Kansas lands five-star Billy Preston
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No matter what the situation, Bill Self and Kansas never wavered when it came to their recruitment of five-star forward Billy Preston. That persistence paid off on Friday afternoon.
A 6-foot-10 senior at Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill, Preston told Rivals.com that Self and assistant Kurtis Townsend developed a relationship with him that made Kansas the place for him.
“I just felt comfortable with Coach Self, I felt comfortable with KT and the rest of the staff," said Preston, who actually signed with the Jayhawks earlier this week. "I felt like they had my best interests at heart both as a player and as a person.”
Originally from Los Angeles, Preston attended high schools in California and Texas before making his way to Oak Hill for his senior year. At times, the movement caused some fluctuating in his recruitment but Kansas was always there.
“I think that’s the question that they would have to answer," Preston told Rivals.com. "I just know that since they did stick around that it showed a lot to me. It's what was a big difference when most other schools stopped recruiting me or didn’t recruit me at times. That really caught my eye.”
Versatile, strong and athletic, Preston is a four man who loves to face the hoop and attack off the dribble. He runs the floor very well, is a high volume rebounder and he can make a mid-range jumper with regularity. The Jayhawks' staff has told him that those tools could allow him to see significant minutes early.
“They basically talked about me coming and making an impact right away," said Preston. "They think I’m a versatile player who can do a little bit of everything. I can rebound the ball, bring it up and make a pass to start the offense. Also they run great high-low action and I can be great in that whether I’m the guy playing high or playing low.
“It feels really good. Now that we’ve got a final decision and we have realized what we want to do and have everybody on the same page I feel good about it. The recruiting process had started to get hectic, so I’m glad it’s over.”
Preston joins versatile four-star guard Marcus Garrett as a Kansas commitment and the Jayhawks class will enter the 2017 team rankings at No. 10 overall.
