After practicing with a pro team in Australia for the past week, Johnny Furphy officially moved onto campus to join the Kansas basketball tram.
Johnny Furphy committed to the Kansas Jayhawks earlier this month and signed his letter of intent soon after. Weeks later, he finally made his way into his dorm room and began practicing with the team on Friday.
The Melbourne, Australia, native is a 6-foot-8 forward with tremendous athleticism. He pledged to Bill Self’s Jayhawks and reclassed to 2024 so he could join the 2023-24 Kansas roster. Multiple premier programs became interested in Furphy after his strong showings in the NBA Academy Games.
He was unable to make his way to Puerto Rico for KU’s three-game exhibition trip, which featured opponents such as the Puerto Rico Select Team and the Bahamian National Team. Other players will have gotten a head start, so it could take time for Furphy to become acclimated with the team.
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After working out with the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the NBL in Australia for a week, Furphy took a nearly 24-hour trip from Melbourne to Lawrence to meet his teammates. He is the final player to make his way to school on the Kansas basketball roster.
Incoming KU freshman Johnny Furphy with fellow Australian hooper Josh Giddey (current NBA player for the Thunder)! pic.twitter.com/zfp8ii7zw8
— Kansas Jayhawk Fans (@FansOfKU) August 18, 2023
With former Jayhawk freshman Marcus Adams Jr. leaving the program, the coaching staff needed to go out and find a replacement. Furphy is, if anything, an upgrade over Adams with his high upside for the future.
Although he will be behind several players on the depth chart, Coach Self believes he will be a mainstay in the rotation this year. Watching the development of Johnny Furphy should be extremely fun for Kansas basketball fans.
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