Tre White has surfaced as a possible Kansas basketball option, but his fit in Lawrence would come with some real lineup gymnastics.
White is one of 89 plaintiffs in an Indiana lawsuit seeking a temporary injunction as student-athletes try to secure a fifth year of eligibility under the NCAA’s new 5-in-5 rule. If he gets the TRO and the Big 12 allows him to play, Kansas would have a familiar face to lean on - though the roster puzzle would still be far from solved.
That’s because the Jayhawks already have key spots spoken for. Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 overall recruit, is expected to handle one of the forward spots, while Utah transfer Keanu Dawes is penciled in at the other. Both are viewed as two of Kansas’ top three offensive pieces, which makes it difficult to see where White slides in cleanly.
The most likely answer is that White would have to operate as a bigger shooting guard in an off-ball role. That would also shift more point guard responsibilities onto Stokes than originally expected.
And if White starts, Kansas would likely have only one true point guard on the floor at a time, whether that’s Leroy Blyden Jr. or Taylen Kinney. Using Dawes as a small-ball five is another option, but it doesn’t look like the best one given his 6-foot-9, 225-pound frame.
Even with the fit questions, White would bring immediate value. His lone season in Lawrence was a productive one, as he posted career highs with 13.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 45.0% from the field. He was especially useful from deep, knocking down 40.3% of his threes.
That kind of wing production doesn’t grow on trees this late in the offseason. White would give Kansas defense, shooting and experience all in one package. The problem is that the Jayhawks still have bigger needs elsewhere, especially in the frontcourt.
Christian Reeves is still working back from offseason labrum surgery, leaving the big man situation unsettled. Kansas also needs another ball handler or a center who can challenge Reeves and Paul Mbiya for minutes. White helps, but he doesn’t solve that issue on his own.
So if White does get the green light, Kansas should absolutely take him. The catch is that the Jayhawks would still need more help, ideally another lead guard or a center. With only about a month and a half before the regular season, that kind of double addition looks like a long shot.
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