Pay Heed to these Five New Kansas Basketball Faces

These intriguing newcomers are only a few of the latest key additions to the re-loaded roster
Darryn Peterson, a Kansas recruit, and his family are recognized before Prolific Prep’s game against St. Vincent-St. Mary in the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, at Canton Memorial Civic Center.
Darryn Peterson, a Kansas recruit, and his family are recognized before Prolific Prep’s game against St. Vincent-St. Mary in the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, at Canton Memorial Civic Center. | Kevin Whitlock / Massillon Independent / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Football season is officially underway, but the upcoming hoops season is approaching rapidly. KU basketball is hoping to turn the page from the last couple of seasons, and revert back to the top of the sport like they belong.

There are several fresh faces on this new roster, and while they all have riveting facets to their game that they can contribute to the squad, five of them are well-positioned to make a tremendous impact this season. Without further ado, here are those five guys to look out for:

1. Darryn Peterson - You guessed it! The highly touted guard with a hall of fame ceiling, and not to mention, the #1 recruit in the country. He will be Bill Self's first top overall prospect to suit up for the Jayhawks since Andrew Wiggins in 2013. The prodigy from Canton, Ohio played high school basketball for Prolific Prep, and averaged an efficient 30.4 points, 7.4 assists, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals and over a block per game over the course of his senior campaign while leading the top five program to a 28-5 record, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. He was deemed the winner of the 2025 Naismith Boy's High School Player of the Year Award. Bill Self has had extremely high praise for Peterson when speaking to the media, claiming that he is the "best player we've recruited since we've been here", and has also said that Peterson is "one of the best recruiting moments that Kansas basketball has had in decades." The projected #1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft will likely be handed the keys of the offense by Bill Self, and can potentially lead this team to another national title.

2. Melvin Council Jr. - The senior transfer from Rochester, New York previously had stops at Monroe (Junior College), Wagner, and most recently St. Bonaventure, and is now expected to turn some heads in the crimson and blue. Council Jr. isn't exactly known for his shooting, but is a do-it-all type of player that can get to the rim at will, finish, make plays, rebound, and defend like a madman. He has the mentality of a stud, and gives very similar vibes to the likes of former KU guard, Marcus Garrett, a perfect type of player for the Bill Self system.

3. Jayden Dawson - The transfer from Omaha, Nebraska will be a senior for the Jayhawks this season. He spent the length of his previous college career playing under Drew Valentine at Loyola Chicago. Dawson has great size for a perimeter player, and can really score the ball. He is extremely versatile and has an encouraging shooting ability, according to Bill Self, so that should be more than enough to make Kansas fans excited about him.

4. Kohl Rosario - The freshman from Miami, Florida and Overtime Elite sprung onto the national radar in 2025, similarly to how Johnny Furphy did in 2023. He has freak athleticism and the tools to be a real difference-maker during his time at KU, however long that may be. Bill Self has compared him to Christian Braun, but with a "better shot." Self also called him an "unbelievable offensive rebounder" on the record, and said that Rosario is very "active". He is reportedly "One of the hardest working youngsters that we've ever recruited," according to Self. He's got the skills to be a legit NBA player one day. If all of that doesn't get you ecstatic for this up-and-coming hooper, I don't know what will.

5. Tre White - The transfer from Dallas, Texas is suiting up for his senior season with the Jayhawks after making previous stops at USC, Louisville, and most recently Illinois. For those who are unaware, White originally committed to play for KU back in the summer of 2019, while he was in high school, but ended up enrolling at USC when the time came. White is finally ready to play under the hall of fame coach, who had some promising words about the new Jayhawk when asked about how the summer was going during a press conference in mid-August. Self said, "White had the best summer" out of the new transfers and seemed the most comfortable. The 6'7 forward brings unreal versatility, size, and shooting to this new-look squad, and can do a little bit of everything. He is expected to start alongside Flory Bidunga in the front court, but can play a number of positions.

Many new players were not mentioned in this article, which could only mean one thing, this team is deep. One thing that many of Bill Self's teams have lacked as of late. Only time will tell if these guys can live up to the hype surrounding them going into the new season. All we can do is wait and anticipate how these guys will perform come November, and develop into the spring. In the meantime, just sit back, and let Bill Self work his magic as he prepares his team for what is certain to be an unforgettable season.

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