Daniels and Lacey?

The most nervous coach in America right now might be Bill Self. The University of Kansas head basketball coach is in an unusual place--sweating out late recruiting commitments from two blue-chip prospects. Both DeAndre Daniels, a top-ten small forward, and Trevor Lacey, a five-star prospect, are considering the Jayhawks but have yet to commit.

Self's assumed nervousness is several-fold:
- Kansas lost both Marcus and Markieff Morris to the NBA Draft as well as Josh Selby. The Morris twins started every game this past season and leave a huge void on the frontline. The heralded Selby, while performing under preseason expectations, would have been a major factor for KU's returning squad and would have had a big impact in the backcourt.

- Self has waited out recruits before but seldom has been in a spot where he's waited on and needed two recruits as badly as Daniels and Lacey.

- KU has four scholarships left to give. The Jayhawks are in very good shape with several highly rated prospects in the class of 2012 thus raising the question of whether to use all four now or hold one, or even two, for a robust class this fall/next spring.

In addition to Daniels and Lacey, Jamari Traylor is also considering Kansas. Traylor would provide depth for KU but is not considered the immediate impact player like Daniel or immediate contributor like Lacey.

Kansas, as usual, has a strong nucleus returning in the fall, including guards Tyshawn Taylor and Elijah Johnson, plus big man Thomas Robinson. Throw in Travis Releford, injured for most of last season, and signees Naadir Tharpe (PG), Ben McLemore (SG) and Braeden Anderson (PF), and Self has much to look forward to once practice starts in mid-October. Yet, Daniels could be the missing piece--a player who could step into the three or four spot, vacated by Marcus Morris, and a nice complement to a possible starting lineup featuring Robinson, Taylor, Johnson and Releford.

My hunch is that the coach may have to sweat all summer. Daniels has reportedly crossed Duke off of his list, leaving KU and Texas, yet no rumors as to leans one way or the other are making their way to the recruiting boards. Daniels' recruitment has had twists and turns throughout and it's highly possible that he doesn't sign tomorrow--the last day of the spring signing period--and simply waits to enroll in the fall, then accepting his grant-in-aid. As for Lacey, it's apparently down to Kansas, Alabama and Kentucky. And, based upon his father's quote in today's news outlets, Lacey looks no closer to making a decision than does Daniel.

Stay tuned...