Louisville coach Rick Pitino says Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse is the most “overpowering” arena in college basketball.

“The only place I have found that to me was overpowering was Kansas,” Pitino said Thursday on the Big East con call. “Now, I have not taken a team to Duke. There really is not any place I’ve entered where it’s, ‘God, that’s just incredible, what an advantage that is.’”

He added, “There are some overpowering places, in terms of the amount of people, like Rupp Arena’s overpowering.”

Just ask Baylor about Kansas. (more…)

Conventional wisdom has held that Duke and UCLA were the two leading destinations for Tony Parker, but now Kansas appears to be making a major run at the 6-foot-9 forward from Livonia (Ga.) Miller Grove.

“They started recruiting real hard but I don’t know if I’m going to visit yet,” Parker told SNY.tv by phone Tuesday morning, confirming comments he originally made to Scout.com. “But it’s a question mark there.”

Parker said Kansas has been involved for “not a long time,” but he is considering them along with Duke, UCLA, Ohio State, Memphis, Georgetown and Georgia.

Asked if his recruitment was wide open, Parker said,”Yes.” (more…)

Tyshawn Taylor had successful surgery Sunday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and could be out up to three weeks.

The Kansas guard from St. Anthony High School hurt the knee early last week but played through the injury in the 13th-ranked Jayhawks’ 78-67 victory over No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday. After the game, coach Bill Self disclosed the torn meniscus and said Taylor also had a sprained MCL in the same knee.

“I spoke with the doctors and it went as well as expected,” Self said Sunday. “He will be up and around tomorrow morning and will be back in the shortest time possible. The time for recovery depends on swelling and how he reacts to rehab.” (more…)

One day after putting up a career-high 13 assists and nine points in a 78-67 win over No. 2 Ohio State, Kansas senior guard Tyshawn Taylor will undergo surgery on his right knee today, according to the Kansas City Star.

He could miss a “handful of games,” the paper said.

During practice Monday, Taylor sprained his medial collateral ligament and tore his meniscus.

He played Tuesday against Long Beach State and was given the option of having the surgery Wednesday, but Taylor declined.

“I wasn’t missing this game,” Taylor told the Star. “No discussion at all.”

(more…)

Andrew White is headed to Kansas.

The 6-foot-6, 205-pound small forward from the Chester (VA.) Miller School chose the Jayhawks Friday over N.C. State, West Virginia, Louisville, Texas, Georgetown and Richmond.

“I think it was a huge opportunity there to play and I have a great relationship with the staff,” White told his local NBC affiliate. “Coach Dooley, Bill Self, they’ve been good to me. And seeing them play on TV many times, I just see an opportunity to play and their style fits my strengths.”

“He has improved the most in one year’s time span (of anybody he’s ever seen),” Team Loaded coach Ty White told the Lawrence Journal-World. “He can stroke it out of this world. His body is built like a man. He is putting it (ball) on the deck a lot more while rebounding it very well for his position. He plays both ends of the court.”

White joins signed bigs Perry Ellis, Zach Peters and Landen Lucas and committed guard Anrio Adams in KU’s 2012 class.

For more on KU’s 2012 recruiting targets, read the feature on FiveStarBasketball.com.

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Shabazz.

JaKarr.

Chris

And Julius.

These are just four big-time names that Kansas is going after to help build their program going forward.

“I’m guessing Thomas Robinson’s gonna go [to the NBA],” Shay Wildeboor, who covers Kansas recruiting for JayhawkSlant.com, told Five Star Basketball. “They’re going to lose Tyshawn [Taylor]. They need guys that guys score from the wing. They need power forward guys. They need guards and forwards, or at least wings.”

Click here to read the full story at FiveStarBasketball.com.

And check out the Five Star Big Board on Kansas here.

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Isaiah Lewis is the Rivals No. 6 point guard in the Class of 2013, and his good friend Brannen Greene is the No. 11 small forward.

The two talented prospects are so tight, they are talking about potentially teaming up in college.

“All the coaches that’s really recruiting me know I’m best friends with Brannen Greene from Georgia, so I think me and Brannen may end up at the same school,” the 6-foot-3, 155-pound Lewis told SNY.tv. “He really likes Kansas as well as I do. Me and him could end up at Kansas if that’s possible.”

Lewis said Louisville, Memphis, Florida State, Florida and St. John’s were also possible destinations for both players, but said Memphis, Louisville and Kansas “are recruiting me the hardest right now.” (more…)

Duke.

Kansas.

Kentucky.

Michigan State.

Sounds like enough history and talent to stock a Final Four, doesn’t it?

Yet when these four teams get together Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, it will take place in the inaugural Champions Classic — not the Final Four.

“These are some of the premier programs in all of college basketball, not only currently, but in the history of the sport,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. (more…)

After striking out on Kaleb Tarczewski, Kansas has landed its big man in Landen Lucas, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound power forward from Westview High School in Oregon,.

“I will be attending the University of Kansas next year for basketball,” he told Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop.

Lucas also considered Washington, California, Tennessee and Stanford.

“He’s a skilled player, very good hands,” New York recruiting expert Tom Konchalski said. “Has to get a little more physical. (more…)