Kansas Basketball: 2019-20 season review of the Jayhawks

Prospects for next season

It’s not hard to fathom the possibility of the Jayhawks sliding back a bit in 2020-21. That’s not a knock on Kansas. It’s an observation on how awesome the Jayhawks executed in 2019-20, and what the roster will comprise for Self & Co.

First and foremost, Azubuike will graduate, and trying to replace him is a difficult task, to say the least. Dotson will assuredly go through the NBA Draft process. If he bolts Kansas permanently, the Jayhawks will have seen two All-Americans vanish from their line-up. Not entirely shocking, but still a huge void to replenish.

Other than that duo, forward Mitch Lightfoot and guard Isaiah Moss are seniors in 2019-20, although Lightfoot redshirted and has one year of eligibility left.

Garrett, Agbaji and sophomore forward David McCormack are poised for more prominent roles. Freshman guard Christian Braun and freshman wing Tristan Enaruna will likely witness their minutes increase, and their development is pivotal to Kansas’ prosperity in 2020-21.

At this juncture, the Jayhawks are welcoming in a four-member 2020 recruiting class that analysts peg overall as a top-20 group. Spearheading the Kansas class is five-star Bryce Thompson, a top-five combo guard, and elite junior-college transfer Tyon Grant-Foster.

Newbies Thompson and Grant-Foster could definitely get some action, but the growth of current players such as Braun, Enaruna and McCormack will more accurately dictate where the Jayhawks settle on the national stage in 2020-21.

With Azubuike gone and potentially Dotson as well, the primary concern for Kansas concentrates on scoring and who the go-to guy is. The Jayhawks maintain a lot of nice pieces, but how they fit together in the larger puzzle remains unclear.

If Dotson doesn’t return, Kansas should still commence 2020-21 as a pre-season top-10 or top-15 team. The Jayhawks will seriously contend for Big 12 championships and a deep run in March Madness.

What Kansas accomplished in the most-recent term is phenomenal. The Jayhawks aren’t going to replicate that in 2020-21, because of the presumed roster changes. However, a special season is absolutely feasible for Kansas. The expectations, appropriately, just aren’t quite as elevated.