LAWRENCE — As Kansas basketball coach Bill Self explained last Thursday, it was clear the Jayhawks were in an advantageous position.
Self’s team hadn’t seen any key contributors, or players, enter the transfer portal or declare early for the NBA draft. There had been a few commitments through the transfer portal, which complimented Kansas’ incoming freshman class, with Riley Kugel from Florida and Zeke Mayo from South Dakota State. Although there was still some uncertainty over which players from last season’s team might be returning, the mood at the end-of-season banquet was positive.
But even if all this were true, Self was not satisfied.
Self always intended to add to the roster, to build a more talented team than he already had for the 2024-25 campaign. Nothing definitive has come out since he spoke after the banquet, but it seems more a question of when and not if.
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“I can’t speak to anyone who hasn’t signed a financial aid deal,” Self said, when asked about one of the transfers already committed. “All I can do is just talk generally, but we’re excited about the guys who have committed.”
The way Kansas’ 2023-24 season ended, with a crushing loss in the round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament, drew comparison to how the team’s 2020-21 season ended. It ended exactly the same way in the NCAA tournament, but against a different team in a different city. But from Self’s perspective, they need more out of this offseason than they did a few years ago.
Heading into the 2021-22 season, which ended with a national championship, the Jayhawks added a player who has become an important part of their rotation. Heading into the 2024-25 season, in part because of their scholarship situation in 2023-24, that won’t be possible – based on sheer numbers. As Self spoke, they had secured two commits through the transfer portal who could be key contributors, and he thought the final number could be three or four.
The final number in this tally might have something to do with what freshman guard Johnny Furphy and senior center Hunter Dickinson each decide to do, when it comes to going pro or returning to college for another year. Furphy announced Tuesday that he will enter the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility. But even though there is some uncertainty, Self noted last week that he feels he knows enough to be able to do some work.
Regardless, Self left the door open to the possibility that returning players could leave depending on which guys he adds to the roster. He was also flexible on whether the penalty of an additional scholarship loss would be used this year or next year, with Kansas sitting at 12 next season as he spoke – leaving the number at 13 the following year if the penalty ends this upcoming season. . Overall, Self wants to address athleticism and perimeter shooting and might not wait for a guy if he tests his NBA potential like Kevin McCullar Jr. did last year.
“I would more than likely say yes, but Kevin, what we did was we didn’t wait for Kevin,” Self said. “We just held the stock market. So we could definitely do the same thing this time. But we will recruit if they say they won’t be there. And then if we get them back, it will be a bonus.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas sports at the Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association Sportswriter of the Year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
