Kansas basketball: Jayhawks finish boot camp, and the team looks jacked

Bill Self’s Boot Camp completed yesterday, and the Kansas basketball team looks ready for the season.

The Kansas Jayhawks moved a step closer to the start of the regular season. Bill Self’s Boot Camp has officially concluded.

All Kansas basketball players — scholarship and walk-ons — participated in the five-day event filled with grueling conditioning drills and team activities. It is said to make or break someone’s career at KU because not just anyone can survive it.

“Boot Camp has gone great,” head coach Bill Self told The Kansas City Star. “We finished up today. (It was) only one week since practice starts next week.” The team also competed in three games during an offseason trip to Puerto Rico, which the NCAA permits every four years.

The KU basketball page on X (formerly Twitter) posted a picture of each player’s bodily progress. The results are astounding.

https://twitter.com/KUHoops/status/1705297360224485736

At first glance, each player seems to be in tremendous shape. They seem ready for the regular season to begin. Elmarko Jackson is the only active player missing from the photo, and Arterio Morris’ absence is due to his suspension for his pending rape allegations.

Incoming freshman Jamari McDowell’s frame is the most noticeable. Although playing time will be difficult to come by for him, he is clearly ready to play his first minutes of Kansas basketball. It will be exciting to watch him develop over the years if he is willing to commit to the program.

Kevin McCullar, who returned to KU for his final year of eligibility, was the star of the show at boot camp. “All the players were good,” Self continued. “Kevin (McCullar) probably stood out the most. It was a hard but very good week.”

Late Night in the Phog, the next Kansas basketball team event, is on Oct. 6.