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Kansas basketball: Ernest Udeh Jr. schedules visits with KU rival and blue-blood

By Andrew Falkner

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 15: Tyrese Proctor #5 of the Duke Blue Devils takes a shot over Ernest Udeh Jr. #23 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half during the Champions Classic at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 15, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 15: Tyrese Proctor #5 of the Duke Blue Devils takes a shot over Ernest Udeh Jr. #23 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half during the Champions Classic at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 15, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Ernest Udeh Jr. scheduled several official visits yesterday, and one of them is with a bitter Kansas basketball rival.

As great as the transfer portal has been for the Kansas Jayhawks, it has also caused several players to depart from the program. A massive loss is soon-to-be sophomore Ernest Udeh Jr. The former McDonald’s All-American is a hot commodity in the portal. Kansas fans may be surprised by rumors about the potential schools he may commit to.

Udeh is visiting Duke today, and if all goes well, Durham could be a potential destination for the 6-11 center. Jon Scheyer and his squad had an up-and-down season last year, but with several vital pieces returning in 2023-24, the Blue Devils might get more use out of him than the Jayhawks did.

The Blue Devils are a young team loaded with talent, and if Udeh were to commit there, he might be their projected starting center. Tyrese Proctor, Jeremy Roach, Kyle Filipowski, and Mark Mitchell are the other four projected starters before heading into the upcoming campaign.

Udeh and Filipowski would be a lot to handle for opposing teams in the paint, and it could lead to an ACC champion-like team and even national championship contenders.

Udeh has also received interest from Big 12 schools such as TCU and Kansas State. He is scheduled to visit both schools after the dead period ends. What a story it would be if Udeh committed to Kansas State.

The Sunflower Showdown would be an emotional and physical contest for all 40 minutes of play. “Ernie” would be a premier big for K-State and a significant transfer portal move for the soon-to-be second-year head coach of the Wildcats, Jerome Tang.

RELATED: 3 ways Udeh’s transfer hurts Kansas

It almost feels like Udeh and his mentor are trying to stick it to Kansas by scheduling a visit with K-State. He certainly can not be pleased with how little trust the Jayhawks had in him by acquiring Hunter Dickinson in the transfer portal. They have a right to be disappointed about the whole situation.

TCU has been in the picture for Udeh on places to commit, but it feels like the third option out of the three schools. They do not have a true center on the roster, so Udeh would be a huge get for the Horned Frogs.

Regardless of where he commits, his departure from Lawrence will sting the Jayhawks for quite a while. Kansas was counting on him to be the program’s center of the future. Hopefully, for the sake of KU, he goes somewhere out of the Big 12.

Next. 3 advantages, disadvantages for Kevin McCullar if he returns. dark

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