Kansas City Star: KU Still In Running for Top Recruit (Xavier Henry)

By J. BRADY McCOLLOUGH
The Kansas City Star
KU still in running for top Recruit

Prep shooting guard Xavier Henry has spent Friday talking with his family about his college decision, and Kansas remains in serious contention for its No. 1 recruiting target in the class of 2009.

Henry, who originally signed to play for Memphis, has asked out of his letter of intent now that former Memphis coach John Calipari is the coach at Kentucky. Carl Henry, Xavier’s father, told Rivals.com that Xavier wants to play for the Jayhawks, who finished second to Memphis for Xavier’s services in November.

Carl Henry also told the site that his oldest son, current Memphis freshman C.J. Henry, would like to join Xavier at Kansas.

Still, the Henry’s situation is complicated by C.J. having already spent a year at Memphis as a walk on. Even though C.J. didn’t play — he used a medical hardship year — he would have to sit out another year if he transferred under NCAA rules. With Xavier considered to be a “one-and-done” prospect, the brothers may not play together even if C.J. was to join Xavier at Kansas. Carl Henry told the site that the family is making a formal appeal to the NCAA to allow C.J. to play next season given the unique circumstances of his being a walk-on and not having played a game for Memphis.

So, there appears to be a multitude of ways the Henry saga could end:

C.J. wins his appeal with the NCAA, and both Xavier and C.J. choose to play at Kansas.

C.J. loses his appeal but still chooses to transfer and join Xavier at Kansas so that the family can be together for at least a year.

C.J. chooses to stay at Memphis, and Xavier comes to Kansas.

C.J. and Xavier both choose to stick with Memphis. Carl Henry told zagsblog.com on Friday that Memphis was still an option for both of his sons and that they would wait and see who Memphis hires as coach. Carl Henry said he had heard that former NBA head coaches Reggie Theus and Avery Johnson are candidates.

C.J. and Xavier follow Calipari to Kentucky. Xavier has said he would consider visiting Kentucky.

C.J. stays at Memphis, and Xavier goes to Kentucky.

No matter how it shakes down, Kansas looks to be in good shape to land either Xavier Henry or heralded prep shooting guard Lance Stephenson. Zagsblog.com said that Stephenson is still considering just KU, Maryland and St. John’s. Stephenson was expected to pick Kansas on Tuesday but delayed his decision for a second time.

Henry certainly makes the most sense for KU, given his family’s connection to the school. His parents, Carl and Barbara, both played basketball for the Jayhawks. And C.J. committed to KU his senior year of high school before signing a contract to play baseball with the Yankees. As part of the contract, the Yankees would pay for C.J.’s college education, which is why C.J. will be a walk-on wherever he ends up.