Saturday has emerged as the next day to watch for the Kansas men’s basketball program’s recruiting efforts, with four-star guard Kyle Cuffe Jr., expected to announce his college of choice.
Originally slated to reveal his decision on Dec. 26, Cuffe has moved things up a week and is now expected to make an announcement at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. He lists Kansas, Kansas State, St. John’s, Georgia, Pitt and Texas A&M as his six finalists.
Cuffe is ranked No. 78 in the Class of 2022 by Rivals.com, but there is some speculation that he could look at reclassifying and become a member of the 2021 class.
In mid-November, he told Travis Branham of 247 Sports that he had looked into the option of reclassifying, but added then that he was planning to commit for the Class of 2022.
That was more than a month ago now, though, so his exact plans remain unknown.
KU’s 2021 class currently has four-star forwards KJ Adams and Zach Clemence already signed.
Adding Cuffe to the program — either in 2021 or 2022 — would bring the Jayhawks another option in the backcourt and would help keep balance and depth on the roster into the future.
At 6-foot-2, 180 pounds out of Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., Cuffe is known for his explosive ability to get to the rim and powerful finishes. But he’s also dangerous in transition and has shown the ability to be patient with the ball while waiting for just the right moment to attack the paint.
Throughout his recruitment, it was Cuffe’s relationship with the head coaches at each program that helped him form his list of finalists.
And while KU coach Bill Self, Georgia’s Tom Crean, Pitt’s Jeff Capel, K-State’s Bruce Weber and St. John’s coach Mike Anderson all have drawn praise and mentions from Cuffe in various interviews about his recruitment, Anderson and St. John’s have an added advantage in their pursuit of the talented guard. Cuffe’s father, Kyle Cuffe Sr., played at St. John’s and his mother also attended SJU.
“That’s part of it,” Cuffe recently told Shay Wildeboor of JayhawkSlant.com. “I mean, it doesn’t matter to me in the way that I’m going to base my choice on it. It’s just one of the many things St. John’s has to offer.”
As for what caught his eye about Kansas, Cuffe told Wildeboor it went beyond Self.
“I love the history of Kansas and what Bill Self has to offer,” Cuffe said. “I talk to coach Self and (KU assistant) coach Norm Roberts on the daily. They let me know what I would bring to them and how much they value me. They also let me know how much I would value them.”
In a recent interview with Branham, Cuffe added: “It’s KU. “(They’re) always top contenders for a national title.”
