photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Sam Cunliffe (3) elevates into Iowa State forward Hans Brase (30) on a charge during the first half, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018 at Allen Fieldhouse.

In the end, the right fit won out over the chance to finish his career closer to his hometown of Seattle.

Either way, former Kansas guard Sam Cunliffe on Tuesday announced via Twitter that he was headed to Evansville, where he will sit out the 2018-19 season and have two years of eligibility remaining following his redshirt season.

“Thank you Jesus for this opportunity,” Cunliffe Tweeted above a photoshopped image of his back in an Evansville jersey with the Purple Aces’ logo at the top of the image as the centerpiece in the phrase, “Be A Legend.”

Cunliffe, who visited Xavier over the weekend and also considered Grand Canyon, Pepperdine, Washington, Fresno State, Minnesota and others, told the Journal-World over the weekend that “this Evansville thing is a lot better than some might think.”

Led by former Kentucky great Walter McCarty, who enjoyed a 10-year NBA career — most of it coming with the Boston Celtics — Evansville is coming off of a 17-15 season that ended with a loss to Northern Iowa in the opening round of the Missouri Valley Conference postseason tournament.

Cunliffe’s addition gives the Purple Aces a full roster of 13 scholarship players and the former Top 40 prep prospect who transferred to Kansas from Arizona State will be joined at Evansville by fellow transfer Artur Labinowicz, a 6-foot-4 guard who played the past two seasons at Coastal Carolina and will join Cunliffe in sitting out during the upcoming season.

Thank you Jesus for this opportunity #legendary pic.twitter.com/M0d44LniK7

— Sam I Am (@SamCunliffe_3) August 14, 2018