Zach Clemence returned to Kansas basketball in June after initially transferring to UC Santa Barbara. Should the Jayhawks maintain his redshirt status or make him active for the 2023-24 season?
Zach Clemence has had an unusual path in college basketball but will ultimately spend a third year on one of the most prestigious teams in the country. The question is whether the Kansas Jayhawks will preserve his junior year of eligibility via redshirt or pull it so he can play in 2023-24.
A San Antonio, Texas native, Clemence was a 4-star recruit out of high school. After winning a national championship with KU as a freshman, he had high expectations heading into last season. Some even considered him the favorite to win the starting center job. However, poor defense and shot selection led to him being phased out of the rotation before conference play.
He averaged 1.4 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks in the 20 games he appeared in. Being buried behind other players on the depth chart and a seemingly improper fit caused him to enter the transfer portal this offseason. However, he decided the grass wasn’t greener on the other side, calling Bill Self and the Kansas basketball coaching staff soon to rejoin the team.
When he came back to the Jayhawks, the program announced that he would redshirt in 2023-24. However, Coach Self has mentioned the possibility of pulling the redshirt so he can serve as backup big man depth.
READ: 3 reasons Clemence’s return to Kansas makes sense
Will Kansas basketball redshirt Zach Clemence?
There are pros and cons to both outcomes. For one, Clemence could immediately contribute to Kansas, a team that is thin at big-man depth. He showed improvement during KU’s trip to Puerto Rico, scoring 8 points and grabbing 3 rebounds in the opening game.
On the other hand, Clemence can serve as the understudy to Hunter Dickinson and improve his game once he departs for the NBA. His game has lots of holes, and he could use an additional year of experience.
Prior to Johnny Furphy’s commitment, I would have said Kansas should pull Clemence’s redshirt. But with how poorly Clemence has performed in the past, it is hard to fathom a scenario where he receives a sizeable role with the Jayhawks. Barring any unforeseen circumstances like a major injury, Zach Clemence should be redshirted this season.
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