Kansas Basketball lands high-level power forward recruit

Kansas Basketball landed another big-time recruit, adding to its strong 2022 class with four-star center Ernest Udeh, Jr. announcing his intent to become a Jayhawk.

According to 247 Sports, Udeh is the 27th ranked player nationally the seventh best center in the class of 2022. The 6’10”, 230-pound center is poised to become a key piece of the KU frontcourt.

Udeh joins five-star MJ Rice and four-stars Gradey Dick and Zuby Ejiofor to round out one of Bill Self’s strongest classes in recent memory. With Udeh’s commitment, KU’s 2022 recruiting class now ranks third in the nation.

Udeh had Kansas and UCLA as his top two schools but committed to Kansas after being impressed by his visit earlier this month.

Udeh attended Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida, quickly emerging as a top-tier center over the last few months. In the Rivals top 150, Udeh ranked 115th nationally as of May 27 before jumping up to 29th in late August.

In his scouting profile on Udeh, 247 Sports Director of Basketball Scouting Jerry Meyer says:

"“Has a tremendous physique at 6-10, including a 7-2 wing span. Is a quality athlete for a center, plays with energy and runs rim to rim. Excels at snatching and finishing lob passes. Is also a dangerous offensive rebounder with his pursuit of positioning and good hands. Not a polished offensive player. Has limited shooting range. Tends to play upright and needs to refine his footwork. Does have a go-to right handed jump hook. Not a ball handler and is mechanical in his passing but tends to make the correct read. Is a quality rim protector on defense. Is engaged on that end. Controls space as a rebounder.”"

Udeh is an athletic power forward who brings energy to both ends of the floor. He is able to make an impact rebounding, particularly on the offensive glass. This is an excellent attribute as offensive rebounds and second chance points often strongly affect a game’s outcome.

Like any incoming player, Udeh has some weaknesses on both ends. His scoring ability is far from perfect, but Bill Self and his staff are more than capable of working with their post players on footwork and inside scoring.

In Kansas Basketball’s frontcourt, David McCormack, Mitch Lightfoot, and Cam Martin are all seniors. Udeh will be a natural replacement for McCormack at the center position when he arrives in 2022.

Udeh is a talented, athletic big who is raw and will make freshman mistakes. I expect the staff to work with him to become another solid Jayhawk post player.

Look for Ernest Udeh, Jr. to make an impact when suits up for the Jayhawks in 2022.