Four-star 2022 forward Kamari Lands may have only arrived in the Valley of the Sun some four months ago, but his recruitment process with the Pac-12 school located in his backyard has been productive ever since. The former Syracuse pledge and Phoenix Hillcrest Prep standout has been extremely receptive to Arizona State’s efforts, and just a couple of weeks ahead of his commitment date, he ventured to ASU with his parents for one last visit before he announces his commitment.
“Everything went well on his (ASU) visit,” said Hillcrest Prep Athletic Director Nick Weaver. “He likes Phoenix. His brother lives and works here. He likes Arizona State’s style of play for sure, the up and down pace that Bobby Hurley plays. Kamari is the type of kid that really doesn’t say much, but I know he really likes Arizona State. I know he had a great time there, and he said that he enjoyed his visit and that it was amazing.
“It’s always good to be the last visit (before a decision), so I think it went well for Arizona State. He said he and his family had a great time.”
After spending the last two seasons at Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep, the 6-8 Lands, wasted little time in his first year at Hillcrest to make an immediate and significant impact n his team. He leads his 14-1 squad in scoring with 33.9 ppg and has also posted 10.6 rpg and 2.3 bpg.
“I’m a perimeter-oriented player that can guard a lot of different positions,” Lands said in a previous interview. My ball-handling and athleticism are things that I do want to improve before I get to college.”
Weaver stated that he wasn’t surprised by the eye-popping stats the forward has registered out of the gates but added that he believes Lands is also playing in a scheme that is highly conducive for his success.
"To be frank with you, I think he’s in the right system,” Weaver remarked. “We get up, and down the floor, we shoot a lot of threes, we press, and I think he’s been in systems that really have done that a whole lot. He fits our system to a tee because he can really shoot the three and has great size. You can play him at any position; you can switch him 1-4 and even play him in the 5. He’s 6-8 with a seven-foot wingspan, so you can really switch positions with him.
“And then offensively, he’s got a really unique skill set where he’s got range, but he can handle the ball and make plays off the dribble. He’s got an NBA-style game. He’s a kid I really think you could look at from a year from now could be a one-and-done if not a two-and-done for sure. Mike Foster is a kid that really excelled here last year. He’s doing well in the G-League and will be a first-round pick next year. And Kamari just stepped in where Mike left off. If you can score the ball, you can play at Hillcrest. If you can’t, you won’t play here.”
Like many players his age, Weaver feels that improving physically is the one area Lands should make strides in order to make him a more well-rounded player.
“I think the biggest thing for him (to improve on) would be to put bulk size on him,” Weaver explained, “and learn to play better in the paint because he has that size. I think if he just got a little stronger and worked on his footwork, he can take advantage of smaller guards at the college level. A lot of teams are going to put a 3 on him or even a 2 sometimes, and he can take advantage of those mismatches. If he can work on his post game a little bit, he could be a triple threat and basically an unguardable player in college.”
Louisville, a school he visited in early November, is the only other program Lands is considering. While it’s located closer to his Indianapolis family’s home, Weaver felt that this is one aspect that won’t dictate the forward’s ultimate decision.
“He’s never been close to home for high school,” Weaver commented. “He went to a school which was like three hours away from Indianapolis. And then he went Prolific the last two years in Napa, California. And then he came here to Hillcrest for his senior year. So I don’t think that he will be homesick in college or that being closer to home is going to really pull him and be a huge determining factor when it’s all said and done.”
Weaver said that the Sun Devils’ appeal have been primarily driven by the relentless job assistant coach Jermaine Kimbrough has done along with Hurley in pursuing Lands, efforts that have the coveted four-star recruit seriously considering Arizona State.
“They have both done an amazing job,” Weaver said. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it; I didn’t think Arizona State had a chance after Kamari decommitted from Syracuse because I didn’t think he was going to consider the Pac-12 and stay out west. So, the fact that they’re a finalist for him speaks volumes of what they’ve been able to do in recruiting him. Their presentations have been amazing. He fits their system. At this point, the kid and his family believe that Arizona State might be the place for him because it’s a good fit. And anytime you’re in contention with Louisville, that says something.
“The amazing job Bobby and Jermaine Kimbrough is a testament to them as a coaching staff and the way they relate to players. If you’re a basketball player, everybody would want to play in that Bobby Hurley system and the freedom he gives his players. Me being a neutral party and just watching from afar, I think he’s done a hell of a job. Arizona State isn’t an easy job, and he’s done a fantastic job with that program. He’s been to two NCAA Tournaments in his first five years, and during that COVID year, they were set to go the tourney again that year. I think a lot of people don’t give Bobby Hurley the credit he’s due for what he’s done here.
“If you know basketball, and I know Kamari and his family are basketball buffs, they know their basketball history. They know who Hurley was as a player, and they respect that. They also know what he’s done here as a coach and what he can do for their son. You look at a guy Lu Dort making millions in the NBA now. You look at a guy like Zylan Cheatham, who just signed a 10-day contract after being called up. You look at Josh Christopher, who gets drafted in the first round this year. You start creating a legacy like that in the pros, and people want to be the next guy that comes out of here. It’s enticing as a player to say, ‘Hey, I can go somewhere that they’ve had one-and-done’s and they’ve been successful.’ They know that if they go to Arizona State, they can make their dream of playing in the National Basketball Association true.
“The biggest thing is that Hurley’s system sells itself. Recruits are starting to see what they can do here.”
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