(Hoops) decision day: Nigerian considering KU to reveal college choice Tuesday night
Sam Ayomide Onu, a 6-foot-11, 255-pound senior center from Phelps School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, will announce his college choice at 6 p.m., Tuesday, he reported on Twitter.
Ayomide Onu, who is originally from Nigeria, has a list of KU, Memphis, Seton Hall, Providence, Illinois and Wake Forest. He is ranked No. 103 in the recruiting Class of 2021 according to Rivals.com.
Memphis is considered the heavy favorite for Ayomide Onu, who has been living in the U.S. the past four years.
“I talk to coach Bill Self three times, four times a week. He’s done a great job with bigs and Kansas is known for developing big guys like me,” Ayomide Onu told Zagsblog.com.
Of Memphis, he told Zagsblog.com: “I’ve built a good relationship with the coaches and I’ve talked to Penny (Hardaway, head coach) and the coaching department almost every day. And they let me know that they really need me. And I also, I have a brother that’s coming to Memphis. Me and John Camden are good playing together. And they said they are going to develop me.”
Rob Cassidy of Rivals.com wrote that “Memphis has long been the frontrunner and remains on top as Ayomide Onu approaches his decision day. The fact that he’s familiar with and has played alongside current Tigers commit John Camden, also helps Penny Hardaway’s program. The Nigerian-born standout is in frequent contact with multiple members of the Memphis staff and seems to trust Hardaway’s vision for his development. The Tigers will be difficult to unseat down the stretch.”
Cassidy added that “because of his bond with Self and the allure of Jayhawks tradition, there’s not much of a doubt about which school sits in second place with the four-star prospect. Ayomide Onu will likely choose the Tigers on announcement day. If he doesn’t, however, he’ll almost certainly be headed to Lawrence.”
Shelby interested in KU
Kansas is a serious contender for Noah Shelby, a 6-2, 160-pound junior point guard from Greenhill School in Addison, Texas.
Shelby, the No. 141-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2022 according to Rivals.com, told Stockrisers.com that schools “heavily in the mix” include KU, Baylor, Duke, Villanova, Virginia, Minnesota, Memphis, Arizona, California, Mississippi State, Purdue, Stanford, Ohio State and Auburn.
“Many people in the industry believe that he could become one of the top shooters in the class. He’s shown that consistently and it continued this summer,” wrote Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.com.
Asked about KU’s recruiting pitch, Shelby said: It’s how they love my shooting ability. I talk to (assistant) coach Norm Roberts every day, and he has been saying how I can come in and make an immediate impact. He likes how I can create my own shot, but also can be a huge threat coming off of screens.”
Mitchell looking at KU, K-State, others
Mark Mitchell, a 6-8, 207-pound junior small forward from Bishop Miege High School, said he’s considering KU, Kansas State, Kentucky, North Carolina, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Texas, UCLA, USC, Wake Forest and others. He is ranked No. 9 in the recruiting Class of 2022 by Rivals.com.
Mitchell averaged 21.6 points and 8.7 rebounds in his sophomore season at Bishop Miege and also was invited to USA Basketball mini-camp.
“It has been kind of a weird offseason because I’ve actually been playing a little bit but I have also had time to get into the weight room more and get stronger,” Mitchell told Stockrisers.com. “I’m at about 6-8 and 207-pounds now and I’ve been working a lot on my jumper to make it more consistent.”
Daimion Collins update
Daimion Collins, a 6-9, 205-pound senior power forward who narrowed his list to KU, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech last week, is said to be favoring Kentucky and Oklahoma, Rivals.com reported. He is ranked No. 10 in the recruiting Class of 2021 according to Rivals.com.
“Up until the last few months, it looked like Collins was destined to be a Longhorn because he has a really strong relationship with former Texas assistant Jai Lucas,” wrote Dan McDonald of Rivals.com. “With Lucas deciding to leave Texas for Kentucky this offseason, the Wildcats are now firmly entrenched with Collins and the Longhorns are fading.
“The other school under serious consideration here is Oklahoma, and it wouldn’t be crazy to consider the Sooners the favorite here,” McDonald added. “Oklahoma hosted him for an early official visit before the dead period. Lon Kruger and his staff have done a terrific job making him feel at home in Norman, and this could be one where distance comes into play. I’m not ready to put in a FutureCast pick just yet, but I’m giving a slight edge to Oklahoma over Kentucky right now because of the familiarity and the location.”
This story was originally published October 12, 2020 at 9:58 AM with the headline "(Hoops) decision day: Nigerian considering KU to reveal college choice Tuesday night."
