Sources are reporting that West Virginia basketball may be in the mix to land a young guard with major upside from a Big 12 rival.
Multiple outlets reported Thursday that WVU is among the final programs in contention for Rakease Passmore, a 6'5 shooting guard from Kansas who is entering his sophomore season.
Passmore has yet to sign with another program after entering the transfer portal earlier this offseason. He averaged five minutes per game with Kansas as a true freshman in 23 appearances, and was used primarily as a depth piece for a Jayhawks' squad that finished 21-13 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament before bowing out in the Round of 64. He averaged 0.7 points and 0.6 rebounds last season.
While Passmore's freshman season in Lawrence left a bit to be desired in terms of minutes played and his stat line, he could prove to be a major grab for whichever program lands him. He was ranked a Top 50 prospect nationally in the Class of 2024 by ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports.
Passmore finished his high school career at Combine Academy in Lincoln County, North Carolina, where he tallied 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game as a senior while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from behind-the-arc. He averaged 13+ points per game and 4.5+ rebounds per game all four seasons of his prep career.
"Passmore is a strong and athletic wing. He’s a major threat in transition where he runs the floor hard and can rise-up for the type of explosive finishes that can immediately change the momentum of a game. He’s a downhill straight-line driver, who doesn’t have a ton of wiggle to his game, but can go through contact," wrote Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports when evaluating Passmore as a high school prospect.
"He’s made strides as a shooter and has become capable from three with room and rhythm. Passmore is also a projectable defender with a real chance to become a weapon on that end of the floor because he can get low in his stance, slide his feet laterally, and absorb contact in his upper body."