photo by: AP Photo/Ron Schwane

Toledo guard Dante Maddox Jr. (21) shoots against Kent State guard Jalen Sullinger (13) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game for the championship of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, Saturday, March 11, 2023, in Cleveland.

Kansas picked up the commitment of one transfer guard Sunday, is one of the top choices for another and has now placed itself in contention for a third.

With the services of Florida transfer Riley Kugel already secured and Lawrence native Zeke Mayo considering making the move from South Dakota State, KU is firmly in the conversation for former Toledo guard Dante Maddox Jr. Sam Kayser of 24/7 High School Hoops posted Maddox’s top-eight list Monday afternoon, and the group includes the Jayhawks along with Creighton, Illinois, Louisville, Michigan, Oklahoma, TCU and Xavier.

According to multiple reports, TCU was slated to host Maddox for a visit Monday.

Maddox, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound guard, will have one year left to play after two at Cal State Fullerton and two at Toledo. In his first two seasons with the Titans, he started off and on (20 of 39 games), but regressed from his freshman year (10.8 points per game, 40% 3-point shooting) to his sophomore campaign (6.8 points, 25% from deep, albeit in a fairly small sample size as he played fewer minutes per game).

He transferred to Toledo for the 2022-23 season and has excelled since. With the Rockets he’s shot 46% overall and 42.4% from long range while averaging 13.3 points (improving from 11.3 in his third season to 15.6 in his fourth), four rebounds and more than a steal per game. Maddox scored at least 20 points on 10 separate occasions during the 2023-24 season as he led his team in scoring. He was a second-team all-conference selection and shot free throws better than almost anyone in the league.

He is from Chicago Heights, Illinois, and played at Bloom Township High School.

Whatever school he chooses from the list, Maddox won’t be the first Toledo transfer to make waves in the portal, as his former backcourt mate RayJ Dennis went to Baylor this past season and earned second-team all-league honors as one of the Big 12 Conference’s top newcomers.

With several scholarships open, KU still has space to add more talent at the guard position despite Sunday’s commitment from Kugel. Creighton and Oklahoma, top schools of Maddox’s, are also in the top four for Mayo, meaning that they are competing with KU for multiple potential guard prospects.