Rakease Passmore’s Shocking Exit from Kansas: Why Maryland Just Became His New Basketball Home

Every so often, a fresh face in college basketball decides to rewrite the script by hitting that transfer portal button — and this time, it’s Rakease Passmore making waves. After a rookie year tucked mostly on the bench for Kansas, this four-star guard is packing his bags, trading Jayhawk blue for Maryland red. What’s behind this move? A chance to carve out a bigger role, to elevate his game under a new regime, and to join forces again with former Kansas teammate David Coit. Both players are not just changing jerseys but are stepping from the familiar hardwood of the Big 12 into the gritty, competitive fray of the Big Ten. And with Buzz Williams steering the Terrapins ship after Texas A&M, the stage is set for something intriguing in College Park. This isn’t just a transfer; it’s a fresh chapter brimming with potential, ambition, and a dash of the unexpected.

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LAWRENCE — Rakease Passmore announced Friday, May 23, on social media that he has committed to transfer to Maryland after spending this past season with Kansas basketball.Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

Passmore will therefore once again be teammates with David Coit, who also elected to transfer from Kansas to Maryland following the season. Coit, like Passmore, only spent one season with the Jayhawks. However, Coit was a veteran guard at KU and carved out a more substantial role — especially as a 3-point shooter.

Together, they’ll make the jump from the Big 12 Conference to the Big Ten Conference. They’ll help set the tone of what the Buzz Williams era will look like for the Terrapins. Williams, Maryland’s new head coach, took over there after a stint as the head coach at Texas A&M.

It’s a choice that means Passmore, who outlined his decision in a post on Instagram, will only have spent his freshman year in college with the Jayhawks. A former 247Sports Composite four-star prospect in the class of 2024, the guard couldn’t break through with more than a limited role on the team. As KU’s season ended at 21-13 overall and an exit in the round of 64 of the NCAA tournament, so, too, did a campaign in which Passmore played 23 games off of the bench and averaged, 5.0 minutes, 0.7 points and 0.6 rebounds per contest.