The NCAA is mulling a significant rule that will impact college athletics in a major way. The rule would give all college athletes five total years of eligibility, to be completed in five years. This rule would essentially do away with redshirt seasons of any kind.
This 5-in-5 rule would replace the long-standing one that gave athletes four years of eligibility but provided several ways to get extra years added. These are mostly used to recover from serious injuries or to sit out a year to work on development.
Because of the conditions brought about by COVID, the NCAA gave athletes an extra year of eligibility for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Still, athletes have been applying for six seasons or even more due to various reasons. This rule would eliminate all of those rule exceptions.
This rule could possibly affect the make-up of the Kansas basketball roster if Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White have the opportunity to play for KU again.
Would this rule allow Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White to return to Kansas for another season?
The NCAA may push for this rule to pass and might even implement it retroactively, giving players who just completed their last season an extra year to play.
Seemingly, making those players eligible again would create some extra chaos on top of what the transfer portal already stirs up. Things could get a little crazy.
In theory, Kansas could welcome back Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White. Of course, Bill Self has been working to fill plenty of roster spots, and in the case of Council, KU has already filled the point guard position with two outstanding players in Taylen Kinney and Leroy Blyden Jr.
Council and White were two players on the roster who seemed to understand and embrace the privilege of wearing a Kansas uniform and playing at the Phog. Not all of their teammates did. Only two players, Kohl Rosario and Paul Mbiya, are showing loyalty by returning.
Fans loved both Council and White, but how would both fit into the current, limited roster? The Jayhawks have added Utah transfer Keanu Dawes to the roster, and he fills a similar role to what White filled last year. Could they coexist, splitting minutes? Would they want to?
If KU signs Tyran Stokes, he would also serve a similar role to White's and might cut into available minutes for White.
The same goes for Council, Kinney, and Blyden. It seems easier here because Self could have two of these three on the court at the same time and probably not lose much. Again, though, would Council want to return to much fewer minutes?
It's no secret KU still has plenty of roster spots to fill yet. Fans would love to have White and/or Council back, but it may not be that clear-cut. Will those two be willing to come back and play fewer minutes? Will their recruited replacements be happy if the two KU veterans return and cut into the newcomers' playing time? Those are not easy questions to answer.
Yes, KU has several spots, and Council and White would improve the roster and certainly make it much deeper. However, things like player egos and expectations have to be considered. It will be interesting to see if the rule change is retroactive and if it will lead to Council and White returning.
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