5-Star SF MJ Rice Commits to Kansas over NC State, Oklahoma State, More

Kansas will add a top prospect to its 2022 recruiting class after MJ Rice committed to the school Tuesday.

Rice announced his decision via Joe Tipton of On3.

"I feel like Kansas is the place for me to be," Rice said. "I feel like Kansas is somewhere I can grow and mature. They have all resources I need to develop my game and develop my mental. I really enjoyed my visit there. Great coaches, staff, players and environment."

The small forward is a 5-star recruit and considered the No. 20 overall player in the class and fifth-best player at his position by 247Sports' composite rankings.

At 6'5", Rice is a bit undersized for a wing, but he makes up for it with impressive athleticism that allows him to finish at the rim with consistency. He also has enough strength to handle the bigger players he might match up against at forward.

He remains a mismatch with his shooting ability from deep, giving him the opportunity to score a lot of points even without a lot of touches on the offensive end.

The biggest concern during his high school career was a torn ACL that sidelined him in December 2019.

Rice returned to the court the next season and said he simply needed to get over the mental aspect.

"With me, it's more about making the jump mentally; I'm already a dog on the court, now it's about being a killer!" he said in a November blog entry for SI All-American.

Having two seasons back before playing at the next level should provide plenty of time to get over his injury.

If he can add some additional handle and playmaking ability to his skill set, Rice could be an elite player going forward.

He represents a big addition for the Jayhawks, providing the team with someone who can help on both ends immediately in his college career.

Rice has the talent to be a go-to option as a freshman and could consider making the leap to the NBA before too long.