Kansas Basketball: Reloaded squad could mean deep run for Jayhawks
With the amount of talent returning, the Jayhawks could have already been one of the better teams in the nation, but with the additions of numerous newcomers, Kansas has the potential to make a deep run in March.
After the signing of four-star recruit Jalen Wilson and grad-transfer of Isaiah Moss, the pieces are starting to fall into place for the Kansas Jayhawks. The two new additions bring in both shooting and size for Kansas.
Moss shot 42% from behind the three-point line last season at Iowa and will be a much-needed threat on the perimeter. On Jalen Wilson, Coach Self made his enthusiasm apparent:
"“I’m very excited about Jalen’s commitment to us. He’s been a Kansas fan for the vast majority of his young life and is certainly a guy who is used to winning after being a part of a great high school program at John H. Guyer High School. He will bring great size, skill and versatility playing both as a big and a small, but more importantly he’ll bring incredible toughness.”"
A number of freshmen will be joining the Jayhawks this season as well, including Tristan Enaruna, Christian Braun, Issac McBride and the aforementioned Wilson. Which new blood players will step up remains a mystery, and it will be exciting to see how the class develops and blends with the team.
Kansas will certainly climb in the polls and preseason rankings with the new additions as well; CBS recently bumped the Jayhawks to number five. Andy Katz moved Kansas up to number two, behind Michigan State, in his Power 36.
This team will almost certainly be more explosive than last year’s team, along with being better at shooting the basketball.
The highly anticipated reunion of senior center Udoka Azubuike and sophomore point guard Devon Dotson on the court will be an absolute nightmare for other teams to try to defend. The big man returning for his senior season can’t be overstated, as Azubuike provides leadership, rim-rattling dunks, and stellar defense.
Dotson has the opportunity to be the next great point guard at Kansas after entering the NBA draft to gain feedback. The lightning-fast Dotson has the ability to get to the rim at will, and if his jump shot were to improve, he would be easily be looking at a first-round selection in the 2020 NBA draft.
Speaking of anticipation, junior forward Silvio De Sousa will make his return after successfully appealing his suspension by the NCAA. De Sousa played significant minutes and had a major impact against West Virginia in the conference championship and Duke in the Elite Eight back in 2018.
The bottom line? This team will be a blast to watch. Expect dunks, lobs, and drives to the rim courtesy of sophomore guard Ochai Agbaji, Dotson and Azubuike. The defense will be stout too behind the talents of defensive expert junior guard Marcus Garrett.
So long as everyone is healthy, the Kansas Jayhawks have all the tools necessary to regain control of the Big 12 and make a push deep into the tournament.