Bill Self didn’t need long to spot the difference between Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. in Kansas’ preseason opener.
Both players were back in Jayhawk uniforms for the first time Friday against Pittsburg State, and both came off the bench after unusual eligibility situations kept them from being obvious lock-in starters right away. But White looked much closer to game speed than Council did, and the box score backed that up.
White led Kansas with 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting and added eight rebounds in 18 minutes. He played with more polish and composure than he showed last season, looking like a player who had spent the summer in real professional environments.
Council logged more court time at 22 minutes, but his line was quieter: four points, three assists and a 2-for-7 shooting night. Self said the gap was easy to see.
"He shot it great, and I don't know how he looked to you guys, but he looks like he's a couple years older out there," Self said. "I think he looked great.
Now, Melvin didn't, but Melvin hasn't been playing. Melvin's been in the gym shooting on his own and that stuff.
So, that's why I wanted to play him more, just so he could get a feel for playing, because he hasn't had the opportunity to be with the Heat or whatever and getting all those reps."
White’s offseason was shaped by a run with the Miami Heat in NBA Summer League, where he averaged 17.3 points and 5.8 rebounds over four games after going undrafted in June. He stayed around the organization afterward, and there was talk that he could land a two-way or G League deal. He also kept working with members of the Heat before joining the Indiana court lawsuit in September in hopes of securing more eligibility.
Council’s path was different. He spent time in the summer league with the New Orleans Pelicans, but he didn’t get the same extended run of professional team work afterward. Self said Council spent much of that stretch training on his own, getting shots up and handling individual work instead of jumping into organized team settings.
The encouraging part for Kansas is that both players already know the system. They started all 35 games last season, so the learning curve shouldn’t be steep. Even so, White’s first step back suggested he may be ready to slide into a larger role quicker than Council, especially with Leroy Blyden Jr. and Taylen Kinney also fighting for backcourt minutes.
And there’s another name now in the mix. Former Purdue standout Trey Kaufman-Renn joined the Jayhawks over the weekend and will play this year, assuming no issues come up with his eligibility. Kansas’ exhibition against Louisville in Allen Fieldhouse tomorrow should offer a much clearer read on where White, Council and Kaufman-Renn stand as the regular season nears.
In Other News...
Kansas Gets An Early Reality Check From National Voters
Kansas preseason outlook came with a little public humility on Monday, as the Jayhawks landed outside the top tier in the AP Top 25 and settled into a spot that reflects both respect for the program and a reminder of how much work is ahead. The season will begin with an immediate test at Allen Fieldhouse, where Kansas is set to play exhibition games against ranked Louisville and Duke, a fitting early gauge for a roster trying to find its footing before the games start to count.
The challenge does not stop there. Kansas is scheduled to face 10 teams ranked in the preseason top 25 during the season, so the Jayhawks will not have to wait long to find out where they stand nationally. One wrinkle in all of that: former Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn joined the roster after the preseason voting had already wrapped, leaving the poll as only part of the picture for a team that may look a little different once the real evaluation begins. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Enters Media Days With One Roster Question Fans Can't Ignore
Bill Self heads to Big 12 Conference media days with a roster that already looks very different from the one Kansas fans watched last season. Keanu Dawes, Kohl Rosario and Tyran Stokes are set to join him, while the Jayhawks have also added fifth-year forward Trey Kaufman-Renn through the transfer portal and brought in senior guards Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White as part of a revamped mix of experience and upside.
The big question now is how all of that comes together once the spotlight turns from summer movement to actual rotation decisions. Stokes will draw plenty of attention as one of the faces of the group, but the real intrigue for Kansas is how quickly the newcomers settle in and which pieces Self can trust when the season starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Has Early Bulletin Board Material With This Preseason Ranking
Kansas opened the preseason at No. 17 in the Associated Press Top 25, a ranking that extends its streak of being included in the poll to 35 straight years. For a program that has spent so much of the modern era carrying national expectations, it is a reminder that even in a year of transition, the Jayhawks are still viewed as a relevant piece of the national picture, with top recruit Tyran Stokes joining a roster that also brings back experienced help.
The placement gives Kansas a little extra motivational fuel, especially with Michigan sitting ahead of it and Iowa State tucked just behind. Bill Selfs team is expected to be in the thick of the Big 12 race and will have to navigate a demanding nonconference slate as well, which means the early ranking is less a reward than a challenge. The Jayhawks have been in this spot before, and now they get to spend the fall trying to prove the voters were a little too cautious. [Read more 🡒]