Big 12 Basketball

Kansas will add a top prospect to its 2022 recruiting class after MJ Rice committed to the school Tuesday.

Rice announced his decision via Joe Tipton of On3.

"I feel like Kansas is the place for me to be," Rice said. "I feel like Kansas is somewhere I can grow and mature. They have all resources I need to develop my game and develop my mental. I really enjoyed my visit there. Great coaches, staff, players and environment."

The small forward is a 5-star recruit and considered the No. 20 overall player in the class and fifth-best player at his position by 247Sports' composite rankings.

At 6'5", Rice is a bit undersized for a wing, but he makes up for it with impressive athleticism that allows him to finish at the rim with consistency. He also has enough strength to handle the bigger players he might match up against at forward.

He remains a mismatch with his shooting ability from deep, giving him the opportunity to score a lot of points even without a lot of touches on the offensive end.

The biggest concern during his high school career was a torn ACL that sidelined him in December 2019.

Rice returned to the court the next season and said he simply needed to get over the mental aspect.

"With me, it's more about making the jump mentally; I'm already a dog on the court, now it's about being a killer!" he said in a November blog entry for SI All-American.

Having two seasons back before playing at the next level should provide plenty of time to get over his injury.

If he can add some additional handle and playmaking ability to his skill set, Rice could be an elite player going forward.

He represents a big addition for the Jayhawks, providing the team with someone who can help on both ends immediately in his college career.

Rice has the talent to be a go-to option as a freshman and could consider making the leap to the NBA before too long. 

Keyonte George will be packing his bags for Waco, Texas, after committing to Baylor ahead of the 2022-23 college basketball season, according to ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi.

George is the No. 2 overall player and No. 1 shooting guard in the nation, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He's also the best player from Texas.

Brandon Jenkins of 247Sports looked at George's game in June and compared him to Minnesota Timberwolves star D'Angelo Russell:

"George is a smooth scoring guard who shows a high level of dedication to the game and looks to play the game the right way. He scores within the flow of an offense and can knock down jumpers from all three ranges on the floor. His in-between game is potent as he has the knack of getting to his spots to get his shot off. He uses his handle to wiggle his way into his pullup and has the explosiveness and body control to finish plays in a crowd. His game is built upon skill more than elite quickness. He plays with poise and makes sound decisions with the ball in his hands."

Prior to transferring to iSchool Entrepreneurial Academy, the dynamic 2-guard starred at Lewisville High School. He helped the Fighting Farmers reach the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs. While the team lost 86-73 to Duncanville, George dropped 32 points.

George and iSchool competed in the Iverson Classic: Battle In The Bluff last December, and the event proved to be a great showcase:

At 6'4" and 185 pounds, George has the frame to play either guard position. He possesses the skills to serve as the primary playmaker while he's on the floor, too.

The Lewisville native is an instinctive scorer, though, and that will be his first thought when he has the ball in his hands. You can't blame him considering he has the ability to stop on a dime and nail a pull-up jumper or slash to the basket for a thunderous finish.

The Russell comparison is apt because the 2018-19 All-Star isn't a traditional point guard but averaged seven assists per game to go with 21.1 points during his career year with the Brooklyn Nets. In addition, his frame (6'4", 193 lbs) is nearly identical to George's.

Russell only spent one season at Ohio State before moving on to the NBA, and George's time in college could be similarly brief. Don't expect him to wear the Bears' uniform for too long, but he should provide plenty of entertainment while playing for head coach Scott Drew.

Drew inherited a disastrous situation when he took over in 2003 and steadily turned Baylor into a nationally relevant program. That culminated in the program's first championship in men's basketball this past spring.

With George's decision, the impact of that success is evident.

The Big 12 Conference issued a cease and desist letter to ESPN on Wednesday, claiming the network has "taken certain actions" intended to harm the Big 12 and result in financial benefits to the company.  

In the letter, obtained by Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby accused ESPN of being "actively engaged" in discussions with at least one other conference member regarding realignment in the wake of Texas and Oklahoma formally seeking entrance to the Southeastern Conference. 

Wrote Bowlsby:

"The Big 12 Conference demands that ESPN immediately cease and desist all actions may harm the Conference and its members and that it not communicate with the Big 12 Conference's existing members, or any other NCAA Conference regarding the Big 12 Conference's Members, possible conference realignment, or potential financial incentives or outcomes related to possible conference realignment."

The commissioner asked ESPN to respond with "written assurances" by 1 p.m. ET on Thursday. In response, ESPN said the claims have no merit. 

The accusations pit the Big 12 with arguably its most important broadcast partner. As of 2019, ESPN airs every Big 12 football championship game through 2024 and created a Big 12 platform on ESPN+. Additionally, ESPN has deals with eight of the 10 conference members to broadcast events across multiple sports.

That deal is set to expire following the 2024-25 season—which is when Texas and Oklahoma seek to begin play in the SEC. 

