The Kansas basketball team had its first serious roster setback on Monday after head coach Bill Self's announcement that guard Melvin Council Jr. broke his foot in practice and will miss significant time. Council will require surgery and probably will not be available until January for the Big 12 portion of the schedule.
This is a blow for Kansas, but luckily for the Jayhawks, the roster is deep, particularly at the guard position. Self will have some options to step into the lineup, but Council's experience and energy will certainly be missed. Leroy Blyden and Keanu Reeves are seemingly the next in line.
See below for a statement from Coach Self. pic.twitter.com/H9xDxagLem
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) November 9, 2026
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What options does Kansas have after Melvin Council Jr.'s injury?
This most obvious option to step into the starting lineup would be Leroy Blyden Jr. The sophomore transfer from Toledo has performed well in the first two games of the season, averaging 10.5 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 steals against Fordham and Middle Tennessee.
Blyden didn't fare as well, however, in the exhibition games against better competition. Against Lousiville, Blyden scored just 2 points with no steals or assists. He was a little better against Duke, with 5 points, an assist, and a steal.
Kansas plays Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Tuesday, and then the Jayhawks are off to the Players Era festival next week, where the competition will be quite stiff.
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An alternative for Self is to keep Blyden coming off the bench and start Keanu Dawes at the big forward. Tyran Stokes handles the ball a lot for KU anyway, so this wouldn't be an extra burden for him. Taylen Kinney would be the primary point guard, with Stokes and Tre White helping out in the front court.
This option adds a relentless rebounder to a starting lineup that doesn't feature a true big man. While Tre Kaufman-Renn can handle the duties of a center, having the extra help on the boards that Dawes brings would take pressure off Kaufman-Renn inside. Dawes can stretch the defense a bit too, so there is no dropoff in this area.
Guards Trent Perry, Dennis Parker Jr., Luke Barnett, and Kohl Rosario can also help fill in the gaps created by Council's extended absence. There are probably about 10-12 minutes of playing time to be earned by these players behind the increased minutes for Dawes and Blyden.
This roster has the depth that few of Self's recent teams enjoyed, and it will be tested right away. It is difficult to replace the energy and experience that Council brings, but Dawes is an experienced veteran, and Blyden played 33.4 minutes a game last season for Toledo.
Perry has proved to be a high-energy player so far, so it would not be surprising if he didn't see a nice uptick in his planned minutes. As long as he continues to bring that energy and defensive intensity he's displayed so far, he might be the biggest benefactor of those deeper in the rotation.
There is no doubt that Council will be missed. He brings so many intangibles not to be. Still, Kansas is better suited to weather this storm than it has been in the past. The Jayhawks may not be quite as good, but the dropoff shouldn't be catastrophic.
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