Kansas may have gotten a late offseason break that could put Tre White back in play for the Jayhawks.
On Wednesday morning, the former KU forward was among the plaintiffs granted a preliminary injunction in a Monroe County, Indiana, court case. For now, that makes White eligible to play while the lawsuit works its way through the courts, and it gives him the option to pick a school for this season.
A huge chunk of basketball players seeking a fifth year just received a preliminary junction in Indiana state court.Among them: Malik Reneau, Tamin Lipsey, Sam Alexis, Tre White, Elijah Mahi, Riley Kugel, Kenyon Giles, Nik Graves, Jayden Dawson, Justin Abson, Andrew Rohde. pic.twitter.com/pl3umv7Qan
The ruling does not settle the broader eligibility fight, but it does temporarily clear the path for White to compete. That alone is a major turn for a player whose next move had been up in the air.
White spent his senior season in Lawrence and made the most of it, posting career highs of 13.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He started every one of Kansas’ 35 games for Bill Self and, if he returns, would likely slide right back into the starting lineup.
His path had looked professional after he went unselected in the 2026 NBA Draft and then turned in a strong NBA Summer League showing with the Miami Heat. Across four games, White averaged 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He could have gone the two-way or G League route, but instead he joined the Indiana lawsuit earlier this month as part of the push to qualify under the NCAA’s new five-in-five rule that some Class of 2022 players are pursuing.
If White does come back, Kansas would have to sort out the rotation, but the upside is obvious: a starting five that could rank among the Big 12’s best. The Jayhawks would clearly welcome him back.
Later today, former KU guard Melvin Council also has a hearing, with a ruling expected. His case is more complicated because he had to file a personal lawsuit against the NCAA and President Charlie Baker, but he is still in the mix for KU.
Nothing is final yet, since the Indiana court has not ruled on the underlying case. Even so, the Jayhawks may have landed in position to add an All-Big 12-caliber piece at a point in the offseason when almost nobody saw it coming.
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