The Kansas basketball roster is much younger than it was a year ago, when it was the oldest in the country. This season, the Jayhawks have four seniors, all experienced transfers, and no juniors. All other players are sophomores and freshmen.
This year’s edition of Kansas basketball will enter around two of those underclassmen - freshman Darryn Peterson and sophomore Flory Bidunga. The transfers will be counted on to provide support, whether in starting roles or off the bench. It is yet to be seen how the minutes will be divided after the two young stars.
Long-time ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla visited the KU campus last week and shared some of his thoughts on X. He was impressed with Peterson’s ability to shoot guarded threes, his feel for the game, and his basketball IQ.
What does Fran Fraschilla think about the Kansas basketball roster?
Fraschilla, who broadcasts many Big 12 games each season, shared several thoughts about KU.
After two days of watching @KUHoops, here are some thoughts:
— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) September 5, 2025
1. The freshman class is outstanding. A Top 3 NBA pick, a Christian Braun clone and three very athletic young big men. Tiller will be terrific, but Calderon is a steal. At least four future NBA players—in time.
2.…
He seems to like the Kansas freshmen. He referred to Peterson as a “top 3 NBA pick,” and to Kohl Rosario as “Christian Braun clone.” He likes three young frontcourt players, who include Bryson Tiller, Paul Mbiya, and Samis Calderon. The latter, Fraschilla called “a steal.” He even points out that he thinks at least four of these freshmen will eventually play in the NBA. It is curious, however, that he didn’t mention Mbiya by name.
He liked what he saw from Bidunga, and he assessed correctly that some other players would need to step forward and provide options outside of Peterson and Bidunga.
His pronouncement that KU will be underrated makes sense because Bill Self is still a Hall of Fame coach, and his roster construction for this team seems solid on paper.
Fraschilla isn’t as well-known for his hyperbole as some other analysts. He saw some things during his time in Kansas that made strong impressions, and he wasn’t afraid to share them. He’s also spent time in Ames and posted some of his thoughts about the Cyclones as well. He deserves a lot of respect for putting his thoughts out there.
Hopefully, this freshman class will prove to be outstanding, and the Jayhawks will be severely underrated this season. Both would be welcome changes from the past couple of seasons.