D.J. Jeffries, Class of 2019 forward and cousin of KU’s Lawson brothers, is back on the market

By Matt Tait     Jul 30, 2018
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Let the speculation begin.

At 3 p.m. Monday afternoon on everyone’s favorite social media recruiting site, Class of 2019 forward D.J. Jeffries Tweeted that he was de-committing from Kentucky and planned to reopen his recruitment.

“After careful consideration prayer and countless hours of consulting with my family I decided to reopen recruitment,” Jeffries wrote. “It was a hard decision but I am confident that taking my time to choose the right school for me, to better myself educationally and athletically, is the right choice.”

Jeffries, who committed to John Calipari’s Kentucky program in mid-March, is the cousin of KU forwards Dedric and K.J. Lawson.

Some speculated at the time of the Lawson Brothers’ announcement that they were transferring to Kansas that the move could open the door for Jeffries [and the two younger Lawson brothers, Chandler and Jonathan,][1] to follow them to KU.

Whether that’s what’s happening here remains to be seen, but it’s worth pointing out that Jeffries once played for Team Penny, as in current Memphis coach Penny Hardaway, on Nike’s EYBL circuit, and it’s just as likely that Jeffries’ decision could be clearing the way for a move to Memphis as it is a move for Kansas.

Jeffries currently plays for Bluff City, which features 7-foot center James Wiseman, a Memphis native ranked No. 3 by Rivals in the Class of 2019, who many believe is on his way to a recruiting showdown between Kentucky and Memphis.

Wrote Rivals analyst Eric Bossi of Jeffries following the Peach Jam earlier this summer: “He’s playing harder than ever, has improved by leaps and bounds as a jump shooter and most importantly he’s finding ways to make winning plays.”

Listed by Rivals.com as a 6-foot-7, 200-pound power forward, Jeffries currently is ranked No. 46 nationally on the Rivals 150. But his solid spring/summer AAU session may have him on the rise.

According to the Rivals data base, KU was one of 16 programs to offer Jeffries a scholarship before he chose Kentucky.

Now, with his recruitment back open, it’ll be interesting to see if that list grows or if Jeffries picks from the 15 other programs who were on him the first time around.

[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tale-tait/2018/jul/25/4-star-class-of-2019-forward-chandler-la/

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.