There is no universal answer when you ask for the opinions of Kansas’ basketball roster.
Most have taken the side that the Jayhawks need more experience, and even the biggest fan of the 2026/27 build can’t disagree. Heading into next season, Kansas’ most experienced Big 12 player is Utah transfer Keanu Dawes. However, Dawes himself has only started in one season with the Utes.
Only three players- Dawes, Christian Reeves and Dennis Parker Jr. are truly upperclassmen who will earn valuable minutes on the court next season. While Paul Mbiya is technically listed as a junior, this is only his second year playing collegiate basketball, as his eligibility was changed thanks to the new age-based eligibility ruling system.
With this looming over head coach Bill Self, there is ample reason to believe the Jayhawks need to find one more piece before feeling secure in their roster. That's where ex-Purdue star Trey Kaufman-Renn comes in.
Kaufman-Renn was touted as a potential “best fit” for the Jayhawks
Let’s make one thing clear before we delve into why Kaufman-Renn may or may not be the right choice for KU.
Kaufman-Renn may not be fully cleared for another season.
With so many different cases flying around the NCAA right now, it can be easy to get lost with who stands where.
Kaufman-Renn was granted a temporary restraining order by Clark County in Indiana this past Wednesday, giving him another year of eligibility. Now Kaufman-Renn will have to be awarded a preliminary injunction in the future to secure his status, but for right now he is available for schools to pursue.
This article is written from the standpoint of knowing the Big 12’s decision to ban all professional players from returning to college. But if Kansas were to seriously bring in Kaufman-Renn, lawsuits would be filed against the Big 12 right back, only furthering this mess.
Earlier this month, Cameron Salerno of CBS Sports spoke on Kaufman-Renn’s potential arrival to Kansas, saying, “...The Jayhawks are welcoming in five-star freshman Tyran Stokes to the program but lack experience down low. Kansas is projected to start Christian Reeves (19 career starts) and Paul Mbiya (21 career games) in the frontcourt.”
While Kaufman-Renn hasn’t set foot in the Big 12, he has plenty of experience with the Purdue Boilermakers, averaging 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists last season, totaling 147 career games.
“Reeves, who transferred in from Charleston this offseason, underwent shoulder surgery earlier this offseason and missed some summer workouts at Kansas as he recovered. Kaufman-Renn has appeared in 147 games (112 starts) and would be far and away Kansas' most experienced player .”
While Salerno is right, Kansas needs frontcourt depth; is this really what the Jayhawks need?
Last season, what ended Kansas’ campaign, beyond the Darryn Peterson cramping drama, was their lack of depth. If both Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White weren’t on it for a single game, the Jayhawks would fall behind. Even though this is a raw team, it has depth.
Self has given high praise of the summer development from Mbiya, and while Reeves won’t likely be an all-conference player, that is a position that has depth. Move one position further to the power forward slot. There is little doubt that Kaufman-Renn is a better player than Keanu Dawes, but behind Dawes is Davion Adkins, a highly touted freshman.
With all the legal drama set to take place over this case, Kansas’ time may be better spent with both eyes on this season rather than in a courtroom.
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