3 Jayhawks that Kansas basketball needs to bring back for the 2024-25 season

2. Johnny Furphy

Furphy leaving for the NBA Draft seemed like a foregone conclusion last month. But after defenses finally began to figure him out, things didn't come as easily to the Australian freshman. To some extent, his struggles toward the end of the season might help Kansas in the long run.

Across the final 12 games of the season, he shot 37.0% from the field, 24.0% from 3-point range, and averaged 9.9 points per game. That was after his six-game stretch in which he averaged 15.7 points per game on 64.6%/55.2%/69.6% shooting splits.

Simply put, Furphy would get eaten alive if he played in the NBA this upcoming fall. His defensive rotations and overall basketball IQ are well below the average draft prospect. He could still learn many things from Coach Self with another year of experience under his belt.

There is a strong possibility his name starts to slip in NBA mock drafts even though he was creeping near the lottery for the past few months. He will still test the waters and get a feel for where he would be drafted, but the chances of him returning to Kansas have become much more likely in recent weeks.