The hype around the nation’s No. 1 prospect Tyran Stokes is growing by the minute. Stokes only added to the anticipation thanks to his drawn-out recruiting process that ended at the last minute with Kansas being the victor.
While expectations are naturally high for the incoming freshman, head coach Bill Self spoke with the media earlier on Wednesday, where he was asked whether Stokes would be taking on a leadership role.
What does it take to be a leader in today’s game?
It feels easy to often point to the most veteran player on the team and naturally deem them the team’s “leader.” Oftentimes, teams use on-court and off-court leaders. But you rarely see it coming from a freshman. However, Self was not shy to call Stokes, “a natural leader.”
Stokes finished his last season at Rainier Beach High School averaging 31 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals for a Dragons team that lifted its second-straight 3A Washington State title with a 31-1 record.
Self went on to describe what makes a “leader,” saying, “You know, how you react to a bad call? That's leadership. How you encourage others that’s leadership. Can you make other players raise their level because of your presence? That's leadership. So there's a lot of things to it, but absolutely we're going to challenge him to be that.”
The Jayhawks are a team stocked with talent, but youthful talent
Right now, of the 13 players officially on the KU roster, only Keanu Dawes and Christian Reeves are upperclassmen, as the pair sits as seniors. While of course the NCAA has fewer eligibility restrictions in terms of professional draft declaration than its football counterpart, this is still an extremely young squad.
Dawes is the only player who has played meaningful Big 12 minutes, and even that was for just two seasons with the Utes.
Incoming transfers Dennis Parker Jr. and Reeves have played at the power-conference level. However, Parker’s came in the form of 778 minutes over 56 games at NC State. Reeves, meanwhile, brings 202 minutes with both Duke and Clemson across 45 games.
In all honesty, these are worrying numbers. Of course, players can surprise and teams can as well, but until Big 12 play gets truly into the thick of things, you can only gauge the level with these numbers.
Who are some other possible leaders that could arise?
Kohl Rosario is one of the first that comes to mind. Rosario has frequently been seen taking shots in an empty gym long after everyone has left. Rosario’s mindset towards long-term gratification is another promising attribute that makes him stick out. Dawes’ experience on the court makes him a candidate as well.
Lastly, sophomore transfer guard Leroy Blyden Jr. could soon factor into the category as well. Blyden finished last season averaging 16.4 points, 4 rebounds and 4.5 assists, all while making 32 starts.
As the season begins to fully take shape, fans will quickly be able to note who on the team is looked to the most.
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