Until a week ago, Pima College sophomore basketball center Wes Ball had one solid Division I recruiting offer β Western Illinois.
But that was before PCC coach Brian Peabody sent a highlight video of Ball to Kansas assistant coach Joe Dooley, a long-time friend. What Dooley saw on tape from the 6-foot, 9-inch center from Marana High School must have impressed him. The Jayhawks invited Ball to take an official visit to Lawrence, Kansas, this weekend and offered him a scholarship.
Pima forward Wes Ball (10), top, and Chandler-Gilbert guard Lachi McKain (12) tangle for the ball heading into the corner in the second half of the Region I, Division II playoff final in Tucson on March 7, 2025.
Ball is expected to be part of KUβs bench brigade next season.
I watched a similar video of Ball, grandson of 1969 Tucson High School state championship basketball all-star Kenny Ball. It was indeed impressive. He runs the court well, is mobile and athletic. The video showed him swishing five 3-pointers. And he was an All-ACCAC center who helped lead Pima to a 35-1 record, ranked No. 1 most of the season. Ball averaged 13 points and seven rebounds a game. He becomes the 15th player on Kansasβ roster for 2025-56.
The only other Tucsonan to play basketball for the Jayhawks was Mitch Lightfoot, who played for Peabodyβs 2013 Ironwood Ridge High School team before transferring to Gilbert Christian and later becoming part of Kansasβ 2022 national championship team.
