Over the course of the last few days, both Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. received promising news. Their separate court cases against the NCAA granted them an injunction to join a college basketball team, at least until another injunction blocks them.
In this crazy world of college sports, where the NCAA's incompetence has led to mass chaos, for now, both White and Council can play basketball this season. Both want to return to Kansas, and the Jayhawks just happen to have two roster spots open.
There is little doubt that White and Council would be great additions for the Kansas basketball team from a talent and experience standpoint. Every player on the roster except the four transfers is a freshman or sophomore (excluding grandfathered walk-on Will Thengvall, who is a junior). Technically, Paul Mbiya is listed as a junior due to his age and international player standing, but he's played only one season of college ball.
The point remains that this is a young roster. The experience White and Council would bring would be invaluable. The question becomes if they fit on the roster from a logistical standpoint.
How would adding Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White affect the rest of the Kansas basketball roster?
Not only are White and Council talented and experienced players, they are also dawgs. They play with attitude and swagger. While neither is the type of player that can carry a team for long stretches, both bring a ferociousness that fans love, and so does head coach Bill Self.
Last year, when heralded freshman Darryn Peterson missed games and half of the games with leg injuries, White, Council, and the departed Flory Bidunga worked together to pick up the slack. KU had an eight-game winning streak, mostly sans Peterson, and those three players were the catalyst. When Peterson returned and played more minutes, the team struggled to adjust to him playing more minutes, and the Jayhawks struggled late in the season.
This team is deeper than last, though it does feature another super frosh in Tyran Stokes. Since there was no way for Self to know how the NCAA would blunder into another incomplete rule change, he worked hard to round out his roster.
Keanu Dawes was recruited to take White's place at the four-spot. They are similar players, though White is probably the more versatile one, with the ability to play the the two and three spots as well. Still, if White is involved in the rotation at those three spots, there is plenty of playing time for him.
Council will be more problematic. He is a point guard, and Kansas has rostered two young players at that position. Highly ranked freshman Taylen Kinney and transfer sophomore Leroy Burden Jr. both need to play. Kinney will be special, and and Blyden has a well-rounded skill set.
When Kansas first signed Blyden, the Field of 68 podcast discussed his impact at Kansas, and coaches were quoted as saying that “he [Blyden] was going to be a problem.” This is someone who needs to play.
If both White and Council are added, then Self has a team overflowing with guard types. Not only does he have White, Council, Kinney, Blyden, Stokes, Kohl Rosario, and Dennis Parker Jr. at the guard and small forward spots. Sure, White can play some four, but that is a lot of people for whom to find minutes. That doesn't even count Luke Barnett and Trent Perry.
Ben Hooke of the University Daily Kansan made some great points Wednesday morning about Council and his skill set. While fans and coaches love how Council played last year, he might not have the overall skills to take minutes away from players like Kinney and Blyden.
Council was a fan favorite for a reason. He loved being a Jayhawk, and he played hard every game. He wasn't scared to take the big shot when needed, and he went just as hard on the defensive end. He was a terrific Kansas Jayhawk last year.
The sticking point here is no one knows how good Blyden and Kinney will be. Kinney is talented, but how soon will he be ready to lead this team on the floor? Blyden is making a big jump from Toledo in the MAAC to Kansas in the Big 12. That is an entirely different level of competition. Will his skills translate and be effective against teams like Kentucky and UConn?
MUST READ: LEROY BLYDEN JR. AND TAYLEN KINNEY CAN BE ANOTHER GREAT KANSAS COMBO GUARD DUO
Council would be a terrific mentor and insurance plan if either Kinney or Blyden need some time to develop, but Council is used to playing a lot of minutes. In his three-year college career, he's averaged 35.9 minutes a game. That includes 34.8 minutes last season at Kansas. Will he be willing to play 10-12 minutes a game off the bench as a rotational piece? Would Self even put him in that role?
It's much easier to see how White is a better fit for this roster than Council is, despite how much fans love the guard. Most of the players currently on this roster have been playing together all summer. They've gone through a grueling boot camp together. Will adding two veterans upset the chemistry that has developed among those players? Will the addition of White's and Council's talents upset some of those players who will inevitably lose playing time?
The decision of whether to add either White or Council falls directly on Self. If he keeps them, can he manage the roster and make everyone happy? Recently, he has not been able to do that as well as he did earlier in his career. If he makes the wrong decision, it could ruin this team more than help it. It could also destroy the foundation he has been building with the younger players.
The decision to add either, neither, or both is a tough decision, and it will be interesting to watch what Self decides.
Add us as a preferred source on Google