Performances during Kansas basketball exhibition games must be evaluated with a grain of salt. Usually, they are against in-state schools with no chance to challenge the Jayhawks. KU had one of those this season against Washburn. The first exhibition game, however, was on the road at Arkansas.
Like last season's preseason game against Illinois on the road, the Jayhawks played poorly against the Razorbacks. KU was missing some key players, including Hunter Dickinson, but so was Arkansas. Last year's loss to Illinois was a harbinger of things to come, exposing Kansas as overrated and lacking talent and depth.
This season should be different. While the Jayhawks will start the season ranked number one, they have a better chance to play up to their lofty ranking despite a brutal schedule. The roster features six key transfers, two incoming freshmen, three returning starters, and two other key holdover role players. This doesn't even count Elmarko Jackson, who will miss the season due to injury.
Most of the healthy players who have a chance to be in the rotation received significant minutes during the exhibition games. Three of the new Jayhawks stood out in these games and look like intriguing options for head coach Bill Self moving forward.
3 new Kansas basketball players who stood out during scrimmages
No. 3: Rylan Griffen - Junior
Griffen was a starter last year for Alabama when they made it to the Final Four, so it should be no surprise that he could play some ball. Although he missed the Arkansas tilt, he looked smooth and athletic against Washburn. He seems to be a better shooter than advertised, and his defense was a bit of a surprise.
In a tiny, one-game sample size, he looked better than AJ Storr or Zeke Mayo. It will be fun to see which of these three will emerge. All are probably capable of starting or playing big minutes, but Griffen looks to be at least as good as the other two more ballyhooed stars.
No. 2: Rakease Passmore - Freshman
Passmore was probably the second-best player behind Dajuan Harris against Arkansas. He is certainly athletic enough to compete against the best players the KU schedule has to offer. He was one of the few players who was aggressive in that game.
He wasn't quite as good against Arkansas, but he did suffer an ankle injury in the second half against the Ichabods. He still played hard and took the ball to the basket twice late, though without any success. He's probably going to be the third or fourth wing off the bench. If he's patient with his development and progresses as much as he seems capable, he could be a positive contributor this year and a force next.
No. 1: David "Diggy" Coit - Senior
No player was more surprising than the diminutive Diggy Coit. While he didn't shoot well against Arkansas, he showed flashes of understanding his role in the offense and was scrappy on the defensive end.
Against Washburn, he made five 3-pointers and did a great job generating offense by setting up his teammates for open looks at the hoop. Again, he was pesky defensively and earned a lot of minutes.
He clearly looks like he is capable of relieving Harris at the point guard position, especially against some of Kansas' weaker opponents. It will be interesting to watch how he performs against some of the ranked rivals KU will face throughout the season. He can make any open looks he's presented with and get the team into its offense.
As the season unfolds, it will be intriguing to see how each of these three performs and how big of a contribution they will make. It is nice to see the depth Self has compiled in the backcourt, and all of these three have a good chance to contribute right away.