After decommitting from Duke, five-star recruit Mackenzie Mgbako has four visits lined up. Kansas basketball is among one of those schools.
The Kansas Jayhawks may be looking to fill out one of their final scholarship spots with a freshman rather than a transfer.
Mackenzie Mgbako, 247 Sports‘ seventh-ranked recruit in the Class of 2023, was initially committed to playing for the Duke Blue Devils. However, the return of star big man Kyle Filipowski left Mgbako without a clear path to playing time, and he backed out of his commitment.
College basketball insider Adam Zagoria leaked the list of schools Mgbako plans to visit on Twitter. Kansas is one of them, although the date of the visit is unknown.
He is a special kind of prospect. The New Jersey native is a terrific shooter with tons of offensive versatility. This is the scouting report that 247 Sports evaluator Adam Finkelstein gave Mgbako:
"“His shot-making from behind the arc is his best asset. He can also make the types of shots that translate to the next level – pick-and-pop threes, slipping out of ball screens to make shots on the move, or creating space with a series of side-step or step-back shots. The mid-post has long been a staple of his individual offense, but now he’s getting some easy points by moving without the ball more freely. Physically, Mgbako appears to be in the best shape of his career to date and was also productive enough on the glass to hold his own at the four. His swing skills are his defensive versatility and shot-creation abilities, both of which are rooted in his mobility, footspeed, and ability to play low to the ground when necessary. If those two areas develop, both his versatility and overall projection will go to new levels.”"
Freshmen do not typically receive plenty of minutes under Bill Self, but Mgbako would be an exception. He moves exceptionally well for his size and can shoot the lights out. There are concerns about his defense, but they will be quickly dispelled if he touches down in Lawrence — Self does not tolerate lazy defensive players.
Similar to Kansas signee Elmarko Jackson, Mgbako played in the McDonald’s All-American Game.
The other schools involved in his recruitment process are Louisville, Indiana, and St. John’s. Sources indicate he has been closely tied with Louisville, but with Rick Pitino at the helm for the Johnnies and an already impressive Indiana roster, any of these four schools have a shot at landing him.
Other players that the Jayhawks are considering include Hunter Dickinson, Arterio Morris, Jaylon Tyson, and Primo Spears, among others. Morris will announce his commitment this evening at 5:00 PM.