In this Hearings newsletter:

1. The latest portal Hearings after this weekend 📈

2. Hearing: Jayhawks to play in Puerto Rico 🛫

3. KU Alumni announce TBT team w/ big names 👏

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EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

Hunter Dickinson, Mackenzie Mgbako, Jaylon Tyson

Here’s the latest I’m Hearing:

• To start, I like where Kansas stands with Hunter Dickinson today. A lot can change, but the chatter I’m catching is optimistic.

  • Dickinson is expected to announce his commitment sometime this week, though no date has been announced.

• I’m Hearing five-star freshman Mackenzie Mgbako will visit Kansas this week. I’ve Heard Mgbako gets in late Monday with the visit starting Tuesday.

  • I’m watching this recruitment closely. I think the interest here from both parties is legitimate.

    • Mgbako is a 6’8” five-star recruit who recently de-committed from Duke. Kansas could use Mgbako as more of a true “stretch four” who fits the roster with or without Hunter Dickinson.

• Kansas only has one scholarship spot remaining right now. I’ll try to write more about this later in the week if necessary.

• Jaylon Tyson visited Kansas this weekend. I’m currently not too optimistic about where the Jayhawks stand. As we know, these things can change rapidly, but I think Tyson and KU both have questions about the fit.

  • I think Tyson wants the ball more than Kansas can currently promise. We don’t know what kind of professional feedback Tyson has gotten. Maybe he’s been told to take on a more ball-dominant role, and that’s something KU can’t currently offer.

  • If Dickinson doesn’t pick Kansas, maybe Tyson comes back into the picture.

• I’ve Heard Kansas would only take one of Tyson or Mgbako — not both. Right now, it seems Mgbako is more likely.

• I also want to address one thing… there is a fake Hunter Dickinson to Kentucky tweet floating around. Please ignore it! Many of you have sent this to me, asking if it’s legitimate. It isn’t. Tell your friends.

As always, I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for your support and for spreading the scoop.

Hearing: Kansas Expected to Take Summer Trip

I’m Hearing Kansas plans on taking an “international trip” this summer to Puerto Rico. Teams are allowed to play overseas once every four years, and this would give the overhauled roster much-needed practice time.

Typical summer workouts are eight hours per week, split between weights and practice. Kansas will add two weeks of full 20-hour practices before the season by taking the Puerto Rico trip.

The extra practice time will be crucial for a Kansas team likely to be highly ranked. The Jayhawks will add around seven new players between the incoming recruiting class and the transfer portal.

Teams can take an international trip like this once every four years. KU’s last two were in Switzerland and France. Puerto Rico can be a common destination for college hoops teams due to its proximity to the US and level of quality basketball.

The Jayhawks could’ve taken the trip last year but opted to wait after winning the championship added more events to the offseason schedule.

KU Alumni Announce TBT Roster with Big Names

Kansas alumni announced a “TBT” team with headlining names like Marcus and Markieff Morris, Keith Langford, and Tyshawn Taylor.

They’ll play in “The Tournament,” a high-stakes single-elimination basketball tournament where the winning team takes home $1M. Marcus Morris will be the head coach, with Markieff as the assistant. Taylor and Langford will both play for the KU team.

The rest of the roster will be announced over the next week weeks. The KU Alumni team was formed in partnership with NIL group Mass St. Collective.

Their first games will be in Wichita. The ticket presale can be found here.

Yup, this is ScoopsMafia 😂