Kanaan Carlyle started receiving scholarship offers from high-major programs before he ever played a high school game. Those offers have continued to roll in the past few years from schools all over the country.
Last month, the four-star guard out of Georgia decided to make the process a little more manageable by trimming his list of schools down to five with Auburn, Baylor, Florida, Kansas and Stanford making the cut. Since then, Carlyle added Tennessee to that list to bring it up to six.
Baylor and Stanford hosted Carlyle on official visits last month.
IN HIS OWN WORDS:
Auburn: “I like the way they play. They play very fast and get up a lot of shots. They have a great coaching staff over there and have been showing me love since my freshman year.”
Baylor: “I like the intensity they play with. They emphasize defense, which I do too. They have a great coaching staff as well. When I went down there, it was a fun experience. It’s a great community down there in Waco.”
Florida: “It’s not too far from home. I like coach [Mike] White. He’s an amazing coach. I’ve watched them for a few years now. It was great how they used Tre Mann last year. The way they play fits my playing style.”
Kansas: “They are a blueblood. They have great history in basketball. They have had some great players and some great guards.”
Stanford: “It was amazing out there. Coach [Jerod] Haase and the whole coaching staff was great. They showed me a lot of love when I was out there. The way they play fits me.”
Tennessee: “I love the way they play. Their player development is amazing. How they developed Kennedy Chandler’s shot this year is great. Coach [Justin] Gainey and the head coach have told me how much they want me and that’s how they got on my list.”
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RIVALS’ REACTION:
Carlyle’s recruitment has been one of the more intense battles in the 2023 class so far with many top programs hoping to bring in the athletic scoring guard. With his list down to six, he admitted that a college decision might not be too far away. He mentioned January as a potential timeline for when a commitment could come. Along with official visits to Baylor and Stanford, Carlyle has been on Auburn’s campus multiple times and said a visit to Tennessee could happen during December.
