Bill Self has spent more than two decades in Lawrence maintaining Kansas’s role as a national contender, but things haven’t quite been the same in recent years. Yes, the Jayhawks cut down the nets as NCAA Tournament champions just three years ago in 2022, but their long streak of Big 12 championships is now just a memory. In fact, last year’s team finished just 6th place in the conference and didn’t win a Tournament game, one season after tying for 5th.
If you want to blame the makeup of last season’s roster then there’s good news for you as nearly everyone is gone. Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris Jr. both saw their eligibility expire after fantastic careers while major pieces like Rylan Griffen, Zeke Mayo, and AJ Storr found new homes through the transfer portal. After making decent strides as a true freshman, Flory Bidunga is the major returning piece and you can expect a major role for him in the frontcourt.
Obviously, Kansas remains an impressive Blue Blood program with a talented coaching staff, and both the recruiting and transfer classes reflect this. Not only did the Jayhawks land Darryn Peterson, one of the nation’s top prospects, but three very talented additions to the backcourt. First, they’ll add former Loyola Chicago guard Jayden Dawson into the mix, hoping he can continue what’s been a budding career for the Ramblers. There’s also Tre White, the former USC, Louisville, and Illinois weapon who should see a starting role.
In regards of importance, we’re looking squarely at Melvin Council Jr. heading into next season. A 6-4 guard out of Rochester, New York, Council went the JUCO route at Monroe College before standing out at Wagner and St. Bonaventure for a season apiece. After earning First Team All-NEC honors with the Seahawks, Council would put up 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while becoming a major playmaker and stat stuffer for the Bonnies.
Council is a combo guard who can do a lot of things on the court for the Jayhawks, though his long-range shot just hasn’t come together yet. He’ll spend some time running the point and contributing on both sides of the ball having just led the A-10 in steals last season. He’s an intriguing new piece that Kansas hopes can smoothly adjust from that level to the Big 12 as they’ll be leaning heavily on him in this new-look lineup.
There’s plenty of youth and new faces and Council needs to be a veteran leader for this squad. If he can take a step forward as a shooter and be an even more complete player then the Jayhawks may have grabbed one of the steals of the transfer portal. Even short of that, Council bringing experience and making the players around him better would go a long way, giving great talent like Peterson and White the ability to shine. It’s a different vibe in Lawrence but can it be one that wins a Big 12 title again?