The Kansas basketball season launches with an exhibition at Louisville on Friday, October 24. KU features six freshmen on its roster this season, including Darryn Peterson, who has already been named as a preseason All-American by CBS Sports.
Head coach Bill Self brought in four seniors from the portal, but all of the rest of the Jayhawks are sophomores and freshmen. Only one player, second-year center Flory Bidunga, played for KU last season, though two others, Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell, played in 2023 and redshirted last year.
Kansas has a brutal non-conference schedule, which should provide plenty of time for the freshmen to establish themselves and earn minutes. Mathematics will tell you that not all six freshmen will be able to crack the rotation, even if Self expands it more than he likes to.
Speculating on how each player might develop and contribute is a challenging task, but fans should have realistic expectations for freshmen. Self doesn’t fully trust most of them until they prove themselves over and over, but there will be opportunities.
Expectations for the six freshmen on the Kansas basketball roster
No. 1 - Darryn Peterson
Seldom will a freshman carry as many expectations as Peterson does this season. It’s almost as if he’s being seen as the savior of the program after two down seasons for the Jayhawks. That’s a lot to put on a youngster.
Last week, Self discussed Peterson's maturity, noting that he carries himself more like a 25-year-old than the 18-year-old he is. If he can back up that maturity with skill, athleticism, and execution, he will be the star everyone is looking for.
Fran Fraschilla said he expects Peterson to be a first-team All-American after watching the Jayhawks practice for a day or two.
Peterson will play a lot of minutes and will be the focus of the offense. He is a superstar in the making, and expectations are high.
No. 2 - Bryson Tiller
Tiller joined the Jayhawks for the second semester last season, but was injured and did not play. He is still listed as a freshman and should play a larger role as the backup big forward and maybe some time as the backup center.
Tiller should get plenty of playing time in his first year, but barring injuries to Bidunga and Tre White, he probably won’t get any starts. Of course, there is a chance he develops rapidly and fights his way into the starting line-up, but that isn’t likely.
No. 3 - Kohl Roario
Rosario may be the most intriguing freshman of the group. Until he plays in a game, it is hard to determine what his role will be.
John Rothstein, a college basketball writer for CBS Sports, watched Kansas practice recently, and he thinks Rosario will be a starter. That would be a bit of a surprise, as Jackson and transfer Jayden Dawson might have had the inside track coming into the season.
Early prediction on Kansas’ 2025-26 starting five:
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 21, 2025
Darryn Peterson, Melvin Council, Kohl Rosario, Tre White, Flory Bidunga
During a news conference on Wednesday, Self confirmed Rothstein's prediction, naming Rosario the starter for the Louisville game.
Still, be wary here. Rosario shouldn’t be seen as another superstar alongside Peterson, but a piece in the bigger puzzle. Rosario’s stardom is likely to come in the future.
No. 4 - Paul Mbiya
It remains to be seen just how polished Mbiya is, but Self is going to count on him to spell Bidunga throughout all games. Expect 10-12 minutes from him, possibly more, if Bidunga can’t avoid foul trouble.
Tiller could also get minutes behind Bidunga, but Mbiya should see most of those available minutes. He will still play significant minutes and offer quality depth along the frontcourt.
Mbiya might need more development, but he can gain that experience in the limited playing time he is likely to get. He is likely to get better just from practicing against Bidunga. It will be interesting to watch his growth this season.
No. 5 - Samis Calderon
It’s hard to determine how far along Calderon is in his development. Fraschilla called him “a steal,” but Self said that the freshman is “a better prospect than player” in his comments to the press. Self also noted that Calderon possesses excellent basketball skills, but he just needs repetitions to improve.
This should tamp down any expectations that Calderon will play significant minutes this season. There has been no mention of a redshirt season for Calderon, but it is a possibility. Still, it would be surprising if he did redshirt this season. He can still be a valuable depth piece, considering that Bidunga sometimes gets in foul trouble and Tiller is coming off an injury.
He’ll play, but it might not be significant, consistent minutes throughout the season.
No. 6 - Corbin Allen
Allen may be the least known player on the KU roster this season. No one is discussing him much. If anyone were to redshirt, Allen seems the most likely candidate. That doesn’t mean he will; it’s just hard to see much playing time for him this season.
He’s competing against three of the senior transfers, two returning guards, and two more freshmen. He’s clearly at the bottom of that depth chart, and Allen may choose to sit this season out, learn Self’s system, and be ready to contribute next season.
It would be unreasonable to expect significant court time for Allen this season, and it’s most likely to be a developmental campaign for him.
Four of the six KU freshmen are likely to have significant roles this season, with a fifth available to play more if needed. That is a pretty strong class, and Self should be thrilled with it. He has seemingly changed his approach to recruiting, and if this is an example of the results, the Jayhawks could be a dark horse this season.
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