Combo guard Kyle Cuffe Jr., who has KU and K-State on final list, sets decision date
Kyle Cuffe Jr., a 6-foot-2, 175-pound junior combo guard from Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey who is ranked No. 78 in the recruiting Class of 2022 by Rivals.com, will announce his college choice at 5:30 p.m. Central time Saturday at Gauchos Gym in The Bronx, New York, his dad announced on Twitter.
Cuffe — he plays spring and summer basketball for the PSA Cardinals AAU program — has a final four of KU, Kansas State, St. John’s and Georgia. KU is considered the current favorite according to a pair of analysts from Rivals.com.
Cuffe’s dad, Kyle Cuffe Sr., played basketball at St. John’s from 2001-04. A 6-9 power forward, he averaged 11.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game his senior season in 2003-04. Cuffe Sr. is a graduate of Rice High School in Harlem, New York, the alma mater of former KU national championship point guard Russell Robinson.
Robinson’s picture was added by Cuffe Jr. to his Twitter post reporting KU’s offer of a scholarship back on Sept. 5.
“Yes I know Kyle Cuffe Sr. He played at my Rice High School before me. He was one of my favorite players,” Robinson told The Star via Twitter direct message. “He (Kyle Jr.) has some great offers so far. Of course I’m pulling for KU,” Robinson added.
Kyle Sr. said his son “has toughness and competitiveness. Kyle is not someone that is going to back down from things. I have to give credit to his mom because that is something he got from her. He’s got that drive and heart that a coach is going to love.”
Cuffe Jr. told Rivals.com he has followed KU for many years.
“I love the history of Kansas and what Bill Self has to offer. I talk to Coach Self and Coach Norm Roberts on the daily. They let me know what I would bring to them and how much they value me. They also let me know how much I would value them,” Cuffe said.
He received his scholarship offer from KU on Sept 5. K-State offered on May 19. Cuffe at one time also considered Pitt, UConn, Georgetown, Iona, Seton Hall, Texas A&M, UCLA, Providence and others. He is still considering the possibility of switching from the recruiting Class of 2022 to 2021.
“Getting the Kansas offer meant a lot,” Cuffe told 247sports.com. “It’s one of the power five schools and it’s big for me to get. It just shows the work I’ve been putting in. I speak to assistant coach Norm Roberts all the time. We built a great relationship along with coach Self and that’s been really big. Their message is they love the way I play, how energetic I am, and how I play both sides of the ball. They like how I can contribute to the team on the court and off the court as well.”
Of K-State he told Rivals.com: “Coach Bruce Weber is letting me know that I can be a top player on the roster right away. He says I can get there and play right now. I like hearing that a lot. Coach Shane (Southwell) is recruiting me a lot. I like him, but coach Weber is also talking to me a lot.”
Mike Vukovcan of pittsburghsportsnow.com wrote of Cuffe’s ability: “You start with his defense and how that leads to him excelling on the offensive end. The athletic guard has an ability to effortlessly get to the rim and is really strong transitioning from defense to offense.”
Cuffe told 247sports.com he envisions himself as a lead guard.
“In college I’m looking to play either point guard or shooting guard but I’m a combo guard right now. I feel like I can develop my game into a point guard soon,” he said.
Jai Smith receives KU offer
Jai Smith, a 6-10, 235-pound junior power forward from Bull City Prep in Cary, North Carolina, who is ranked No. 150 in the recruiting Class of 2022 by Rivals.com, has received a scholarship offer from KU, he reported on Twitter.
He’s also considering Syracuse, Rutgers, St. Louis, UCLA, Maryland, Texas Tech, UConn, Arizona, Seton Hall, Georgia Tech, Illinois and others.
KU extends offer to Dillingham
Robert Dillingham, a 6-2 sophomore point guard from Combine Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina, who is ranked No. 10 in the recruiting Class of 2023 by 247sports.com, has received a scholarship offer from KU he told Stockrisers.com.
He’s also been offered by Pitt, SMU, DePaul, Florida, Clemson and heard from North Carolina and UCLA, he told Stockrisers.com.
Johnson has KU on list
Jeremiah Johnson, a 6-1 sophomore point guard from Putnam City North High School in Oklahoma City, who is ranked No. 16 in the recruiting Class of 2023 by 247sports.com, has KU on his list of schools.
Johnson told Zagsblog.com he’s being recruited by KU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Illinois, Texas Tech and others.
Johnson averaged 15.7 points and 3.5 assists per game as a freshman for 14-10 Putnam City North.
“As a team, I expect us to go 32-0, win a state championship and really just show everybody that we’re state champions this year,” Johnson told Zagsblog.com. “Individually, I’m still trying to average 30 points per game and lead my team in assists while helping to contribute with offensive and defensive rebounds. I’m also trying to get Gatorade Player of the Year,” he added.
