Ja’Kobe Walter, a 6-foot-5, 180-pound senior-to-be men’s basketball shooting guard from McKinney (Texas) High School, has included Kansas on his list of eight schools.
Walter, the No,. 17-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2023 by ESPN.com and 247sports.com and No. 34-ranked player nationally by Rivals.com, has revealed a list of KU, Baylor, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Auburn, Seton Hall and UCLA to On3.com analyst Joe Tipton.
According to On3.com, he has made official visits to Alabama, Auburn and Texas and will visit Baylor in the near future.
Of KU, he told On3.com: “It’s Kansas. Everyone knows about Kansas. You see what they just did, winning the national championship. They are doing something right over there, working hard and developing their guys.”
Walter said he will choose a school “at the end of the summer. I’ll be looking for a program that will get me league-ready. I want to go to a place that feels like a home away from home. I will be away from my family, so my relationship with the coaches and players will mean a lot.”
KU offers scholarship to Ali
Amier Ali, a 6-8, 175-pound junior-to-be shooting guard from Montverde (Florida) Academy, has been offered a men’s basketball scholarship by Kansas, he reported Wednesday on Twitter.
Ali is ranked No. 26 in the recruiting Class of 2024 by ESPN.com, No. 34 by 247sports.com and No. 52 by Rivals.com.
He is originally from Philadelphia, moving to Gahanna, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, when he was 5. His parents are from Somalia.
Ali attended Spring Creek Academy in Plano, Texas as a high school freshman, then headed to Montverde for his soph season.
The Houston Hoops AAU player has heard from KU, Ohio State, Kansas State, Kentucky Texas, Texas Tech, Memphis, Alabama, Arizona State, Wake Forest, LSU, Virginia Tech and others.
Booker being recruited by KU
Xavier Booker, a 6-11, 215-pound senior-to-be power forward from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, has been offered a scholarship by Kansas, he reported on Twitter.
Booker, who is ranked No. 38 in the recruiting Class of 2023 by Rivals.com, No. 81 by ESPN.com and No. 91 by 247sports.com, has a list of KU, Michigan State, Butler, Cincinnati, Indiana, Illinois, Purdue, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Iowa, Michigan, Louisville and others.
Some analysts believe Michigan State may be the leader.
“They have been on me pretty hard. I have a good relationship with coach Izzo (Tom, MSU) and I talk to him every week. The staff checks in on me almost every day and they seem to love me so I really appreciate that about them,” Booker told 247sports.com.
Kingsley-Onyenso is considering Kansas
Kansas has offered a scholarship to Ugonna Kingsley-Onyenso, a 7-foot, 215-pound senior-to-be center from Putnam Science Academy in Putnam, Connecticut, according to Andrew Slater, director of scouting for prospectiveinsight.com.
Kingsley-Onyenso is ranked No 36 in the recruiting Class of 2023 by ESPN.com and No. 87 by Rivals.com.
He’s also heard from Kansas State, Ohio State, Syracuse, Mississippi, Clemson, Georgia, Georgetown, Providence and others.
He spent 2 1/2 years at NBA Academy Africa in Senegal before traveling to the U.S. last winter to play for Putnam Science Academy. He’s originally from Nigeria.
“You immediately see the size, length, and fluidity in the way Ugonna Kingsley-Onyenso moves. The hips are loose, the feet are quick, and the leaping is explosive,” writes Jamie Shaw of On3,.com.
“On the defensive end, he is a natural. The timing is excellent at the rim and in the passing lanes. He can also fluidly move his feet when he switches onto a perimeter player. His defense is ahead of his offense at this point. At Putnam, they use him a lot from the high post and elbows as a screener and ball mover. He has touch but will need to continue developing confidence in the shot. The ball skills and vision will have to continue to tighten, but he runs the floor very well, changing ends at the drop of a time. He finished with double-figure blocks in the second game we watched. The defense is high level,” Shaw added.
Fland includes KU on list of schools
Johnuel “Boogie” Fland, a 6-2, 155-pound junior-to-be point guard from Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York, has been offered a scholarship by KU, according to Slater of prospectiveinsight.com.
Fland is ranked No, 15 in the recruiting Class of 2024 according to 247sports.com and No,. 18 by ESPN,.com. He has a list of KU, UConn, St. John’s, Pittsburgh, Providence, Seton Hall, Miami, Illinois, TCU, LSU, Virginia Tech and others.
Chatman offered scholarship by Jayhawks
Taison Chatman, a 6-3, 175-pound senior-to-be combo guard rom Totino-Grace High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been offered a scholarship by KU, he reported on Twitter.
Chatman, who is ranked No. 30 in the recruiting Class of 2023 by 247sports.com and No. 54 by RIvals.com, is considering KU, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech, Iowa State, Iowa, UConn, Xavier, Louisville, Northwestern, Nebraska, Virginia, Texas Tech, Minnesota, Marquette and others.
