Head coach Bill Self made his anticipated announcement that he is returning to the bench for another season of Kansas basketball. KU has players on the roster and plenty of exciting recruits on their way to make next season one to remember.
Self has his work cut out for him. He has eight players still on the roster. While it seems unlikely that all will return, there are some that Self has to retain.
He is also in a battle to acquire the service of one Tyran Stokes, the top-ranked player in this recruiting class, according to 247Sports. Their Crystal Ball has predicted Stokes would go to Kansas for a while now. Let's hope that holds up. For the past few weeks, it looked like Kentucky was the Jayhawks' biggest competitor for Stokes, with Oregon as a dark horse.
Two new schools seem to have entered the fray. According to James Madden of ZabsBlog, Washington and Gonzaga may now be possible destinations for Stokes.
What Bill Self needs to do to build his best Kansas basketball roster
No. 1: Secure as many returning players as possible
First on this list is getting Flory Bidunga to stay at KU if he doesn't go to the NBA. Bidunga is certainly going to test the waters by declaring for the draft, but there are some things he needs to improve before he's a bonafide NBA player. While his ability to guard the perimeter and the rim is a rather unique skill set, he needs to improve his shooting away from the basket mightily. Another season at Kansas would give him time to highlight his many talents and improve on his shooting.
Retain Bryson Tiller, Kohl Rosario, Paul Mbiya, and Samis Calderon, at least. Tiller has all of the skills. He just needs to get stronger and keep working to improve. He's going to be an excellent p;layer and his ability to stretch defenses is invaluable. Rosario will be a star eventually, and it should be in a Kansas uniform.
Arizona has proved you can never have enough size, and Mbiya's mix of raw talent and length is tantalizing. He just needs time to develop. Calderon didn't get to play much, but there is something exciting about his upside. With more time under Self's tutelage, Calderon has an incredible upside.
That leaves Elmarko Jackson, Jamari McDowell, and Corbin. It would be outstanding to see all three players back. While Allen is the biggest unknown on the roster, Jackson and McDowell have proven their loyalty and both showed incredible improvement this season. The biggest issue with them is that they do not offer any particular skill that stands out or one that couldn't be replaced. This is not a knock against them; Jackson and McDowell both had their moments. There was just too big of a gap in talent between them and the players above them in the rotation.
No. 2: Bring Tyran Stokes into the field
While having a super stud recruit doesn't guarantee success, as this last season proved, talent is talent. Stokes offers athleticism and skills that would fit well with Self's system. Any school would be lucky to have him, but Kansas has been the perceived favorite for a while now. With Self's announcement on Wednesday, the head coach needs to close the deal and bring Stokes to Kansas.
Adding Stokes to KU's already terrific class that includes Taylen Kinney, Davion Adkins, Trent Perry, and Luke Barnett will give Self the top class in the country.
No. 3: Search the transfer portal for dawgs
Self found some absolute gems in last year's transfer portal, namely Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White. These were guys who did whatever was needed of them, and they loved wearing the Kansas uniform.
There is a chance Self won't need more than a few transfers, but if things go awry, he might need more. He can't afford the same mistakes he made with AJ Storr and Raylan Griifen. They didn't fit. They didn't have the midset needed.
Find guys who want to play for Kansas and have that dawg mentality. There are already enough star-level players on the roster. Go find some guys with skills who will run through walls to be at KU.
April and May are always a stressful time of the year for Kansas basketball fans. This year will be no different, but it will be exciting if Self can retain his top talent, add Stokes, and bring in some dawgs.
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