Kansas Men’s Basketball Signs Two for Class of 2024
The Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team announced the signing of two four-star guards for the Class of 2024 on the first day of the early signing period.
Guards Labaron Philon and Rakease Passmore were the two signees, as announced by the Kansas athletic department.
A third commitment, center Flory Bidunga — considered a Top 10 player by 247Sports.com — has committed to Kansas but his signing was not announced on the first day of the early period.
The signings come the same week that head coach Bill Self got an amended lifetime contract that makes him the game’s highest-paid coach.
Philon, a 6-foot-4 guard, was ranked No. 27 by 247Sports.com and No. 35 by ESPN.com. He will play his final year of prep basketball at Link Academy in Branson, Mo. But the Mobile, Ala., native played for Baker High School last season and averaged 35 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.6 steals per game.
In three seasons at Baker he scored 2,334 points.
Passmore, a 6-foot-5 guard, was ranked No. 48 by 247Sports.com and No. 52 by ESPN.com. Philon and Passmore were teammates on Team Thad in AAU ball.
Passmore is entering his second season at Combine Academy in Lincolnton, N.C., where he averaged 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
Before Lincolnton, he was at A.C. Reynolds High School in Asheville, N.C., where he averaged 19.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists his sophomore year and 15.1 points and 5.9 rebounds his freshman year.
Kansas beat NC Central, 99-56, in its opener on Monday. The Jayhawks host Manhattan on Friday and then travel to Chicago to play Kentucky in the State Farm Champions Classic next week.
