Kansas basketball: Strengths and weaknesses of the rebuilt Jayhawks roster

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - DECEMBER 17: Head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks fist bumps guard Dajuan Harris Jr. #3 during the first half of the college basketball game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena on December 17, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - DECEMBER 17: Head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks fist bumps guard Dajuan Harris Jr. #3 during the first half of the college basketball game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena on December 17, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Kevin McCullar #15 of the Kansas Jayhawks (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Kevin McCullar #15 of the Kansas Jayhawks (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

Strength — Veterans

The transfer portal, while controversial, does do one thing for certain. It allows older players to go somewhere they think will get them the best chance to succeed. What it has done for KU this offseason cannot be overstated. It took their roster from an extreme question mark and turned it into perhaps the best collection of talent in the country. On top of that, KU is now one of the more experienced teams among the title contenders, especially at the top of the depth chart.

The Jayhawks will have six players with two or more years of experience coming into this season. Those six have started a combined 440 games in their careers. Adams is the least experienced of the group, and even he started all 36 games last season. While freshman sensations have become the talk of the town in the past couple of decades of college basketball, there is still something to be said for the leadership and the “been there, done that” mentality that older players bring. Coach Self has always preferred a team with plenty of experience, and his starting lineup will have that in spades this coming season.