Syracuse basketball reaches out to Kansas transfer, a former 5-star center

Kansas freshman center Ernest Udeh Jr., who recently entered the NCAA’s transfer portal, has heard from numerous schools, including Syracuse basketball, according to a tweet from 247Sports national analyst Travis Branham.

Per media reports, the 6-foot-11, 250-pound Udeh, who was a McDonald’s All-American as a senior in high school, is currently on a visit to fellow Atlantic Coast Conference team Duke.

According to Branham, schools that have reached out to Udeh include Duke, Kansas State, TCU, Arkansas, Ohio State, Texas Tech, Florida State, Iowa, Memphis, Tennessee, UCF, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Missouri, Auburn, the Orange and Georgetown.

Earlier this week, the ‘Cuse landed a commitment from Florida State transfer Naheem McLeod, a 7-foot-4 sophomore center from Philadelphia who officially visited the Hill two weekends ago.

Syracuse basketball coaches have reportedly reached out to former five-star prospect Ernest Udeh Jr.

Udeh, as a freshman for the Jayhawks, appeared in 30 games. He averaged 8.3 minutes, 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds per game, while connecting on 75.6 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from the free-throw line, according to ESPN statistics.

As a member of the 2022 recruiting cycle, Udeh was a standout for Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fla. According to the Kansas athletics department Web site, as a senior when he was a McDonald’s All-American, Udeh averaged 13.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.

Most recruiting services rated Udeh as a top-40 national prospect and a top-seven center within the 2022 class. ESPN had him as five stars, No. 24 overall, No. 6 at center and No. 6 in Florida within this cycle.

Per Rivals.com, while in high school, Udeh amassed dozens of scholarship offers. His offer sheet included Kansas, Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Creighton, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Memphis, Miami, Michigan, Seton Hall, Tennessee, Texas Tech, UCLA, Virginia Tech and West Virginia, among others.

In early May, Michigan junior center Hunter Dickinson said that he would transfer to Kansas. The ‘Cuse had reached out to Dickinson this off-season and held a Zoom meeting with the country’s top-ranked transfer.

With Dickinson heading to the Jayhawks, it’s understandable that Udeh elected to hit the portal and find a school where more playing time would likely be available to him in the upcoming campaign and beyond.