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University of Kansas basketball recruiting

Marquise “M.J.” Rice, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound small forward from Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif., has pegged Tuesday as the day he will announce his college decision.

Rice is expected to first share the news with Jason Jordan of SI Now on social media.

Although he has not put out a list of official finalists, there are plenty of recruiting analysts out there who believe that the University of Kansas is in as good a spot as anybody pursuing him.

Rice’s rankings, like his potential landing spots, are all over the place. ESPN ranks him as the 15th best prospect in the 2022 class. 247 Sports has him No. 20 on their list. And the folks at Rivals.com have him listed 28th.

Two of the three outlets rank him as a five-star prospect and most analysts believe that his choice will come down to Kansas, Pitt, Oklahoma State, North Carolina State and the NBA’s G League.

Rice made an official visit to KU’s campus in late June and came away from the experience loving everything about it.

“It was good. They treated me like family,” Rice told Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy shortly after his visit to KU. “At Kansas, they’re all as one. Nobody is bigger than the group. It’s just one big family. They have a great program.”

Rice recently told Jordan that he liked the vibe

“Everyone really buys in there,” he said. “They work really hard, but they all really like each other, too. I just liked the program overall. The fans there are great, and the coaches really showed me how much they want me there.”

A native of Durham, N.C., Rice started his high school career at Durham Academy before moving to Oak Hill Academy for the 2020-21 season en route to playing out his senior season at Prolific Prep, the same school that produced former KU lottery pick Josh Jackson.

Rice played for Team Loaded AAU this summer and he has developed a reputation as a fast and physical player who brings everything he has to the court.

“Rice is as tough as high school prospects come and seems to thrive on contact,” Cassidy wrote recently. “He routinely finishes with defenders draped all over him and has a knack for getting to the line. Rice, who has a knack for putting his matchups on the bench with foul trouble, is built like a brick wall and retains an incredibly quick first step for his size.”

KU currently has two commitments in the 2022 recruiting class — one from five-star Sunrise Christian wing Gradey Dick and another from four-star forward Zuby Ejiofor, from Garland, Texas, who committed to Kansas on July 1.

It remains to be seen how many players KU will sign in the class, but with the transfer portal and immediate eligibility reshaping the offseason and five spots likely opening up due to graduation, it’s clear that this class could still be just getting started for the Jayhawks.

MJ Rice announces decision date

MJ Rice highlights