Isiah Thomas may not have worked out as a basketball coach at Florida International, but he had an eye for unpolished talent, which is an important skill a mid-major coach can have. He proved it by nabbing an early commitment from Chicago Marshall’s Milton Doyle, a player one Chicago Sun Times reporter called “the ultimate sleeper”.
Bill Self, on the other hand, has the blue-blood’s luxury of pouncing late and still getting his man. When Thomas was unceremoniously fired earlier this year, Doyle reconsidered his decision to become a Golden Panther. He wasn’t the most hotly recruited late de-commit, but his top two were pretty impressive. Doyle was considering attending either Marquette or Kansas, and he visited Kansas first and fell in love. Not one to waste time, the incoming freshman graduated high school last week, had a goodbye party, and is scheduled to begin classes in Lawrence on Monday.
Doyle is a 6'4" combo guard with an all-around game, a cool head, and a reputation for slashing to the hoop when he sees an opening.
With Tyshawn Taylor on the way out, it’s time for Bill Self to develop another speed merchant to help run the Jayhawk offense. Doyle was a first-team all-public-league player in Chicago, and should slot in nicely at Kansas, with his ability to score and play either wing position.
Eric Angevine is the editor of Storming the Floor. He tweets @stfhoops.