Figuring out Kansas’ lineup ahead of Bill Self’s 24th season is an interesting task.
While you know the likes of Tyran Stokes, the nation’s No. 1 player in the class of 2026, will likely be paired with fellow five-star, guard Taylen Kinney, the other three positions look a lot more murky; perhaps the least-known spot goes to the shooting guard room.
Earlier this week, when speaking to the media, head coach Bill Self alluded that transfer Toledo guard Leroy Blyden Jr. would be a frontrunner for the shooting guard spot, as Self said, “I’ve easily done my best when I have combo guards,” which fits the bill for both Blyden and Kinney.
With Blyden possibly taking the shooting guard spot, that pushes sophomore Kohl Rosario to the bench in what would be his second straight season garnering minutes largely as a backup. When asked what he wants to see out of Rosario after his freshman campaign, Self answered, “I would say confidence, maybe as much as anything. He was so good early. And he got too excited, [we want to see] a calmness and a confidence to him.”
Rosario finished his first year with 29 games played, six of which were starts, averaging roughly 12 minutes per game and finishing with a 42.3% field goal rate and 98 points. However, his 28.6% three-point rate often left him flailing.
Self keeps the confidence high on Rosario's future produtction
“I'm excited about him; he’s had a really good offseason,” Self said. The legendary head coach was then asked whether or not Rosario’s involvement in his final two games last season provided any crucial experience.
Rosario’s last two games of the season comprised of Kansas’ 69-47 semifinal loss to the Houston Cougars in the Big 12 Tournament, and against St. John’s in the round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. Against the Cougars, Rosario notched eight points in 11 minutes while going 3-5 from the field. In Kansas’ heartbreaking loss to the Johnnies, Rosario was brought in when the game was beginning to slip away; however, his energy kept St. John’s at bay, finishing with five points and two rebounds in just nine minutes.
“I think that helped. [It] at least put him into the offseason with the positive thoughts. You know, he didn't have, really, that many positive things happen to him early on. If he's open, he rushes it, or whatever, and if it doesn’t go down, [you] start thinking about it.”
Rosario’s season-high came against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi when he notched 16 points on a stellar 6-10 mark from the field in Kansas’ blowout win.
“And he should have been a high school senior last year, too. So just give him a little time. He should be a true freshman that's been through enough crap right now, but he'll be more prepared without question.”
While Rosario’s role is far from being notarized, being able to have a player with strong knowledge of what Self wants will go a long way for a team in a mass rotation, as all but Rosario and center Paul Mbiya are newcomers to a team that hasn’t made it to the second weekend of March since winning it all in 2022.
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