It's mid-August, yet Kansas basketball and college basketball are still front and center as far as news goes. The Jayhawks are trying to fill their last two roster spots, and because of the NCAA's and their lack of big-picture vision, hundreds of players just hit the open market.
The NCAA's new five-in-five rule governing age and years of eligibility. While it is, on the surface, a good idea and well-intentioned, the attention to details and ramifications was lacking. It's all a hot mess.
Still, it opens up the door for more talented, experienced players to fill the last two spots that KU has left. Players who thought their college careers were over now look as if the courts are going to give them an extra year of eligibility.
But it has not been all good news for Kansas basketball.
Kansas basketball recruiting news
Javon Bardwell reclassifies and decommits from Kansas
Throughout the summer, there were whispers that Bardwell might reclassify into the 2026 class, but that disappeared a bit once Tyran Stokes made it official that he was coming to Kansas. Still, Bardwell would have made an excellent addition.
Bardwell did reclassify but decided to open up his recruitment so he would not have to caddy for Stokes this season. Instead, he respectfully thanked the Kansas coaching staff and decided to look elsewhere for more playing time.
Javon Bardwell has de-committed from #kubball pic.twitter.com/nfRp01mNWt
— Jordan Guskey (@JordanGuskey) August 12, 2026
With the state of college basketball right now, it is fun to dream of the possibility that maybe next season, if Bardwell doesn't go pro but enters the transfer portal, perhaps he would consider Kansas again after Stokes is gone.
Can Tre White return for another year at Kansas?
If the court injunction holds and players who finished their fourth year of college ball last season are granted another year, there appears to be a good chance that Tre White could return to KU.
It would be an interesting roster fit, but his heart, talent, and experience would be invaluable to a young roster like Kansas has. With Bardwell now out of the picture, there is room for someone like White. The roster would be deeper, and Self would get another player, along with Kohl Rosario and Paul Mbiya, who know Self and his system.
Kansas basketball has been linked to several other players
Even if White returns, that leaves KU with one more open roster spot. The Jayhawks have been linked to numerous players, including Jaxson Kohler, Karmin Oroil, Alfred Worrell, and Emmanuel Ogbole.
Kohler and Ogbole would add depth to the frontline, and Worell and Oriol are backcourt players with the ability to score. Any of these players would add depth, but if White does return, adding that depth to the interior seems a bigger need than for the backcourt.
Tyran Stokes is projected to go number one in the 2027 NBA Draft
Kansas basketball's biggest recruit this season is Tyran Stokes, and he's projected to be the number one overall draft pick in next season's NBA Draft, according to Bleacher Report.
Mock drafts this early are more discussion points than reality. Last season at this time, Darryn Peterson was the projected top pick but fell all the way to the number two overall pick. Peterson was still picked high despite an uneven season at KU that was interrupted repeatedly by injuries.
If Stokes can display the top-notch all-around game he's displayed as a prep player, Kansas fans should be in for a treat, and the Jayhawks should be competing for a conference and national championship.
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