Five Jayhawks represent Kansas basketball on ESPN's top 100 players list

The 2024-25 Kansas basketball roster is expected to be one of the deepest and most talented in the Bill Self era. That says a lot for a head coach who has won 57 NCAA Tournament games, two national titles, and 17 Big 12 regular season championships since landing in Lawrence.

Expectations are high for the Jayhawks this year, and for good reason. A slew of transfers and returning stars earned KU a top spot in the preseason AP Poll for a second straight year. The newcomers are part of the reason why the Jayhawks are betting favorites to win it all in March Madness.

Kansas and its loaded roster were represented generously on ESPN’s top 100 NCAA basketball player list. Five Jayhawks earned a spot on Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf’s rankings. How about that?

ESPN's top 100 recognizes five Kansas basketball players

Some players were obvious choices, while others were more of a surprise. Landing first among all Jayhawks was Hunter Dickinson, the two-time All-American and Preseason Big 12 POY who is the recipe to success for this squad. He was ranked No. 4 in the country, the only top 30 player on KU’s roster.

Next was former Wisconsin guard AJ Storr, a highly touted transfer who is one of the best scorers at his position. His ranking was No. 31 on the list. Dajuan Harris was close behind him at No. 37. While he is a pass-first guard with a limited offensive skill set, Borzello and Medcalf highlighted his playmaking and defensive prowess on the court.

Rounding out the list of Jayhawks was senior forward KJ Adams (No. 69) and South Dakota State transfer Zeke Mayo (No. 87). Adams is an uber-athletic forward who excels around the rim as an energy player. Meanwhile, Mayo has been impressive early in his Kansas tenure, being named the best player on the team by Coach Self on multiple occasions.

All of these players will be significant contributors to the 2024-25 Kansas basketball team. If we were to alter the list, we'd probably drop Harris and Storr down and raise Mayo in the rankings. Alabama transfer Rylan Griffen is another player who could be worthy of a spot down the stretch. Only time will tell which Jayhawks will be the most impactful, but Coach Self is in good hands this year.