Kansas Basketball: Maxwell gives Jayhawks future insurance

Kansas basketball rarely explores the transfer trail, but they have hit it this year in preparation for future campaigns.

Over the weekend, Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks picked up a commitment from Liberty transfer Evan Maxwell.

#kubball has landed 6-11 C Evan Maxwell, from Liberty. Avg 10pts & 5 rebs his sophomore year. Will have to sit out 16-17 year. #RockChalk
— KU Recruiting News (@KUHawkRecruit) May 14, 2016

The former Flame will have to sit out the upcoming season per NCAA transfer rules, but he’ll help reinforce a front court that is always in flux with the numerous one-and-done forwards that cycle through Lawrence.

Maxwell doesn’t exactly fill the stat sheet, he averaged just 10 points and 4.8 rebounds for the 13-19 Liberty. He did have a few big outings; his biggest game being a 20 point, six board performance over regular season champion Winthrop.

However, he does provide experience and potential. He went from 2.1 points as a freshman to 10.0 points last year. This would indicate that he could blossom even more as a low-post scorer.

When he does regain eligibility for Kansas, he should slot in nicely as one of the primary, if not starting, forwards.

Landen Lucas will have graduated from the team after the upcoming year, and some combination of Udoka Azubuike, Mitch Lightfoot, or Carlton Bragg Jr. might opt to jump to the NBA after a year.

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The only other upperclassman that is almost guaranteed to still be on the roster is former Mississippi big man, Dwight Coleby. Bill Self always seems to get a rock star forward on his team, but having someone like Maxwell stick around is great insurance.

If there’s one thing that Maxwell doesn’t do particularly well is defend the post. He blocked just six shots during his sophomore season, which will not cut it in the modern era of pick-and-roll basketball.

He also can’t slide over to the four if Coleby is the center because he has shot zero threes in two season. An underclassman could stick around or a new forward could shake things up, but I don’t see Kansas’ post defense getting measurably better with Maxwell.

The best case for the newest Jayhawk is probably the 20-ish minutes a night that he received at Liberty with a little less production. The All-American’s that roll through town every season means that very few transfers will be primary options on offense.

Make no mistake, even though Maxwell has some limitations, he is perfectly capable of being the next Lucas or Jamari Traylor. He has the frame to bang in the post in the Big 12 and is another quality body to throw on the floor.

Next: 11 transfers off to greener pastures

Even if he’s never a star in Lawrence, Maxwell should have two good seasons in one of America’s best programs.

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