Ex-KU Jayhawks MJ Rice, Bobby Pettiford, Tyon Grant-Foster announced at new schools

Former University of Kansas men’s basketball players MJ Rice and Bobby Pettiford, as well as ex-Jayhawk and DePaul Blue Demon Tyon Grant-Foster, have been officially added to the rosters of the hoops teams at North Carolina State, East Carolina and Grand Canyon, those respective schools have announced.

North Carolina State coach Kevin Keatts reported Tuesday that Rice, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound guard from Henderson, North Carolina, has joined the Wolfpack program with three years of eligibility remaining.

Rice entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal on March 29.

“It’s great to add MJ to our program,” Keatts said in a release. “He’s a young man that we recruited heavily when he was in high school (Prolific Prep, Napa, California). He’s an incredible talent and I think he’s going to unlock his full potential in our system. He’s got a really strong body and that paired with his explosiveness gives him great scoring ability.

“I think the world of him as a young person. He’s a terrific young man, and I think he’s a great addition to our locker room.”

Rice averaged 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during the 2021-22 season for Prolific Prep. The McDonald’s All-American averaged 23.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game his junior year at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia.

At KU, Rice, who was hampered by injuries, played in 23 games, averaging 7.6 minutes per outing. He registered 51 points, 24 rebounds, seven steals and two blocks for the Jayhawks.

Pirates coach Schwartz welcomes Pettiford

East Carolina Pirates coach Mike Schwartz on April 12 announced the addition of Pettiford, a 6-1, 190-pound sophomore from Durham, North Carolina, who has two years of eligibility remaining. He entered his name in the portal on March 22.

“Bobby is an explosive, dynamic point guard with a team-first, winning mentality,” Schwartz said in a release. “He possesses the ability to create for himself and others and takes pride in competing on both ends of the floor as a two-way guard.

“He has been part of great success everywhere he’s been and more importantly has an incredible basketball future ahead of him. What impressed us most about Bobby is his natural feel and understanding of what it takes to be a leader from the point guard position. We are so excited to welcome Bobby Jr., his mother Wanda and father Bob Sr. into the ECU Basketball family and Greenville community.”

Pettiford — he hit the game-winning shot against Wisconsin in November in the Bahamas — averaged 2.2 points and 1.6 assists per game while logging 12.0 minutes per contest in 2022-23. He finished his sophomore campaign with 71 points, 43 assists, and 38 rebounds.

Pettiford is South Granville High School’s all-time leader in scoring with 1,944 career points. He also is No. 1 in assists (615) and steals (288).

Grant-Foster picks GCU for comeback season

Grant-Foster, who played one game at DePaul the past two seasons after spending the 2020-21 season at KU, officially was added to the 2023-24 Grand Canyon roster on Saturday. He’s listed as a graduate transfer at GCU.

Grant-Foster — he entered his name in the portal on March 29 — has not played in a game since starting in the DePaul season opener on Nov. 16, 2021. The 6-7, 205-pound wing was admitted to the hospital at halftime of that 2021 opener because of an undisclosed medical condition.

He was cleared to resume his basketball career last month.

“Tyon has his best basketball ahead of him,” GCU head coach Bryce Drew said in a release. “Being healthy now, he is ready for a breakout year. We feel GCU is a great place for him to do that. We love his versatility, athleticism on both ends of the floor and ability to shoot the basketball.”

Grant-Foster averaged 16.5 points and 6.5 rebounds a game during the 2019-20 season at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa. In 2020-21, Grant-Foster averaged 3.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game for the Jayhawks. He transferred to DePaul, where he led the Blue Demons in scoring in an exhibition game with 15 points and nine rebounds. Before heading to the hospital, he had scored nine points in the first half of the 2021-22 season opener.

“With the environment, my relationships with coach Drew and (assistant) coach (Jamall) Walker and the role that I would play coming in, I just felt like GCU was everything I needed, especially with the people we’ve got coming back,” Grant-Foster, a native of Kansas City who attended Schlagle High School, said in a release.

“I feel like I can do everything. I score the ball very well, and I can defend very well. The fans are going to see a lot with me and Ray (Harrison, 6-4 guard) playing on the same team. There’s going to be a lot of explosiveness and a whole lot of winning going on next year,” Grant-Foster added.

Grant-Foster told GCU Website reporter Paul Coro he’s resumed full activity with morning weightlifting and afternoon basketball workouts in Kansas City.

“I’ve learned that basketball is a whole lot easier than you make it sometimes,” Grant-Foster said. “It doesn’t have to be hard all the time. You can see a whole lot more, and I’ve been paying attention to more of what’s going on. When you see that, you’ll make a lot less mistakes.”

Grant-Foster’s cousin, Ish Wainwright of the Phoenix Suns, played for Drew’s brother, Scott, at Baylor.

“It’s going to be crazy; it’s going to be real emotional,” Grant-Foster said of his first game at GCU.