If you were to look at every scholarship player last season for the Kansas Jayhawks, only one is guaranteed to come back in Kohl Rosario.
Elmarko Jackson, Flory Bidunga, Samis Calderon, Bryson Tiller, and Jamari McDowell have all found new homes. Jayden Dawson is portal-bound, assuming he can get a waiver to grant him another year of eligibility. Corbin Allen hit the portal on Friday. Paul Mbiya's future is up in the air, and Darryn Peterson, Tre White, Nginyu Ngala, and Melvin Council Jr. are all likely on their way out.
All this means one thing. The Kansas Jayhawks need an excellent portal.
Bill Self’s transfer portal history has had its fair share of good and bad moments
Oftentimes, we find it easier to remember the players who had a short-lived or disappointing career as a transfer, and don’t get it twisted, by no means has Self been a king of the portal.
There has to be a level of correlation between the spike in transfers following the rid of the rule stating athletes have to wait one year before being able to play for their new team, and Kansas’ results.
Since KU lifted Self’s second national title in 2022, the Jayhawks have not made it past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, nor have they won the Big 12 Conference Tournament. A far cry from the heights only someone like Self could reach.
The Jayhawks have a big chance to get things right
Although the portal has slashed this roster down to just Rosario, it can also bring in a wealth of new players ready to bring the Jayhawks back to the mountaintop where they belong.
And it would be a fallacy to say that every transfer Self has reeled in has been a miss. Just last season, Council quickly became a fan-favorite with his stellar defense and dynamic ability around the rim. Council’s dropoff in form towards the end of the season largely came from the wear and tear he had absorbed throughout the season.
Fellow transfer Tre White excelled at various points during the year, including a stellar 23 points in Kansas’ upset 69-56 win over No. 5 Houston during the regular season. Like Council, White’s production steadily fell as the season wrapped up, but both transfers should be classified as a success.
So far, the Jayhawks have reeled in Keanu Dawes from Utah, whose 12.5 points and 8.8 rebounds will be a boon for next season. It remains to be seen if Self and the team can kick on from Dawes, so next season will not be a freshman-heavy class.
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