With the 2025-26 basketball season fully underway, the Kansas Jayhawks have restructured how the team looks, but the promise is there, especially if Darryn Peterson’s health can be figured out, and the player fans have seen glimpses of can be a consistent piece for a Jayhawk team that is looking to revitalize its NCAA Tournament threat.
While there are still things for this Kansas team to improve on the court, off of it, the Jayhawks have been on fire. Bill Self has been able to reel in talent at a near-unprecedented rate. According to recruiting outlet 247Sports, the Jayhawks have already totaled four phenomenal talents in SG Luke Barnett (No. 143), SF Trent Perry (No. 119), C Davion Adkins (No. 33), and the No. 13 recruit, Taylen Kinney.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi compiled their high school rankings for next year, and the Jayhawks grabbed an elite second place.
Biancardi went ahead and named Kinney as Kansas’ most important recruit.
“He will provide stability and high-end scoring as the lead guard following Peterson's expected departure for the NBA. Kinney plays the most important position on the floor with confidence and skill. He is the catalyst of this class.”
Who leads Kansas in every stat? It isn’t as straightforward as you may think
Kinney now continues Kansas’ streak of enlisting a five-star over the last three classes. The 2024 class saw (No. 14) Flory Bidunga, and last season saw the No. 1 prospect in Peterson.
The recruiting cycle is nowhere near over, as the Jayhawks are still longing for another elite prospect, No. 1 Tyran Stokes. Stokes last included Kansas, Oregon, and Kentucky into his final three.
The next chance to see the Kansas Jayhawks is Saturday as Self’s side is set to take on the Princeton Tigers. So far, the Tigers have notched a 1-1 record. Tipoff is set at Allen Fieldhouse at 1 p.m. CT.
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