NCAA Basketball: Analyzing 2021 4-Star F Arthur Kaluma’s final 8 schools
By Ian Mumm
Kansas Jayhawks
A program immune to regional recruiting powers is the Kansas Jayhawks. Although their 2020 class was barely inside the top-20, their brand is national and draws the interest of elite players at every position. The roster is balanced across the board and was one of the best defensive teams in the nation last season. While the wing depth and production should adequately replace lost talent in 2020, stout defensive performances are not yet a certainty.
The addition of Kaluma would be an immediate upgrade on the defensive end for Bill Self. His ability to guard nearly every position on the court would have a profound impact on the rotation and would bolster turnover production for the Big 12 juggernaut at the power forward position. The Jayhawks were good at protecting the paint and disrupting passing lanes in 2019, as well as contesting shots at a high rate, Kaluma is Self’s ideal defensive addition.
His versatility on the offensive end would likely result in a bigger role as a secondary facilitator towards frontcourt players. The Jayhawks took time last season to find their comfort zone shooting from the perimeter, but their bigs were nearly automatic around the paint. David McCormack and incoming forward Gethro Muscadin and Zach Clemence would likely be huge benefactors of high-post entries to Kaluma.
His own benefit of joining the program would be unpressured offensive development and freedom to become a viable pick-and-pop forward for a program with prime exposure. Kansas offers the best of all worlds for the talented forward if he finds an early chance to crack the rotation.