Labeled an “immediate impact guy” by Kansas coach Bill Self, 16-year-old Ukrainian shooting guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has signed to play for the Jayhawks next season.
Mykhailiuk is eligible to play right away since he already finished high school in Ukraine. He will turn 17 in June, and cannot declare for the NBA Draft for at least two years.
“I liked everything (about KU),” Mykhailiuk said. “From the history, the strength program and especially the coaches – everything. It’s Kansas. KU has players every year. Coach Self has had so many players go to the NBA. That’s an important thing.”
Because of the NBA’s age limit and his age, Mykhailiuk (full pronunciation Sviat-is-slov Meh-kai-luke) must remain in college for a minimum of two years.
In a report on NBADraft.net, analyst Rick Petro had high praise for Mykhailiuk, calling him “the best prospect in Europe in a long time, probably since Ricky Rubio.”
“Obviously, this is great news for us,” KU coach Bill Self said. “He is 16 years old and will turn 17 in June, but his skill level, knowledge and aptitude for the game are way beyond his years. I think that he will be an immediate impact guy. He is a guy that can play all three positions on the perimeter. At 6-8, he can play point, play the No. 2 (guard) or the No. 3 (guard). He allows us to be more versatile next year and certainly, there would be few people that would shoot it better than him.”
Mykhailiuk will not report to KU until the fall, as he will compete for his national team this summer.
ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla had high praise for Mykhailiuk in a recent Bleacher Report article, where Mykhailiuk’s height was listed at 6-6.
“If he ends up in college, he’ll face a little bit of a challenge because of his age,” Fraschilla told Bleacher Report’s Jason King. “But he’s just so skilled. He would impact a team immediately.”
