Missouri Offers 4-Star 2018 Forward K.J. Hymes


New Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin is on a mission to rebuild the Tigers and has offered a scholarship to 4-star 2018 big man K.J. Hymes, who now has 17 offers.


Cuonzo Martin saw plenty of potential in versatile 6-foot-10 prospect K.J. Hymes when Martin was the coach at Cal. Now that he’s at Missouri, it’s fitting he’d try to lure Hymes to Columbia.

Hymes told Campus Insiders in a text message late Monday night that Martin officially offered a scholarship for Hymes to join him at Missouri for the 2018-19 season. Hymes said during an interview in February that he plans to make a decision about his future around September following the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League season.

Hymes now has received 17 offers, but this one from Martin seems special.

“So excited,” Hymes wrote in a text message. “Love coach Martin.”

Martin has made it a mission to rebuild the Tigers since he left Cal to accept the job at Missouri last month. He hired former Washington assistant Michael Porter Sr. and subsequently received a commitment from Porter’s son Michael Porter Jr., who is the consensus No. 1 overall prospect in the 2017 class and grew up in Columbia.

Martin also got a pledge from 3-star point guard Blake Harris on Saturday and also is in the mix for 5-star standout Kevin Knox, who took a visit to Missouri with Harris over the weekend. Five-star big man Jeremiah Tilmon, like Martin a native of nearby East St. Louis, Ill., de-committed from Illinois last week and also could have interest in joining the Tigers.

Landing the consistently rising Hymes would be a major coup for Martin’s 2018 recruiting class. Hymes has 3-point range but also the quickness to drive around defenders and get to the hoop. He runs the floor extremely well for his size and is smooth in transition.

Hymes played his first three years of high school basketball at St. Mary’s in Phoenix but recently announced he will transfer within the city for his senior season to Hillcrest Prep, which is losing 2017 5-star big man and Arizona signee DeAndre Ayton.

Hymes plays for the Las Vegas Prospects of the Nike EYBL during the high school offseason, a team that produced 2017 McDonald’s All-American’s Troy Brown Jr. (Oregon) and Charles O’Bannon Jr. (USC).

MORE: 5-Star C Jeremiah Tilmon Requests Release From Illinois National Letter Of Intent