The Kansas Jayhawks ungracefully bowed out of the NCAA Tournament with a 79-72 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks. This was actually one of the better matchups of the first round, a game that went back-and-forth all the way to the end of the game. Arkansas led by as many as 10 points early in the second half before Kansas stormed back to take a 65-64 lead with 5:43 left in the game.
The Jayhawks led 67-64 with 3:10 left in the game when KJ Adams suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon injury. It seemed like the air was let out of the team at that point. Hunter Dickinson flung an errant pass directly to Arkansas’s Boogie Fland, who took it to the length of the floor for an easy layup, with 2:56 left in the game. The Jayhawks turned the ball over again on the next two possessions. In all, going back to the play where Adams was injured, it was four straight possessions where Kansas turned the ball over in just over a minute of game time. That sunk Kansas in what was really the epitome of the entire season. The Jayhawks could not get out of their own way in close games against quality opponents.
Dickinson did not score any points in the second half, just another thing for Jayhawk fans to harp on as people think back on this era of Kansas basketball. The Dickinson experiment ultimately failed. Whether that’s because of the type of players surrounding him, including fellow seniors Adams and DeJuan Harris Jr., who may not have been the best complimentary pieces for Dickinson’s style of play, or something else, we may never know. The transfer portal class that looked so good, including AJ Storr, Rylen Griffen, Zeke Mayo, and others, did not live up to the AP preseason No. 1 billing. Self will need to adjust and plan accordingly moving ahead in this transfer portal era of college basketball.
Despite the troubling first-round exit, the Kansas Jayhawks are still in a good spot with Self and his ability to recruit quality players. The University of Kansas has committed to N.I.L. and will not shy away from helping pay top-tier players in the transfer portal. Even though it didn’t work out this past season, Kansas will still need to be a big player in the transfer portal moving forward. There is good news for Kansas fans who may be feeling down after last week’s disappointing ending to the season.
Kansas has the nation’s top high school player in Darryn Peterson. He is a do-it-all combo guard who excels at scoring buckets from anywhere on the court. Peterson is projected to be a top NBA draft pick in 2026. Getting one amazing year out of Peterson could be enough to get the Jayhawks back into Final Four contention. The Jayhawks will return freshman Flory Bidunga, who has made it known he is excited to play at Kansas for the full amount of his collegiate availability. Bidunga showed flashes of the incredible ceiling he has in a limited role behind Dickinson this season. Next year, Self should unleash Bidunga as part of a dynamic duo with Peterson.
Elmarko Jackson, who was a high-profile recruit ahead of the 2023-2024 season, missed the entire 2024-2025 season due to an offseason injury. He will be back with the Jayhawks and is excited to get back into action with the team this offseason and moving forward into a new season. Jackson could be in for a big bounce-back season as a redshirt sophomore. David Coit announced his intentions to return for a super senior season. Coit could push to be a starting point guard after transferring in and playing under Self in a reserve role this past season.
It will be interesting to see if AJ Storr and Rylan Griffen hang around the program. Heading into the season, Storr had been vocal about wanting to test the NBA waters following one season at Kansas. He had a very disappointing season, so it’s unknown if the NBA will even be an option for him this offseason. Griffen spent time moving around between the bench and being in the starting five. Perhaps having a full season under his belt in Lawrence would give him the confidence to come back and feel more comfortable in the system. Transferring again could also be an option if they don’t feel they are well suited to play again under Self.
Jamari McDowell and Rakeese Passmore will also be returning guards. There will be a lot of mouths to feed and not a lot of playing time for everyone, which could lead to some guys transferring out. Of course, Self and the company will also be trying to bring in a few big-name transfers as well to try and upgrade the roster. Without the consideration of any players on the current roster transferring or leaving for the NBA, there are only two open spots for scholarship players. With each player currently on the roster who transfers, that would open up another spot for Self to work with.
While there are still many unknowns heading into the offseason, Kansas still has a foundation to build on and keep the program moving forward. The results were ugly this past season, but the best thing to do is to forget about it and move on to the next season. It starts now with the transfer portal opening, and things will continue to heat up as the summer approaches.
