Bill Self could mix up Kansas basketball lineup multiple ways in season opener

Kansas basketball fans are looking forward to the season opener against Howard tonight. The Jayhawks will play a tune-up before taking on North Carolina in a massive matchup early in the year.

Bill Self had to navigate through a pair of scrimmages without his best player, Hunter Dickinson, along with Shakeel Moore and Rylan Griffen (out vs. Arkansas). Kansas is expected to have all three of those players active for the contest. In a game that will likely end up lopsided in KU’s favor, Self can experiment with several intriguing lineup combinations.

Kansas basketball has lineup flexibility in season opener

The Jayhawks are favored by 25.5 points tonight. Considering Self has coached hundreds of these trivial tune-ups before, he knows how to approach them. He won’t show all his cards with complicated plays on the drawing board.

Unlike last year’s team, KU has one of the deepest rosters in the country. The staff could throw out the second unit against Howard and win comfortably. 

Diggy Coit drew a start alongside Dajuan Harris last time out vs. Washburn, with Griffen and Mayo coming off the bench. That could be altered tonight, but Coit posted a game-high 19 points against the Ichabods. Now that Moore is reportedly playing, the guard minutes jam up even more — not to mention AJ Storr, who has struggled thus far.

Although Dickinson will return to the court, Self noted that he probably won’t look like the two-time All-American superstar fans know him to be. His mobility is hampered by a foot sprain he sustained during Late Night in the Phog. The offense should be much more diverse, with Self drawing up concepts for multiple players rather than primarily his standout big man.

Freshman Flory Bidunga was solid in the exhibitions and should see an expanded role to spell the semi-injured Dickinson. The same goes for others, as the performance of certain players could determine the minute allocation against UNC. It will be interesting to see which lineups Self tests out.