Arizona State transfer Sam Cunliffe commits to Kansas
Jan 8, 2017, 8:37 AM | Updated: 11:37 am
Portland State's Calaen Robinson, right, dives unsuccessfully for a steal on Arizona State's Sam Cunliffe (3) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Tempe, Ariz. (Patrick Breen/The Arizona Republic via AP)
(Patrick Breen/The Arizona Republic via AP)
Arizona State transfer Sam Cunliffe has committed to the Kansas Jayhawks less than a month after he left coach Bobby Hurley’s program.
Cunliffe, a 6-foot-6 freshman who played 10 games for the Sun Devils, confirmed to The Kansas City Star on Saturday that he made his decision after also considering Georgetown and Seattle University, the latter of which is close to home for the Ranier Beach High School product.
At Kansas, Cunliffe joins his good friend and former Arizona high school player Mitch Lightfoot out of Gilbert Christian High School.
“The way they play, everybody moves it. They just play good basketball,” Cunliffe told the paper. “It’s what I want to be part of, to play with those guys every day in practice and force me to get better.”
The freshman can enroll at KU immediately and practice with the Jayhawks. He would be eligible to play for Kansas in the second semester of the 2017-18 season.
Cunliffe averaged 9.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game for ASU in a starting role. He shot 35 percent and 41 percent on threes.
The 4-star high school recruit was considered the best prospect brought to Arizona State by Hurley so far.
