KU Jayhawks offer scholarship to point guard Brandon McKissic, who’s leaving KC Roos
Kansas City Roos senior point/shooting guard Brandon McKissic, who entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal on Monday, has received a scholarship offer from Kansas, he confirmed to The Star in a text message on Wednesday.
McKissic, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound native of Ferguson, Missouri, spoke with KU men’s basketball coaches on a video call Wednesday afternoon. On Wednesday night he wrote on Twitter: “Blessed to receive an offer from coach (Bill) Self and the University of Kansas #RCJH.”
Earlier Wednesday, McKissic, a second-team all-Summit League pick and the conference’s 2020-21 defensive player of the year, issued a list of possible graduate transfer destinations on Twitter. The list included KU, Missouri, Kansas State, Saint Louis, Oregon State, Tulsa, Cincinnati, VCU, Iona and others.
On Wednesday night, McKissic reported that Florida, UConn and Stetson had each offered him a scholarship Wednesday.
McKissic averaged a team-leading 17.2 points a game this past season on 50.8% shooting. He was 30-of-70 from three for 42.9% and 40-of-60 from the free throw line for 66.7%.
McKissic had 59 assists against 54 turnovers and had 27 steals in 18 games for the Roos, who went 11-13 overall and 7-7 in the league. He also grabbed 3.7 rebounds per game. Overall, he played in 18 games, starting 17. He has one year of eligibility remaining. The NCAA is allowing all players an extra year of eligibility in response to the pandemic-plagued 2020-21 season.
“At 6-foot-3 he is capable of playing on or off of the ball and he is a dangerous shooter from deep who connected on over 50% of his shots and just under 43% from beyond the three point line,” recruiting analyst Eric Bossi of 247sports.com wrote this week.
“What really stands out about McKissic is his defense. One of the top perimeter defenders in America, McKissic made the all-defense teams in the Western Athletic Conference during his sophomore and junior seasons, then as a senior he was named the Summit League’s defensive player of the year. Guys like him who can both score and defend aren’t in great supply and he’s going to quickly move to the top of the grad transfer list,” Bossi added.
McKissic played four years at St. Louis University High School. He was an unranked three-star player in the Rivals.com’s recruiting class of 2017. He was an all-state player three years in high school.
McKissic scored a career-high 29 points in a 62-52 win over Omaha on Feb. 12 in Kansas City. He had a career-best eight assists in an 80-69 win over Denver on Feb. 20 in KC. He had four steals in a pair of games his senior season.
He also hit four threes and scored 24 points in a 62-58 loss to Kansas State on Nov. 30 at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan. He scored 21 points with one assist in a 64-57 loss to Toledo on Dec. 12 in Toledo, Ohio and scored 18 points with five assists in a 62-46 loss to Saint Louis on Dec. 23 in St. Louis. He also had 44 points combined as the Roos went 1-1 versus Oral Roberts in KC.
“Brandon has been an excellent defender over his entire career and earning the (Summit League) defensive player of the year is a culmination of his work,” KC Roos coach Billy Donlon said on March 4 after McKissic was voted second-team all-league. “He certainly deserves being an all-league player. Brandon has embraced and thrived in the move to point guard over the past two years,” Donlon added.
He’s ninth on the school’s all-time list in scoring (1,178), ninth in assists (251) and sixth in steals (129).
KU currently has filled all 13 scholarship slots for next season. The Jayhawks are actively recruiting players, meaning there figures to be movement involving the current roster.
KU has signed Zach Clemence, a 6-10, 205-pound senior forward from Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas and K.J. Adams, a 6-7, 220-pound senior power forward from Westlake High in Austin, Texas. KU has received a commitment from juco power forward Sydney Curry, a 6-8, 265 pound sophomore out of Logan Community College in Carterville, Illinois.
Pettiford to hold virtual meeting with KU coaches Thursday
KU’s coaches on Thursday will hold a video call with Bobby Pettiford, a 6-0, 170-pound senior point guard from South Granville High School in Creedmoor, North Carolina, Jayhawkslant.com reports. Pettiford, who had earlier committed to Louisville, reopened his recruitment Monday. Stockrisers.com reports that Pettiford has heard from coaches from KU, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Providence, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Hampton, NC A&T and others. Pettiford is ranked No. 115 in the recruiting Class of 2021 by Rivals.com.
