Top 25 Khani Rooths has five official visits on his mind

Khani Rooths is the No. 22 player in the 2024 On3 150. The 6-foot-8 wing from Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy averaged 15.6 points this summer with his New World program on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit.

“I’m running the court as hard as I can now, trying to beat the defense down the floor each possession,” Rooths told On3. “That is a big difference in my game. I can play defense one through five, and my catch-and-shoot is way better now than it was. My favorite player is LeBron James, and how he can do everything on the court. I watch a lot of him. I like watching Paul George and his game. He is smooth, but he is also aggressive at the same time.”

On3 caught up with four-star Khani Rooths at the recent Under Armour Elite 24 Camp to get a full update on his recruitment.

Rooths recaps official visits

“I’ve taken official visits to Georgia and Mississippi State so far,” Rooths said.

Georgia: “I learned about their school and their academic programs for athletes. The strength and conditioning coach is a great guy. He is a former basketball player, so he is just not trying to build you up like a football guy would. They have a complete plan for me and all their players how they’re going to play me and develop me. 

When I visited, a lot of their facilities were under construction. That is a good thing, though, because that means they’re growing and building. I’m planning on coming back in October to get a better feel for the facilities. I didn’t get to see everything the first visit, so I just want to see the campus when it’s lively.”

Mississippi State: “Coach (Chris) Jans is a cool guy. He is really a players coach and does a lot of the recruiting, which I can’t say the same about a lot of other head coaches. It’s like a family there with all the coaches and the program. They really want me to come there, they let it be known that they really want me there.”

Rooths talks upcoming officials

“I have official visits set with Virginia Tech, Georgia, and Michigan,” Rooths said. “I am talking to Maryland, Miami, and I think I’m going to visit Florida State too.”

Virginia Tech: “I’ve known them for a while. They’ve recruited me since freshman year, and they kept recruiting me even when Coach (Mike) Jones left. They’re kind of close to home but still far enough away. They’ve made it clear that I am a priority guy for them and that I really fit what they have going on. They like the space out the floor and get the ball to their shooters, a lot of one-more’s and that type of ball movement.”

Miami: “They’re a fast-paced team; that is when I’m at my best. I can really eat in the fast break when I’m able to use my length and athleticism. They’re a defensive team, they’re gritty, and that matches me. He plays like a seven-player rotation, so when I go on the official visit, I want to find out what is really their plan for me.”

Maryland: “They’re home for me. I’m still debating on if I want to stay home or not. So, that is probably the biggest thing with them. I have a good relationship with the coaching staff there, and I know a lot of the guys there personally. It’s a great school, I just have to figure out if I want to stay home or not.”

Florida State: “There, I would be playing for a coach who has taken players like me and put them in the league. Coach (Leonard) Hamilton has done it for a long time. I can learn a lot, and he can develop me into that type of player. If I go down there to visit, I want to really sit down and see what their plan is for me. I want to see how they play and what they do with different positions.”

Michigan: “They just put two wings in the draft with Jett (Howard) and (Kobe) Bufkin. Coach Juwan (Howard) has been calling me a lot, and we’ve been talking. They have made it really clear that they want me and that they like me. I just have to figure out what their game is and their system for how they play. Last year, it was a lot of one-on-one play. I want to see what all is going on and their plan for me.”

…at the end of the day

“I’m going to have that feeling,” Khani Rooths said. “I don’t know exactly how to say it, but I know where I’m going to feel wanted and needed, and that is when I’ll make that decision. I’ll want to play in a high-tempo system, one that runs and moves the ball. I want to play for a coach who is real gritty on defense and a team that is non-selfish.”