LAWRENCE, Kan. – Center Evan Maxwell has signed to play men’s basketball at the University of Kansas, head coach Bill Self announced Monday. Maxwell (6-foot-10, 235 pounds) is a transfer Liberty University and will be a junior for the 2017-18 season. The Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania native will join the KU team in June and, due to transfer rules, will use a redshirt for the 2016-17 season.

Maxwell comes to KU after playing two seasons at Liberty University, which is located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Last year, he averaged 10.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for the 13-19 Flames who finished tied for fifth in the Big South Conference with a 10-8 league record under head coach Ritchie McKay. Maxwell’s scoring and rebound averages were second-best on the team and he made 63.6 percent from the field last season.

“What we saw in Evan was a young man that is very skilled,” Self said. “He needs strength development that I think will come naturally. I think he will be a guy, barring any unforeseen things happening, that spends a ton of time in the weight room and will be playing against really good players in practice every day. He’ll learn how to be a go-to-guy offensively in practice and a guy that can give us a lot of added depth up front when he becomes eligible the next year.”

Maxwell, who started all but one game last season, led Liberty in scoring eight times in 2015-16, including four 20-point efforts. He had three double-doubles, including a career-high 24 points, with 12 rebounds at Radford on Dec. 3. He paced the Flames in rebounds 13 times, including a career-best 13 boards versus Central Penn on Nov. 21.

As a freshman, Maxwell averaged 6.0 minutes, 2.1 points and 1.1 rebounds in 29 games for the Flames. Prior to Liberty, Maxwell was a standout at Abington Height High School in Clarks Summit.

“Norm (Roberts) was the point guy in recruiting Evan,” Self said. “Evan and his mom and dad, Brian and Andrea, really enjoyed the place and had a great visit. Evan had an opportunity to go to a lot of places and we feel fortunate that he chose Kansas to spend his next three years.”

Though he will sit out next season, Maxwell joins a top-ranked recruiting class for KU that includes guard Josh Jackson, center Udoka Azubuike and forward Mitch Lightfoot.

Kansas Basketball 2016 Signees

Udoka Azubuike, Center, 7-0, 275 lbs., Lagos, Nigeria, Potter’s House Christian Academy (Fla.)

Josh Jackson, Guard, 6-8, 205 lbs., Detroit, Mich., Prolific Prep (Calif.)

Mitch Lightfoot, Forward, 6-8, 219 lbs., Gilbert, Ariz., Gilbert Christian HS

Evan Maxwell, Center, 6-10, 235 lbs., Clarks Summit, Pa., Liberty University / Abington Heights HS

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