The Kansas basketball program is going after even more talent in the transfer portal. The Jayhawks are joining the race to add the services of former UTSA basketball star Jordan Ivy-Curry, per the Kansas City Star. Ivy-Curry is a guard who recently de committed from Virginia Tech.
The former UTSA guard averaged more than 17 points a game during the 2023-24 campaign. Ivy-Curry also is a solid rebounder, grabbing more than 5 a game last year. The transfer met on a Zoom call Friday with Kansas coaches, per the Kansas City Star. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
Kansas recruiting
Kansas basketball has already corralled a pool of top talent in this year’s recruiting class. The Jayhawks pulled four players from the transfer portal already, including former Alabama wing Rylan Griffen. Griffen is a four-star recruit. Kansas has the second best transfer class in the country, per 247Sports. Only Indiana is ranked higher than Kansas, at time of writing.
The Jayhawks are also bringing in one of the best freshmen in America. Five-star center Flory Bidunga is coming to join Kansas basketball this season. Bidunga is one of the top 11 players in the 2024 basketball recruiting class, per 247Sports. The Jayhawks have another four-star freshman coming to join the ranks, in shooting guard Rakease Passmore.
Kansas basketball rebounding
Kansas basketball is looking to rebuild from a disappointing season in 2023-24. The Jayhawks lost more games in the Big 12 Conference than they had since the 1988 season. The team was also riddled with injuries, as big man Hunter Dickinson got hurt just before the NCAA tournament. Forward Kevin McCullar Jr. also missed the entire NCAA tournament due to an injury. As a result, the Jayhawks got bounced in the Round of 32. The team also had an early exit from the Big 12 tournament, as McCullar missed that postseason competition as well.
Kansas got some good news, when Dickinson announced this offseason he would return to the team for one final season. The Jayhawks are also expected to have back point guard DaJuan Harris back. The Jayhawks should be a contender to win the Big 12 with that core of returning players, on top of their transfer and freshman additions.
The Big 12 is expanding this coming season, with Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah joining the league. Texas and Oklahoma are also out of the conference, and heading to the SEC. With the new additions, Big 12 conference play is extending to 20 games this year, instead of the usual 18. The league already has the reputation for being one of the hardest in America, and it will be even tougher with more conference games on the docket for teams to play.
Ivy-Curry has several other schools reaching out for his services, including Texas A&M. TCU and Oklahoma are other high-major programs showing interest, per USA Today.
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