1. 3-point shooting will be in short supply
This is, without question, the biggest weakness of the team. Aside from one or two — maybe three — players on the roster, it’s hard to feel confident about anyone shooting it well from beyond the arc. Nick Timberlake (41.6% in 2022-23) and Arterio Morris (33.3% in 2022-23) have spot-up shooting potential, but that’s about it.
Coach Self has talked about how he wants Hunter Dickinson to take more threes this season, but that’s only a minor aspect of his game. For KU to succeed offensively, he’ll need to dominate in the post and attract attention from defenders to draw double teams. If the Jayhawks can’t hit an outside shot, though, it won’t matter all too much.
Kansas does have plenty of players who like to drive and dish, which, in turn, should result in more efficient 3-point attempts. I expect to see percentage increases from Kevin McCullar and Morris, just not to the point where opposing defenders need to watch them at all times.
Although Dajuan Harris has proven he can shoot when he’s wide open, it’s not something that can be relied upon. Elmarko Jackson is a tremendous athlete, but he was never deemed a jump shooter out of high school.
There will be nights where Timberlake is taking and making the majority of outside shots for Kansas, similar to what Gradey Dick did this past season. But having to lean on one or two players as your only sources of jump shooting was one of the reasons KU was knocked out of the tournament so early last year. The Jayhawks will not struggle very often, but when 3-pointers are not falling, points will be hard to come by.