South Dakota State shooting guard Baylor Scheierman, who has been designated the “most coveted (player) in transfer portal history,” by national college basketball writer Jeff Goodman of Stadium, lists Kansas as one of his possible transfer destinations.
Scheierman, a 6-foot-6, 205-pound junior from Aurora, Nebraska, tells the Omaha World-Herald that since entering his name in the NCAA transfer portal on Monday he’s heard from coaches from KU, Duke, Kentucky, Gonzaga, UCLA, Michigan State, North Carolina, Nebraska, Creighton and many others.
Scheierman, the 2022 Summit League player of the year who has entered his name in the 2022 NBA Draft, averaged 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game last season for 30-5 South Dakota State. He hit 83 of 177 threes for a sizzling 46.9%.
He told the Omaha World-Herald that he grew up a fan of the Kansas Jayhawks but, “I always wanted to play in state.”
“It’s special,” Scheierman said of the interest of blueblood schools. “Growing up, having the aspirations I did, that’s what I dreamed of having — having Kentucky and Kansas and Duke and all those schools (recruit me).
“You look at your phone and it says Bill Self’s calling you — from a small town kid from rural Nebraska, that’s what you dream of. It’s a surreal moment, and I’m grateful for it,” added Scheierman, who Tuesday told the World-Herald he’s heard from Big 12 teams KU, Texas, West Virginia, Baylor and Texas Tech.
Scheierman — he has two seasons of collegiate eligibility remaining — is serious about testing the NBA Draft waters. ESPN.com’s Jonathan Givony calls him “arguably the best mid-major player in college basketball.”
He told the World-Herald he wants to decide whether to turn pro or stay in college between May 15 and 22. Deadline to withdraw from the draft and maintain collegiate eligibility is June 1.
“We’re talking about the NBA,” Scheierman told the World-Herald. “If a team just needs me to go in and make hustle plays, I’ll do it. If they need me to be a spot-up, catch-and-shoot, run-off-screens shooter, I’ll do that. Whatever they ask me, I’ll do.”
Despite his high shooting percentage from three, Scheierman says he wants to play some lead guard as well as 2-guard.
“I feel like my passing ability and my ability to read the defense is what makes me unique,” Scheierman told the World-Herald. “I wouldn’t want to sacrifice those parts of my game. Ultimately, I’d like a similar role to what I had (at South Dakota State), just at a higher level.”
KU also is recruiting a point guard who is in the portal in Big 12 freshman of the year Tyrese Hunter, formerly of Iowa State. He has a final six of KU, Texas, Tennessee, Purdue, Louisville and Gonzaga.
Schools are allowed 13 scholarship players in accordance with NCAA rules.
The Jayhawks currently have 11 scholarship players on the 2022-23 roster in senior-to-be Cam Martin, juniors-to-be Dajuan Harris and Joseph Yesufu, sophomores-to-be KJ Adams, Zach Clemence and Bobby Pettiford, plus redshirt freshman-to-be Kyle Cuffe and true incoming freshmen Gradey Dick, Zuby Ejiofor, MJ Rice and Ernest Udeh.
It’s also possible Christian Braun and Jalen Wilson, who have entered their names in the NBA Draft, could return. They have until June 1 to decide.