Kansas Basketball: Jack Whitman leaving hurts Jayhawks

Kansas basketball will feature a few new faces in 2017-2018. Expected contributor Jack Whitman will not be among them. Where does KU go from here?

Kansas basketball was already in an interesting place coming into 2017-2018. The Jayhawks graduated several quality players but had a light incoming class with just two freshmen and a graduate transfer in Jack Whitman.

Whitman, formerly of William & Mary, could have been a big part of KU’s effort to stay atop the Big 12, but news broke yesterday that the 6’9″, 235-pound forward was leaving the program.

This puts Kansas in a real bind near the hoop. The Jayhawks will have just three traditional posts on scholarship with sophomores Udoka Azubuike and Mitch Lightfoot, as well as true freshman Billy Preston.

Whitman likely would not have been a huge part of the scoring, but the former Tribe forward did average a solid 10.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks for W&M last season. He would have had far more experience than the returning Kansas bigs; Azubuike played in just 11 games before an injury sidelined him and Lightfoot played more than eight minutes just once last year.

Both get thrown into the fire early this upcoming fall. Freshman Preston could also play a lot as well as Svi Mykhailiuk. Mykhailiuk is a unique part of KU’s front court for the season as he stands 6’8″ but does most of his damage from the perimeter.

Look for Kansas to go small and fast in the absence of any experienced, traditional big men. Coach Bill Self will likely turn the keys over to Devonte Graham and LaGerald Vick, letting them just create offense. The Jayhawks will also have two high-major transfers and a top freshman available to push the tempo in small-ball fashion.

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Kansas will have just nine eligible players for much of this year after Whitman’s departure. They could still pick up a depth piece off their barren transfer, but don’t expect any knockouts at this point. The Jayhawks will be extremely thin up without Whitman.