Kansas Basketball Guard Makes Late Offseason Transfer Portal Entry

Although Bill Self had seemingly rounded out his squad, Shelby unexpectedly departed from the program in the late transfer window.

A former 4-star recruit out of high school, Shelby began his collegiate career at Vanderbilt before transferring to Rice.

He was a walk-on redshirt during his first and only year in Lawrence, and his KU career ended before he could play a game in a crimson and blue uniform. The school was planning to elevate Shelby to a scholarship player this upcoming season.

While he never took the floor at KU, Shelby appeared in 30 games for Rice in the 2023-24 campaign. He averaged 3.9 points and 1.0 rebounds for the Owls on 35.1% field goal shooting. 

With transfers Melvin Council Jr. and Jayden Dawson and returning players Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell in the fold, the 6-foot-3 guard did not have a viable path to playing time despite his exceptional athleticism.

Incoming freshman Kohl Rosario’s commitment last month also could have influenced Shelby‘s decision.

Now that Shelby is out of the picture, Kansas has two remaining scholarships on the roster, though it remains unknown whether the program will fill them.