TRANSFER PORTAL & OTHER RECRUITING FOR KANSAS UPDATED 2023-06-20 2:00 PM CT

For whatever reason it seems tweets cannot be posted here at all anymore (probably something Musk started after taking over Twitter), so I provide you this link, inactive as posted, for you to copy and paste into your browser for viewing. You do NOT need an account to read the tweet or watch the video on Twitter, you just can't reply without an account.

The video is Hunter Dickinson committing... and not your usual commitment video.

Per Shay (Rivals JayhawkSlant), Self flew up to Michigan yesterday to meet with HD and be in the video.

I really enjoyed it.

How long until Late Night?

The "Notre Dame Credit Card Thief" and "Cowboy Pants On Backward" guy still has a sharp hoops mind and the ability to express it well...

From Twitter...
Doug Gottlieb
@GottliebShow

Hunter Dickinson chose the best true point guard in the country and guaranteed high level college success over two young talented shot hungry guards at Kentucky.
Best league in the country, best program in the country, best coach in the country.
Pretty sound decision

Mackenzie Mgbako is visiting Indiana this weekend, then Louisville to wrap up his known visits.

Here is the IU recruiting report on the young man.


ENJOY CINCO de MAYO! ROCK CHALK, MIS AMIGOS!

Doggone it, Zuby hit the portal today.

Best of luck wherever you end up, young fellow, we will miss ya!

And there we have Kevin Mc's ride if he wants to return...

... or Jaylon Tyson's ride if Kevin stays in the draft...

KUHearings: Zuby gone

KUAthletics.com: Kansas Men’s Basketball Adds Hunter Dickinson

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Center Hunter Dickinson, considered the top player in the 2023 transfer portal, has transferred to Kansas, KU men’s basketball coach Bill Self announced today. Dickinson will be a senior and is immediately eligible to compete for the Jayhawks during the 2023-24 season.

Dickinson, 7-foot-1, 260 pounds, is transferring to Kansas from Michigan, where he was a Consensus All-America Second Team selection in 2022-23. The Alexandra, Virginia, native is a three-time All-Big Ten selection, including first team honors in 2021 and 2023. Dickinson led Michigan in scoring and rebounding each of the last three seasons, including 18.5 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per contest in 2022-23. Last season, he posted three games of 30-plus points and 14 games of 20 or more points, including a season-high 32 points versus Maryland (1/1/23). He also led Michigan with 14 double-doubles, a 56.0 field goal percentage, 60 blocked shots and 161 free throw attempts.

“We’re excited. We’ve recruited some really good players over time, but we’ve never recruited anybody who has averaged 17 points a game over three seasons at a Big Ten school like the University of Michigan,” Self said. “He obviously the most-ready made player to step in and put up All-American-type numbers right off the bat than we have ever recruited.”

Dickinson was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a Big Ten All-Freshman Team member in 2021. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2022 and 2023, Dickinson scored 1,617 points while at Michigan for a 17.2 points per game average. His 787 all-time rebounds average 8.4 boards per game for his career, and he has amassed 31 career double-doubles and 149 all-time blocked shots.

“Hunter has great size at 7-foot-1,” Self said. “He shot 42 percent from three-point range last year. He needs to advance his game more on the perimeter to probably fit in what today’s NBA big men look like and we are excited to work with him on that.

“He’s been well drilled. He’s been well coached. He’s played at the highest level. He’s guarded the best big men in the country. For him to come to Kansas and come to the Big 12 definitely enhances our outlook for next year’s team being able to do some special things immediately.”

With the addition of Dickinson, Kansas now has seven newcomers set to join the program for the 2023-24 season. He joins Marcus Adams Jr. (G, 6-8, 205, Torrance, California), Elmarko Jackson (G, 6-3, 185, Marlton, New Jersey, South Kent School [Conn.]), Chris Johnson (G, 6-4, 180, Fort Bend, Texas, Montverde Academy [Fla.]) Jamari McDowell (G, 6-4, 180, Manvel, Texas, Manvel High School), Arterio Morris (G, 6-3, 190, Dallas, Texas, Kimball HS/Texas) and Nicolas Timberlake (G, 6-4, 205, Braintree, Mass., Kimball Union Academy/Towson).

Earlier today JayhawkSlant's Shay Wildeboor posted that this morning he heard the following from his source regarding the Mgbako recruitment. He made it a point to firmly state that he was just passing along what he had heard, but obviously he felt his source is good enough to merit putting it out there. To quote the source (per Shay's post)--

“I still think it’s gonna be Kansas. I’ll let you know if I hear anything else but I really have no reason to think it’s not Kansas. Obviously nothing is 100 percent but I’ve been told the entire time Kansas leads.”

Mackenzie Mgbako's visit to Indiana ends today, his final visit to Louisville is supposed to be sometime this week.

Again, regardless of whatever he decides, it is expected his decision will be announced sooner rather than later so he can show up at his college program to start this summer with the rest of his new teammates and ensure he has done everything he can to be ready to go this Fall semester.

Fingers crossed, Jayhawks fans!

Rock Chalk!

Earlier today JayhawkSlant's Shay Wildeboor posted that this morning he heard the following from his source regarding the Mgbako recruitment. He made it a point to firmly state that he was just passing along what he had heard, but obviously he felt his source is good enough to merit putting it out there. To quote the source (per Shay's post)--

“I still think it’s gonna be Kansas. I’ll let you know if I hear anything else but I really have no reason to think it’s not Kansas. Obviously nothing is 100 percent but I’ve been told the entire time Kansas leads.”

