Importance ramps up for Kansas to land more transfers after recent recruiting loss

While there is still plenty of time for the Kansas Jayhawks to get themselves in order ahead of next season, things have to start falling into shape soon. So far, this offseason has seen Bill Self lose the likes of Melvin Council Jr., Flory Bidunga, Tre White, Bryson Tiller, Elmarko Jackson, Samis Calderon, Jamari McDowell, Nginyu Ngala, and Corbin Allen. Darryn Peterson is expected to head to the NBA, and Paul Mbiya is in this dead space between entering the transfer portal officially and coming back to KU.

The Jayhawks have only been able to reel in Utah transfer Keanu Dawes in their process to offset these departures.

Dawes will be a valuable asset for Kansas next season, but his addition alone is not enough. 

Kansas hosted promising VCU transfer Terrence Hill Jr. last week in an attempt to land the No. 18 overall transfer. But things have since fallen through. 

Hill commits to the Tennessee Volunteers

Listen, losing a recruiting battle to Tennessee, and Rick Barnes is nothing to get too rattled over. Every team will ultimately lose more battles than they win. Yet as time wears on and these top-50 recruits continue to find homes away from KU, there grows more and more reason to worry. 

11 of the top 50 portal prospects are yet to commit to a new home, and a majority of those entries have already narrowed down their final schools, in which the Jayhawks have missed out. Now, ratings don’t mean everything in these battles, and many recruits outside the top 50 will be gems for several programs, but right now, the Jayhawks are losing out on several key positions. 

Right now, the only two confirmed non-freshman scholarship players Kansas has for next season are Kohl Rosario and Dawes, leaving several gaps. Kansas does have the fortune of bringing in what is currently rated as the No. 4 freshman class in the country, but it is doubtful that Self wants to navigate next year with such a young team. 

Who can kickstart Kansas’ portal?

Terrence Brown Jr., Vyctorious Miller, and Leroy Blyden Jr. have been three standout names as of late. Brown visited last week, Blyden this weekend, and, as of recent reporting by Michael Swain of 247Sports, Miller is set to visit Monday. Each of these players is a proven scorer who can fill the backcourt nicely.

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