Reviews are in for Kansas Jayhawks’ 2022 recruiting class after MJ Rice’s pledge
MJ Rice’s commitment to play basketball at Kansas has caught the attention of recruiting services Rivals.com and 247sports.com.
The two organizations on Tuesday recognized the Jayhawks’ current three-player high school recruiting Class of 2022 the second-best group in the country.
The rankings are periodically updated through the course of the year.
KU’s three-player class of Rice, Gradey Dick and Zuby Ejiofor at this date ranks second to Ohio State’s four-player class of Felix Okpara, Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle and Bowen Hardman, according to both recruiting services.
Rivals.com currently has slotted UCLA No. 3 followed by North Carolina, Syracuse, Oregon, Duke, Arkansas, UConn and Baylor.
247sports.com has North Carolina third followed by UConn, Arkansas, Illinois, UCLA, Duke, Oregon and Iowa State.
Rice, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound senior guard/forward from Prolific Prep in Napa, California, is ranked No. 15 in the country in the recruiting Class of 2022 by ESPN.com, No. 20 by 247sports.com and No. 28 by Rivals.com.
Dick, a 6-7 senior small forward from Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, who orally committed to KU on March 3, is ranked No. 21 nationally by ESPN.com, No. 33 by 247sports.com and No. 37 by Rivals.com.
And Ejiofor, a 6-8, 220-pound senior power forward from Garland (Texas) High School, who committed to KU on July 1, is ranked No. 39 in the Class of 2022 by 247sports.com, No. 58 by Rivals.com and No. 84 by ESPN.com.
“Bill Self and Kansas are off to a great start with their 2022 class and they added another big-time piece on Tuesday,” wrote Eric Bossi of 247sports.com. “With the addition of Rice, Kansas now has the second ranked 2022 recruiting class in the 247Sports team rankings,” Bossi added.
Jamie Shaw of Rivals.com wrote: “The Kansas train just keeps on going as Self and company get their third 2022 Rivals150 commitment of the year as No. 28 MJ Rice committed to the Jayhawks on Tuesday. Kansas already has No. 37 Gradey Dick and No. 58 Zuby Ejiofor committed in this class. But this is what we have come to expect from Self and Kansas. It is a blueblood program and remains a desired location no matter what is going on around it such as the NCAA issues. Great job by Self and staff, following up last year’s four-man class (K.J. Adams, Zach Clemence, Kyle Cuffe, Bobby Pettiford) all of whom ranked No. 121 or better.”
Clemence was ranked No. 46 in the Class of 2021 by Rivals.com and No. 70 by 247sports.com, while Adams was No. 82 by 247sports.com and No. 90 by Rivals.com. Cuffe was No. 105 by 247sports.com and No. 106 by Rivals.com and Pettiford No. 91 by 247sports.com and No. 121 by Rivals.com.
KU’s 2021 class was ranked No. 9 nationally by 247sports.com and No. 16 by Rivals.com.
Also chiming in on the commitment of Rice on Tuesday was Kyle Boone of CBSsports.com who wrote: “Potential NCAA sanctions looming over the Kansas program have likely made recruiting a challenge for Kansas in recent years as it continues to deal with fallout from the FBI scandal that ensnared the Jayhawks. However, KU is off to a hot start in 2022 led by commitments from Rice and a pair of four-star standouts in Gradey Dick and Zuby Ejiofor.”
Rice, who is a native of Durham., North Carolina, has had a sensational summer playing for Team Loaded North Carolina AAU.
“MJ Rice is as intentional and purposeful of a person as I have been around in terms of not wasting time or opportunities. He has a goal and he is going to go get it. His mindset is wise beyond his years,” Team Loaded North Carolina director Thomas Carr told Rivals.com.
“He has the rare ability to harness his talent and supreme competitive nature when the lights are the brightest so that every single big game, he produces at the highest level. He is throwback tough and an elite shot maker,” Carr added.
Prolific Prep coach Billy McKnight had this to say to Zagsblog.com: “MJ Rice is a great young man who was raised extremely well. He is as focused on being as ready for the next level and beyond as possible. MJ had a huge summer playing for Team Loaded AAU in helping them win some big-time games. His ability to score the basketball at all three levels from the wing, rebound, play with physicality, and defend translate immediately to the next level. His mindset, maturity, focus, and willingness to push himself, is honed and sharp. MJ is going to be an immediate impact player next year at Kansas.”
KU, which currently has 14 scholarship players on the 2021-22 roster (one over the limit after the NCAA granted Mitch Lightfoot Super Senior status) will have at least five scholarships available in recruiting, more if non-seniors turn pro or leave the program.
Self, who cannot comment on individual recruits until they sign letters-of-intent in accordance with NCAA rules, recently told The Star he hoped to sign at least five players. The Jayhawks are in the running for several players, including Chris Livingston, 6-7 small forward from Buchtel High School in Akron, Ohio ranked No. 4 by Rivals.com; Mark Mitchell, 6-7 small forward, Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas ranked No. 8 by Rivals.com and Shaedon Sharpe, 6-4 wing from Dream City Christian in Glendale, Arizona, ranked No. 11 by Rivals.com.
Also No. 21-ranked (by Rivals.com) Julian Phillips, 6-8 small forward from Blythewood (South Carolina) High School; No. 29 Vincent Iwuchukwu, 7-0, center, Montverde (Florida) Academy; No. 39 Nick Smith, 6-5, combo guard, Sylvan Hills High, Sherwood, Arkansas; No. 56 Aidan Shaw, 6-8 small forward, Link Academy, Branson, Missouri; No. 64 Yohan Traore, 6-11 power forward, Prolific Prep, Napa, California; No. 73 Jordan Walsh, 6-7 small forward, Southern California Academy, Castiac, California as well as others.
This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 9:26 AM with the headline "Reviews are in for Kansas Jayhawks’ 2022 recruiting class after MJ Rice’s pledge."
