Kansas State basketball receives commitment from walk-on player with big potential

Kansas Basketball signed three players through the transfer portal during the offseason, but the Jayhawks are still targeting other players to fill out their roster. The recent addition of head coach Bill Self and the return of Hunter Dickinson, KJ Adams and Darjuan Harris puts KU at the forefront of championship contention next season.

While KU's success in the portal has been due to high-profile players, the coaching staff has recently made some low-profile moves that could benefit the program's future. The Jayhawks received a commitment from Rice transfer Noah Shelby, who will be a walk-on and redshirt in his first year at Lawrence. He will not count towards the total scholarship amount for the 2024-25 season, so there are still two spots left to be filled.

Shelby is no ordinary walk-on player. The graduate of Green Hill High School in Texas was a consensus four-star and top-125 recruit in the Class of 2022. Shelby was Vanderbilt's second-highest rated high school signee, and he appeared in 14 games before transferring to Rice. . Shelby averaged 3.9 points, 1.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 44 collegiate contests.

It would be surprising to see him earn a walk-on spot with the Jayhawks, considering the 6-foot-3 combo guard previously held offers from several premier programs, including Kansas. There were several schools around the country that would accept him as a scholarship student, but he decided KU was the perfect fit for him.

Since he plans to redshirt this year, Shelby will have two years of eligibility remaining in 2025-2026. If he improves enough during practice and Coach Self likes his play, there is a possibility that he will become a scholarship student. If that happens, he could get away with stealing bases since Kansas doesn't have to use his scholarship money this year.

Here's the scouting report 247Sports recruiting analyst Brandon Jenkins gave him out of high school:

“Shelby is one of the better long-range shooters in his class. He can stretch his man-to-man defense against any zone. He's good at catching and shooting, so he's always shadowing and being considered.” He's a player we need.'' Given the penetration from one of his teammates, he needs to work on improving his athleticism and continue to hone his ball-handling skills when under intense ball pressure, but he's a lead guard. He has steadily progressed while learning the nuances of the game from his position. I think his ability to stretch the floor is primarily a convertible asset, as his shot travels over 22 feet and his excellent rotation and backspin are beautiful to watch. ”

– Brandon Jenkins of 247Sports