In 2022, Invoice Self and Kansas gained the ultimate 11 video games of the season and waltzed by way of March Insanity to safe this system’s fourth males’s basketball championship. Issues have gone awry within the postseason for the Jayhawks since.
They’re 2-3 in NCAA Event video games coming into a highly-anticipated 2025-26 marketing campaign, which features a disappointing first-round loss — its first because the 2005-06 season — and a failure to succeed in the second weekend for the third consecutive yr.
These shortcomings in massive spots have led to a heightened urgency from Self and his workers to improve the roster throughout the board, and the consequence, no less than on paper, is an improved group that’s constructed to contend once more inside the Large 12 and past — led by a top-10 incoming recruiting class and headlined by No. 1 general recruit Darryn Peterson.
For the final two seasons, the Kansas Jayhawks have been simply … there. Not a group vying for a nationwide championship, not even one of many 15 finest groups within the sport. Simply one other group that drifted into the background — and was a letdown. For most colleges, this may be comprehensible. Not in Lawrence. Enter Darryn Peterson and a crew of freshmen and switch portal expertise to revive the usual at Phog Allen. How will the Jayhawks fare this season? Norlander brings on C.J. Moore of The Athletic to get a deeper have a look at KU, together with the most recent on Invoice Self’s well being.
Projected beginning lineup
Elmarko Jackson | 6-3 | 195 | R-Soph.
A summer season harm final yr prompted Jackson — seen as a possible starter after making features coming off a powerful freshman season — to overlook everything of the 2024-25 season. He is cleared to play following that harm and is in line to be a starter on this yr’s remade roster. The previous McDonald’s All-American made 17 begins in 34 appearances in 2023-24 and may add dimension, scoring and playmaking to the desk.
Darryn Peterson | 6-5 | 195 | Fr.
At Kansas, Self has coached the likes of Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, Josh Jackson and a handful of different mega abilities who went excessive within the NBA Draft. However earlier this yr he made a daring proclamation, claiming: Peterson is the “finest participant we have recruited.” Self referred to as him a “particular” expertise. He is in line to be the go-to scoring presence on this group with an elite combo of dimension, energy and scoring. There are loads of do-it-all guards on this KU group who do not match neatly into buckets, and Peterson is essentially the most versatile of the bunch with a capability to seamlessly play each guard spot.
Jayden Dawson | 6-4 | 195 | Sr.
Dawson is certainly one of a number of seemingly impactful transfers on this group who will compete for a beginning spot. He is The senior from Omaha, Nebaska, scored a career-high 13.9 factors per sport final season with Loyola Chicago and hit 36.3% of his 3s. He is a profession 36.7% 3-point shooter.
Tre White | 6-7 | 210 | Sr.
Taking part in on his fourth group in 4 seasons and in a fourth completely different convention, White has managed to provide a lot regardless of quick one-year stints at USC, Louisville and Illinois. He averaged 10.5 factors and 4.0 rebounds per sport final season for the Illini and had a team-high offensive score of 123.5 at KenPom.
Flory Bidunga | 6-9 | 220 | Soph.
As Kansas strikes on from massive man Hunter Dickinson it ushers in a brand new period within the frontcourt anchored by promising massive man Flory Bidunga. Bidunga averaged 5.9 factors and 5.4 rebounds per sport final season and made six begins in 34 appearances. He is not the submit presence Dickinson was as a scorer, however KU’s new guard-heavy rotation makes him a greater than succesful lob menace along with his environment friendly and athletic scoring means across the basket.
Off the bench
Two years in the past, Kansas had one of many thinnest rosters in school basketball. Final yr, it had a deep — albeit inconsistent — roster that was skinny on expertise. This yr there’s an enchancment throughout the board bolstered by developmental gamers in-house and the addition of some established transfers.
Melvin Council Jr. | 6-4 | 180 | Sr.
Coming off consecutive all-conference seasons at Wagner and St. Bonaventure, respectively, Council Jr. heads to Lawrence with an opportunity to be a star in a brand new position as a possible off-the-bench weapon. He averaged 14.6 factors, 5.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per sport final season with the Bonnies as a excessive quantity scoring weapon and may very well be a candidate to be first off the bench.
Bryson Tiller | 6-10 | 240 | Fr.
Tiller enrolled on the mid-year level at KU final season and is primed to make an affect in what is going to successfully be his freshman season after sitting out the second semester. He is a former top-50 nationwide recruit who brings wanted dimension and size (6-foot-10 with a reported 7-foot-3 wingspan) to this group’s frontcourt.
Jamari McDowell | 6-4 | 180 | R-Soph.
After showing in 31 video games in 2023-24, McDowell spent final season with Kansas growing whereas taking a redshirt yr. He is again within the combine as a possible depth piece the place he served beforehand, giving the Jayhawks a combo of capturing and playmaking.
Samis Calderon | 6-8 | 200 | Fr.
Calderon is a top-100 recruit from Additional time Elite who selected KU over a variety of main packages together with Auburn and Michigan. He is massive, lengthy and powerful — all of which may give KU some wanted roster flexibility because it performs completely different types.
Kohl Rosario | 6-5 | 185 | Fr.
Rosario, the No. 72 general participant within the Class of 2025 per 247Sports after reclassifying, joins a talented incoming highschool class with an opportunity to be extra than simply an off-the-bench piece. He is a talented perimeter scorer with massive bounce who was extremely wanted from the likes of Duke, Oregon, Miami and others.
Filling out the roster
There’ll inevitably be some motion on the finish of this KU roster with some potential bench items making circumstances for beginning roles and a few end-of-roster items changing into extra. That is the excellent news for Kansas. Their roster is so deep it might result in some powerful selections within the coming weeks and months. As issues stand now the next could also be roster fillers with an opportunity to develop into greater roles:
Mbiya signed with Kansas in June and Ngala in late July, thus making their respective paths to outstanding roles a bit difficult. Mbiya’s dimension and Ngala’s expertise, although, may give this roster key items to assist spherical out this roster.
Market watch
Kansas odds to win 2026 NCAA Event (through Fanduel): +2000
Kansas has tied for the ninth-best odds to win the NCAA Event in 2026 at +2000. That quantity is second-best amongst Large 12 groups noticeably behind Houston (+1000) and tied with Texas Tech and BYU.
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