Anyone looking to see a carbon copy of last season’s Kansas basketball roster next year is set to be sorely disappointed. The Jayhawks will be keeping exactly two players from last campaign in Paul Mbiya and Kohl Rosario.
Neither of the two are guarantees for a starting spot next season either. Mbiya is battling College of Charleston transfer Christian Reeves and possibly Mihailo Mušikić, while Rosario will be at the mercy of Bill Self’s decision to play two combo guards or a more traditional setup.
Rosario’s journey as a Jayhawk hasn’t always been straightforward
Through last season’s non-conference slate, Rosario was one of Kansas’ steadiest contributors. Up until conference play kicked off, Rosario notched roughly 17 minutes per game and had already compiled two double-digit performances against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (16) and Davidson (13), impressive numbers for someone who should have been in his senior year of high school. But as conference play began, Rosario’s role massively shrunk.
Rosario finished the season with just three more games with 10+ minutes under his belt.
His role slightly livened up in his final two games of the season, as he provided crucial sparks against both Houston in a Big 12 semifinal 69-47 loss, and in the Jayhawks’ 67-65 loss to St. John’s in the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.
When the season wrapped up and everyone else (including Mbiya) had at least tempted the NCAA Transfer Portal, there was little talk of the former 4-star entering, proving his commitment to a program in massive flux.
Rosario named contender for big season
In Isaac Trotter’s latest piece titled “100 And 1 days until college basketball: Stars, storylines, contenders and pretenders for 2026-27 season,” he labeled the now-sophomore guard as one of his 10 breakout contenders for next season.
“Rosario is the definition of a post-hype sleeper. The athletic, chiseled wing has all the physical tools to be an impact 3-and-D asset for this KU team. He's going to put a few dudes on a poster this year. Mark it down.”
Last season, Rosario offered enough out-of-nowhere athletic plays to let Kansas fans know of his sky-high hops.
Rosario finished last season with a 28.6% three-point rate and an 18-63 mark from beyond the arc.
What will Rosario’s role with this team be?
As previously mentioned, there is every chance Self opts to use a combo guard backcourt, which likely means incoming five-star Taylen Kinney take the point and Toledo transfer Leroy Blyden Jr. moves as the team’s shooting guard with the nation’s No. 1 2026 recruit, Tyran Stokes also being a playmaker option at small forward.
This would likely consign Rosario to a backup role and possibly cramp him in with the likes of Dennis Parker Jr. off the bench.
However, if Self wants to use a more traditional lineup, then Rosario easily competes for a starting role at that spot come next Fall.
While it doesn’t feel like it, the regular season is rapidly approaching and the window is beginning to close for Rosario and anyone else to change the opinions of Self and his staff.
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