Kansas University basketball recruiting

Ochai Agbaji, who received a scholarship offer to play basketball at Kansas on Saturday afternoon, doesn’t match the profile of most KU recruits. He isn’t listed as a five-star prospect. He wasn’t on the shortlist of players considered for the McDonald’s All-American Game.

The offer from Kansas represents his meteoric rise in recruiting over the last few weeks. From Oak Park High in Kansas City (Mo.), Agbaji landed his first Power Five offer on Jan. 26 from Texas A&M. In a little more than a week, he’s added Wisconsin, Oregon, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Kansas to his list of suitors.

Through 18 games of his senior year in high school, the 6-foot-5, 195-pound Agbaji is averaging 27.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists while leading Oak Park to a 16-2 record. He’s scored at least 24 points in his last seven games.

Agbaji went on an unofficial visit to Allen Fieldhouse during KU’s loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday, watching from behind the team’s bench. He took two earlier visits in January, plus Bill Self and Larry Brown attended one of his recent high school games.

“I got to see their new locker room and all of that stuff,” Agbaji told Rivals before his offer from KU. “I got to meet Bill Self and talk with him. He’s very interested in me and said they are looking for a wing like me who is strong, tough and can shoot the ball.”

Before picking up a flurry of offers from Power Five programs, Agbaji had offers from Fresno State, Loyola (Chicago), Colorado State, Northern Iowa and New Orleans. He took an official visit to Colorado State in January.

Showcasing his athleticism in his senior season, he’s proven he can score from anywhere on the floor whether it’s above the rim, posting up with his back to the basket or powerful downhill drives. His sister, Orie, plays volleyball at Texas and their parents both played basketball at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The Jayhawks have already signed guards Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes, along with center David McCormack, in their 2018 recruiting class. Five-star guard Romeo Langford, from New Albany, Ind., has KU listed among his final three choices with Indiana and Vanderbilt.

Langford scored a career-high 63 points Thursday with six 3-pointers, prompting students to chant, “IU! IU!” He’s not expected to announce his decision until at least late March.

For Agbaji, it sounds like he’s enjoyed all of the recent attention that’s come with being one of the highest-rising prospects in the Midwest.

“I’m just looking for the school that’s the right fit,” Agbaji told Rivals more than a week ago. “A school that I can go in and be effective as a freshman right away. I’d probably be a better fit in uptempo but that doesn’t really matter because I just want a good coach who can make me better as a player.”

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