The Kansas men’s basketball program recently conducted a Zoom call with Bobby Pettiford, a 6-foot, 170-pound point guard from Creedmoor, N.C., who recently de-committed from the University of Louisville after a coaching change.
Pettiford, who is ranked No. 115 in the 2021 recruiting class by Rivals.com and in the Top 100 by ESPN (95), 247 Sports (88) and SI.com (82), has heard from a couple dozen schools since he announced his change of plans. But he recently told Eric Bossi of 247 Sports that his second round of recruiting had unfolded “at a good pace” so far.
While his de-commitment has reopened his options from coast to coast, Pettiford has paid close attention to the roster make-up at each program recruiting him and is keeping an eye on any changes that could impact his decision.
“A lot of teams are going through their player meetings and their team meetings,” Pettiford told Bossi. “Some of them are in the (NCAA) Tournament.”
He said he KU was a program he would be “highly considering” because of the Jayhawks’ need for a point guard. But he also said he was “not hurrying it.”
He told Bossi that his decision would come “sometime in April probably,” and that he would continue to track the changes at the various schools showing interest in him in order to make a solid decision.
Known primarily as an explosive athlete who plays best around the rim, Pettiford showed off his improved shooting touch during his senior season, hitting 53% from the floor, 39% from 3-point range and 80% at the free throw line.
Tyson Walker picks Michigan State
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Tyson Walker, a sophomore from Northeastern who averaged 18.8 points and 4.8 assists per game this season in the Colonial Athletic Association, announced his commitment to Michigan State on Saturday afternoon.
The 6-foot point guard from New York, picked the Spartans over Kansas, Maryland, Texas, Vanderbilt and Miami (Fla.).
Braun’s brother looking for new spot
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Parker Braun, the 6-foot-8, 217-pound older brother of Kansas sophomore Christian Braun, has entered the transfer portal and is looking for a new place to continue his college career.
The elder Braun averaged 2.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game for the Tigers this season. He appeared in 20 of MU’s 25 games and did not play in Mizzou’s NCAA Tournament loss to Oklahoma.
Groves brothers also on the move
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A couple of weeks ago, the decision to enter the transfer portal by Eastern Washington standouts Tanner and Jacob Groves would not have registered on the radar of Kansas fans.
However, the two brothers hit the Jayhawks’ for 58 combined points on 9-of-16 shooting from 3-point range in KU’s first-round NCAA Tournament win in Indianapolis last week, making both household names with most KU fans.
Both Groves brothers — Tanner a senior and Jacob a sophomore — elected to move on shortly after their head coach Shantay Legans left EWU to take the job at Portland.
