Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White are back in the mix for Kansas, but Bill Self made it clear their late arrival means they won’t jump the line right away.
The two second-year Jayhawks are practicing with the team after winning their respective court battles this fall, and both are set to make their unofficial return Friday night in KU’s exhibition against Pitt State. Still, Self said the players who have been in the building since June will get the first crack when Kansas opens up in Late Night in the Phog and its first exhibition game.
“I’m not going to start either one of [Council or White],” Self said. “They haven’t been here as long as those other guys have, at least at this point.”
That decision comes after a summer and fall in which the rest of the roster kept grinding without them. KU’s other 14 players have been around since the start of June, going through eight weeks of summer workouts before returning for more work in the fall. They also began boot camp before White and Council rejoined the group.
Self said he addressed the whole team about welcoming the two back, and his message was straightforward: if Council and White can help Kansas win, then they belong there.
“If these guys can help us win, why would we want them here? I want them here,” Self explained.
“And if you think that they're a factor [for] you individually, then play better or try harder. But that's not a threat.
You should care enough about the place you're at that you want to be as good as you possibly can be, and so I think these guys do want that.”
He added that the competition for minutes is real for everybody involved.
“I think Melvin and Tre would tell you, 'It's not a clear-cut path for us either.' Because those other guys have worked hard and performed pretty well,” Self said.
The backcourt has been busy all summer, with Taylen Kinney and Leroy Blyden Jr. spending much of that time operating together. Kohl Rosario and Luke Barnett also saw time as two-guards alongside either of them, and Council’s return gives KU another experienced option with high-minute experience.
White brings similar flexibility on the wing, where he can play both the three and the four. Tyran Stokes and Keanu Dawes worked there over the summer, while Rosario and Dennis Parker Jr. are also in the mix at the three.
So while Council and White are back in the program, the early rotation belongs to the group that has been there from the start. And for now, Self is keeping that order intact.
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