Mackenzie Mgbako's visit to Indiana ends today, his final visit to Louisville is supposed to be sometime this week.

Again, regardless of whatever he decides, it is expected his decision will be announced sooner rather than later so he can show up at his college program to start this summer with the rest of his new teammates and ensure he has done everything he can to be ready to go this Fall semester.

Fingers crossed, Jayhawks fans!

Rock Chalk!

HawkErrant wrote: A quote of a JayhawkSlant post by Seved, a Jayhawk living in tu territory…

“ I live in Austin, and I can tell you this one really stings UT. Morris had a good first year on a very deep and veteran team. He has extraordinary defensive talent, much like McCullers. He gave Jalen all he wanted in the Big 12 Tourney. IMO, his offensive game will surprise some---his outside shot improved as the year went on. Under the best coach in basketball, I think that he has a real chance to excel, and to round out his game. To note: I heard nothing about him being anything but a good teammate at UT. Again IMO, this is a big get for the Hawks, and he will slide ride into a substantial role at KU next year.”

Fingers crossed!

Another Morris comment from a JayhawkSlant poster, a fellow Jayhawk with 27 years as a KC region HS head coach, 12 players who went D1, several of whom came to him with zero skills, but had athletic ability... that is to say, he seems to have an eye for talent...

"... at the end of the season, Morris was the best guard UT had. Incredible defense."

Morris may turn out to be the real gem found in the transfer portal this offseason.

Former Texas Tech player Jaylon Tyson commited to UC-Berkeley, aka Cal, today 2023-05-08.

It has also been confirmed that Mackenzie Mgbako will visit UL. Talk is Indiana folks were hoping for a commitment before he left, and apparently worried he is Louisville’s to lose, but not about KANSAS.

To quote John Banner in perhaps his best known role as Sergeant Schultz, “I know nuh-thing. NUHTHING!”

I will note that a certain poster on JayhawkSlant has written that his source informs him that Mgbako is a “lock” for KANSAS… and that after his posting this multiple longtime Slanters are quite pleased because this poster has not missed with his sources. “Batting 1.000” is the description being used.

And I will also note that this source is in agreement with Shay Wildeboor’s Mgbako source (see earlier post yesterday morning).

Landing MM would give KU the #2 recruiting class for this year (second only to UK) to go along with the #2 transfer portal class, second only to WVU.

And with Tyson out of the picture now, Mgbako committing would still leave KANSAS with one available scholarship to fill for next year. I have yet to read or hear of anyone else Self is seriously pursuing.

Which leads to speculation that he will hold that ride open for Kevin McCullar, Jr should he opt to return, which I would absolutely love, or for someone else opting to withdraw from the NBA draft and transfer before the NCAA deadline.

Again, key dates are:

May 11 - last day for anyone wanting to transfer and be eligible to play immediately next fall to enter the portal.

May 31 - NCAA deadline to withdraw from the NBA draft and retain eligibility.

Mackenzie Mgbako has cancelled his trip to Louisville and is now officially down to KANSAS & Indiana.

Source: tweet by Andrew Slater at the below link (Copy & paste)
I like our chances.

Fingers crossed!

ROCK CHALK!

Chatter is that Mgbako will announce this week, possibly as soon as Thursday.

Adam Finkelstein — 247Sports’ Director of Basketball Scouting — wrote the following scouting report.

“His shot-making from behind the arc is his best asset. He can also make the types of shots that translate to the next level - pick-and-pop threes, slipping out of ball screens to make shots on the move, or creating space with a series of side-step or step-back shots. The mid-post has long been a staple of his individual offense, but now he’s getting some easy points by moving without the ball more freely. Physically, Mgbako appears to be in the best shape of his career to date and was also productive enough on the glass to hold his own at the four. His swing skills are his defensive versatility and shot-creation abilities, both of which are rooted in his mobility, footspeed, and ability to play low to the ground when necessary. If those two areas develop, both his versatility and overall projection will go to new levels.”

GO GET HIM, BILL!

Per Andrew Slater tweet: Mackenzie Mgbako will announce his school decision on Friday 2023-05-12.

No time announced yet.

Today alone on Rivals, four Rivals staffers, including the publisher of Rivals Indiana site, posted “Futurecasts” for Mgbako to KANSAS.

247Sports has not updated its “Crystal Ball” predictions for him (all still show the historical Duke votes), so no news from that source.

CorpusJayhawk wrote: Eric, I am not 100% understanding your nomenclature. Are you saying they are predicting Mgbako is going to choose Kansas or are they informed of his decision already. I assume it is just a prediction.

Apologies for any confusion.

Predictions by the writers/analysts/“experts” have (not the subscribers) of each service.

Rivals calls its projections “FutureCasts”.
247Sports projections are “Crystal Balls”.

Rivals also has “FanFutureCasts”, which are basically meaningless.

The fun bit for me was learning that the publisher of the Indiana Rivals page “TheHoosier.com” has put in his FutureCast for MM to KU.

TODAY
THU 2023-05-11, 11:59 PM ET
NCAA deadline to enter Transfer Portal & be eligible to play immediately next season.

(*&(*^&(^$*#%^*&@*(*!!!

Ernest Udeh Jr has entered the Transfer Portal.

This one hurts the most.

si.com: Udeh to Transfer from Kansas