KU notebook: Miege’s Robinson-Earl receives MU offer; Bassey rules AAU tournament

Bishop Miege sophomore forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who is a prime recruiting target of Kansas, made an unofficial visit to Missouri on Monday.

“The visit went well. I enjoyed seeing Jontay (Porter), learning more about the program and meeting the coaches,” Robinson-Earl told The Star on Monday night in an instant message on Twitter. He indicated he received a scholarship offer from new MU coach Cuonzo Martin as a highlight of the visit.

Jontay Porter, brother of incoming Missouri player Michael Porter Jr., was on MU’s campus as part of an official visit. He and Robinson-Earl are friends.

The 6-foot-8 Robinson-Earl — who averaged 13.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per game last season for Kansas Class 4A-D1 state-champion Miege — is ranked No. 17 in the recruiting class of 2019 by Rivals.com.

Robinson-Earl also has offers from Kansas State, Iowa, Oklahoma, Wake Forest, Washington and Creighton. He’s also heard from North Carolina, Kentucky and others. He said he has not compiled an official list of schools.

Bassey has stellar weekend

KU recruiting target Charles Bassey, a 6-foot-10, 225-pound sophomore from St. Anthony Catholic High School in San Antonio, solidified his status as the No. 2 recruit in the class of 2019 last weekend at the Adidas Gauntlet AAU event in Fort Worth, Texas.

Bassey — who is also being pursued by Baylor, Texas A&M, TCU, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arizona, Tennessee, Houston and others — averaged a double-double for Yes II Success Texas Future. With coaches from KU and others in attendance, he exploded for 23 points and seven rebounds in his squad’s final game Sunday.

Bassey, who is from Nigeria, has played basketball for four years. He first became interested in the sport after a basketball coach spotted him selling fried chicken on the side of the road in Nigeria.

“I was about 6-foot-1 when I was 12,” Bassey told station Lex18.com of Lexington, Ky. “That’s a true story about me selling the chicken. I was a young kid, but once I tried basketball I loved the game immediately and wanted to get better. I had never played before. I grew up playing soccer, but once I started basketball I stopped soccer.”

Rivals.com recruiting analyst Eric Bossi says Bassey reminds him of a young Dwight Howard.

“Fifteen years ago, I walked into a gym on the campus of Georgia Tech and got my first glimpse of future NBA All-Star Dwight Howard. Seeing the No. 2 player in the class of 2019 Charles Bassey perform throughout the weekend at the first stop of the Adidas Gauntlet, it was hard not to be reminded of seeing Howard at the exact same stage of his career,” Bossi writes.

Kansas, by the way, is involved in the recruitment of Rivals.com’s top four players in the recruiting class of 2018 and the top two players in the class of 2019.

The top four in ’18: Marvin Bagley, 6-10 forward, Sierra Canyon High, Chatsworth, Calif.; Zion Williamson, 6-6 forward, Spartanburg (S.C.) Day School; Romeo Langford, 6-4 guard, New Albany (Ind.) High; and Jordan Brown, 6-10 forward, Woodcreek High, Roseville, Calif.

The top two in ’19: R.J. Barrett, 6-6, Montverde (Fla.) Academy and Bassey.

Williams strong on boards

Emmitt Williams, a 6-7, 205-pound junior from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., impressed with his board work, grabbing 18 rebounds in consecutive games at the Nike EYBL event last weekend in Hampton, Va.

The No. 17-ranked player in the class of 2018 is considering KU, Louisville, Florida, Miami, Florida State and others.

“One of the most consistent producers, the IMG Academy product doesn’t have the ideal size for the power forward position but he does have the motor, physical tenacity and instincts that make him a five-star recruit,” Corey Evans of Rivals.com writes.

Wooten picks Oregon

Former Arizona State commit Kenny Wooten, a 6-8 senior forward from Trinity Christian High in Las Vegas, on Monday committed to Oregon.

Wooten was recruited by KU the first time around, but not since decommitting from the Sun Devils. He’s ranked No. 140 in the Class of 2017 by Rivals.com.

This story was originally published April 24, 2017 at 8:42 PM with the headline "KU notebook: Miege’s Robinson-Earl receives MU offer; Bassey rules AAU tournament."