Speaking to reporters after sending the cease and desist letter, Bowlsby claimed he was "absolutely certain" ESPN has been "in contact with" other conferences to try poaching Big 12 schools in an attempt to destabilize the league. 

Bowlsby further noted that Oklahoma and Texas have been taking part in Big 12 strategy meetings—during which proprietary information was shared—while working in secret to abandon the conference for the SEC.

"It causes me to further suspect [ESPN] had their hands all over the Texas and Oklahoma move to the SEC," Bowlsby said. "They were as deceptive as you can possibly be. There are right and wrong ways to these things. They sought to deceive us from the very beginning."

The commissioner called the network's actions "tortious interference" and claims he has documented evidence to back up his claims. 

As rumors about the SEC moving closer to adding Texas and Oklahoma persist, the Big 12 is reportedly making an effort to keep its two signature programs from jumping ship. 

Per Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, Big 12 officials are discussing a new financial structure that would increase revenue for Texas and Oklahoma. 

According to Dodd, the structure "would grant the Longhorns and Sooners an additional half-share annually (1.5 shares each), bumping their payouts to approximately $56 million per year."

In order to make the revenue balance out, the other schools in the conference would decrease their annual payouts. 

Dodd did note the topic came up during a conference call with conference officials and Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby on Thursday. 

The revenue increase plan was described to Dodd as being preliminary and "from the 50,000-foot level."

The Big 12 currently has a 13-year, $2.6 billion television contract with ESPN and Fox that pays each school around $20 million per year. That total doesn't include revenue earned from bowl games and the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments. 

Speculation about the Longhorns and Sooners switching conferences began on Wednesday. Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle reported both programs reached out to the SEC and an official announcement could happen “within a couple of weeks.”

Per ESPN's David M. Hale, both schools would likely have to pay the Big 12 "upward of $76 million apiece to buy out the remainder of their grant of media rights agreement, which runs until 2025."

Texas and Oklahoma are two charter members of the Big 12 when the conference began play in 1996. The two programs have combined to win 43 national championships in all sports over the past 25 years. 

Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self has tested positive for COVID-19. 

In a statement released on Twitter, Self said he got tested on Thursday after experiencing "some minor symptoms," and a final test taken Friday confirmed the positive. 

Self also said that he has been fully vaccinated. 

The Jayhawks head coach was scheduled to take recruiting trips this weekend but is currently in isolation. 

Self also delivered a message for everyone to get vaccinated so “we don’t have to worry about this virus continuing to affect our communities and loved ones.”

The 58-year-old is entering his 19th season at Kansas. He was hired in 2003 to replace Roy Williams, who left for North Carolina. 

KU has made the NCAA tournament every year it has been held since Self became head coach. He led the program to the national title during the 2007-08 season, 15 Big 12 regular-season titles and eight conference tournament titles. 

The Oklahoma State graduate previously worked as the head basketball coach at Oral Roberts, Tulsa and Illinois.    

Former Baylor guard Jared Butler, who led the Bears to their first-ever NCAA Division I men's basketball championship, has been medically cleared by the NBA's fitness-to-play panel to play in the league, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

On June 22, Charania reported that Butler had been referred to the panel and wasn't allowed to play or practice in the NBA until cleared.

Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reported that a heart condition raised red flags initially.

Butler earned consensus first-team All-American honors during his junior year, averaging 16.7 points and 4.8 assists for a Bears team that defeated the undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs to win the national title.

Analysts have raved about Butler's NBA potential and character, including Jeff Goodman of Stadium and former ESPN NBA draft analyst Chad Ford:

The 6'3" guard is listed No. 22 on Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report's 2021 NBA draft big board.

"We've given him a mid-first-round grade all season for his ability to fit in after improving his playmaking, spot-up shooting and defense," Wasserman wrote.

The NBA draft is set to take place from Brooklyn, New York's Barclays Center on July 29, and Jonathan Givony of ESPN reported that Butler may even receive an invite to the green room:

Butler isn't the only Baylor guard considered a first-round draft prospect, as point guard Davion Mitchell is also slated to be taken early. The last Baylor player to go in the first round was Taurean Prince in 2016. Baylor has never had two or more players go in Round 1.

Chris Beard's first season as men's basketball coach at the University of Texas is shaping up to be a good one based on the amount of talent he has added since taking over. 

Former Minnesota guard Marcus Carr announced Saturday he is transferring to Texas. 

"Hook ‘Em," Carr wrote on Instagram with a picture of himself in a Longhorns jersey. 

Carr originally declared for the 2021 NBA draft in March, but signing with an NCAA-certified agent allowed him to maintain his college eligibility. He also entered into the transfer portal shortly before putting his name into the draft pool. 

ESPN's Jeff Borzello reported on June 30 that Carr was withdrawing from the draft but could still consider transferring from Minnesota. 

Carr was ranked as the No. 1 transfer for the 2021-22 season by CBS Sports' David Cobb. 

