🏀 Bobby Pettiford Signs to Play Basketball at Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Guard Bobby Pettiford has signed a financial aid agreement to play basketball at Kansas, KU head coach Bill Self announced Friday. Pettiford originally signed with Louisville in November 2020 but rescinded his letter and opened his recruitment in March 2021. Pettiford, a two-time all-state selection in North Carolina, will be a freshman at KU in 2021-22.

“We were very fortunate when Bobby opened up his recruitment last month. He became a priority immediately,” Self said. “We feel Bobby has a tremendous future, great upside and will make an immediate impact for us. His work ethic and drive are something I think every program hopes every player has.”

This past season, Pettiford (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) helped South Granville High School to a 12-4 record, averaging 19.8 points, 6.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game under coach Jake Wohlfeil. A native of Durham, North Carolina, Pettiford’s performance earned him N.C. Basketball Coaches Association All-State honors and he was also named to the North Carolina roster for the 2021 Carolinas Classic All-Star Game. Due to health concerns associated with COVID-19, the 2021 Carolina Classic All-Star Game was cancelled.

Pettiford is South Granville’s all-time leader in scoring with 1,944 career points, assists (615) and steals (288). In 2019-20, he set the school season records in points (677), assists (230) and steals (95). While at South Granville, Pettiford was part of two conference championships, two conference tournament titles, two conference player of the year awards and a school-record 79 wins.

As a junior Pettiford earned all-state honors where he averaged 21.8 points, 7.4 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 2.9 steals in helping South Granville to a 30-1 record and the NCHSSAA Class 2A state semifinals. His sophomore year he averaged 19.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals.

Per 247Sports.com, Pettiford is the No. 5 overall player in North Carolina and the No. 14 point guard nationally.

Pettiford is the fifth KU spring signee for 2021 along with forwards Cam Martin and Sydney Curry and guards Joseph Yesufu and Kyle Cuffe Jr. The group join forwards KJ Adams from Austin, Texas, and Zach Clemence from San Antonio, who signed with Kansas in November 2020.

Kansas Men’s Basketball Signees

KJ Adams (Fr., 6-7, 200, F, Austin, Texas, Westlake HS)

Zach Clemence (Fr., 6-10, 215, F, San Antonio, Texas, Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.])

Kyle Cuffe Jr. (6-2, 180, G, Toms River, N.J., Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J.)

Sydney Curry (Jr., 6-8, 260, F, Fort Wayne, Ind., Northrop HS, John A. Logan College)

Cam Martin (Sr., 6-9, 240, F, Yukon, Okla., Yukon HS, Missouri Southern)

Bobby Pettiford (6-1, 175, PG, Fr, Durham, N.C., South Granville HS)

Joseph Yesufu (6-0, 180, G, Bolingbrook, Ill., Bolingbrook HS, Drake)