Kansas may need experience, but Trey Kaufman-Renn might not be the clean answer
Kansas’ roster still has a clear age problem, and that part is hard to argue with. Heading into next season, the Jayhawks’ most experienced Big 12 player is Utah transfer Keanu Dawes, even though Dawes has only one season of starts under his belt.
Beyond him, only Christian Reeves and Dennis Parker Jr. really qualify as upperclassmen who are expected to play meaningful minutes. Paul Mbiya is technically listed as a junior, but his second year in college basketball comes only because his eligibility changed under the new age-based ruling system.
That backdrop is why head coach Bill Self has plenty of reason to keep searching for another piece. Trey Kaufman-Renn has been floated as a possible fit, and earlier this month CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno made the case that Kansas could use him because the Jayhawks are bringing in five-star freshman Tyran Stokes but still lack experience inside.
As Salerno put it, “... The Jayhawks are welcoming in five-star freshman Tyran Stokes to the program but lack experience down low.
Kansas is projected to start Christian Reeves (19 career starts) and Paul Mbiya (21 career games) in the frontcourt.”
Kaufman-Renn brings real production to the table. At Purdue last season, he averaged 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, and he has played in 147 career games.
Salerno also noted, “Reeves, who transferred in from Charleston this offseason, underwent shoulder surgery earlier this offseason and missed some summer workouts at Kansas as he recovered. Kaufman-Renn has appeared in 147 games (112 starts) and would be far and away Kansas' most experienced player .”
But the eligibility situation around Kaufman-Renn is still messy. He was granted a temporary restraining order by Clark County in Indiana on Wednesday, which gives him another year of eligibility for now.
He still needs a preliminary injunction later to lock that in. And because the Big 12 has already decided to ban all professional players from returning to college, any serious move by Kansas would likely invite lawsuits against the league and add another layer to an already tangled situation.
The bigger question is whether Kaufman-Renn is actually what Kansas needs. Last season, the Jayhawks’ campaign unraveled because of a lack of depth, aside from the Darryn Peterson cramping situation.
If Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White were both off for even one game, Kansas slipped. This roster is still raw, but it does have depth.
Self has praised the summer progress from Mbiya, and Reeves is unlikely to be an all-conference type, but that spot still has depth behind it. At power forward, though, the picture is different. Kaufman-Renn is clearly the better player than Dawes, but the depth behind Dawes is where Kansas’ real issue begins.
In Other News...
Kansas Offense Is Bringing New Pressure To The Border Showdown
Andy Kotelnicki is back on Kansas staff as associate head coach and offensive play caller, a move that gives Lance Leipold another familiar piece as the Jayhawks prepare for a rivalry matchup with Missouri. Kotelnicki and Leipold already know how to work together, and his return brings a coordinator with a reputation for clean structure and a clear offensive identity back into the fold at just the right time.
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz gave Kotelnicki a notable public nod this week, praising the way he organizes an offense and builds its scheme. For Kansas, that kind of respect from the other sideline only adds to the intrigue around what the Jayhawks are bringing into the border showdown, especially with a play caller whose approach has clearly earned attention well beyond Lawrence. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Heads Into Missouri With Two Starter Questions It Can't Ignore
The run-up to Friday nights Border War has already been complicated for Kansas, with the Jayhawks facing a pair of starter questions as they prepare to visit Missouri. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on FOX, and the lineup uncertainty starts on defense, where linebacker Bam Crouch is listed as doubtful after getting hurt last week.
The concern does not stop there. Wide receiver Cam Pickett is also a game-time decision because of a leg injury, putting his availability in limbo for a second straight game and leaving Kansas to sort through two important spots before it ever takes the field in Columbia. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Still Doesn't Know If Melvin Council Will Suit Up
Melvin Council Jr.s push to get on the floor at Kansas took another step in court this week, but it still leaves the Jayhawks waiting on clarity. Judge Daniel J. Doyle signed an order to show cause requiring the NCAA to explain why Council should not receive an injunction that would make him eligible to play college basketball, a significant development for a player hoping to gain a sixth season based on the years he spent in junior college.
For Kansas, the timing is still the problem. Councils enrollment status at the university remains unclear, and the next hearing is set for Sept. 23, after the Jayhawks current late-enrollment deadline has already passed. So even with the case moving forward, there is still no answer on whether Council will suit up, leaving his status in limbo as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]