Kansas basketball looking good on ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25

Previously slotted at No. 8, Kansas basketball has made a jump on ESPN’s Way-Too-Early-Top 25 poll to No. 4. Thanks to exciting offseason additions such as Arizona State transfer Remy Martin, the Jayhawks have been shaping up a promising roster for the upcoming season.

A major question facing Kansas at the moment is the decisions pending from guards Ochai Agbaji and Jalen Wilson, who’ve both been exploring the NBA Draft process. Recent transfers of both Martin and Iowa State transfer Jalen Coleman-Lands to the Jayhawks’ program may impact their decisions, particularly Agbaji’s.

Both Martin and Coleman-Lands will be bringing experienced support to Kansas’ roster, which may mitigate some of the perimeter issues seen during the 2020-21 campaign. The pair had also explored options with the NBA Draft, however, it seems they’re going to stick around for another year of college basketball before making the jump.

Also bringing aid to Kansas will be Drake transfer Joseph Yesufu and Missouri Southern graduate transfer Cam Martin, both will be eligible for play immediately. Fans should expect to see these two to bring valuable experience to the court, which may allow head coach Bill Self to explore new ways to incorporate these throughout the 2021-22 season.

These new additions will join returning Jayhawks David McCormack, Christian Braun, and Mitch Lightfoot, who each saw supportive roles for Kansas this past season. Some new chemistry will be brewing for sure, as a veteran roster will help usher in some talent from incoming freshman guards Kyle Cuffe Jr. and Bobby Pettiford Jr.

Looking to make a much deeper tournament run next season, Kansas will have a shot. There’s an impressive amount of talent available and it will be interesting to see the differences made on the court. This could signal improvement in conference play as well, which often challenged the Jayhawks during the 2020-21 season.

This offseason has been arguably one of the most exciting, due to the updated transfer rules and their ability to make immediate changes to a program’s outlook for the upcoming season.