KU basketball program offers scholarship to high school sophomore center from Congo
Kansas has extended a basketball scholarship offer to Tichyque Musaka, a 6-foot-11, 190-pound high school sophomore center from Valley Christian School in San Jose, California, Zagsblog.com reports.
Musaka, who is originally from Kinshasa, Congo, is also being recruited by TCU, Oregon, USC, Georgetown, DePaul and others.
“They’re a top-five team nationally,” Musaka said of KU in an interview with Zagsblog.com.
NBAdraft.net’s Evan Tomes watched Musaka play at the 2019 Crossroads Elite Invitational.
“Musaka ran the floor well and dunked everything around the rim,” wrote Tomes. “He has thin legs, but his base held its own in the post. Although he scored all his points in the paint, he shows a workable jump shot. Defensively, he was the best shot blocker in the camp and did a great job of not fouling while contesting.”
Williams has long list of schools
Mikey Williams, a 6-2 freshman point guard from San Ysidro (Calif.) High School in San Diego, has received a scholarship offer from KU, Zagsblog.com reports.
Williams at this early date is considering KU, Memphis, Tennessee, Oregon, UCLA, Texas Tech, San Diego State, USC, San Diego, Arkansas, Arizona, Arizona State, New Mexico and others.
Williams was named MaxPreps’ 2019-20 freshman of the year after averaging 29.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 32 games. He scored 77 points in a single game last Dec. 13.
Here is his recruiting evaluation by Josh Gershon of 247sports.com: “Extremely productive combo guard with good size and length. Strong kid for age but not maxed out physically. High level athlete who is an explosive finisher. Has range to perimeter with jumper and is pretty consistent three-point shooter. Has handle and vision to facilitate and play on ball full time. Physical tools to be a good defender. Level of fame at age is current biggest obstacle to overcome.”
Reed has KU, MU on list
Kansas and Missouri are both recruiting Tarris Reed, a 6-8 sophomore forward from Chaminade High in St. Louis, Rivals.com reports.
He averaged 14.5 points and 8.3 rebounds a game this past season.
“I think I played really well this year,” Reed told Rivals.com. “I came out of my comfort zone from my freshman year. Over the summer I was working on my game, working with older players like Tyler Cook, Xavier Sneed and Mamadi Diakite from the college and NBA levels. It helped me improve my game from inside to outside and overall I think I did a little bit of everything.”
Reed, who plays for Mokan Elite AAU, also is considering Nebraska, UMKC, St. Louis U, Purdue and others.
He has made unofficial visits to KU and Mizzou.
Of KU, he said to Rivals.com: “I went for Late Night. It was actually fun and two of the Mokan players — Dajuan Harris and Christian Braun — play on the team so most of the Mokan family popped out. It was honestly a great experience. It was fun and felt like home.”
Of MU, he said: “The coaching was amazing. When coach Cuonzo Martin was running practice I could see that he was a very strict coach and he wanted things done a certain way. I liked that. Last year with my Mokan summer team my teammate Jevon Porter, his dad works with the coaching staff and he first introduced me to them last year during camp.”
Etienne wants to visit KU
Micawber Etienne, a 6-10 junior from Suffield (Connecticut) Academy, who is ranked No. 61 in the recruiting Class of 2021 by Rivals.com, has scholarship offers from KU, Illinois, Marquette, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Syracuse, Xavier, Wake Forest, Providence, Iowa, East Carolina, UConn, Arizona State, UCLA, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Georgetown, Miami,Texas A&M, Ohio State, Louisville, he tells Rivals.com.
“I definitely want to get out to some schools. Like I talk to Kansas a lot and want to see them,” Etienne told Rivals.com. “I just had a virtual visit with Louisville, I just had a virtual visit with Ohio State. I was going to go down to Florida and I was going to see Miami. I was trying to plan it all for once my basketball season ended but once it ended this stuff got it all off track and I didn’t get the chance to do anything,” he added of COVID-19 coronavirus.
Indian Hills coach praises incoming KU wing
Tyon Grant-Foster, a 6-foot-7 sophomore wing from Indian Hills Community College who has signed with KU, averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game this past season for the Warriors.
“He had an All-American season for us. We went 30-3,” Indian Hills CC coach Hank Plona said in a recent podcast at JUCOadvocate.com. “Obviously, we did not get the chance for him to put the exclamation point on his Indian Hills career,” Plona added. The national junior college tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
“However, I think he can absolutely put the exclamation point on his college basketball career,” Plona added of Grant-Foster’s upcoming two seasons as a Jayhawk.
As a sophomore, Grant-Foster hit 48.3% of his shots, including 33.5% of his threes. He hit 72.2% of his free throws. The Schlagle High graduate scored 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting in a win over Dawson Community College in the district title game that qualified Indian Hills for the national juco tourney. In that game, he hit 3 of 6 threes.
“He wants to be the reason that they either win or lose and that’s what we look for,” Plona told JUCOadvocate.com. “That’s toughness right there. I want the guy that wants to be responsible for losing, because that’s the guy that’s going to end up being responsible for a championship.”
Grant-Foster chose KU over Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Arkansas and others.
“Tyon is an NBA player. I believe he will be,” KU coach Bill Self said late in the 2019-20 season. “He has to get stronger. He’s 6-7, ridiculously long. His wingspan is a little over 7-feet. He can score off the bounce or off the catch. He can get his own shot. You don’t have to run stuff for him.
“He’s a really good player who is extremely skilled. He can play basically anywhere on the floor 1 through 4. To think he grew up down the street and has blown up like this over the last year is pretty amazing,” Self added. “People who follow that game (juco basketball) are raving about him and deservedly so.”
