The University of Missouri basketball program is one of eight across the country named as finalists in the recruiting efforts for 7-foot center Jazz Gardner of West Ranch High School in Santa Clarita, California.
Mizzou will be battling a long-time rival in the recruiting process, along with several mid-major coastal programs, as Gardner named Kansas and Missouri in his final eight, in addition to USC, St. Mary’s, Pepperdine, Cal-Santa Barbara, Dayton, and Texas Tech.
After a junior season that saw averages of 19 points and 13 rebounds per game, Gardner’s national ranking in the Class of 2023 rose to #80 by 247Sports, #81 by ESPN.com, and #105 by Rivals.com.
Having played at Los Altos High School in his first three years of high school, Gardner has announced plans to play his senior season at West Ranch.
While the Jayhawks and Tigers could battle head-to-head in Gardner’s recruitment, KU did gain a highly-sought after player in its 2023 class, with four-star combo guard Chris Johnson verbally committing to head coach Bill Self.
Johnson, a product of Montverde Academy, is ranked #9 at the guard position and #33 overall by 247Sports in this year’s senior class.
