Point guard is an emphasis for Stanford's staff in the 2017 recruiting class, and the Cardinal is heavily pursuing one of Arizona's top prospects, Saben Lee.

Lee, who camped with Stanford last summer, was in some measure of contact with Stanford's old coaches, and the Cardinal's Jerod Haase-led staff has ramped up their recruitment.

"I went up there for a Stanford elite camp my sophomore summer," Lee said. "I didn't know any of the coaches. I just went out there by myself. After that camp they started communicating with me a little bit more - nothing really major. But then when this new staff came in, they recruited me harder. As soon as they got the job they came up and visited me three times, so I could tell that they definitely were interested. So it picked up a lot from the new staff."

The Cardinal's entire coaching staff has been recruiting Lee.

"The whole staff is communicating with me right now," Lee said. "They want to make sure I have a good relationship with everybody."

Stanford has emphasized Lee's continued academic success during their conversations.

"They're just telling me definitely to make sure I stay up on my grades - don't let them slip," said Lee, who reports a 3.8 GPA and 29 ACT. "They really tell me to just keep working on my game, that the reason that they're involved is because of the work that I've put in, so just to keep doing what I'm doing."

Lee said that Stanford thinks his skillset would be a strong fit for the Cardinal's system.

"They definitely feel like my length and athleticism will help them at the guard position - how I can score and finish and set people up where they need to be," Lee said. "They definitely feel like my style of play will fit in very well there."

Stanford recently extended Lee an offer.

"Stanford, they're a great basketball school in the Pac-12 conference, it's a really good conference," Lee said. "And also the academic side of it - having a Stanford degree helps you later in life. That really helps you."

The Cardinal is among a number of contenders in Lee's recruitment; the Corona del Sol standout also holds scholarship from numerous other West Coast programs along with Nebraska and Florida State (where his father starred at running back), among others.

"I'm pretty open right now to everyone, but schools that have been recruiting me pretty hard are Weber State, Stanford, Utah, Louisville has been talking to me a good bit now. Boise State talks with me a lot," Lee said. "GCU (Grand Canyon University) has been communicating with me a lot. A lot of people have been in my ear a lot."

Lee said that he'll probably narrow his list of college choices in the next month, but he has no timeline for making his commitment.

"(I'm looking for) definitely a good relationship with the coaching staff that I trust to develop me on and off the court," Lee said. "Definitely have an impact on the team my freshman year, being able to play my freshman year. Those are probably the main two things that are important to me."

Lee doesn't have any visits currently scheduled. He has been talking to Stanford about taking a return trip to The Farm, however, though no date has currently been set and Lee is uncertain if the trip will be of the official and unofficial variety.

"I'm planning pretty soon to get back up there on campus," Lee said.