Kansas basketball: Predicting the 2020-2021 starting five
Christian Braun, Sophomore
Christian Braun has exceeded expectations since committing to Kansas basketball as a three-star recruit out of Blue Valley Northwest High School. Last season, Braun’s role on the team grew as the season went on, even starting a few games for the Jayhawks.
He ended up playing about 20 minutes per game towards the end of the season, becoming a key part of Kansas’ bench. Here are his stats from the 2019-20 season:
- 5.3 points per game
- 2.9 rebounds per game
- 0.5 assists per game
- 44.4 three-point percentage
- 0.4 turnovers per game
Braun led the Jayhawks in three-point percentage last season (minimum of 10 attempts), and his value behind the arc was one of the reasons he saw such much time as a true freshman. As a result of his play, Braun was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
Despite playing well, Braun made some freshman mistakes, and that’s ok. Next season, Braun should be really fun to watch if he can work on some of the weaker parts of his game over the offseason and continue improving his strengths.
Another possibility to start at this position is Jalen Wilson, who played less than five minutes last season after injuring his leg in the first game. While Wilson has a shot, it’ll probably be Braun who gets the start at least at the beginning of the season.