Khani Rooths previews busy September travel gauntlet
BALTIMORE – The next month or so will likely determine where four-star forward Khani Rooths plays his college basketball. A top-50 prospect in the class of 2024, Rooths will visit Virginia Tech (Sept. 2), Michigan (Sept. 8), Maryland (Sept. 15), Florida State (Sept. 22) and Miami (Sept. 28).
Rivals.com recently caught up with Rooths to preview his busy month of travel and discuss when he might announce his decision.
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IN HIS OWN WORDS
ON UPCOMING VISITS:
"I have a visit every weekend in September. Then I was going to visit Georgia the first weekend of October but I’m having to change that visit because I have USA Basketball minicamp."
ON HIS VIRGINIA TECH VISIT:
“The coaching staff is slightly different than when I first did my unofficial, but I’m excited to get out there and see it. I think I’m going to a football game, too, so it’ll be cool to see how lively they get for a game out there. I want to see what campus looks like during school, too."
ON MICHIGAN:
"I’m still learning a little bit about what they have going on up there, especially school-wise. I have to learn more about the school itself and the education, but they are always telling me how much they want me there."
ON MIAMI:
"We talk a lot about fit. They really feel like I fit what they do perfectly and that Miami itself would be a great fit for me. I talk to Coach [Jim Larrañaga] a lot. I like him a lot.”
ON HIS BOND WITH THE MIAMI STAFF:
“Coach L is a real down-to-earth guy. He’s real chill and he’ll tell you the real. I feel like we joke around a lot, too, though.”
ON MARYLAND:
“Of course I’ve been there before. But now, going on an official, now we’re talking about how they can protect me and how they can use me if I stay in the area and go there. It’s the home school. I know there’s pros and cons of being at home, but they are building something new and different. They are getting a lot of DMV-based guys and they are starting a new tradition there.”
ON WHEN HE MIGHT MAKE HIS DECISION:
"Definitely not until after all my officials. Probably sometime in November, but it will be just whenever I get the feeling, When I get the feeling, I’ll announce."
ON WHAT HE’S LOOKING FOR IN A SCHOOL
"I just want to see the culture with the coaches. I want a family environment and a players' coach, where you can go to coach to talk about anything, not just basketball. I like college towns, too. I’m not going to lie. I like the idea of being in a real college town."
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RIVALS' REACTION
Maryland feels like one of the front-runners to land Rooths and will look to close during the four-star’s Sept. 15 visit to campus. The IMG Academy forward seems to believe in head coach Kevin Willard, and College Park would definitely fit in with his desire to attend school in a “college town.”
That said, nothing is a lock as things stand as fall visits could shake things up significantly, as Michigan, Miami, Virginia Tech and others make final pushes.