The Kansas basketball team is entering the 2024-25 season as one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the country. However, Bill Self and the Jayhawks suffered a massive blow when incoming sophomore guard Elmarko Jackson tore his patellar tendon in a youth camp earlier this week. The former McDonald's All-American will miss the entirety of the upcoming campaign.
While he was expected to compete for significant bench minutes in his second year in Lawrence, Kansas quickly found a short-term fix to combat Jackson's injury. Mississippi State graduate transfer Shakeel Moore committed to the Jayhawks yesterday, marking what will likely be the final move of the offseason for KU.
BREAKING: Mississippi State transfer guard Shakeel Moore has committed to Kansas, he tells @On3sports.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) June 5, 2024
The 6-1 senior averaged 7.9 PPG this season. https://t.co/jfoxp0cQE4 pic.twitter.com/FS8wHG1hWP
Kansas basketball wasted no time finding Elmarko Jackson replacement
Considering Kansas lost one of its top bench pieces for the season, Moore is an exceptional replacement. The former Bulldog spent three years at Mississippi State and one year at NC State. He started 66 of the 99 games he appeared in over the past three campaigns, averaging 8.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists across that span.
Moore is a 6-foot-1 combo guard originally from Greensboro, North Carolina. He was a significant contributor to a Bulldog team that reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons. His minutes dropped from previous years in 2023-24, but he should see a sizeable role in Lawrence given the void he has to fill.
He will fill the program's 12th scholarship on the roster. Kansas has been linked to other players in the transfer portal, but this could be the Jayhawks' final move if they want to complete the self-imposed scholarship reduction that began last year.
Fans should not expect Moore to step in and immediately steal minutes from other players on the second unit, especially due to his lack of familiarity with Coach Self's system. However, it is encouraging for Jayhawk supporters to hear some positive news after the Jackson report leaked on Tuesday.