Kansas came out of its three-game exhibition slate with a 1-2 record, and Bill Self would be the first to say that number tells only part of the story. Two of those opponents were ranked No. 11 and No. 2 nationally, so it was never going to be a clean, easy read on this group.
What the preseason did make clear is that this is a very different Kansas team from a year ago. Even with Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. arriving late in the offseason, the roster still had the feel of a work in progress.
Add in a class of freshmen and the surprising eligibility mess involving a trio of players, and the growing pains start to make sense. This group simply has not had much time together.
For players like Taylen Kinney, Leroy Blyden Jr., and Keanu Dawes, it had to be jarring to go from expecting starter minutes to watching the depth chart shift on them in late September.
The biggest concern that followed Kansas through the exhibition games was the same one that has haunted plenty of Self teams before: perimeter shooting. There are a few players who can stretch the floor, but not enough of them are dependable outside threats. That weakness showed up again and again, and it is not something that vanished over the course of the week.
That issue was impossible to ignore in Wednesday’s loss to Louisville, when Council and White were the only Jayhawks to score more than 15 points or hit a 3-pointer. Given that neither player joined the program until a few weeks ago, it raises obvious questions about how this roster would function without them. It also leaves Kansas in an uneasy spot, since a court ruling could remove either player’s eligibility at any time.
The frontcourt picture is still cloudy, too. Charleston transfer Christian Reeves appeared to be taking control of the center job, then played only six minutes in the loss to Duke and never returned after the first quarter, even though he gave Kansas a lift on the offensive glass.
Freshman Tyran Stokes also flashed plenty of upside, especially with his playmaking and his ability to get to the line nearly 13 times per game, but there is still work to do. His finishing around the rim and his 3-point accuracy both need attention, and he made just 16.7% of his attempts from deep over the three games.
Purdue transfer Trey Kaufman-Renn never appeared in any of the exhibitions, and that matters. Even if the fit takes time, Kansas is counting on a player who started for a national runner-up in 2024 and averaged more than 20 points per game in the Big Ten to help a frontcourt that looks thin right now.
There were still moments in the preseason that showed why this roster has people interested. Kansas is playing faster than the teams Self has put on the floor in recent years, and it looks most dangerous when it can push the pace and run.
Back-to-back losses in Allen Fieldhouse are going to frustrate fans, but those setbacks may wind up doing more good than harm. As Self likes to say, the best teams do not peak in November if they want to keep getting better.
For now, the only sensible approach is patience. Once Kaufman-Renn is available and the rotation starts to resemble what Kansas will use when it really matters, the picture will get clearer. Until then, this team is still sorting itself out one lineup at a time.
In Other News...
Kansas Faces A Huge Road Test With Bowl Hopes On The Line
Kansas heads into a crucial conference date with TCU carrying the kind of urgency that can define a season in late October. Both teams are sitting at 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Big 12 play, which means the margin for error has almost vanished. The Jayhawks come in off a close win over Baylor, a result that gave them a much-needed lift after a rough stretch and kept bowl eligibility within reach.
TCU has its own questions after a loss to West Virginia and the decision to fire co-offensive coordinator A.J. Ricker, adding another layer of uncertainty to a game that already carries plenty of weight. For Kansas, the road trip is about more than just staying afloat in the Big 12. It is a chance to separate itself from the pack in the standings and make sure the season still has a path forward into November. [Read more 🡒]
Tyran Stokes Is Bringing Kansas The Kind Of Buzz Fans Crave
Kansas basketball is already getting the kind of early buzz that tends to travel fast in Lawrence, and Tyran Stokes is a big reason why. ESPN pegged the freshman at No. 4 in its top 100 college basketball players entering the 2026-27 season, a striking spot for a player who arrives as a consensus No. 1 recruit and the kind of versatile talent fans immediately start circling on the schedule.
Stokes brings the profile Kansas has long valued under Bill Self, with size, athleticism and the ability to impact the game in more than one way. His high school resume and international experience only add to the anticipation, but the real test begins once he makes the jump to Division I and settles into a roster where expectations are always high and every new face is measured against the standard in Allen Fieldhouse. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Heads Into TCU With Fresh Questions In Two Key Spots
Kansas and TCU have already put their first availability reports on the board ahead of Saturdays matchup, and for Kansas the list is enough to complicate a game plan before the teams ever kick off. The Jayhawks are set to be without center Kasen Carpenter, along with several other players, as the Big 12s standardized reporting system continues to give both sides a clearer look at who is likely to be available.
For Kansas, the biggest concern is less about the headline names on the report than what those absences can mean in the trenches and in depth planning going into a road test. TCUs report carries its own intrigue as well, with the Horned Frogs potentially missing leading rusher Jeremy Payne, and the next update will matter plenty for a game where availability could shape everything from the opening snap to the late-game rotation. [Read more 🡒]