchell – Bishop Miege/Mission, KS Video

6-6, 4-star SG – Gradey Dick – Collegiate/Wichita, KS Video

6-5, 4-star SG – Tre White – Kansas Commit – Cornerstone/San Antonio, TX