Kansas has a real chance to feel better about its power forward spot this season, and Keanu Dawes is the reason why.
The Jayhawks went into the NCAA Transfer Portal to solve what was still a work in progress after last season, when freshman Bryson Tiller had his moments but also left plenty to be desired. Tiller wasn’t interested in waiting around for the position to reach its highest level, so Kansas turned to a senior with a far more established track record.
Dawes arrives after being ranked as the nation’s 55th-best prospect in the previous portal cycle, and the numbers explain why he drew that kind of attention. He finished the 2025-26 season at 12.5 points per game, 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists, production that gives Kansas a steady presence on both ends.
There was also real scoring pop in his game. Dawes topped 20 points three times last season, including in a matchup against the Jayhawks. When Utah came to Lawrence in a game Kansas won 71-59, Dawes put up 22 points and 12 rebounds against KU.
Still, his most valuable trait may not be the box-score burst. Dawes was 12th nationally in defensive rebounds per game at 6.81, and that fits neatly with what Kansas already did well. The Jayhawks averaged 27.1 defensive rebounds per game last season, good for fifth in the nation in 2025-26, and Dawes should help keep that strength intact.
He also brings something Kansas could really use: experience. Dawes is the only player on the roster with starting experience at another Big 12 school, and that kind of background matters when a team is trying to stabilize a spot.
Behind him, the obvious next man up is Davion Adkins. The true freshman enters Kansas as the nation’s No. 76 prospect in the class of 2026, and former Kansas assistant Norm Roberts was effusive about his upside earlier this offseason on The Field of 68.
“He is a typical Kansas forward that we would take, and we would say, ‘watch, by the end of his Sophomore year, he's a heck of a player,’ and he’s a junior and he's a really good player. That's what he's going to be because he's got great upside.”
Adkins does come with one obvious wrinkle: he is 6-foot-10, which could make him a little oversized for the power forward role. That means the defensive side of the floor will be especially important. Against quicker, shorter conference forwards who can get downhill or react fast around the basket, Adkins may have to learn on the fly.
Even with that concern, the overall picture is encouraging. Kansas has done a strong job of making sure the roster’s talent isn’t concentrated only in the starting five, and the power forward spot is a good example.
Dawes doesn’t project as an All-American, but his floor is high, and his skill set looks like a strong fit for this offense. With Adkins waiting in support, this group grades out at an A.
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For the Jayhawks, the visit is another chance to get in front of a player who already carries national attention and fits the kind of perimeter target they tend to monitor closely. McDaniel is ranked No. 96 overall and No. 15 among shooting guards in the 2027 class by 247Sports, and Kansas will not be alone in trying to make an impression as the Big 12 programs circle. [Read more 🡒]