Kansas basketball coach Bill Self hints at potentially redshirting Jayhawks sophomore

The top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks have one of the deepest backcourts in the country heading into the season. In addition to returning starting point guard Dajuan Harris, head coach Bill Self added transfer guards Zeke Mayo, Rylan Griffen, David Coit, and Shakeel Moore to supplement the roster.

While KU's depth is part of the reason many prognosticators view them as national title contenders, opportunities will be limited for some Jayhawks at the back end of the rotation. Coach Self talked to the media about the roles of players after Late Night in the Phog on Friday and mentioned the possibility of sophomore guard Jamari McDowell redshirting. Could he preserve a year of eligibility and learn behind the veterans?

Bill Self considers Jamari McDowell a 2024-25 redshirt candidate

"I talked to Jamari and his family today, He’s done great. I don’t know what the expectations (are). I said (to Jamari and his family), ‘Let’s just roll the dice and see it how plays out.' ... We’ll take it all the way to the start of the season and see what we think about that. If he is a major contributor, great. If he is a guy that plays spot minutes, like he did last year, personally I think he’s going to be too good a player to waste a year like that. We’ll just wait and see."

- Bill Self

According to Self, McDowell will only be kept on the active roster if he can carve out significant playing time. Given the roster KU has, it is difficult to envision a scenario where he earns much of a role in the backcourt, if at all. Coit looked like a pleasant surprise during Late Night, and Moore should be close to ready from his ankle injury by the season opener.

A former 4-star recruit, McDowell played 31 games in his freshman year with the Jayhawks. In 7.2 minutes per game, he averaged 1.8 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists on 30.8%/28.1%/84.2% shooting splits. While he showed flashes at the beginning of the season, including a 27-minute, 7-point outing against Tennessee in the Maui Invitational, he played sparingly for the majority of the year.

His defensive intensity and ability to shoot the 3-ball could make him a useful piece to this roster. However, Self’s point that preserving his eligibility now will make him more useful down the line holds weight. With three years of eligibility left, Kansas has shown what can be achieved with guards who stay four years, even those who were not touted highly in high school.

It is encouraging that Self sounds confident enough that the Jayhawks would retain McDowell following a redshirt season. In today's age of college basketball, where the transfer portal offers players a quick exit if they are unhappy with playing time, McDowell seems fully committed to the program and willing to wait for his opportunity. Hopefully, the Texas native eventually gets his shot in Lawrence.