Sophomores from Minnesota, Vegas extended hoops scholarship offers by KU
Chet Holmgren, a 7-foot, 190-pound sophomore forward from Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, has been offered a scholarship by Kansas, he announced Tuesday on Twitter.
Holmgren, the No. 45-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2021 by Rivals.com, has also been offered by Missouri, Baylor, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Purdue, Marquette, Iowa, Gonzaga, Maryland, Florida, Minnesota, Texas A&M and others.
Minnehaha coach Lance Johnson has allowed Holmgren freedom to play both inside and on the perimeter.
“It’s the age of the stretch 4,” Johnson told the Lafayette Journal and Courier. “Everybody salivates over a 7-footer who can shoot threes. Most of those 4s also have some post moves and back-to-the-basket stuff and can mix it up.”
Holmgren, who has a 7-foot-6 wingspan, has watched tapes of former Dallas Mavericks standout Dirk Nowitzki.
“The game is changing,” Holmgren told the Journal and Courier. “There’s no back-to-the basket anymore. Everybody has to be able to handle the ball and shoot.”
Holmgren — he’s had as many as 15 blocks in a single high school game — is the son of former Minnesota big man David Holmgren, a 7-footer who played for the Gophers from 1984-88.
“It takes a minute to get past how skinny he is, but the dude is legitimately tough and has to be one of the most unique players in 2021,” Rivals.com’s Eric Bossi writes of Chet Holmgren. “He’s 7-feet tall, he runs like the wind and his offensive skill is off the charts. He isn’t just a good jump shooter for a big man, he’s among the best shooters regardless of position or class.
“Oh yeah, he leads the Under Armour Association in blocks. I mean he really leads it. He’s got 45 blocks in eight games. Next most in the league? Twelve.”
Holmgren is a Grassroots Sizzle AAU teammate as well as high school teammate of Jalen Suggs, a 6-4 junior point guard who has KU, Missouri, Minnesota, Gonzaga, Iowa, Iowa State, Marquette, Baylor, Michigan State, West Virginia and many others on his list of schools. Suggs is ranked No. 14 in the recruiting Class of 2020 by Rivals.com. He’s also a standout quarterback in football being recruited by Nebraska, Iowa State, Minnesota and others.
KU offers soph Hardy
Jaden Hardy, a 6-4, 180-pound sophomore combo guard from Coronado High School in Henderson, Nevada, who is ranked No. 6 in the recruiting Class of 2021 by Rivals.com, has been offered a scholarship by KU, he reported Tuesday night on Twitter.
Detroit native Hardy has heard from KU, Missouri, Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, TCU, Illinois, Florida State, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, UNLV, USC and others. His brother, Amauri, has completed his sophomore season at UNLV.
“When all else fails, five-star sophomore Jaden Hardy is an alpha scorer,” writes Bossi of Rivals.com. “He’s going to get buckets and he’s going to do it as a jump shooter, driver or transition finisher. But, he’s not some shot-gunning two guard, he’s a complete player.
“Need Hardy to slide over to the point? He can do that and set his teammates up with ease. Need him to get some defensive stops? He’ll do that too. Get on the glass? Sure, he’s an outstanding rebounder.
“Bottom line, he’s highly versatile and a well-schooled player on both ends of the floor. He can score at the rim, in the mid range and from deep with ease. However, it’s his all-around game and ability to play as a combo guard with size that impresses the most,” Bossi adds.
Enaruna decision coming soon?
Tristan Enaruna, a 6-10 senior forward from Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, who has a final list of KU, Creighton and Miami, completed an official visit to KU on Monday.
Rivals.com analyst Bossi says he “would expect a decision to be coming very soon. Kansas has gone strong on Enaruna since getting involved during the winter, got the last chance to impress him and offers the blueblood pedigree.
Creighton has been recruiting him the longest, has established a deep relationship and plays a wide-open style. The Hurricanes are known for coaching, have the great weather, are in need of a difference maker in their frontcourt.”
Enaruna, the No. 105-rated player in the recruiting Class of 2019 according to Rivals.com, averaged 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game this past season.
“Whoever gets him is getting a heck of a pickup,” Bossi writes of Enaruna, a native of the Netherlands. “Currently ranked No. 105 nationally, look for Enaruna to make a giant leap when we finalize the 2019 rankings next week. At around 6-9 with athleticism and skill, he should be considered a legitimate top-50 type recruiting score for whichever program lands him.”
KU recruiting Mali native Sissoko
KU is recruiting one of Enaruna’s Wasatch Academy teammates. He’s Mady Sissoko, a 6-8, 225-pound junior forward who is ranked No. 80 in the Class of 2020.
Sissoko is being pursued by KU, Michigan State, Arizona, Kentucky, Oregon, Texas Tech, Utah, Utah State and others, according to Rivals.com. Sissoko is originally from Kayes, Mali.
“Sissoko is relatively new to basketball. However, he is an absolute monster. He is strong and possesses an extremely soft touch around the rim,” writes Jordan Augustine of prephoops.com.
“He has a good motor and rotates well in help side. He has a knack for coming over and blocking shots as well as collecting tough rebounds. Athletically, there might not be a more blessed prospect in the state of Utah. He has a rare mixture of athleticism and strength with a strong skill set that is only going to continue to get better over time. He has the potential to play the game at an extremely high level.”
KU’s Self to visit Abdur-Rahim
KU coach Bill Self on Wednesday is expected to visit Jabri Abdur-Rahim, a 6-6, 180-pound junior small forward from Blair Academy in Short Hills, N.J., Rivals.com reports. Abdur-Rahim, the No. 43-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2020 by Rivals.com, is being recruited by KU, UConn, Michigan, North Carolina State and many others.
This story was originally published April 30, 2019 at 8:11 PM with the headline "Sophomores from Minnesota, Vegas extended hoops scholarship offers by KU."