Former University of Wisconsin men’s basketball guard Kobe King officially announced his decision to transfer to the Nebraska Cornhuskers basketball program Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.
Despite never visiting Nebraska during the transfer process, King — a former top recruit from La Crosse Central High School — chose the Huskers over multiple other programs, including UNLV and Gonzaga.
King, a redshirt sophomore, will file for a transfer waiver with the NCAA to be eligible to play right away in the 2020-2021 season this fall. Wisconsin transfer Micah Potter has experience with the NCAA transfer rule, as he was ineligible to play in the Badgers’ first 10 games this season despite filing for a waiver.
Whether or not King is granted the waiver, he will have two years of playing eligibility remaining.
Men’s Basketball: Multiple contributors fill void left by Kobe King
King was part of the Badgers’ 2017 recruitment class, entering as a 3-star shooting guard. After taking a redshirt season in 2017-2018 due to injury, King came off the bench for much of the 2018-2019 season, averaging 4.2 points across 34 games.
In the 2019-2020 season, King started all 19 games he appeared in as he grew into a leader of the team. King averaged 10.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists this season before deciding to transfer Jan. 29.
In parts of three seasons with the team, King appeared in 63 games with 20 starts, averaging 6.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.
King’s last appearance as a Badger was Jan. 24 against Purdue, when he totaled zero points, four assists, two rebounds and one block across 28 minutes.
Men’s Basketball: Don’t attack Kobe King for his decision to leave UW
With King remaining in the Big Ten, he will face off with Wisconsin again during conference play in the coming seasons. Nebraska Head Coach Fred Hoiberg gains a key player for the coming years despite having the worst-ranked recruiting class in the Big Ten for 2020, according to 247 Sports.
Despite King’s departure, the Badgers have been resilient through the month of February — winning their last four games to move into a tie for second place in the Big Ten. Wisconsin will take on Michigan in Ann Arbor Thursday night at 6 p.m.
