Kansas Inks Tarik Black
May 20, 2013
May 20, 2013
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas head coach Bill Self announced Tarik Black will transfer from Memphis and has signed a grant-in-aid agreement to play men’s basketball at KU.
Black, a 6-foot-9, 262-pound front court player from Memphis, Tenn., received his bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Memphis earlier this month and will have one year of eligibility at KU.
“Although excited, our enthusiasm is tempered by what is happening just south of Oklahoma City in Moore, Oklahoma, with the devastation of the storms and all those families involved,” Self said. “We wish nothing but the very best for them and our thoughts are with them.”
“We received Tarik’s financial aid papers earlier today and we are thrilled he has chosen to play his final year of college basketball at KU,” Self said. “He will be a huge addition both physically and emotionally, especially from a leadership standpoint, as he will be the most experienced guy on our team entering next season.”
Last season Black started five of 32 games played for Memphis (31-5, 16-0 in Conference USA) and averaged 8.1 points and 4.8 rebounds. His 58.9 field goal percentage was second best on the team. He had 20 blocked shots and 22 steals at the power forward position.
“Tarik has played in a ton of big games and certainly has had good experience at Memphis,” Self said. “He’s used to winning and can help us in both of our big positions. He can play the four and the five and we look forward to moving him around. He’ll be an impact player that certainly changes the outlook of our team and makes us more versatile.”
Black comes to KU with impressive career numbers, averaging 9.3 points (949 points) and 4.9 rebounds. He started 60 of 102 games while at Memphis and has a 60 percent career field goal percentage. His best season at Memphis came in 2011-12, his sophomore year, when he averaged 10.7 points and shot 68.9 percent from the field.
Black earned All-Conference USA Second Team honors in 2012 and was also named to Conference USA’s All-Defensive Team and All-Tournament Team. In 2011, Black was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team after he averaged 9.1 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Tigers.
“Tarik had a very good experience at Memphis playing for Josh Pastner,” Self said of Black, who played at Ridgeway High School in Memphis. “He was a great high school player under Wes Henning at Ridgeway and I think his transition will be smooth.”
Black joins one of the top recruiting classes in the nation for 2013-14 at KU. Last week, the Jayhawks signed the nation’s No. 1 recruit, guard Andrew Wiggins, a 6-foot-7, 205-pound guard from Toronto, Canada, via Huntington Prep (W. Va.). Other KU signees, ranked by rivals.com, include: No. 12 Wayne Selden (G, 6-5, 205, Tilton [N.H.] School), No. 25 Joel Embiid (C, 7-0, 220, Rock School, Gainesville, Fla.), No. 29 Brannen Greene (F, 6-7, 200, Tift County High, Tifton, Ga.), No. 34 Conner Frankamp (G, 6-0, 160, Wichita North) and No. 76 Frank Mason (G, 5-11, 180, Massanutten Military Academy, Petersburg, Va.). Additionally, KU has landed former Arkansas center Hunter Mickelson, who will sit out next season then have two years of eligibility remaining.
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