Former KU basketball players Bobby Pettiford, Issac McBride, Marcus Adams in portal
Three former University of Kansas men’s basketball players are on the move again.
The three are: Bobby Pettiford, who left KU for East Carolina; Issac McBride, who departed for Vanderbilt, Oral Roberts; and Marcus Adams, who went to BYU.
Here’s a bit about the situation involving each player:
Bobby Pettiford
Former backup KU point guard Pettiford is entering the transfer portal for the second time in as many years.
Pettiford, a 6-foot-0, 195-pound junior out of Durham, North Carolina, spent the just-completed 2023-24 season at East Carolina. He was at KU for two seasons, so he will have one season of collegiate eligibility remaining.
Pettiford played in 33 games, starting 18, for the Pirates, who went 15-18 (7-11 in the American Athletic Conference). He averaged 7.8 points per game on 45.3% shooting. He hit 14 of 53 3-pointers for 26.4% and made 29 of 44 free throws for 65.9%. He led the AAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (112 assists to 35 turnovers).
Pettiford scored a career-high 24 points against UNC Wilmington on Nov. 30. He hit four 3s and scored 18 points — including a half-court game-winner against Kennesaw State — on Dec. 14.
In his second and final season at KU (2022-23), Pettiford averaged 2.2 points and 1.6 assists in 32 games. He averaged 12.0 minutes per game. He hit 53% of his shots his soph season at KU, including hitting 30% from 3-point range.
As a Jayhawk, Pettiford scored a season-best 13 points against Omaha and hit the game-winning shot against Wisconsin at the Battle 4 Atlantis. He also had eight assists versus North Dakota State.
Pettiford, according to 247sports.com, opened the year as the Pirates’ starting point guard. However, guards Jaden Walker and Kalib LaCount took over for Pettiford down the stretch.
All three of those guards have hit the portal and will not be at East Carolina next season.
“From a defensive perspective, Pettiford’s 6-foot frame was a detriment at times. He also had to manage a hamstring injury for much of the season,” wrote Stephen Igoe of 247sports.com.
Pettiford last April chose East Carolina as a transfer destination over Georgetown and Florida State. In March 2021, Pettiford — who at one point had committed to Louisville, only to reopen his recruitment — announced for KU over High Point, NC A&T, Old Dominion, Ole Miss, Providence, Tulsa, UNC-Wilmington and Virginia Tech.
Issac McBride
Senior Oral Roberts guard McBride has placed his name in the transfer portal for a super-senior season at a yet-to-be-determined destination.
McBridem who averaged 19.8 points, 3.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game for the Golden Eagles in 2023-24, spent the past three seasons at ORU.
He signed with KU in November 2018 but never played a game with the Jayhawks.
McBride left the program and withdrew from school on Sept. 20, 2019. He obtained a waiver from the NCAA to play immediately and spent one season at Vanderbilt before deciding to transfer again, this time to Oral Roberts.
McBride is a 40.4% 3-point shooter. For ORU, he scored 34 points in a 82-76 win over Denver on Feb. 3 and went for 30 in a 87-77 win over North Dakota on Jan. 18. He also had 27 points, seven assists and four 3-pointers in a 74-66 loss to Texas A&M on Nov. 17.
Marcus Adams
BYU freshman small forward Adams, who signed with Kansas in April 2023 but left in July after practicing with the Jayhawks for just a few weeks, has also placed his name in the transfer portal.
Adams committed to Gonzaga but never signed scholarship papers, surfacing at BYU in time to start the 2023-24 season. Injuries limited him to eight minutes on the court at BYU his entire redshirt season.
According to lawlessrepublic.com, Adams’ father suffered a stroke and died during this past season, leaving Adams’ mother alone in California. His grandmother also died within the past month. Adams, according to the website, “will be transferring closer to home in California to care for his mother, and that is certainly the right decision.”
He redshirted this past season at BYU.
“His potential kept fans invested and tantalized by the value he could provide BYU in the future,” wrote Calvin Barrett of lawlessrepublic.com. “While Adams’ conditioning and availability for the Cougars wasn’t what anyone hoped for in his first year, a difficult year off the court should be enough to help fans understand why Adams will be transferring home.
“Despite his unremarkable season on the court, Adams is still a former 4-star recruit and has the potential to be a star in college basketball. Watching Adams progress and grow as a hooper should be interesting for BYU fans, despite not being with the team.”
