In this Hearings newsletter:

1. KU’s plan going forward 🎓

2. New player to watch 👀

3. Now introducing… The Scoops Tracker 🫡

👋 Note: These scoops are free. You can help by spreading the scoop and telling your KU friends about The Hearings. Refer friends here.

Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

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 Plan + The New Name to Watch

We’re entering a recruiting “Dead Period,” where schools can’t have any in-person contact with recruits and/or their parents. The staff can still communicate with recruits via the phone. The Period starts tomorrow and runs through May 26. During this time, I’d expect things to quiet down (a little bit) on the basketball recruiting front.

Here’s the latest:

• I’m Hearing Kansas plans to add one more player via the transfer portal this offseason rather than two. The current plan could change, and I’ll spell that out below. But first…

• Kansas’ current priority is to add a shooting wing with its final roster spot.

• I’m Hearing Kansas is in contact with 1st-team All-Big West guard Zyon Pullin. The guard out of UC Riverside (an Adidas school) just entered the portal as a grad transfer and is going through the NBA Draft process.

  • Pullin is a 6’4” star who played most of his minutes at point guard for a solid UC Riverside team last season. He doesn’t fit the prototype KU is looking for, but he’s a play-making guard with decent size and a quality shot.

  • It’s too early to say exactly where KU stands here, but I’m confident the Jayhawks are interested.

    • Pullin averaged 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 48.6% shooting last season (39.4% from three).

• So, if KU adds Pullin or a different wing, it’ll have that one roster spot sitting open. And that’s where a few unlikely scenarios are possible…

  • You should watch the NBA Draft Combine closely this week. Kevin McCullar hopes to go pro, but the door remains open to come back if he doesn’t get the feedback he likes. Again, an unlikely but not impossible scenario.

  • KU will also have its eyes on Grant Nelson and Arthur Kaluma this week. Both are in the portal while going through the Draft process. Nelson’s odds of returning to college are trending down, as he’s performed well in the Combine.

  • I’ve also heard Bill Self has maintained contact with Ernest Udeh. It’s a long shot, but KU would be thrilled to have him back. Udeh is thought to be a… gulps... Duke lean.

As always, I’ll Share What I’m Hearing. These scoops are free. Please tell your friends about this and suggest they subscribe. It helps.

Accountability in Scoops 🫡

I want to hold myself accountable with The Hearings. So, in the spirit of accountability, transparency, and a little bit of bragging, you can see my entire history of Hearings and their results via the button below.

Proud to say my Scoops record is 127 “good scoops” and 9 “bad scoops”. It’s Bill Self at Allen Fieldhouse-esque.

Yup, This is ScoopsMafia 😂