While it may not seem like it, next season is rapidly approaching for the Kansas Jayhawks.
With the 2025-26 campaign squarely out of sight, ahead of his 24th year at the helm, Bill Self was met with a roster revamp.
Just two players from last year’s roster (Kohl Rosario and Paul Mbiya) return, which means that the Jayhawks are forced to be heavily reliant on a team that so far comprises three transfers in Toledo guard Leroy Blyden Jr, Utah forward Keanu Dawes and College of Charleston Center Christian Reeves.
When looking beyond those aforementioned five, Kansas is reeling in two five-star freshmen in Tyran Stokes and Taylen Kinney. According to 247Sports, Stokes is labeled as the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the nation, and Kinney as No. 13 overall.
The Jayhawks are also welcoming the likes of No. 70 Davion Adkins, a four-star forward/center. Trent Perry, the No. 94 player, and four-star wing, No. 140 Luke Barnett, a shooting guard and lastly, Grant Mordini, a hard commit who announced his intentions to join the program last week.
What can you expect from this team?
Well, it is worth mentioning that the Jayhawks will likely be reeling in some more transfer portal talent over the coming days.
So far, maybe they have had a slower start in the portal than fans may want, but with each passing day, the acquisitions of Blyden, Reeves and Dawes seem to make fans grow fonder of the trio.
The best way to answer this question is by gauging your own expectations. KU hasn’t made it past the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament since 2022, so maybe asking for a title charge with a team glued together by players who have hardly stepped foot inside Allen Fieldhouse is a bit of a stretch.
That being said, this is a Kansas team that is stockpiled with talent. Stokes is already being labeled as the No. 1 pick in 2027’s NBA Draft. Kinney has compiled reviews calling the freshman a great playmaker and scorer.
And Dawes, Blyden and Reeves have all had bright seasons at their respective institutions, meaning this is a team that, if they mesh together, can find themselves going farther than what current rankings are suggesting.
However, “meshing” together was one of the pitfalls from last season. When Kansas was able to get Darryn Peterson near enough to full fitness, the squad was not able to flow as oftentimes things would get stuck in the halfcourt, leaving Kansas to finish with the nation's No. 161st-ranked offense that averaged just 75.1 points per game.
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