Kansas is still months away from opening the regular season, but Bill Self already sees the outline of a different offense forming in Lawrence.
The Jayhawks are turning over their entire starting five from last season, yet Self said Wednesday that the group has begun to settle into a style built on sharing the ball, spacing the floor and leaning into perimeter shooting. He made clear the roster is far from complete in its development - “nowhere close” was his phrase - but he also said the summer has brought real progress from a team with only two returning scholarship players.
“I think we've had some individuals progress and even more importantly, I think we've kind of learned that there's a way that we should play offensively to give us the best chance and I think the guys have all bought into that.”
That buy-in matters because Self expects this team to look different from last year’s version of Kansas. Instead of depending so heavily on one primary scorer, he believes the Jayhawks can spread the load around.
“Last year, I actually believe from a scoring standpoint, you had a first and next second option in one guy. This year, I think we'll be more balanced without question. I also think we have a collective group of better and willing passers.”
One player who has fueled that optimism is freshman Tyran Stokes. Self didn’t hold back when talking about what Stokes has shown.
“He's about as good a passer I've ever been around,” Self said.
Stokes arrived in Lawrence with plenty of hype as one of the nation’s top recruits, but Self said two parts of his game have jumped out even more than expected. One is the shooting touch.
“He can shoot the basketball. I mean, if that's a weakness, we're going to be in pretty good business. ...
The other thing, he's an elite passer. He's got great vision to the point where he should probably shoot more at times, but he's a pass-first guy.”
Kansas has also impressed Self from the outside. He said the Jayhawks shot better than he anticipated during summer workouts, with several players showing they can really stroke it from the perimeter.
“We shot it a lot better this summer than what I probably even projected going into the summer. We've had some guys shoot the ball really well.”
Among the biggest surprises, Self pointed to Luke Barnett.
“Maybe the nicest surprise we've had so far has been Luke Barnett. He hadn't been good. He's been terrific.”
The roster is still taking shape, but the early picture is clear enough for Self: this Kansas offense is trending toward balance, ball movement and unselfish play instead of a system built around one star carrying the load.
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For Kansas fans, Dawsons name is a reminder of how quickly the transfer-era timeline can change. He spent one season in Lawrence after arriving in the spring of 2025, then dealt with a late-November wrist injury before eventually entering the portal with no eligibility left, and now his case is part of a larger push led by attorney Andrew G. Pinto that argues the new rule should apply to players whose college careers are already over or still in motion. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Self Still Has One Big Kansas Frontcourt Concern
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Self also left the door open to adding another frontcourt piece if the right fit becomes available, a sign that Kansas is not treating depth as a finished product just yet. The next clues will come during the Jayhawks three October exhibition games, which should give a better sense of how the interior rotation is taking shape and whether the roster has enough size to hold up. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas 2026 Season Already Feels Bigger Than Just Another Title Run
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The schedule, though, is hardly built for easing into anything. Before Big 12 play even begins, Kansas is lined up for a string of heavyweight tests against Kentucky, Villanova, Missouri, UConn and Ohio State, plus an exhibition against Duke that will draw attention in its own right. Add in the broader sense that every Kansas season now comes with questions about Bill Selfs future, and this already feels like more than a standard title defense - it feels like a year that could say a lot about where the program is headed next. [Read more 🡒]