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Final season Kansas went 28-8 and earned a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Event earlier than a crushing 72-71 second-round loss to Arkansas introduced the Jayhawks season to an abrupt finish. Since then, KU misplaced main scorers Jalen Wilson and Gradey Dick to the NBA Draft and a bevy of others to the switch portal. In truth, solely 4 scholarship gamers are again.
However amid all of the attrition, one personnel transfer stood out above the remaining for Kansas, each actually and figuratively. When KU landed a commitment from 7-foot-2 Michigan switch Hunter Dickinson on Might 4, it signaled to the Large 12 and the nation that the Jayhawks aren’t going wherever. Dickinson ranked because the No. 1 offseason switch within the CBS Sports activities Transfer Rankings. He’ll mix with veteran returners Dajuan Harris, Kevin McCullar and Okay.J. Adams to provide coach Invoice Self a superb nucleus.
However there are some depth considerations for the Jayhawks following the June departures of freshmen signees Marcus Adams Jr. and Chris Johnson. With out these two, the staff was down to only 10 scholarship gamers earlier than the late signing of freshman small ahead Johnny Furphy on Aug. 3.
The Jayhawks put their revamped roster on show throughout a three-game exhibition tour via Puerto Rico this month, giving us a glimpse into how issues are shaping up for Self’s twenty first season on the job. As offseason participant motion cycle slows to a trickle, it is time to begin breaking down the rosters of the game’s prime applications. For this installment, we’re looking on the Jayhawks and attempting to decipher what their lineup might seem like when the season begins.
Projected beginning lineup
1. Dajuan Harris Jr.
6-2 | 170 | R-Jr.
Harris is a trusted, veteran level guard who averaged 8.9 factors, 6.2 assists and a couple of.2 steals per sport final season on the way in which to incomes Large 12 Defensive Participant of the Yr. Whereas it is potential his scoring common might tick up this season, it is extra possible that he continues to function a gritty distributor and defensive menace who sometimes seems to be to attain. Now in his fifth season with this system, Harris has fended off critics and loads of challengers at his place to cement himself as a significant determine on this period of Kansas basketball.
2. Elmarko Jackson
6-3 | 195 | Fr.
Jackson steadily rose via the prospect rankings to complete the 2023 recruiting cycle ranked No. 19 total, according to 247Sports. The McDonald’s All-American is thought to be a quick and bodily guard who continues to be growing talent after selecting up organized basketball late in his youth. When Jackson signed, Self stated, “we really feel he might be an instantaneous influence participant for us and doubtlessly top-of-the-line guards we have had in our program.” Whereas the opposite 4 starters remained fixed in the course of the Puerto Rico exhibition tour, Jackson was one among three Jayhawks who obtained a shot because the beginning capturing guard. He averaged 10.6 factors on 52.1% capturing and might be in a battle with Morris and Timberlake for the fifth beginning slot.
3. Kevin McCullar Jr.
6-7 | 212 | R-Sr.
Getting McCullar again after he examined the NBA Draft waters marked an enormous win for KU. A two-time Naismith Defensive Participant of the Yr semifinalist, McCullar rated because the Jayhawks’ finest defender by a big margin final season, per EvanMiya.com. He’s solely a profession 29.8% 3-point shooter however does every little thing else nicely. As a fifth-year Large 12 participant with 112 school appearances, McCullar might be a tone-setter for Kansas.
4. Okay.J. Adams Jr.
6-7 | 235 | So.
Adams earned the Large 12’s Most Improved Participant award in 2023. The springy ahead was typically requested to punch above his weight within the entrance court docket because the Jayhawks usually deployed small-ball lineups. Adams might have to develop his offensive repertoire a bit this season to permit Dickinson the area wanted to function within the paint. His 2 of three capturing efficiency from 3-point vary in Puerto Rico was an encouraging signal.
5. Hunter Dickinson
7-2 | 260 | Sr.
The prized switch of the school basketball offseason selected the Jayhawks over his decide of different prime applications after three standout seasons at Michigan. Dickinson is an automated Large 12 Participant of the Yr candidate and brings the heft to KU’s entrance court docket that was lacking final season as Self shied away from enjoying younger bigs Ernest Udeh and Zuby Ejiofor. Each transferred to different colleges following Dickinson’s dedication because it’s clear he ought to log 30+ minutes per sport at heart for the Jayhawks.
Bench
Arterio Morris
6-4 | 195 | So.
Morris performed his freshman season at Texas after ending the 2022 recruiting cycle as a five-star prospect within the 247Sports rankings. He logged simply 11.7 minutes per sport for the Longhorns however confirmed some flashes of his potential by reaching double figures in six video games. A home violence allegation in opposition to Morris lingered all through his freshman season and has forged a pall over the start of his school profession. Now he’ll get a contemporary begin with the Jayhawks and compete for the beginning capturing guard spot. He averaged 13.5 factors on 55% capturing in two video games, which included one begin, in the course of the staff’s exhibition tour.
Nicolas Timberlake
6-4 | 195 | Graduate senior
Timberlake shot higher than 40% from 3-point vary his final two years at at Towson and advanced into an All-CAA performer. The veteran marksman might be requested to supply some punch from the perimeter amid the departures of Gradey Dick and Jalen Wilson, who mixed for 61% of Kansas’ made 3-pointers final season. He hit 6 of 15 makes an attempt from past the arc (40%) in the course of the August exhibition tour whereas beginning one among KU’s three video games.
Parker Braun
6-10 | 235 | Graduate senior
The older brother of former Kansas standout and present Denver Nuggets wing Christian Braun is becoming a member of the Jayhawks as an skilled ahead. Braun began 65 video games the previous two seasons for an upper-echelon WCC program at Santa Clara and has energy convention expertise after starting his profession at Missouri. He linked on 67.9% of his pictures contained in the arc final season whereas averaging 7.7 factors and 5.8 rebounds. Braun logged 12.6 minutes per sport in the course of the exhibition tour.
Jamari McDowell
6-4 | 180 | Fr.
McDowell was four-star prospect ranking who ranked No. 84 within the 2023 class. The Manvel, Texas native is a flexible backcourt choice for the Jayhawks with a shot to crack the rotation early. “At 6’4″, he is obtained nice measurement for his skillset and is a man that I form of see like as an Ochai (Agbaji) which you could throw lobs to and he is a terrific three-point shooter,” Self stated.
Depth
Zach Clemence
6-11 | 230 | So.
Clemence confirmed promise as a four-star freshman within the 2021-22 season however did not carve out an elevated position final season. He initially deliberate on transferring to UC Santa Barbara earlier than altering course and returning to KU. Whereas asserting his return, Self instructed a redshirt yr could be best for Clemence.
Johnny Furphy
6-8 | 202 | Fr.
Furphy reclassified late within the recruiting cycle and signed with the Jayhawks on Aug. 3 as an intriguing prospect out of the Heart of Excellence in Australia. “He is without doubt one of the most gifted, expert younger children within the 2023 class and definitely as gifted and expert as any participant remaining that we might recruit,” Self stated.
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