Kansas basketball: Analyzing each contender for the final spot in Jayhawks starting lineup

Kansas Basketball Starting Lineup Contender No. 2: Nick Timberlake

Being that Timberlake has competed at the collegiate level for five seasons and played 122 total games, it makes sense why some fans would prefer him to start rather than the trio of incoming freshman guards. And there is certainly a good case to make for him.

Last season at Towson, the 6-foot-4 Timberlake scored 17.7 points with a 41.6% 3-point percentage on 6.7 attempts per game. He shot 40% from beyond the arc across KU’s three Puerto Rico exhibitions and was one of the few bright spots during the Late Night in the Phog scrimmage.

His outside shooting is a valuable asset to Kansas basketball, and he likely has the most consistent jump shot on the team. That alone makes him a strong candidate to start. Of all the strengths this squad has, hitting 3-pointers will probably be its greatest challenge.

From what I’m hearing right now, Jackson is getting the starting nod against Illinois and likely again vs. NC Central for the regular season opener. That doesn’t mean Timberlake won’t see any minutes with the starters, though.

If Coach Self opts for ball movement and defense over offensive firepower, Timberlake will be the first player off the bench. However, if he finds that the offense is stagnant and they are forcing it to Hunter Dickinson every play, it might be time to insert the Towson transfer into the starting rotation for a few games.