What’s the Best Lineup for Kansas Basketball?

The Jayhawks have a lot of options for the upcoming basketball season.

Dec 1, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Tristen Newton (2) drives against / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Bill Self has hauled in three of the transfer portal’s best wing players, addressing a deficiency that held the Jayhawks back in the 2023-24 season. As of this writing, Johnny Furphy is still a Kansas player, but many consider the Aussie to be out the door and into the NBA Draft. We will examine the future of the Kansas Jayhawks with the thought that Furphy is gone. So with so many new faces, what would the ideal Kansas lineup look like?

Let’s start with the obvious. Super senior center Hunter Dickinson announced that he would be coming back to Kansas, and the addition of wing scorers to better spread the court could see Dickinson’s 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds increase in 2024-25. We know what Dickinson brings to the table on both ends, but the compelling idea is what Hunter can accomplish without being constantly double and triple teamed.

If KU shoots like they should, opposing defenders can’t just sag down on Dickinson. The big man still has plenty of tricks in his bag, but the idea of not having to shed and shrug defenders all the time has to seem like a dream come true for the seven-footer.

Mar 23, 2024; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Kansas Jayhawks center Hunter Dickinson (1) drives during the / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Another obvious call in the ideal Kansas lineup is super-duper senior Dajaun Harris. I’m trying to imagine the number of assists that Dajuan would’ve had if Kansas had any reliable shooters last season. They didn’t and Juan still dished them out at a 6.5-per-game clip. Now, surrounded by guys that have reputations as big-time scorers and the possibility of a much more open Hunter Dickinson, we should see Harris’s assist numbers increase in his fifth and final season for the Jayhawks.

Mar 23, 2024; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Dajuan Harris Jr. (3) reacts during the / Gabriel Mayberry-USA TODAY Sports

This is where things get interesting regarding the ideal lineup for Kansas. Wisconsin transfer AJ Storrs and Alabama transfer Rylan Griffen should be automatic additions to the starting five. Storrs is a big-time scorer who led the Badgers in scoring and to a five seed in the NCAA Tournament. He can drive the lane well and will really pose a problem to opposing defenders because he can pop the trey as well. Griffen shoots better from deep, can penetrate on the dribble drive, and is one of the best defenders Self has brought in, perhaps able to take that mantle from Kevin McCullar.

Mar 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Rylan Griffen (3) controls the ball / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Mar 17, 2024; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard AJ Storr (2) goes to the basket defender / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

After those four, it could get tricky. KJ Adams has been a starter each of the last two seasons. Last year, he played the four but the complaint was that he didn’t do enough to help Hunter Dickinson, that their playing styles weren’t compatible. The previous season, he played the five out of necessity. That shouldn’t be an issue at all this season as Flory Bidunga is the natural backup to Dickinson. So, will the better spacing and two good shooters in Storrs and Griffen be enough to keep KJ on the floor and spread the ball around efficiently? That’s the question.

Kansas junior forward KJ Adams Jr. (24) dunks over Kansas State in the second half of the Sunflower / Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA

KJ doesn’t have a jump shot, so his offensive output will likely be fourth best among this projected starting five. The assumption is that Harris will distribute more than shoot now that he doesn’t really have to shoot. Zeke Mayo was brought to KU to shoot the ball and he will see significant playing time. He’ll likely be the first off the bench, but Kansas could go four out and one in with Mayo replacing KJ on the floor. Kansas could have shooters everywhere with Harris running the show. This would likely be KU’s best offensive lineup, but might pose problems defensively if the opposition has size.

Mar 21, 2024; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Elmarko Jackson (13) drives against / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

And let’s not forget the rest of the roster. Elmarko Jackson should get more minutes at the point this season as Kansas would be well served to limit Dajuan Harris’s minutes and preserve him better than they have the last two seasons. Riley Kugel is an intriguing addition as well, but he hasn’t officially been recognized as a KU player, so the jury is still out on whether he will be in Lawrence next season. 

Mar 13, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Jamari McDowell (11) reacts after a play / William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports

Jamari McDowell showed flashes last season but the pure depth this team now possesses could limit his minutes. Freshman Rakease Passmore is another wing Bill Self might call into action, but with so many players ahead of him in the rotation, only time will tell. Redshirt big man Zach Clemence is also intriguing but will most likely be behind Bidunga in the rotation, with Dickinson getting the majority of the minutes anyway. 

However it all shakes out, Kansas will have options. The top seven (eight if Furphy somehow stays) in the rotation seems to be set in stone, but just how Bill Self will use his players is anything but.