Kansas basketball: Initial reactions to the Arterio Morris suspension

1. Kansas still has depth at both guard spots

The good thing about the way KU’s roster is assembled right now is that it is guard-heavy. One of the nation’s best playmakers in Dajuan Harris returns, who is the set-in-stone point guard option for Kansas. Alongside him will be either Morris, Elmarko Jackson, or Nick Timberlake, all of whom make compelling arguments to crack the starting lineup.

Jackson is a 5-star incoming freshman with a similar skill set to Morris. He is a tremendous athlete with plenty of potential on the defensive end, which should bode well for him in Bill Self’s system.

Timberlake is the other option to those two, a knockdown outside shooter with far more experience. The Towson transfer is entering his sixth and final year of college ball and holds a 37.9% lifetime 3-point percentage, including 41.6% on 6.7 attempts per game in 2022-23. He should be able to come in and make an instant impact on the offensive end.

Morris seemed to be the favorite to start heading into the season, but there are still two terrific alternatives. Most teams would not even consider using someone like Jackson off the bench. It should remind Kansas basketball fans just how spoiled we are with weapons.

Additionally, 4-star guard Jamari McDowell was a redshirt candidate this season, but it seems that the Jayhawks might need him to play some valuable minutes down the stretch.