National opinion on Kansas basketball is all over the map heading into the 2026-27 season, and that uncertainty showed up again in ESPN’s latest preseason look.
Jeff Borzello placed the Jayhawks at No. 23 in his July way-too-early rankings, slotting them just inside the top 25. The ranking comes with plenty of skepticism around Bill Self’s group, especially after Kansas has gone out in the NCAA Tournament in the first weekend four straight times. This version of the roster is also a complete overhaul, with all five starters from last season gone, including freshman standout Darryn Peterson.
The biggest reason Kansas still cracked Borzello’s list is Tyran Stokes, and he didn’t hold back on the freshman’s upside. “Stokes is expected to make the biggest impact of any incoming freshman in college basketball,” Borzello wrote.
“The No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class and the projected No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft, he's a nightmare to stop with the ball in his hands. He's strong, he's physical, he's a menace in transition, he has great positional size -- and he creates matchup problems because of his point-forward and playmaking ability.
Coach Bill Self will give him every chance to carry the Kansas offense.”
Borzello’s breakdown centers more on Stokes than on the rest of the roster, which leaves the real question hanging over Kansas: who else is ready to produce around him? In his projected starting five, Borzello has guards Leroy Blyden Jr. and Taylen Kinney joining Stokes, along with Utah transfer Keanu Dawes and former Charleston center Christian Reeves. He also noted that wings Kohl Rosario and Dennis Parker Jr. could push for starting jobs, though they look more like bench pieces right now.
One wrinkle: Borzello’s rankings came out before Kansas added Serbian center Mihailo Mušikić. If Mušikić gets his NCAA eligibility waiver approved and is cleared to play this season, he could alter the lineup and bring a needed veteran presence to the frontcourt.
Kansas is one of four Big 12 teams in Borzello’s top 25, and the Jayhawks check in second-lowest among that group, ahead of only Iowa State. Last season, Kansas finished third in the Big 12 at 12-6 and went 24-11 overall.
With so much roster churn year after year, the hard part now is figuring out how quickly this team can click. Whether Stokes and the new cast can finally push Kansas past that first-weekend wall is the question hanging over the season.
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