Kelly Oubre to Kansas: Jayhawks Land 5-Star SG Prospect

Kelly Oubre, a 5-star shooting guard prospect and one of the top players in the Class of 2014, has committed to play college basketball at Kansas.

He announced the highly anticipated choice to join the Jayhawks on Twitter:

It's a huge signing for the Jayhawks. Oubre was rated as the No. 4 prospect in the country by 247 Sports, and the outlet's composite ranking had him at No. 8 overall. Both rankings have him as the No. 2 shooting guard in the class.

247 Sports listed Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina and Georgetown among the other marquee programs that had shown interest in Oubre before the decision was made.   

Although Oubre is listed as a shooting guard, he projects as a swingman as he develops. He has the jump-shot ability of a guard, but possesses the size (6'7") and length of a small forward, which is probably where he'll spend most of his time once he bulks up.

Adding some strength is the biggest off-court key for the talented Texas native. He's only one inch shorter than LeBron James, but he would be giving up 60 pounds to the Miami Heat star, which illustrates the type of defensive problems that could arise unless he fills out his frame in the coming years.

That's less of an issue at the collegiate level, of course. Oubre should be able to step into a key role almost immediately at Kansas based on talent alone.

Not only can he knock down jumpers, but he's also shown a natural ability finishing in traffic and has confidence attacking the rim. On defense, his length has been a major advantage, but it will be interesting to see how he adapts to the next level when that edge fades.

All told, with a smooth shooting stroke, outstanding athleticism and the potential to make an instant impact, Kansas lands a star in the making.

Oubre is going to make people inside Allen Fieldhouse very happy starting next year.