• 🏀 Hearing: KU’s big man search

• 📝 Quick Links: Jacque’s contact, Dajuan says goodbye

• 🔒🏀 One player emerges as top target

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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.

KU’s Big Man Search Gets Crowded

Just when it looked like KU narrowed down its big man search, the market suddenly shifted.

Paul Mbiya, a big man KU targeted earlier this offseason, decommitted from NC State on Wednesday. I'm Hearing KU didn't waste time: I believe they reached out to Mbiya’s camp before the day was over.

But here's the thing: Mbiya isn't their only play. He may not even be their most likely play. KU has three international big men all in serious consideration.

The Refresh: Paul Mbiya was on KU’s radar earlier this offseason before committing to NC State. KU liked the lengthy, athletic prospect, but worried his offensive skills were too raw for the price. Now that he's back on the market? Oregon leads, but there's clear mutual interest with KU.

Watch his highlights here.

The Bruiser: Ege Demir is a 6'10", 250-pound post threat from Nigeria who's been playing pro in Turkey. He loves to dunk and could give KU an immediate inside presence along with Flory Bidunga. The issue: Getting admitted. He committed to UCLA in 2022 but had alleged enrollment issues, according to 247Sports. (More on this in VIP below).

The Athletic Option: Turkish big man Kerem Konan also remains in the mix. He’s a bit undersized at center but makes up for it with athleticism (kind of a Bidunga-type). I’m Hearing Konan has not yet applied for NCAA eligibility.

Watch Konan highlights here. And Ege highlights here.

Reality Check: KU wants to land a big man, and now they have three legit possibilities after multiple misses.

Now, it’s closing time.

More coming when I Hear it.

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🏀 Jacque Vaughn’s base salary is $360K. You can see his contract incentives here.

🏀 Dajuan Harris thanks KU fans with an IG video and post. Make sure to read the caption.

🏀 This clip of Roy Williams and Scot Pollard is a great hit of nostalgia for KU fans 

In VIP Today 👀

• Exclusive: I’m Hearing one big man has decided he wants to play for Kansas… and why it doesn’t guarantee anything yet

• My prediction: An educated guess on how this plays out

• Bonus intel: Top 2026 wing Kohl Rosario just visited and could reclass to 2025

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