Coveted Arizona basketball transfer Oumar Ballo plans Kansas State recruiting visit
One of the nation’s best (and biggest) post players is considering a move to Kansas State.
Oumar Ballo, a 7-foot and 260-pound senior center who spent the past two seasons starting for Arizona, has K-State among his top 5 transfer destinations as he looks to finish out his college basketball career with a new team.
Ballo has lined up recruiting visits to K-State, Indiana, Louisville, North Carolina and Florida later this month, according to Joe Tipton of On3.
He plans to be in Manhattan for a few days starting on April 19.
This is a big (no-pun intended) development for the Wildcats, who are looking to land their second player out of the transfer portal after signing Michigan guard Dug McDaniel earlier this month.
Ballo was one of the nation’s best centers last season, as he averaged 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds while starting 36 games for Arizona. As a junior, his numbers were just as good; he finished that year averaging 14.2 points and 8.6 rebounds.
K-State needs to replenish its frontcourt after the departures of starting center Jerrell Colbert (transfer) and key reserve Will McNair (graduation). The Wildcats are looking to add two post players and Ballo could be an excellent place for Jerome Tang and his coaching staff to start.
The Wildcats are also in the mix for North Carolina-Greensboro transfer Mikeal Brown-Jones. He is a 6-8 senior forward who averaged 18.9 points and 7.5 rebounds for the Spartans last season. Another potential option is Rutgers transfer Clifford Omoruyi. He averaged 10.4 points and 8.3 rebounds this season for the Scarlet Knights.
Florida State transfer Baba Miller, a 6-foot-11 sophomore, is also reportedly set to visit Manhattan this weekend. He averaged 7.6 points and 4.9 rebounds this season.
And though he isn’t a forward, K-State is also involved with Illinois-Chicago guard transfer CJ Jones.
K-State currently has four open scholarships on its roster. Some of those roster spots may be filled in the coming weeks.
