In college basketball recruiting, programs are always looking for an edge.
In Kansas’ case, sometimes it isn’t enough having one of the top coaches in the game, state of the art facilities, and one of the most rabid and loyal fan bases in the country -- not to mention, being a perennial top team that advances deep into March.
For the Jayhawks, that edge may come in the form of a $17.5 million apartment complex that will house up to 32 men’s and women’s basketball players. The complex is projected to open for the 2016-17 academic year, and is located south of Allen Fieldhouse on Naismith Drive.
Kansas associate athletic director Jim Marchiony told The Kansas City Star: “We have one of the very elite basketball programs in the country, and we want to do everything we can to stay there. Not only that, we need to, and housing is part of that.”
To an extent, it’s really about keeping up with the Joneses. 17 and 18 year old kids are highly impressionable. The program itself and coaches can only be so much of a sell, and other factors like facilities, dormitories, and other aspects of a school that aren’t directly related to the basketball program factor into recruiting.
Recently, Kentucky build a dormitory for the basketball program:
Said Marchiony: “We want to stay in the elite few of college basketball programs, and you have to continue to move forward.”