Best from Akron since LeBron? Jayhawks offer men’s basketball scholarship to Livingston
Chris Livingston, the No. 3-ranked prospect in the recruiting Class of 2022 according to Rivals.com, has received a men’s basketball scholarship offer from Kansas, he reported Monday on Instagram.
“Blessed to receive offer from Kansas,” Livingston, a 6-foot-6, 190-pound junior small forward from Buchtel High School in Akron, Ohio, wrote on his social media account.
Livingston according to Zagsblog.com, averaged 31.1 points, 15.8 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 4.7 steals and 4.0 blocks per game last season at Buchtel.
Ranked No. 6 in the class by ESPN.com, he’s regarded by some as the most physically gifted prospect out of Akron since LeBron James.
“Physically, he’s just stronger and more athletic than his peers. He has deep range on his shot and he can bully his way to finish in traffic. He showed all weekend why he ranks among the top prospects in the 2022 class,” Dan McDonald of Rivals.com wrote after last weekend’s Exposure Breakout AAU tournament in Atlanta.
Livingston, who has been contacted by coaches from KU, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina and many others, will play AAU basketball on the Adidas circuit for “We All Can Go All-Stars” this summer.
“I would say I’m very active on the offensive end. I’m very aggressive trying to get downhill to the basket. Teams would back up the paint when they saw me coming downhill. It was a smart move on the coaches’ standpoint, because the first guy can’t really stay in front of me, so they would bring an extra guy which was smart,” Livingston told northcarolina.rivals.com.
“Also if a team were to go zone I would say they need to watch out for me on the perimeter, because I am a shooter. They would have to identify me on the top of the zone whether it was a 2-3 or a 3-2. I would say the rest of the scouting report would be to put a good defender on me to wear me out over the course of the game, because I’ve got a high motor. Every time I play with a team I’m always going to be all over the floor, always trying to affect the game the best way possible,” Livingston added.
KU is recruiting freshman standout Felton
Jahseem Felton, a 6-5 freshman point guard from Westminster Catawba Christian School in Rock Hill, South Carolina, has been offered a scholarship by KU, according to Rivals.com.
“Playing up an age group, freshman Jahseem Felton was the focal point of his B. Maze Elite 16 and Under (AAU) team. The point guard led his team to the Gold Division championship with a big 25-point outburst in a semifinal win,” Jamie Shaw of Rivals.com wrote of Felton’s performance at the Big Shots Rocky Top Tipoff last weekend in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
“Felton has been a known commodity within the basketball community for some time now, not only for the weight his surname carries in the state of South Carolina, but also because he has been talked about among the nation’s elite since middle school,” Shaw added.
Felton has received scholarship offers from coaches from Kansas, Florida, Tennessee, Georgetown, Wake Forest, South Alabama and others.
Felton is cousin of former North Carolina standout/NBA player Raymond Felton.
“You know Kansas is a big-time school. Everybody loves them. I am young so they tell me to keep working and to be good at school and to fall in love with the process,” Felton said of KU to florida.rivals.com.
Of his game, he said: “I bring energy. I play defense. I can score and handle under pressure, too. I bring a lot of energy to the floor, but with my scoring and my handle I hear a lot of people say I play like Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies).”
KU, Missouri recruiting Reed
Tarris Reed, a 6-8, 220-pound junior forward from Chaminade High School in St. Louis, is considering KU, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, St. Louis, Michigan and others, Rivals.com has reported.
Reed is ranked No. 83 in the recruiting Class of 2022 by Rivals.com.
“I would say I am a mid- to low-post player who has the ability to step out and face up,” Reed told Rivals.com. “I am comfortable in that mid-range area, but am really strong in the post. I have heard comparisons to a young David West (former NBA player).”
Of Kansas, Reed said: “I speak with assistant coach Norm Roberts and am looking forward to building a great relationship with him and the rest of the coaching staff there.”
Of MU, he said: “I have been in contact with most of the coaches on their staff, but mainly head coach Cuonzo Martin and assistant coach Chris Hollender. Mizzou was also one of the first schools to watch me play at a young age. I love their coaching staff and we have built a solid relationship. I can see myself fitting in as a 4-man or 5-man in their program. All the schools have been heavily involved in the recruiting process for me and I am taking my time and listening to what all the coaches have to say. I am not going to rush this decision and will make the best decision for me.”
This story was originally published May 4, 2021 at 9:13 AM with the headline "Best from Akron since LeBron? Jayhawks offer men’s basketball scholarship to Livingston."
