Kansas Basketball: Jayhawks land a hidden gem pickup in Johnny Furphy

With some open roster spots available, Kansas Basketball swung for the fences in August, landing Australian forward Johnny Furphy.

When top-100 freshman wing Marcus Adams Jr. elected to transfer out of the program in the middle of the offseason, Kansas Basketball was left with just nine scholarship players on the roster for the 2023-24 campaign. And that’s because forward Zach Clemence is set to sit out and redshirt.

So without any depth, the Jayhawks, which have plenty of talent overall, are an injury or two away from being in bad shape. But the Big 12 program was able to find a potential hidden gem from overseas in early August.

Johnny Furphy is a 6’7 wing out of Australia and was a standout in this Summer’s NBA Academy Games. He’s an elite shooter and capable overall scorer, using his all-around skill to be an effective offensive player. He was originally a class of 2024 prospect but the combination of teams needed roster depth and his blowout this Summer allowed him to not only reclassify but also play for a blue blood program.

Furphy will be considered an upgrade over Adams when it comes to freshmen that can provide an impact. He’ll be the backup to starting wing Kevin McCullar Jr., as well as starting power forward, KJ Adams. There’s truly no depth at the forward positions so the Jayhawks can give him minutes at both spots and improve the shooting and spacing on the floor.

Assuming that Furphy is able to play at the Big 12 level, he’d be a great fit next to star center transfer, Hunter Dickinson. And once McCullar is gone after next season, the Aussie wing can be the starter and potential national breakout candidate as well. It’s a move with no risk and a ton of upside, allowing Kansas to once again make a run at national contention in the years ahead.