Nick KrugThe Kansas men’s basketball team has missed out on another top recruit in the Class of 2019.
For the past several weeks, many signs on the recruiting trail pointed to Class of 2019 forward Matt Hurt making his pledge to join the Duke basketball program when he finally announced his decision.
That time came on Friday afternoon, when the No. 7-ranked player in the 2019 class, according to Rivals.com, did in fact announce his commitment to the Blue Devils.
The smooth-shooting, athletic 6-foot-9, 200-pound Hurt, who played for KU coach Bill Self on the U18 USA Basketball team that won gold at the FIBA Americas tournament last summer, picked Duke over Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina.
He announced his decision while donning a Duke hat at his ceremony.
The news comes as a blow to KU’s current recruiting class, not only because Hurt would have filled a position of need but also because the Jayhawks now move forward with several open scholarships still to give out.
With two players transferring away from the program, three more declaring for the NBA Draft — with the potential to return — and two more undecided, Self and his coaching staff could be facing the tough task of having to fill as many as five or six more spots in the next couple of months.
As of today, KU has just two players signed in the 2019 class — 4-star guards Christian Braun, of Blue Valley Northwest, and Issac McBride, of Baptist Prep in Little Rock, Ark. — and is in pursuit of a handful of prep prospects and college transfers who remain high on their wish list.
The next big decision day for the Jayhawks on the recruiting trail is Monday, when 4-star shooting guard Cassius Stanley is expected to announce his pick between a final four of KU, Duke, Oregon and UCLA.
