UMKC’s Mark Turgeon hits the ground running with commitments from 3 KC players
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mark Turgeon vows to recruit locally, then gets commitments from 3 KC players.
- Committed players Love, Kori and Jackson played together on KC Run GMC.
- Turgeon says local recruiting will help elevate UMKC and keep kids home.
New Kansas City men’s basketball coach Mark Turgeon wasted no time in rebuilding the Roos’ roster with local flavor.
A day after Turgeon was formally introduced and vowed to recruit locally, the program received commitments from three area high school players:
- Cameron Love, a 6-5 forward from Olathe North
- Josh Kori, a 6-4 guard from Oak Park
- D.J. Jackson, a 6-2 point guard from Piper
The players have previously been teammates on the KC Run GMC club team.
“I believe in this community so much,” Turgeon said. “We’re going to get this thing rolling and keep kids home.”
This season, the Roos had one player on the roster from the Kansas City area. The previous three UMKC teams didn’t include a player from Kansas City.
“We’re not going to sign every kid from Kansas City,” Turgeon said. “We’re going to try and sign the best ones we think can elevate our program.
“The pitch is: We’re going to win, and it’s a great city.”