Kansas basketball: Center Ernest Udeh Jr. transfers from the Jayhawks

In an unexpected and crushing turn of events, sophomore center Ernest Udeh Jr. became the eighth Kansas basketball player to enter the transfer portal.

Today is the final day that D-I basketball athletes can enter the transfer portal, and Ernest Udeh Jr. took advantage of that opportunity. Joining seven others, he is yet another player to enter the transfer portal.

It is the most disappointing development KU fans have received during the offseason, as most expected him to stay at the school. Instead, the Kansas Jayhawks will return just two players — Dajuan Harris and KJ Adams — from last season’s team.

As a recruit, Udeh was ranked No. 32 in the nation and the No. 7 center in his class. He showed tons of promise as a freshman, even if his numbers did not show it. His per 40 minutes statistics included 3.2 steals and 2.9 blocks. Udeh was the best bench player for Kansas and was their spark plug with his athleticism and defensive ability.

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With the news of Zuby Ejiofor also transferring from the program, KU has just two big men on the roster — Dickinson and KJ. While bringing in Dickinson is excellent news for Kansas, they also lost a potential multi-year starter in Udeh, who was considered the prodigy big man for Kansas.

What’s next for Bill Self? Udeh’s absence leaves a gaping hole in the Jayhawks’ big-man depth. There are three open scholarships on the roster. Four of nine scholarships are being taken up by freshmen. Perhaps the future is not as bright as we thought it would be for next season.

Kansas must recruit plenty of talent before next season begins, specifically a backup center. The departure of Udeh is not the end of the world, but it is a depressing reminder that there is no such thing as loyalty in NCAA sports nowadays. He was slated to be a star under Bill Self.