Toledo offered Leroy Blyden more money than their coach makes — but Kansas ruined the Cinderella story with transfer win

Toledo offered Leroy Blyden more money than their coach makes — but Kansas ruined the Cinderella story with transfer win originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Toledo Rockets never stood a chance.

Leroy Blyden, the freshman phenom guard, said after Toledo's season ended that he planned to come back. But then the transfer portal beckoned, and now, he's heading to Kansas for next season.

In a new column by the Toledo Blade's tremendous David Briggs, he broke down how this happened. And it comes down to the money.

Toledo worked up its offer to Blyden to $700,000 for next season, which is more than it pays its head coach, Briggs writes.

But Kansas ended up offering three times that amount, and that was that.

The premise of Briggs' column is that this marks the "death of Cinderella," and as moves like this continue to happen, it sure does start to feel that way.

Blyden won't stick at Toledo and chase a MAC title or conference player of the year honors. Instead, he's heading to a blue blood.

Briggs writes that six of the MAC's seven all-league selections that still have eligibility are transferring out of the conference.

Blyden is the one with the highest upside, and he was a massive recruiting find by Toledo that the Rockets won't get to reap the reward from.

As a frosh with Toledo, he put up 16.4 points per game on an efficient 50.7% from 2-point range and 40.7% from 3-point range.

The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 4.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

He's originally from Detroit, and he was a three-star recruit out of high school. By 247Sports he was ranked as the No. 52 point guard in the Class of 2025.

Now, he was a highly sought after transfer. Kansas didn't need to know Blyden a year ago. And he'll head to the Jayhawks now anyway.

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