Nigerian center Ernest Udeh Jr. considers Kansas Jayhawks as well as turning pro
Ernest Udeh Jr., a 6-foot-10, 235-pound senior center from Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida, has included Kansas on his list of nine schools.
Udeh, the No. 20-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2022 by 247sports.com, No. 52 by ESPN.com and No. 115 by Rivals.com, on Monday revealed on Twitter a final nine of Kansas, Baylor, Florida, Miami, Tennessee, Michigan, Georgia Tech, UCLA and Alabama. He also is considering an offer from the Overtime Elite League which pays its players a minimum of $100,000 per year plus shares of equity in the league as well as medical coverage and name, image, likeness opportunities.
Of KU, he told Zagsblog.com: “It’s hard to ignore the success they’ve had with their bigs, especially with their play style, how they play through their bigs constantly, day in and day out. With Joel (Embiid) and Udoka (Azubuike), how they developed them into being able to go pro ... doing a good job to get me to the next level, I feel like that’s one of the things that stands out to me.”
Udeh. who is originally from Nigeria, has had a great summer for the Southeast Elite AAU program.
“I’m getting in my rhythm quicker and easier and (exhibiting) my aggressiveness for sure,” he told Zagsblog.com. “I honestly can say my defensive side will get better, but probably not that much because I’ve always just been really good on defense.
“Offense is really the focus right now, getting in the gym and just working on my fadeaways, hook shots and just the normal things. I’m focused on being a leader when I can be and expanding my game.”
Recruiting analyst Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.com wrote of Udeh: “The development from when I watched him in 2020 until now has been drastic and his upside is through the roof. Udeh is a dynamic two-way prospect. He is now seen as a five-star prospect in the 2022 class. He can be a physical and dominant paint beast on the offensive end and then he reciprocates it on the other end as he blocks a high amount of shots.”
Chandler Jackson to visit Kansas twice
Chandler Jackson, a 6-4 senior point guard from Christian Brothers High in Memphis, Tennessee, tells Rivals.com he will make an unofficial visit to KU for the Oct. 1 Late Night in the Phog. He also is planning an official visit to KU’s campus.
Jackson has visited Missouri and Auburn officially and made unofficial recruiting trips to Memphis and Mississippi. He also plans on visiting Virginia Tech.
“Coach Jeremy Case is the coach I talk with the most. It’s Kansas. Who wouldn’t want to go to Kansas?” Jackson told Rivals.com. “They are a blueblood and have been around for so long. They are a good program and coach Bill Self is an amazing coach.”
Jackson is ranked No. 54 by 247sports.com and No. 110 by Rivals.com.
“Jackson is a big-bodied guard, very strong and sturdy with long arms,” writes Jamie Shaw of Rivals.com. “He plays with a great pace and is very calculated in the halfcourt. Never rushed, he is able to get to his spots and make a play, whether it be knocking down a pull-up jump shot or finding an open teammate. While Jackson does not have elite speed and pop, his uses his strength to defend, especially in the passing lanes.”
Memphis strikes late in recruiting
Memphis appears to be one commitment away from emerging as a late-summer contender to reach the 2022 men’s Final Four.
The Tigers on Aug. 6 received a commitment from Jalen Duren, a 6-10, 245-pound center from Montverde (Florida) Academy, who elected to reclassify from 2022 to 2021 to play for head coach Penny Hardaway and Hall of Fame assistant Larry Brown during the 2021-22 season. Duren is ranked No. 3 nationally by Rivals.com, No. 4 by 247sports.com and No. 7 by ESPN.com.
Now, Emoni Bates has reclassified to 2021 from 2022 and is visiting Memphis on Wednesday.
Bates, 6-9, 200 small forward from Ypsi Prep Academy in Ypsilanti, Michigan, is ranked No. 3 nationally by ESPN.com., No. 4 by Rivals.com and No. 5 by 247sports.com. He has a list of Memphis, Michigan State and Oregon and is also pondering playing in the G League.
According to Zagsblog.com: “Jalen Rose recently suggested on ESPN that Memphis was about to land both players and that the school should set up an NIL deal between the young stars and FedEx, which is based in Memphis.”
Rob Cassidy of Rivals.com says even with the possible combo of Bates and Duren, it would be a stretch to consider the Tigers national title favorites.
“There’s a long list of elite college basketball duos that never sniffed a national title, so saddling this team with that sort of expectation seems insane to me,” Cassidy writes. “Penny Hardaway is still looking for his first NCAA Tournament berth as a head coach, and making that kind of jump in results is nearly unheard of. Add in I think the fact that there doesn’t really seem to be a proven point guard on the roster and I think the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament is a reasonable goal. Call it the break-even point if you want. Anything less is going to be regarded as a failure. Anything more should be seen as an overwhelming success for Hardaway.”
This story was originally published August 17, 2021 at 11:14 AM with the headline "Nigerian center Ernest Udeh Jr. considers Kansas Jayhawks as well as turning pro."
