Kansas Basketball: Jayhawks' nearly-perfect offseason makes them '24-25 title contenders
Self put on a masterclass in the portal
Replacing Mccullar, Jr., Timberlake, and Patrick Braun with Bidunga and Passmore doesn't do much to fix the Jayhawks' depth issues. So Self and his staff hit the transfer portal, reached into the grab bag, and pulled out three straight gems. They have added Rylan Griffen, Zeke Mayo, and AJ Storr, which solves any depth issues in a big way.
Storr was a bit of a surprise add to the portal somewhat late in the process, and Kansas wasted little time in adding Wisconsin's leading scorer. The sophomore had a breakout season in good only year in Madison after transferring from St. John's. He averaged just under 17 points and four rebounds for the Badgers. He shined in Wisconsin's run to the Big Ten title game averaging 22 points of boards. Adding Storr to the offensive weapons already on the roster will make them extremely difficult to defend.
Self wasn't done with the offense either, he was determined to make sure depth and scoring wouldn't be a problem this season. AJ Storr, check. How about we grab Summit League Player of the Year Zeke Mayo for fun? The three-year starter for the Jackrabbits returns home to Lawrence for his senior season after his Player of the Year campaign. Mayo was extremely efficient last year averaging 18.8 points, 5.7 boards, and 3.5 assists while shooting 46% from the field, 39% from deep, and 83% from the charity stripe. He should be able to fill the Mccullar role in Self's offense quite well.
To finish off their portal additions Kansas has added Rylan Griffen from Alabama. He's another lengthy piece in the Jayhawks' backcourt who came into his own last season for the Crimson Tide averaging 11 points per game and shooting 39% from deep. Griffen is a perfect piece as an outside complement to the Kansas forwards that should allow them more space on the inside as defenders have to respect Griffen's three-point prowess.
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As we head into June and July, those fervent expectations in Lawrence should continue to climb given the work that has been done. As of right now, Kansas could enter the season as the No. 1 team in the country.