Kansas basketball head coach Bill Self has been rebuilding his roster after losing all but two players from last season's team. Four former Jayhawks used up their eligibility, Darryn Peterson left for the NBA, and just about everyone else left for other opportunities.
With only Kohl Roario and Paul Mbiya still in the program, Self started from scratch. He already had a talented class of four freshmen committed for next year with Davion Adkins, Trent Perry, Luke Barnett, and Tylan Kinney.
Self added transfers Keanu Dawes, Leroy Blyden Jr. and Christian Reeves. The No. 1 recruit in the nation, Tyran Stokes, was then picked up, becoming Kansas' biggest acquisition, but Self followed up that signing by adding Dennis Parker, Jr. He's since brought in Grant Mordini and Atticus Rickmond as positional depth pieces.
Many of the Kansas players offer a key secondary skill apart from scoring
There appears to be a common skill many of the new Jayhawks will have: the ability to rebound. KU didn't always rebound that well last season, though it wasn't a glaring weakness. Self seemed intent on improving in that area next year.
Parker is the most recent rotational piece Self added. The guard scored 18.3 points per game and 5.9 rebounds. This is a recurring theme for the players that Self has brought in this offseason. Despite his six-foot-one listed height, Blyden averaged four boards a game.
Frontcourt additions: Keanu Dawes pulled down 8.8 caroms per game at Utah, and that is an upgrade from what Bryson Tiller produced last year. Christian Reeves had 7.8 rebounds a game. That's a slight dropoff from Flory Bidunga, but not a significant one.
Incoming freshman Tyran Stokes also is a fierce rebounder. Even guard Rosario showed signs that he could be a solid rebounder. In limited playing time last year, he had four games with five rebounds.
Adkins and Perry are both high-energy players who can attack the boards, and incoming developmental players Modini and Richmond showed the ability to attack the backboards in prep school.
If Self has one pet peeve as a coach, that is for his teams to play soft. One of the easiest ways to prove toughness is to rebound, and he has added guys who seem willing to attack the glass with vigor, even the guards.
All the players most likely to earn rotational minutes should be assets when it comes to rebounding, after finding two "dawgs" in the portal last season in Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White. Self is trying to duplicate that with players willing to do the dirty work on defense and on the boards like Dawes, Reeves, Parker, Stokes, and Blyden.
This roster is looking more and more like a bunch of players that will be very popular in Allen Fieldhouse.
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