Kansas basketball has undergone a complete roster transformation since the season ended, losing five players to the transfer portal and three starters to graduation. Bill Self and the Jayhawks had several holes to fill, but he addressed them by adding three gritty transfer guards and working out a new NIL deal to bring back sophomore center Flory Bidunga.
After back-to-back years of disappointing years, the coaching staff knows that they have swung and missed in the portal recently. However, KU fans are hoping that the upcoming campaign will be different. The Jayhawks' latest transfer additions could signal real change in Lawrence moving forward.
How does Melvin Council Jr. fit in at Kansas?
Kansas initially brought in Jayden Dawson (Loyola Chicago) and Tre White (Illinois) to bolster the backcourt. Yesterday, transfer target Melvin Council Jr. committed to the Jayhawks over Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, and Georgia.
Council embodies the heart and grit of past Kansas teams that fans have come to love. He is a defensive-oriented, lanky guard who puts his body on the line to make stops.
In a statement released by KU Athletics, Self said: "We're very excited to announce Melvin Council Jr. has signed. He's a 6-foot-4, long, rangy guard that can play with the ball and without the ball. Melvin will remind our fans physically and athletically of Tyshawn Taylor. He's a superior athlete who can score the ball and has the potential to be one of the more elite defenders that we've had in recent memory. He's been very well drilled and well coached at Monroe, Wagner and Saint Bonaventure. We could not be more excited to have him in the fold."
Comparing Council to the likes of a former Jayhawk great like Tyshawn Taylor should tell fans everything they need to know about him.
KU's transfer additions are perfect players for Bill Self
While none of KU's newcomers are particularly dominant on the offensive end, the Jayhawks are looking for complementary pieces who can make ballyhooed freshman Darryn Peterson's job easier. Dawkins, White, and Council all offer an array of skills on the defensive end or on the glass, which should make for a menacing lineup alongside the shot-blocking Bidunga.
Without bashing any of the past few years' transfer additions too harshly, the majority have not worked out. The Jayhawks tried to go all in by adding Wisconsin transfer AJ Storr, yet he often played himself off the court with poor defense and questionable shot selection.
Former Alabama guard Rylan Griffen was supposed to be a knockdown 3-point shooter, but his jumper was not as effective as advertised. Hunter Dickinson later admitted that he took a NIL "pay cut" to help Kansas add other pieces from the portal, though that didn't make a difference.
Rather than targeting ball-dominant, non-team players, the Jayhawks are going back to their roots of finding under-the-radar talents who can impact the game in a variety of ways. It remains to be seen whether the team will gel, but KU's direction in the portal should encourage the Jayhawk faithful.