3 Biggest Needs Kansas Basketball Must Address in Transfer Portal

Although the Kansas basketball roster featured the potential No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft this season, the Jayhawks were a largely flawed team with several glaring weaknesses. Darryn Peterson's supporting cast was unable to do enough down the stretch, even when he tried to put the team on his back.

With the 19-year-old phenom off to the NBA and two starters in Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White graduating, Bill Self (or whoever replaces him at the helm) has their work cut out this offseason. There could be even more holes to fill if players like Flory Bidunga or Bryson Tiller depart from the program.

This transfer portal cycle will be one of the most pivotal in recent memory for Kansas as it looks to retool its roster. What kind of players should KU target on the open market?

Newport's Taylen Kinney reacts after Newport's Ninth Region championship win over Cooper Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kinney was injured in the first half. | Tony Tribble for The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

3. Shot-Creating Iso Scorers

Peterson was one of the best players in the country at creating his own shot and making something out of nothing. Now that he is out of the picture, the Jayhawks don't have many isolation scorers who can get a bucket late in the shot clock.

Granted, Taylen Kinney is a lead guard who should do a terrific job running the offense, but he isn't a scoring-first player. Aside from him, there are very few ball-handlers capable of creating space for a jump shot on the roster.

KU obviously won't replace a player of Peterson's caliber with just one guy, but it can address it by adding two or three iso scorers who can hold their own defensively while contributing on offense. Coach Self typically likes to operate with two ball-handlers in the starting five, so targeting another guard to start alongside Kinney makes sense.

2. Post-Scoring Big Man

Whether Bidunga returns to the program remains to be seen, but even if he does, the Jayhawks lacked reliable post scoring this year. Bidunga and Tiller weren't consistent down low and got most of their points off layups, dunks, and alley-oops.

Dec 4, 2024; Omaha, Nebraska, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self watches action against the Creighton Bluejays during the first half at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Fans already know how the Hunter Dickinson experiment went over the previous two years, but at least he was someone who could go to work in the post and be relied on for quality looks. KU didn't have that this season and leaned heavily on its guards to carry the offense.

Having an off-ball big like Bidunga is fine, and Tiller showed flashes with a post fade at times. But KU needs a big man who can score outside of the paint to open things up and space the floor.

1. 3-Point Sharpshooting Wing

This is a role that White filled very well this season, as he shot 40.3% from three. Now that the guard/forward has exhausted his eligibility, someone needs to replace him as a reliable 3-and-D wing.

Outside shooting was an issue for Kansas this year, as the team went through long cold stretches and averaged just 7.2 made threes per game. Through the first 70 or so minutes of NCAA Tournament action, Peterson was the only Jayhawk who had made a 3-pointer.

There is hope that Kohl Rosario can take a sophomore leap and grow into this role, and he certainly has promising traits. But in today's game, 3-point shooting is a dire need, and past Jayhawk teams have consistently struggled from long-range in key moments.