By JACOB POLACHECK
Ernest Udeh Jr., the No. 27-ranked prospect in the class of 2022, has committed to Kansas, he announced Wednesday.
The 6-foot-10, 230-pound big from Dr. Phillips (FL) High School and the Southeast Elite AAU Program, chose the Jayhawks over UCLA after taking official visits to both schools.
“Ernest’s physical tools and athleticism would have him ready to be a starting center right now at a high major program,” Dr. Phillips head coach Ben Witherspoon said. “He plays with an extremely high motor, is an elite perimeter defender and shot blocker, catches everything and is a skilled offensive player in the post and mid-post.
“Ernest projects to be an NBA level rim runner and lob catcher with the ability to switch onto guards on the perimeter defensively. He will immediately impact winning as a high-character kid in the locker room and competitor on the floor.”
Udeh took his official visit to Kansas from Oct. 8-10 and will join a KU 2022 recruiting class that features five-star forward MJ Rice and four-star forwards Gradey Dick and Zuby Ejiofor.
“It’s hard to ignore the success they’ve had with their bigs, especially with their play style, how they play through their bigs constantly, day in and day out,” Udeh told ZAGSBLOG in August. “With Joel (Embiid) and Udoka (Azubuike), how they developed them into being able to go pro. I just feel like them being able to work with me as a big and me, being able to fit their system pretty well is pretty good. Doing a good job to get me to the next level, I feel like that’s one of the things that stood out to me.”
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