The Jayhawks endured a rollercoaster last season, beginning with injuries to Darryn Peterson — the one-and-done No. 2 overall NBA draft pick — and continuing right through a lopsided loss to Houston in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals and a second-round ouster by Louisville in the NCAA tourney. But the Jayhawks have reloaded with the nation's No. 1 prep prospect, Tyran Stokes, and fellow star freshman Taylen Kinney to go with transfers Keanu Dawes and Leroy Blyden Jr. The late court decision allowing veterans Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. to return for one more season also gives them some veteran leadership.
The Jayhawks have had their share of one-and-done phenoms: Xavier Henry, Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid and more. But perhaps none has the star power of Stokes, the 6-foot-8 swingman who was the MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic. Most early mock drafts have him going first overall next summer. ... White and Council thought their college careers were over until the courts intervened. White was their second-leading scorer at 13.5 points per game last season while Council averaged 12.7 points and 5.1 assists.
The Jayhawks expected to lose Peterson to the NBA draft, but Flory Bidunga's decision to transfer to Louisville left a gaping hole in the post. He was one of the nation's best defensive players last season. Another big man, Bryson Tiller, headed across the state line to play for rival Missouri. ... Dawes is familiar with the Big 12 after averaging 12.5 points and 8.8 rebounds for Utah last season, Blyden averaged 16.4 points for Toledo, and 7-foot-2 Chattanooga transfer Christian Reeves is an intriguing post prospect.
Kansas plays Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Nov. 10, then welcomes Villanova to Allen Fieldhouse a couple of weeks later. The non-conference schedule also includes a matchup with Missouri, a trip to UConn and a game against Ohio State to go with a trip to the Players Era in Las Vegas, where the Jayhawks open with UNLV and could face Florida or Houston should they reach the finals. The Big 12 schedule is stacked, as usual.
Kansas has not made it through the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since winning it all in 2022. That also was the last year that the Jayhawks were Big 12 tourney champions. ... Kansas has not won the regular-season Big 12 title since 2023. ... Stokes is the fourth consensus No. 1 national recruit to play for Bill Self at Kansas, joining Peterson, Wiggins and Josh Jackson. ... Self is entering his 34th season overall with an 840-272 record. His 840 wins are third on the NCAA active list and 15th all-time entering this season.
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