As the bluest of college basketball blue bloods, Kansas is used to big, landscape-altering wins on the court and the recruiting trail. The addition of four-star point guard Labaron Philon is the latest victory. A top-30 player in the 2024 cycle, according to 247Sports, Philon was previously an Auburn commit. Now, he vaults the Jayhawks from No. 29 overall in team rankings to just outside the top 10 at No. 11.
The Branson, Missouri, native committed to Kansas over Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss and Cincinnati. Philon decommitted from Auburn in April after Tigers assistant head coach Wes Flanigan departed for Ole Miss.
The Jayhawks' class doubles in size as Philon joins Flory Bidunga, the cycle's top-ranked center and No. 8 overall prospect. They would be the latest additions to what appears to be another stacked program. Kansas brought in the top-ranked transfer portal class, headlined by former Michigan star Hunter Dickinson, on top of the No. 12 recruiting class for 2023.
With recruiting success comes national championship aspirations. The Jayhawks know this as they move forward from a disappointing end to the 2022-23 season, punctuated by a first-weekend exit in the NCAA Tournament at the hands of Arkansas. The Jayhawks played the postseason without coach Bill Self, who was absent due to a health issue.