Kansas basketball: Are the Jayhawks done adding in the transfer portal?
Kansas basketball has made a living through the transfer portal this offseason. Is Bill Self still looking to add more players to the team?
The Kansas Jayhawks are projected to be a top 3 team in preseason rankings after adding Hunter Dickinson in the transfer portal and returning Kevin McCullar for another season. But is KU’s Hall of Fame head coach content with the roster he has?
Because Kansas self-imposed a three-year scholarship limit due to NCAA sanctions, Coach Self must be strategic regarding whether he wants to add another player or not. From 2023-24 to 2025-26, the Jayhawks can only place 36 players on scholarship — an average of 12 each season — instead of 39, or the NCAA Division I maximum of 13 scholarship players per year.
A glaring issue for the Jayhawks is their lack of frontcourt depth. Despite bringing in Santa Clara transfer Parker Braun, there is no telling whether he will make much of an impact at a higher level. He averaged a measly 2 points per game during his two seasons at Mizzou.
Hunter Dickinson figures to be the star of the show for Kansas, but what happens when he gets in foul trouble or needs to rest? KJ Adams will move back to center, forcing McCullar or Marcus Adams Jr. to play the big wing spot that KJ will presumably fill. Aside from Dickinson, only two players on the roster are 6-foot-8 or taller.
ALSO READ: One quick thing about the transfer portal
Kansas’ guard room is stacked, so that should not be much of an issue. The only potential concern should be to bring in a forward. If Self were to add another player via the transfer portal, it would have to be a tremendously talented player like Grant Nelson, Julian Phillips, or Arthur Kaluma. There is no reason for KU to waste a scholarship on someone that will struggle to see the floor.
There’s a good chance that the 11 scholarship guys on the roster right now will make up next year’s roster (aside from walk-ons). In that case, Kansas will only have to spare one scholarship in the following two seasons. Unless it is a high-impact player who could crack the starting rotation, it is hard to see anybody else committing to the university this offseason.
Next. Twitter reacts to Kevin McCullar returning. dark
Follow @ThroughThePhog on Twitter and like our page @throughthephog on Facebook for more Kansas Jayhawks coverage. You can apply to write for us by clicking the link below.
Want your voice heard? Join the Through The Phog team!