NCAA Basketball: Top 25 frontcourts for 2020-21 season

The Jayhawks are entering the 2020 season without their top player from last season. Udoka Azubuike was the ultimate big for Kansas, recording a double-double season average of 13.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Points alone cannot tell the story of how efficient he was during his time on campus.

Azubuike led the country in two of the last three seasons in field goal % helping to limit wasted possessions. His 2.6 blocks per game last season also cannot underscore the impact he had on the other side of the court and pushing Kansas to 4th best defensive rating nationally.

Now Bill Self is bringing in an unproven, albeit talented, group of frontcourt players to keep the team’s outlook elevated. Since Azubuike dominated the rotational minutes at the position, sophomore David McCormack’s impact was not felt as heavily. He wasn’t as efficient as a scorer, but McCormack showed he can produce the same level of stat lines given more minutes.

Now a junior, he will be the leading frontcourt option Coach Self will count on to anchor the paint. McCormack does provide a bit more offensive versatility for Self to utilize, as he shot nearly 50% from the midrange.

Silvio de Sousa is entering his senior season and is finally hoping to breakout with Kansas. After clearance from the NCAA, de Sousa didn’t see a lot of time on the court. However, he pulled down rebounds at a high rate and could be very useful on the 2020 squad. This year’s squad could lend itself to more of a timeshare among the bigs offering de Sousa a chance to significantly improve on his usage and production.

Freshman Gethro Muscadin was a rapid riser in the rankings prior to his commitment to Kansas. He and freshman Jalen Wilson, who received a medical redshirt after last season, will look to provide solid and youthful depth off the bench. After Self’s comments regarding the likely usage of one-big lineups again this season, Wilson has an opportunity to find himself on the floor early this year.

Likewise, Muscadin may find himself looking at an uphill climb to be the primary backup for McCormack unless de Sousa is not up for the task. Senior forward Mitch Lightfoot is also back on the active roster, after being redshirted in 2019. Lightfoot isn’t a scoring machine, but he is a glue guy that will be very important in a year of transitioning leadership.