Chris Ledlum could be the final piece of the puzzle for the 2023-24 Kansas basketball roster. Will the Jayhawks pursue him?
Chris Ledlum came to Allen Fieldhouse last season as a member of the Harvard Crimson on Dec. 22. In 36 minutes played, he scored 17 points and had 9 rebounds in a 68-54 Kansas Jayhawks victory.
While Harvard finished the season at 14-14, Ledlum was their leader, and he entered the transfer portal soon after the conclusion of the season. He eventually announced his commitment to play for the Tennessee Volunteers. But after initially being slated to touch down in Knoxville, he decided to decommit and reopen his recruiting process.
His junior year was the best of his collegiate career, as he averaged 18.8 points per game (49th in Division I) and 8.5 rebounds per game (60th in Division I).
It was a shocking move in the college basketball world, as not many players of his caliber are still searching for a new team in the middle of July. The question is: Should Bill Self and Kansas basketball look towards recruiting the Brooklyn, New York native?
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While there is no speculation of the Jayhawks being connected with Ledlum yet, it would definitely be an excellent addition for Kansas in 2023-24.
Ledlum is a 6-foot-6 forward that can give Self a big body off the bench, or potentially even in the starting lineup. He would provide toughness inside the paint, depth at the forward position, and consistent inside defense against any team in college basketball.
Tennessee senior Chris Ledlum has re-entered the transfer portal.
— PortalUpdates (@portal_updates) July 13, 2023
The 6’6” forward averaged 18.8 points on 47% shooting, 8.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.8 steals per game for Harvard last season.
Massive late entry to the portal.
Like last season, an underlying issue for Kansas is its lack of height. Aside from superstar center Hunter Dickinson, Parker Braun and Marcus Adams Jr. are the only other scholarship players who are 6-foot-8 or taller. Acquiring Ledlum would deliver the Jayhawks a much-needed body that also has the ability to play efficient minutes on both ends of the floor.
Indiana and St. John’s were heavily interested in him before his commitment to Tennessee, meaning there’s a high probability that the two universities will be in the mix again. That being said, it certainly wouldn’t hurt for Kansas to at least try and draw him to Lawrence. Bill Self has his ways, so who knows what can happen.
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