Longtime Kentucky basketball target Cliff Omoruyi no longer considering the Cats
Highly touted basketball recruit and longtime Kentucky target Cliff Omoruyi announced Tuesday night that he has narrowed his college list to three schools, and UK is not one of them.
Omoruyi — a 6-foot-11 center from Nigeria, now at Roselle Catholic (N.J.) — is down to Arizona State, Auburn and Rutgers in his recruitment. He has already taken official visits to all three schools.
Kentucky extended a scholarship offer last spring to Omoruyi, who attends the same high school that produced former UK guard Isaiah Briscoe and former UK forward Kahlil Whitney, who left the Wildcats’ team in January.
Arizona State has emerged as the consensus favorite in Omoruyi’s recruitment.
Rivals.com ranks Omoruyi as the No. 36 overall prospect in the 2020 class. His new list means that five-star forward Greg Brown is the only uncommitted player in that class with a Kentucky scholarship offer. Brown — a 6-9 prospect from Austin, Texas — is also considering Auburn, Memphis, Michigan and Texas, and he is not expected to make a college decision until late April.
UK already has the No. 1 recruiting class for the 2020 cycle, a group that features six early signees — point guard Devin Askew, shooting guards Brandon Boston and Terrence Clarke, wing player Cam’Ron Fletcher, and power forwards Isaiah Jackson and Lance Ware — but it’s a class that is still missing a prospect at the ‘5’ position like Omoruyi, who has developed the reputation as a bruising, physical presence in the post.
This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 8:56 PM.
