Four-star PF Zach Clemence: "Kansas has always been my first pick"
Kansas is officially on the board in the 2021 class. On Monday afternoon, Zach Clemence, the 6-foot-10, 205-pound power forward from Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan., verbally committed to Bill Self and the Jayhawks.
“Yes, sir, I committed to Kansas,” Zach Clemence, the No. 31 ranked player in the 2021 class, told JayhawkSlant.com on Monday. “I had a great conversation with the coaching staff and just being up in Kansas during my visits, it just led me towards making a decision.
“Kansas has always been my first (choice),” he added. “Kansas has always been my first pick, but I just felt like giving these other schools options. I’ve been talking to the coaching staff at Kansas and it’s a great situation for me, so I might as well take it.”
Originally from Texas, Clemence, the No. 8 ranked power forward in the 2021 class, had scholarship offers from the likes of Kansas, Arkansas, Baylor, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, and others.
Having visited a number of programs, including Kansas, it became clear that the Jayhawks had emerged as the team to beat following a scholarship offer from Self and his staff. When Clemence felt like it was time to give the nod to Kansas, he made the call to Self.
It was a phone call that took place earlier today.
“I called Coach Self and told him that I was ready to commit,” said Clemence. “He told me that was great. This is a great moment for me and I’m going to enjoy every bit of it, too. Kansas has been recruiting me for a long time.
“Kansas has always been my first pick and it’s a great situation for me,” he added. “I’m very excited about my decision and I’m going to enjoy this moment.”
On the hardwood, Clemence, a four-star prospect, isn’t your typical power forward. Standing 6-foot-10 and weighing 205-pounds, Clemence has the ability to play down low, or can step outside and score from behind the arc.
Clemence, without question, has the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways.
“The staff sees me as a stretch four,” he said. “We’ll see with my progress and playmaking ability and all of that. Once I see how I progress, positions will move from there. Really, my ideal position is a stretch four.”