Kansas Basketball: 2023-24 season preview and outlook for the Jayhawks
Starting lineup for Kansas Basketball
Point guard – Dajuan Harris, Jr. (Grad Senior)
Quality guard play is one of the best indicators of postseason success in college basketball. The Jayhawks are one of the favorites to win the national championship, and senior point guard Dajuan Harris, Jr. is one of the biggest reasons why. Harris is the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year after finishing second in the conference in steals, but his offensive contributions are just as important. He led the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio last year, and he’s expected to once again be Kansas’ floor general as they strive for another title.
Shooting guard – Nick Timberlake (Grad Senior)
Hunter Dickinson has received the lion’s share of the media attention among Kansas transfers, but Nick Timberlake is also set to be one of the team’s most important pieces. Grady Dick is now in Toronto after being drafted by the Raptors, but Timberlake is going to get plenty of his minutes due to the similarities in their games. Timberlake scored 17.7 points per game last year on 41.6% shooting from three, and if he can show that he can handle the jump from the CAA to the Big 12, the former Towson Tiger could be Kansas’ X-factor in another deep run.
Small forward – Kevin McCullar, Jr. (Grad Senior)
Every team needs a glue guy, and Kevin McCullar, Jr. is that guy for Kansas. The former Texas Tech Red Raider does it all on both ends of the court for the Jayhawks. Last year he averaged 10.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, and he joined teammate Dajuan Harris, Jr. on the Big 12 All Defensive Team thanks in part to his two steals per game.
Power forward – K.J. Adams, Jr. (Junior)
The Jayhawks were undersized in the front court last year, which forced the 6’7″ Adams to assume the role of center. He acquitted himself well as a rim protector and finisher in the paint, but the addition of 7’1″ Hunter Dickinson to this team should allow Adams to thrive without needing to bang as much against opposing bigs. Adams shot 62.2% from the floor last season, but he will need to develop his jump shot now that he’ll be spending less time down low.
Center – Hunter Dickinson (Grad Senior)
It says a lot about Kansas’ standing in the college basketball world that Hunter Dickinson could have chosen nearly any school to spend his final collegiate season with, and he chose the Jayhawks. The skilled big man led the Wolverines to an Elite Eight appearance in 2021, then followed that up with a Sweet 16 appearance last year as an 11-seed. Dickinson is like a collegiate version of Nikola Jokic, able to direct the offense from the post in a way that few big men can. His ability to fit with Kansas’ existing pieces will ultimately determine if this team can contend for a national championship.