Kansas Basketball: Projected starting lineup and depth chart for 2023-24 season
Center
Starter – K.J. Adams Jr. (30 mpg)
K.J. Adams Jr. returns for the Kansas Jayhawks as another full-time starter. He appeared in 36 games, all starts, this past season, finishing with 10.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 1.9 apg on 62.2 percent shooting from the floor. He’s a paint presence that should fare well as the defensive anchor for this squad at the center role.
He’s a bit undersized at 6-foot-7 but his strong frame and the supporting cast around him should help. He’ll make quite the high-low option alongside Hunter Dickinson this season. Last season, he led the team with blocks with 29. Look for that number to rise as their defensive profile as a team grows this year.
Bench – Parker Braun (10 mpg)
Parker Braun emerges as a name that can shore things up at the backup center role. At 6-foot-10, 235 pounds, he’s capable of operating in the painted area as a defensive anchor. He produced 7.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.0 apg and 1.0 bpg on 55.3 percent shooting from the floor in 2022-23. He finished fifth in the WCC this past season in blocks (33) while averaging 1.0 per contest.
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He’s got some SEC experience under his belt as well as WCC experience against bigger opponents in the frontcourt that he can use to his advantage.