Passmore commits to Kansas, third top-60 recruit in '24 class - ESPN

ESPN 100 wing Rakease Passmore committed to Kansas on Wednesday, becoming the third top-60 recruit in the 2024 class to pick the Jayhawks.

Passmore chose Kansas, which turned up the heat very late in his recruitment and hosted him on a visit last weekend, over Oklahoma and LSU.

"Kansas was special to me because of the coaching staff, the way they win and the way they buy into their players," Passmore told ESPN. "The plan for me is to come in and make an impact from day one, while getting better at things I can improve at on the court. Off the court, I plan on getting better as a person and planning for the future."

Passmore considered a long list of schools throughout the process, talking visits to the likes of Indiana, Oregon, Wake Forest and Mississippi State in addition to his finalists.

Kansas initially offered Passmore a scholarship last fall, but the Jayhawks didn't make him a priority until going to see him last month. After that, the Jayhawks immediately set up an official visit and were able to quickly secure his commitment.

"NIL wasn't my priority," Passmore said. "I wanted to find the best basketball fit to help me accomplish my dreams of playing in the NBA and winning while I'm in college."

A powerful 6-foot-5 wing from Combine Academy (North Carolina), Passmore is ranked No. 52 in the ESPN 100, slotting in as the No. 10 shooting guard in the class. In 10 games with Team Thad on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring and summer, he averaged 12.3 points and 4.5 rebounds.

Passmore is one of the best athletes and finishers in the class. An explosive vertical athlete with great straight-line speed, Passmore has NBA-caliber leaping ability right now. When the game slows down in the halfcourt, he has a quick first step to get to the rim and is an adept passer once he draws defenders. Defensively, he's effective on or off the ball and has the ability to grab a rebound and initiate the break. His biggest area of improvement will be consistency in his jumpshot.

He's the third member of Kansas' 2024 class, joining elite center Flory Bidunga (No. 6) and high-level point guard Labron Philon (No. 35). The Jayhawks join Duke as the only two classes with three commitments ranked inside the top 55.

Earlier Wednesday, Kansas learned it wouldn't face any additional serious punishment stemming from the FBI's 2017 investigation into college basketball. The program was placed on three years of probation and will have to vacate its 2018 Final Four appearance, but it was not given a postseason ban and head coach Bill Self and assistant coach Kurtis Townsend will face no further suspension.

The Independent Resolution Panel downgraded what was originally five Level I violations into two Level II violations and two Level III violations for the school, one Level II violation and one Level III violation for Townsend, and one Level III violation for Self.