Kansas basketball recently lost two top recruits to other programs. It is unclear of the reasons, but either player would have improved the roster for the upcoming season.
Until recently, the Kansas basketball program was pursuing two top available prospects - Italian Dame Sarr and Texas Tech transfer Darrion Williams. Unfortunately, neither chose the Jayhawks.
For a while, it seemed as if Kansas would pull in one of the two. Heach coach Bill Self and his staff had to wait on WIlliams, who was testing the NBA waters. Sarr seemingly had a good visit, too.
Duke swept in and gobbled up Sarr, and Williams spurned the Jayhawks for North Carolina State. For a program like the one in Kansas, losing a recruit to Duke stinks, but at least the programs are at the same level. Losing a target to NC State, however, is a big blow.
So what went wrong?
How did the Jayhawks lose both Dame Sarr and Darrion WIlliams?
No one but the two reccruits knows the answer to this question, and both players had their own reasons, but for Kansas fans, it is time for speculation.
One theory is that maybe after two subpar seasons, Bill Self has lost his mojo. Maybe recruits don't view Self and Kansas in the same way they did even a few years ago. This seems hard to swallow as Self is a Hall of Fame coach and has continually placed players in the NBA.
Two years ago, Heartland College Sports declared that Self was the "Greatest Regular Basketball Coach of All-Time." That was before two disastrous seasons, by Kansas standards. Self struggled to find the right fits in the transfer portal for his system and has had trouble keeping players in the program.
So, is Self and his staff struggling to recruit because their reputation is tarnished or is it because maybe there isn't enough NIL money? Kansas basketball has ruled supreme in Lawrence for decades, but now, the Kansas football program is on the rise. Is that program pulling available MIL money away from basketball? There can only be so much available.
It seems unlikely that the NIL money has dried up at Kansas, but after disappointing seasons from both the basketball team and the football team, maybe some of that money has dried up. In this age of free agency in college sports, that would be a worrisome development, to say the least.
Who knows how much top recruit Darryn Peterson is going to be paid, and ditto for Flory Bidunga, who entered the portal, then returned to the fold a few weeks later. Chances are, he received a big bump in his compensation. That doesn't take into consideration the other players on the roster, both the newcomers and returning players. Maybe there just wasn't enough left for recruits like Sarr and Williams.
Maybe with Peterson on the KU roster, and most likely the focus of the offense, it could also be that Sarr and Williams wanted situations where they wouldn't have to share as much of the spotlight. This seems less likely in Sarr's case, since Duke has plenty of stars. It might have played a factor with Williams.
According to ESPN, Duke was Sarr's dream school and had played with former Blue Devil Jabari Parker. It makes sense that once they became involved, he would choose Duke. Williams's decision is more worrisome. NC State under Will Wade has added several players who could share the spotlight with Williams.
Losing Williams really hurt. KU fans were more than familiar with the former Red Raider. He seemed like a perfect fit for Self and the Jayhawks. He has the dawg mentality Self likes, and has recruited hard for this offseason. Williams is obviously familiar with Kansas basketball after playing in the Big 12 with them.
Either Sarr or WIlliams would have been great running mates for Peterson and Bidunga. That Self wasn't able to reel in either is a concern. Whether it was because of Self, or the offered NIL packages, or for something as Duke being Sarr's dream school, or something else, it is concerning that the Jayhawks weren't able to land either of these top recruits.
Is it a one-off thing, or will it become a trend? We're all going to have to wait and see.