Through the Phog
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Kansas basketball: The return of No. 11

By Logan Fricks

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 06: Devon Dotson #11 of the Kansas Jayhawks celebrates with Quentin Grimes #5 against the Michigan State Spartans during the State Farm Champions Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 6, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 06: Devon Dotson #11 of the Kansas Jayhawks celebrates with Quentin Grimes #5 against the Michigan State Spartans during the State Farm Champions Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 6, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Starting point guard Devon Dotson announced his return to the Jayhawks, what can he provide for Kansas in his sophomore campaign?

The Kansas Jayhawks received both good news and bad news when Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes announced their returns to college basketball. The good news is, both players will be returning to college basketball, the bad news, however, was only one player will play their sophomore season at Kansas.

It was discovered that Grimes would withdraw from the draft:

However, soon after withdrawing, coach Bill Self announced Grimes would be entering the transfer portal.

Grimes did not live up to his expectations while at Kansas, as many thought he would be a surefire one-and-done, but he was a consistent starter because of his quickness and defense. His ignition late in the season, where he scored in double digits in six of the final nine games, helped solidify his draft potential.

Soon after Grimes announced his withdrawal, fellow backcourt member Dotson would announce his return to Kansas.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByEUKE1g09B/

The return of Dotson is huge for the Jayhawks because without him, the point guard position would likely be a mixture of four-star recruit Isaac McBride, junior guard Marcus Garrett and sophomore guard Ochai Agbaji.

Dotson’s return came at the right time for Kansas, which was still shocked by the news of five-star recruit R.J. Hampton deciding to forgo college and play overseas.

Last season, Dotson averaged 12.3 points per game and 3.5 assists a game. He earned All-Big 12 third team in his freshman campaign and played a major role in helping the Jayhawks to a four-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

With his return, the starting lineup for Kansas will likely consist of Dotson, Garrett, Agbaji, junior forward Silvio De Sousa and senior center Udoka Azubuike. Dotson’s quickness to the rim could help him potentially lead the team in scoring and his playmaking ability should allow for many easy baskets for Azubuike.

Dotson also has an underrated defensive ability, playing against some of the top point guards in the NCAA. He has held his ground against opponents, such as keeping Kansas State’s Barry Brown to four points.

LAWRENCE, KANSAS – FEBRUARY 25: Devon Dotson #11 of the Kansas Jayhawks drives on a fast break as Barry Brown Jr. #5 of the Kansas State Wildcats defends during the game at Allen Fieldhouse on February 25, 2019 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KANSAS – FEBRUARY 25: Devon Dotson #11 of the Kansas Jayhawks drives on a fast break as Barry Brown Jr. #5 of the Kansas State Wildcats defends during the game at Allen Fieldhouse on February 25, 2019 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Prior to Dotson’s return, the Jayhawks biggest knocks were the lack of a playmaker and inconsistent perimeter shooting. Although Dotson is not a three-point machine, he can still hit those shots, but more importantly, he is a terrific playmaker.

Losing out on Grimes hurts Kansas, he could have added defense and athleticism and with the help of coach Self, could have become a more confident shooter. Despite his departure, the Jayhawks should be thankful for what they got and that is the return of No. 11, an early favorite for the Bob Cousy award.

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