Predicting which Kansas basketball players leave or stay with Jayhawks next season

G Elmarko Jackson - Transfer

The former McDonald's All-American did not have an ideal freshman season after being touted as a potential one-and-done player. He was sent to the second unit after Furphy emerged in conference play and often saw limited action for the Jayhawks.

Jackson endured a number of freshman mistakes, playing sloppy and careless at times. He had a short leash with Coach Self and did not get any better as the season progressed. While he told the media that he had no intentions of transferring earlier this month, fans should take his words with a grain of salt. What else is a player supposed to say when he is put on the spot like that?

Don't get me wrong, the potential is absolute there. He is an extremely athletic guard who showcased a respectable mid-range jump shot and a knack for getting to the rim. Still, I don't think the coaching staff is going into next season expecting Jackson to be a starting guard alongside Dajuan Harris, and the way college basketball is nowadays, there are very few former 5-star recruits who would return to a school knowing they will have an even smaller role than what they had the previous year.

Bill Self will presumably pursue another combo guard in the portal to play the 2-guard. If Jackson is content with limited minutes off the bench for one more year until Harris graduates, then KU would probably welcome him back. But unfortunately, that almost definitely will not be the case.