Khadre Lane has grown up in rich basketball tradition. For as long as he can remember, he has been a Jayhawks fan. Born in Topeka, Lane recalls how he and his family made a ritual of watching every single Kansas Jayhawks game when he was a kid. In 5th grade, when Lane moved to Lawrence, he became even more enthralled with the Kansas program. For a basketball player, you couldn’t find a better match, and Lane says he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Obviously I love it since I love basketball. Being raised in such a basketball rich city really makes me appreciate it more.” He said. “When we moved here I was the happiest kid alive.”
Khadre Lane is drawing interest from his hometown heroes, the Kansas Jayhawks (via Rivals)
Bill Self and the Jayhawks have certainly used this fortunate location to their advantage, and Lane says his greatest basketball memory is a Kansas visit. His first trip to Phog Allen Fieldhouse sticks out in his mind, and he claims that it was the loudest arena he had ever been in, describing the experience as unforgettable.
“It was ridiculous, I’ll never forget those games.”
Living in the backyard of a blue blood, the 2014 prospect is in a great position to showcase his skills. He says this year, however, he hasn’t quite lived up to his standards.
“[I’m] not [doing] as well as I want. Still trying to get into a rhythm right now.” Lane said when asked how his junior season was going.
He is tirelessly putting in extra work however, and has become a gym rat in effort to dig himself out of his rut.
“My remedy for shooting slumps is to get to the gym and shoot more. So I’ve been shooting before and after practice just trying to get going.”
Lane is an athletic guard with a lot of upside, with the potential to end up being one of the better guys in his class in the long run, despite flying a bit under the radar now. He can get out in transition and is a good spot up shooter, although he struggles with shooting off the dribble. He also identified ball handling as a weakness of his, and has been putting in extra time to improve these areas in addition to his shooting practice.
His dedication is starting to pay off, and Kansas is not the only school taking notice. Although he does not have any offers yet, Missouri, Creighton, Wichita State, Missouri State, Miami, Florida, Memphis and Colorado join the Jayhawks as schools interested in the junior. If he maintains his work ethic the offers will come. He already has an unofficial visit planned for Missouri State this weekend, and is in the process of planning a visit to Memphis next weekend.
Amidst the chirp about the Jayhawks, Lane says it is actually Memphis that sticks out to him the most right now.
“I love the city, how they play, really everything I’ve seen so far is appealing to me.” He said of the Tigers.
Still, Kansas can never be counted out of any race, especially one in which the recruit is literally on their turf. The development of Lane’s recruitment will be an interesting story to follow as he prepares to enter his senior season.
Get to know the recruit: What are some of your interests outside of basketball? “I play football and like watching football. Really anything sports related. I love music. Wish I could sing. I play the piano and drums.”
Want more hoops recruiting? Follow me on Twitter @ChandlerVessels