"The second-team All-Big Ten pick was capable of taking over a game as a scorer or a passer, and he might be at his best when he’s reining in the shot selection a bit and making his teammates better," Kevin Flaherty wrote for 247Sports.

Beard and his staff have done tremendous work recruiting transfers this offseason. Carr joins a group that includes Timmy Allen, Dylan Disu and Tre Mitchell. Each of those four players averaged at 15 points per game last season. 

Carr's shooting numbers took a dip in 2020-21 compared to his sophomore campaign. He went from making 36.1 percent of his three-point attempts to 31.7 percent last season, although the 22-year-old did average a career-high 19.4 points per game in 29 starts. 

The Longhorns haven't won an NCAA tournament game since 2014. Beard was hired by Texas after he spent the previous five seasons at Texas Tech. His teams won at least one tournament game in three of the past four years, including an appearance in the championship game in 2019.    

Three months after entering the transfer portal, Moussa Cisse will continue his college basketball career at Oklahoma State. 

Cisse told ESPN's Jonathan Givony on Thursday he was impressed by what the Cowboys coaching staff did last season with Cade Cunningham:

I had to decide whether to go to the NBA or college. I watched a lot of film and saw the way they developed players. That was attractive to me. Coach Mike Boynton has been talking to me for a while now, trying hard. I can tell that he really likes me, and he can give me a chance to develop my game and take it to the next level.

Coming out of high school in 2020, Cisse was rated as a 5-star prospect and the No. 10 player in the nation by 247Sports' composite rankings. 

Cisse told Givony he picked Oklahoma State over Florida State, Georgia and Kentucky. 

Cisse committed to the University of Memphis in July 2020 after being impressed by head coach Anfernee Hardaway. 

Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji has reportedly withdrawn his name from the 2021 NBA draft class and will return to the Jayhawks for his senior season.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported the news Tuesday and noted Agbaji was projected as a potential second-round pick before opting to return for another year of college basketball.

The 21-year-old Wisconsin native has made steady progress across three years at KU. He averaged 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals across 30 appearances during the 2020-21 season while also typically garnering the assignment of defending the opponent's top wing scorer.

Agbaji (6'6'', 214 lbs) made significant strides as an outside shooter. He shot just 30.7 percent from three-point range as a freshman in 2018-19, but he knocked down 37.7 percent of his outside shots last season while pouring in 2.6 threes per contest. His overall shooting percentage (42.0 last season) still needs work, though.

"I will be keeping my NCAA eligibility throughout this process and look forward to hearing from NBA professionals on ways I can improve my game. This is a great opportunity as I work towards my goal of being a professional basketball player," Agbaji said in a statement after initially declaring for the draft.

Givony noted Agbaji could establish himself as a first-round pick next year if he continues his upward trend in his final season with the Jayhawks.

Meanwhile, his return further bolsters an already promising outlook for Kansas next season.

The Jayhawks return their top three scorers (Agbaji, David McCormack and Jalen Wilson) from a team that went 21-9 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament, and they added one of the top transfers in the country, Remy Martin, who averaged 19.1 points each of the last two years at Arizona State.

Andy Katz of NCAA.com ranked KU at No. 5 in his early power rankings for the 2021-22 campaign in April.

Agbaji and the Jayhawks are scheduled to open the season Nov. 9 with a high-profile clash against Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic.

Former Kansas big Silvio De Sousa has entered the transfer portal, according to Scott Chasen of 247Sports. 

De Sousa opted out of the 2020-21 season amid "personal issues," Chasen reported in October. But weeks after his decision was made public, he was charged with aggravated battery stemming from an incident that occurred on New Year's Day in 2020. 

Per an affidavit, De Sousa struck a man outside of a restaurant. The victim lost vision in one eye despite having multiple surgeries to repair his injuries, reported Dylan Lysen of KUSports.com. 

"I have a lot of things weighing on my mind and need to address these by taking time for myself and stepping away from basketball," he wrote in a Twitter post last October. "I do not know what my next plan will be right now, but I will decide that when the time is right."

Lysen reported in April that De Sousa sought a diversion from the charge in order to avoid legal proceedings and instead complete rehabilitation or pay a fine, but negotiations in that process had "fallen through," his attorney said. 

Instead, De Sousa pleaded not guilty at a preliminary hearing May 4. He will stand trial Aug. 2, according to Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star. 

The victim, Grant Davis, said at the preliminary hearing that he intervened when De Sousa, who he did not know, was arguing with his girlfriend and her softball teammate. Davis said De Sousa "charged and struck him," which "felt like my eye was getting hit with bricks." 

Witnesses said several other former and current Kansas basketball players were at the Lawrence restaurant on the night of the incident. 

De Sousa's career at Kansas was inconsistent. He was a member of the team's 2018 Final Four run but didn't play the next year. He was implicated in a scandal that season when it was discovered his guardian received payments related to his commitment to Kansas.

He was suspended 12 games during the 2019-20 season for his role in a fight between Kansas and Kansas State in January of that year.