After a 2023-24 season filled with depth and injury issues, Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self said that would never happen again.
Well, he’s put together a roster that doesn’t appear as if will have either of those issues in the 2024-25 season.
Kansas went 23-11 last season and finished an uncharacteristic tied for fifth in the league standings. The Jayhawks got to the second round of the NCAA Tournament but bowed out.
After that, Self and his staff went to work. They signed a stellar transfer class, even plucking one of the top remaining talents in the summer. They brought in another great recruiting class. And, it all convinced center Hunter Dickinson to stay in school one more year.
This may be the most talented Kansas team in recent memory. Self is out for more than just a cursory NCAA Tournament appearance.
Here’s a preview of the Iowa State Cyclones’ upcoming season.
Odds
BetOnline’s opening odds gave the Jayhawks +1600 odds to win the national title. The Big 12 coaches picked Kansas to win the conference. The Jayhawks was ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason Top 25.
Three Players to Watch
C Hunter Dickinson: The 7-footer is a match-up problem whether he’s in the paint or on the perimeter. The way this team is configured he should be in the paint more often, and that’s good news for Kansas. Last year’s Big 12 Newcomer of the Year was a second-team consensus All-American and has 2,208 career points, 1,148 career rebounds and 196 career blocked shots.
G A.J. Storr: Among the transfers Kansas brought it was Wisconsin’s top player last season. Storr was named All-Big Ten Second Team, led the Badgers with 16.8 points per game and earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. He’s an instant starter for the Jayhawks.
G Dajuan Harris Jr.: Harris is the guy that makes all of this work. An astute point guard that can facilitate and defend, his shooting touch has gotten better every season and he’s now a dangerous 3-point shooter. The 2023 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year has earned defensive honors in the conference three times.
Biggest Strength
Scoring. Self likes scorers and he has tons of it. The three players highlighted all averaged double figures a season ago. Kansas wanted to get better in one area and that was 3-point shooting. The Jayhawks accomplished that by bringing in two transfers that shot nearly 40% from the arc last season — South Dakota State’s Zeke Mayo (18.8 ppg) and Alabama’s Rylan Griffen (11.2 ppg). Two late transfers include guard David Coit from Northern Illinois, who averaged 3.5 3-pointers per game with the Huskies, and Shakeel Moore, who scored more than 1,000 points and is considered an elite defender.
Biggest Weakness
Backup center. When Dickinson isn’t playing, the Jayhawks are likely to go to the smaller KJ Adams, who has proven he can be a mobile center and give Kansas scoring and rebounding. But Kansas doesn’t want to put Adams in a position to do that for multiple games if Dickinson gets hurt. The development of Zach Clemence — who at one time almost transferred away from Kansas but returned and redshirted — is key. The 6-11 forward is the right height and skill set to back up Dickinson. Deploying him allows Adams to play his true power forward position. That’s key given how guard-dominated the Jayhawks are this season.
Season Prediction
This team is loaded — on paper. The Jayhawks looked loaded last year — on paper. Injuries got to Kansas last season, as did late defections that left them with three open scholarships and nothing to do with them. Now? Every scholarship is filled, the Jayhawks are brimming with experienced offensive talent and multiple all-conference performers all over the roster. This team “should” win the Big 12 and made a big run in March Madness. We’re projecting 24-27 wins before the Big 12 Tournament.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
