Kansas coach Bill Self didn’t hide what he likes most about his rebuilt 2026 roster: balance.
After a 2025-26 season that ended at 24-11 and never quite found its footing, Self said Wednesday that this group should look different in the ways that mattered most last year. Kansas finished with the nation’s 161st-ranked offense at 75.1 points per game, while the defense held up better at 69.1 points allowed per game, good for No.
- The bigger issue was that the Jayhawks never fully clicked.
“You know, this year, I think, we'll be more balanced [at scoring] without question. I also think we have a collective group of better and willing passers, you know, and, of course Tyran’s a key to that.”
That kind of optimism carries weight considering how much turnover Self had to manage. After the season, Flory Bidunga, Bryson Tiller, Elmarko Jackson, Jamari McDowell, Samis Calderon, Jayden Dawson and Corbin Allen all entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. Add in the departures of Tre White, Melvin Council Jr. and Darryn Peterson, and only Paul Mbiya and Kohl Rosario remained from last year’s roster.
Self rebuilt quickly, leaning on the portal again to bring in sophomore point guard Leory Blyden Jr., senior small forward Dennis Parker Jr., senior power forward Keanu Dawes and senior center Christian Reeves.
He also added a major high school class, headlined by the nation’s No. 1 player, small forward Tyran Stokes, along with the nation’s No. 20 prospect Taylen Kinney, 4-star center Christian Reeves, 4-star wing Trent Perry, 4-star shooting guard Luke Barnett and depth pieces Grant Mordnini and Atticus Richmond.
The scoring imbalance from last season was hard to miss. Darryn Peterson was the only Jayhawk to average more than 15 points per game, finishing at 20.3. White and Bidunga followed at 13.5 and 13.3 points per game, respectively.
Kansas also struggled to create for others. Council was the only player to average more than two assists per game, leading the team at 5.1. White and Peterson were next at 1.8 and 1.6 assists per game, and as a team the Jayhawks ranked 150th with 13.9 assists per game.
For a roster loaded with talent, the fit never fully came together. Self believes the new version is built to correct that.
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